Chapter 22
“You’re back!” Ruth shouted when Donna came through the door. Donna was
immediately enveloped in a big hug from her mother-in-law.
“Hi. That was a little desperate.” Donna teased. “Which Lyman is driving you to
distraction?”
“The oldest one.” Ruth drawled. “And I’m not referring to Ben.”
“I didn’t think you were referring to Ben for a single moment.” Donna told her.
“What’s he doing?”
“Well, for one thing, he’s turned your bedroom into a war room, so good luck
finding a place to sleep tonight.”
“If Mohamed can’t come to the mountain…” Donna quoted.
“Well they’ve brought the whole damn mountain to him and it’s in your room.” Ruth
complained. “He’s got two different phone lines in there too. Why? I asked him. He
can only talk on one at a time!”
“It sounds like you could use a little break. Why don’t you go next door to your
room and take a hot bath. I’ll take over.” Donna suggested.
“Bless you child.” Ruth turned to leave, then stopped suddenly. “Wait! You’re not
leaving again are you? This isn’t you being nice because you’re going to leave me
alone with him again tomorrow, right?”
“No, I’ve got the trips covered for the next two weeks. I’m here for the duration
now.” Donna guaranteed.
“Okay.” Ruth let out a sigh of relief and continued on her way.
Donna stepped into the bedroom and despite Ruth’s warning, stopped in shock at
the sight.
“Josh, what have you done?!”
“Hey, you’re back!” Josh’s eyes lit up. “Everybody, this is my wife and partner
Donna.” Four strangers looked up from their various posts and called out a variety
of ‘hello’s’.
“Ummm…hi. Josh? Who are these people in our bedroom?”
“This is Ron.” Donna looked at him blankly. “Oh, sorry. You’d know him better as
‘Abby’s brother’, the nurse who took such good care of me?”
“Oh, Abby’s brother!” Donna exclaimed and walked across the room to shake his
hand. “You’re sister is amazing.”
“So I’m told every day of my life by both my parents.” Ron replied.
“You came to meet Josh?” Donna looked from Ron to the other 3 people in the
room.
“Actually, to volunteer for Julie Peterson.” Ron corrected her. “These are three of
my students; Darnel, Lisa, and Barbara. They volunteered to come help too,
although it may have something to do with the extra credit I promised them.” Ron
laughed as Donna nodded hello to each of the college students.
“You’ve set up a campaign office…in our bedroom…” Donna turned back to Josh.
“We weren’t exactly using it.” Josh argued.
“No, but I’m back now, so I’m wondering if you and your cohorts will be able to
clear a space for me, or if I’m going to have to beg one of our daughters for a
place on their beds.”
“We’ll clear out, Mrs. Lyman. We’re almost done anyway.”
“Donna, please, and thanks, I appreciate it.” Donna sent her husband a glare.
“What? I’m supposed to stay in bed!” He excused himself from cleaning up any of
the mess despite the fact Donna was sure he’d created most of it.
“Yes, and you’re so good at following medical advice.” Donna said sarcastically as
she sat next to him on the bed.
Josh picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” Donna replied and leaned forward to kiss him. “Looks like you’
re feeling better.”
“As long as I don’t have to move around too much.”
“It looks like your volunteers take care of the moving around.” She noted as they
scurried around the room cleaning things up.
“They’re great.” Josh smiled. “We may need to steal a couple of them to take back
with us to D.C.”
“Only two?” Donna questioned.
“Yep. Keeps them all working very hard, in the spirit of competition, you see.”
“Yes, and that’s not at all egomaniacal. Besides after working with you awhile they’
ll be fighting over who gets to stay here, not who gets to go to Washington.”
“Very funny, Donnatella.” Josh replied.
“I’ve been on the road refining my act.”
“I heard. How the hell did you get Jameson to endorse our candidate for
Governor?”
“You don’t want to know.” Donna teased.
“Donna…” Josh warned her not to tease about that subject.
“A woman has to use whatever weapons she has in her arsenal.”
“That’s not even a little bit funny.” Josh told her.
“Neither is finding a campaign office, complete with 4 strangers in our bedroom.”
“Fair point.” Josh admitted.
“We’re out of here.” Ron announced. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”
“Sounds good, thanks for all your help.” Josh told them.
“This is nothing. Wait until you see the crew I’m bringing in over the weekend.”
Ron bragged.
“We’ll be glad to have each and every one of them.” Josh noted. “Talk to you
tomorrow.”
Donna showed them to the door and then returned quickly to Josh. “Where are
the kids?”
“At the pool with Jenny last I heard.”
With that assurance, she stretched out next to her husband and began making up
for lost time and opportunity by kissing him until both their toes curled.
“Wait. Where’s my mother?” Josh asked looking toward the doorway. Donna used
her fingers to draw his face back toward her. “Back in her room recovering from
the treatment she’s received from her ungrateful child.”
