LIFE'S CALLING:
"Race you down the stairs," Marc yelled as he slid down the bannister and into the living room.
"Hey, that's not fair. You got a head start," Marley whined back from the upstairs balcony. Breakfast had officially begun in the Jacobs house and Rachelle looked up just in time to catch the offender red handed as he peeled into the kitchen in his new Wheelie shoes.
"I thought I told you not to wear those things in the house, "she scolded.
"Sorry mom-I guess I forgot," he smirked as he grabbed a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats and plopped down at the bar table.
Marley entered the kitchen a few minutes later, already whining about the morning's start.
"Mom, he forgot to put the toilet seat down again and he got toothpaste all over my new Hannah Montana toothbrush," she yelled as she shot her brother a menacing glance.
Marc stuck his tongue out at his sister, but pulled it back in quickly before his mother caught sight of him. This was nothing new. They had been fighting since before they were born. Rachelle remembered how violently they would kick and claw at each other, even in the womb. She swore that towards the end of her pregnancy, they had already developed sibling rivalry.
Rachelle handed Marley her cereal and got her settled at the table. She grabbed a hairbrush and pulled her daughter's long ebony hair back in a quick pony tail. It was hard to believe that the twins were almost 9 now and at times Rachelle got a bit choked up thinking about how fast they were growing. Within minutes the fighting had resolved and peace once again took hold of the household.
From upstairs in the bedroom, Marcus heard the morning scuffle and winced beneath the covers. Usually he would be in the shower already and about to head out the door for his long morning commute, but today he had called in sick. Something he ate last night was not sitting well with him and he had been up all night in and out of the bathroom. By 5 o' clock it was obvious that he was in no shape to go to work. He pulled the covers tighter over his head to block out the light already streaming in from the side windows and tried to fall back asleep.
Rachelle busied herself with the morning routine and set the kids' lunchboxes on the counter in front of them- Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches, Apple slices and organic wheat crackers. Although they could buy their lunches from school, she hated the thought of them eating all of that greasy, fried cafeteria food-and she didn't even want to think about Mystery Meat Mondays. Since the twins were born, she tried to make sure that they all stuck to a healthy diet, almost vegetarian but with the occasional chicken wing thrown in for good measure. After all, she was a registered dietician. If she couldn't get her family to eat healthy, what chance did she have helping others.
As the school bus rounded the bend, the kids jumped up from the table, downing their orange juice in a single gulp and racing for the door. They grabbed back packs and lunchboxes and even had time to push each other one last time before heading out the door.
"BYE MOM!" they yelled as the front door slammed.
Once again, peace took hold of the house and Rachelle poured herself another cup of coffee and sat down to read the morning paper in silence. She loved her mornings to herself and treasured each minute as if it was the last.
By 10:00, Rachelle tiptoed up the stairs to check on Marcus and see if he was awake. She knew what a rough night he had and was determined to let him get all the sleep he needed. When she walked in the bedroom, she caught sight of his tousled brown hair on the pillow and crawled underneath the covers with him.
"Hey, baby," she said lovingly, "how are you feeling?"
"Better," he winced, " but I still feel like my insides have just been out all night partying without me."
Marcus slid his hand underneath the covers and stroked her leg. Even when he was sick, he couldn't resist the urge to touch her smooth browned skin. It had been that way since the day they met, over 15 years ago. Rachelle smiled and ran her fingers through his hair.
"What do you want to eat?" she whispered, " You should probably put something in your stomach."
"Just a bit of toast and maybe a glass of water, " he said sitting up further in bed.
"No problem..coming right up!" she said as she bounced out of the bed, gesturing like a waitress.
"I'll be back in a sec!"
As Rachelle headed down the stairs, Marcus picked up his Blackberry and answered some of his emails. Nothing earth shattering was going on at work today, so he might actually get to rest a bit and spend some time with Rachelle. It seemed like since the twins were born, the two of them rarely got a moment to reconnect. They were either shuttling the kids to soccer practice or ferrying one of them to piano lessons. On weeknights it was particularly bad, since Marcus didn't usually get home from work until well after 7:00. Things only got worse when Marcus' mom moved in with them three years ago. Suddenly, the little time they had to themselves shrunk to an occasional night out once every two or three months. Still, they cherished every minute they had with each other, even the stolen ones.
Rachelle put the toast in the toaster oven and opened a bottle of Fiji water for Marcus to drink before tiptoeing into the guest bedroom to check on Marcus' mom, Magdela. She was still sleeping, and for now she seemed peaceful, so Rachelle dared not disturb her.
About 3 years ago, Marcus' mom moved in with them after she nearly set her kitchen on fire. Unfortunately, over the past 3 years, her dementia had worsened and some days she barely recognized them anymore. Just the other morning, Rachelle had spent 45 minutes trying to convince her that she had already eaten breakfast. Eventually, she just gave in and fixed her another bowl of oatmeal with raisins in order to end the frustration.
Taking care of his mother wasn't so bad. In fact, Rachelle loved having the chance to care for her in her final years. What she wasn't prepared for, was watching how deeply his mother's demise would affect Marcus. Over the past 3 years, Marcus had gone from a self confident, happy go lucky business man to a rather melancholy, self pitting shell of the man she had married. She hadn't realized how difficult it would be for Marcus to watch his mother slowly slip away into the darkness of Alzheimer's. As a medical professional, she knew the journey would be a long one and part of her regretted not preparing Marcus better for what lied ahead. Still-they were all together and for now that was all that mattered.
When Rachelle returned with breakfast, Marcus was obviously feeling better. As he wolfed down the buttered slices of toast, she told him about the morning's events and about her new client. For an entire hour, Rachelle laid curled up next to him, talking. They talked about Marcus' new business venture, Marley's upcoming braces and even Magdela's condition. As they talked, Marcus tenderly stroked her thigh and traced the outline of her hips with his finger. They hadn't been this close in weeks and they were both loving every minute of it. It was nice getting a chance to catch up, even if it was the stomach flu that had caused it.
Suddenly, the shrill sound of the phone echoed through their blissful world. Rachelle rolled over and answered the phone as Marcus jumped in the shower.
"Mrs. Jacobs, this is Mary from Petersberg Elementary. We have your daughter here and she's been throwing up all morning. Can you come get her?"
"Sure thing," Rachelle said, bolting up in bed, " I'll be right there."
By the time Marcus got out of the shower, Rachelle was gone. He scanned the room briefly, before settling his sights on a pink note placed gently on his pillow.
" Gotta go...life's calling again. Marley's sick at school, so I went to pick her up. Enjoy the silence. Oh, when you get up..... Can you feed the dog? Love Rachelle."
Marcus smiled and pulled on his bathrobe. Sure, life was busy-but really, he wouldn't have it any other way.