The Little Passenger

Brenda reports Caitlin to Daniel for child endangerment. Christmas Party Plans begin to gel faster.

Helene Shelby and Brenda hunkered down in the red corner booth at the Big Cup cafe. The guest list was complete, the fancy cranberry living room curtains would be hung in a few days by the best "ladder man" in town, and the old curtains would be sent for cleaning, and storage. The mannequins would be displayed proudly, and with any luck at all, most of them would be dressed as locals. A baker, a banker, a doctor, and the mayor. Helene suggested her hairdresser, or local seamstress. Women mattered, too. 

The Blundon's were to be in the Christmas windows, but perhaps their black maids could be standing by the living room fireplace. Black mannequins were scarce, but the clever Miss Grayson seemed to have at least one of everything.

Brenda glanced up to see Caitlin Alexander wander in through the front door and ask for a coffee "to go." Baby Henry was left outside in his cold metal stroller. He had nothing warm to keep him from the bitter wind. His sockless feet were encased in what appeared to be cowboy bedroom slippers made from felt. His sweater gaped open and revealed a flimsy undershirt.His pants were tiny red long johns. There were no gloves on his little hands, and no blanket to cover him up.  Luckily for her, Caitlin couldn't see Brenda's outraged stare. Daniel would have to be told about this. Brenda rarely ever called him, but it was absolutely brutal outside, and Henry looked miserable.

Caitlin sipped her hot coffee from a paper cup, and pushed the stroller with her free right hand. Henry's head jerked backwards when she shoved his rickety stroller a little too hard over a small crack in the sidewalk. Brenda wanted to run outside, and throttle her. Helene didn't know about Brenda's affair with Daniel, but when Brenda described Caitlin as a "monster" Helene agreed that her mothering skills were sadly lacking when she took a baby out into the elements like that. Karen Shaw said that she hoped the baby was headed home right away. Brenda had to keep from blurting out a condemnation of Caitlin in case something ever came up in the future.

Daniel was not happy with Brenda's news about Henry, and said that he would take Caitlin shopping as soon as possible, and keep an eye on her in the future. He added that Henry had a "ton" of clothing in the house, and that Grandma Mo had bought him a snowsuit, but Caitlin was just too "tired" to stuff him into it.

Confronting the "wife" about the coffee shop visit, Daniel theorized, may provoke a storm of outrage. Caitlin hadn't seen Brenda and Helene sitting in the back, but there were other disapproving stares from at least 3 local women. 

Henry's frozen little face hadn't registered so much as a blink from Caitlin when she stared out the window waiting for her hot steaming cup of Joe. The image would burn into Brenda's memory screen for a long time to come.

March 21 2015

CJ Marks

Author's Note

Sorry for the change in font at the top. I tried to correct it, but it mocked me. :)