Josh didn’t even deny it. “Okay, then.” He returned her kiss with fervor. His hands
traveled over her body until they were both breathing heavily. “Donna…lock the
door…” he advised her. This was one time she didn’t question his directions.
**************************************************
Tori was the first one to spot Donna’s purse on the living room table.
“Mommy’s back!” she called to her siblings. “Mommy?!”
Donna hurried out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. “Shhhh…Daddy
is sleeping.” She told them even as she pulled them into her arms. “Oh, I missed
you so much!”
Tori consulted her digital watch that she’d received for her last birthday. Tori loved
keeping track of time. “You were gone for 4 days, 13 hours and 27 minutes.”
“That’s a long time.” Donna agreed. “Jake, I think you’ve turned into a fish!”
“Nah-ah.” Jake jumped into her lap and immediately made his mother almost as
wet as he was. “Are we going home now?”
“Not until the doctor tells us it’s okay for Daddy to fly.” Donna explained.
“When’s he going to do that?” Ally asked.
“I’m guessing in another week or so.” Donna estimated. “Jenny, how are you
doing?”
“Tired but good. It’s hard being in one relatively small space for so long. The kids
have all been behaving very well.” Jenny complimented them.
“Who? My children? Impossible!” Donna proclaimed.
“We’ve been really good.” Ben protested. “Even ask Grandma.”
“I did. She said you were all driving her crazy.” Donna shared.
“Not us; Daddy.” Tori chimed in.
“Daddy’s been acting crazy? I don’t believe it.” Donna teased.
“He was fighting with Grandma all the time.” Ally told her.
“He wouldn’t eat the salads she brought him and then he’d pay us to bring up a
hamburger from the place downstairs.” Tori added.
“Fries too.” Jake reminded them.
“I see.” Donna said looking at Jenny.
“I would just like to point out that the kids have saved their earnings and have
learned how to negotiate the price of delivering a burnt burger based on how
hungry they perceived Josh to be.” Jenny defended them all. “It was a kind
of…learning experience.”
“I’m sure it was.” Donna said, tongue in cheek.
“We can wake him up so you can give him consequences.” Tori offered.
“I think I’ll let him sleep for now and give him his consequences later.” Donna
decided. “I say you get out of your wet suits, we make some popcorn and order a
movie.” Her suggestion was met with enthusiastic cheers.
When Josh wandered carefully out of the bedroom he found his wife on the couch
surrounded by sleeping children.
“You look good like that, Donna. I wish I had a camera.” He said quietly.
“Yeah? I hope you’re not hungry. All your hamburger runners are sound asleep.”
Josh winced at her words.
“Who narked?” Josh asked standing behind her and rubbing her shoulders.
“Who didn’t?”
“Where’s the loyalty in this family?” Josh asked.
“We should sell the whole lot of them.” Donna agreed stroking Tori’s hair as she
lay sleeping in her mother’s lap.
“Except Ben is almost out of here; I mean a little over 7 years and he’s gone. Ally
isn’t THAT much trouble and she’s really a great role model for Tori and Jake. Tori
brings a unique perspective to everything and Jake can always make me smile.”
Josh mused.
“So I should take the children OFF ebay?”
“Eh. Let’s wait and see how things go tomorrow.” Josh decided. “Are you coming to
bed soon?”
“Yeah…I was enjoying this quiet time. I missed them so much the last few days.”
Donna admitted. “Let me put them in bed and then I’ll join you in ours.”
“I could help with Jake.” Josh offered.
“No, you most certainly can not. Do you want to end up back in the hospital?” Josh
shuddered and shook his head. “Then let me do this.”
“Where’s Jenny?” Josh asked.
“She went out with one of those students of Ron’s.”
“Which one?” Josh asked suspiciously. He was notoriously overprotective of Jenny.
“Relax. Ron vouched for Darnel and Abby vouched for Ron, so it’s all good.”
Donna assured him.
“I’m just sayin.” Josh muttered.
“You’re da man.” Donna agreed. Once she had all the kids in bed, she joined Josh
in theirs.
“I see your diabolical plan to have the people seek out Julie for the nomination
worked like a charm.” She noted.
“How do you know that was me?” He asked.
“Please! It had your fingerprints all over it.” Donna drawled. “You got some great
press out of it and the op/eds won’t hurt either.”
“It was a great plan, admit it!”
“So it was all you and nothing of Julie?” Donna asked.
“Let’s say Julie ran my play very well; willing but not overeager.” Josh bragged.
“Sounds like Ben isn’t the only one who’s smitten with Julie.” Donna teased.
“She’s got a real shot now, Donna. It’s exciting.”
“I know. It really is. But now you need some sleep.” Donna decided and turned out
the light; content to lie in her husband’s arms again.