Indigokane: I am glad that you like the story. I promise that there will be a happy ending. isn't that a rule on the kittenboard?
SMGOVAN: You are supposed to hate Sheila. She is definitely one of the villians of my story.
Finey_McFine: Be prepared for a continued ride...
zampsa19752001: I always live for your feedback. Ipromisethere will be snuggles soon.
Title: Meeting Expectations
Author: TaranWillow4Ever
Rating: PG for now
Disclaimer: Josh owns all of the characters, I just imagine other lives for them.
Spoilers: None
Feedback: Please, I am playing with POV, sorry to those who don't like inconsistency.
Note: This story contains elements of abuse - physical and emotional, that are either eluded to if not outright described. If anything of this sort bothers you, then please do not read this story
Part 63
“So what are we going to do now?” Tara asked Joyce. Willow had fallen asleep and they went down to the hospital cafeteria.
“Well. She can’t go back to school until she is cleared medically and psychologically
“She is going to really like that”, commented Tara.
“Fortunately Ira and Sheila have sent me a medical proxy, so I can make the medical decisions until one of them gets here.”
“One of her parents is coming?” said Tara paled.”They can’t see me. Her mother will go ballistic. I am a she devil in their eyes. You’ve got to tell me when they get here so I can make myself scarce. By the way,How is the emancipation stuff going?”
“Willow didn’t tell you?”
“Um, no…”
“I think that is what put her over the edge. The judge refused to hear the case. “
“Oh… Why?”
“Something about the history of hospitalization precluding it…”
“So what is going to happen? They going to come back to the US and take care of her?”
“I guess. I haven’t told them yet that she can’t go back to school. I don’t think they’ll be too happy about it. They were so excited about her graduating from college before she turned 18.”
“She still might. She said she had already gotten most of her credits. She was talking about starting grad school a year from now, so missing a semester will only set her back a bit, and she won’t turn 18 until the middle of the fall semester.”
“That is not the most important thing…I could care less about her schooling. I just want her to get better.”
“Me too. She’s going to have to go to rehab again, isn’t she?”
“I am pretty sure that rehab will be the recommendation. I heard there is a good program in Arizona that is supposed to be good for both trauma and eating disorders. That is where they were going to send her last time, but instead they sent her to The Maples.”
“Well, I can’t say that I am disappointed. Meeting Willow was the best thing that happened to me.”
“I think you are one of the best things that happened to her too.”
“Thanks. I can’t believe we came so close to losing her?”
“So what are you going to do about your job Tara?”
“I don’t know. I am pretty sure I blew it by just taking off to come here. I’ve been calling every day, but I can tell that soon they are going to just tell me not to bother. It is ok. It was a job, but I still have my other job. I’ve been working there so long, they told me to take all the time I needed.”
“I was looking at the want ads in Palo Alto…”
“Are you thinking about getting another job?”, asked Tara.
“No, actually I was thinking about changing offices. My company has an office there.”
“I guess when Willow comes back from rehab it will be good to have you nearer.”
“That is what I was thinking. Tara, there are some day care jobs around where I want to live. If your rent was cheap enough, I bet you could afford to live there.”
Tara looked at Joyce quizzically.
“I was looking at a really cute house and it has a “mother in law apartment’”
“So were you thinking of having Willow live in it?”
“No, actually I was thinking about having you live in it.”
Tara looked at the woman incredulously; her mouth hung open. “Y…y…you’d do that for me?”
“I knew you were a great girl…I mean woman…but when I saw how your presence perked up Willow…before you came I was REALLY afraid that we were going to lose her. I saw her will to live change exponentially when she saw you. I think you are key to her recovery. I think if we both were around, we’d be able to support her. Are you interested?”
“Interested? YES…definitely, I am so tired of being so far away from her. I know you think we are both too young to make life plans…but I really am sure that she is my soulmate.”
“I believe you…you two already have gone through more adversity than the average adult…I think it made both of you older than your years. When I think about all I missed…”
“Hindsight is 20/20. We just need to go forward as my therapist says…”
“Will it be hard to leave her?”
“Who?”
“Your therapist.”
“Kind of, but I am sure that I can learn from someone else.”
Joyce’s pager beeped. She looked down at it. “Shit, it is Sheila. She must be here. Um Tara…”
“I know I have to make myself scarce.”
“I hate it…but knowing Sheila…”
“I can fill in the blanks. I will just hang here and you can come get me when she leaves.”
***
Joyce met Sheila outside of the door to Willow’s room. “Well, thank you for watching out for Willow until I came here, but you must need to get back to work. I have it from here.”
“It’s no problem, I will stay as long as you, or she needs you.”
“I think you have done plenty.” Sheila’s tone was accusatory.
“Sheila…I tried to keep tabs on her…she told me everything was going well.”
“Well, a mother would have known. I should have called more often, but I was so busy…”
“That has always been your excuse.” Joyce said subvocally?
“Excuse me,” said a shocked Sheila.
“Nothing.”
“I heard what you said, and what your tone said. Well, you don’t have to worry. I am taking a semester off. Ira got a visiting professorship offer at Boston College. We will be transferring Willow to Boston General within the next day or two. She won’t be your problem anymore.”
“She was never a problem.”
“Well…anyway. It was nice seeing you. I will tell Willow you said ‘goodbye’ when she wakes up. Please don’t visit anymore. I will be telling the nurses that only doctors and I can be in her room.”, Joyce knew she was being dismissed.
**
Tara could tell that something had not gone well from the look on Joyce’s face and the fact that it had only been about ten minutes.
“What is wrong?”
“Tara…”
“Yes?”said Tara feeling a sense of foreboding.
“She’s taking her to Boston.”
“What?” Tara could feel the tears well up. The anger coming off Joyce was palpable.
“She’s taken a sabbatical…Ira’s teaching there. She’s transferring Willow in the next day or two. I knew Sheila had control issues, but she has forbid visitors as well. I was dismissed.”
“So I can’t even say goodbye?” the tears began.
“I am sure she will be back as soon as she turns 18 and we will be here waiting for her.”
“We? You still are thinking of moving, and want me to live in the apartment?”
“Yes. I already put in for the transfer, and I made the offer, I don’t make offers lightly. We will be here waiting for her.”