Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux Latrivia Nelson (best selling autobiographies .txt) 📖

go out,” Ivy said wishing that both Emerald and Grey both had stayed away.

“You weren’t too sick to have company though,” Grey said walking to the kitchen to relieve some of the tension that had overcome her bedroom like a thick fog.

“Well then, I guess we’ll have to stay in together and play catch up,” Emerald said sitting on the bed beside her. He was not about to leave Grey alone with Ivy for one minute after that.

“You should plan to spend the night if you plan to get all the way caught up on what’s been going on here,” Ivy said softly as she crawled back into the bed and pulled the covers over her body. Patting the bed, she motioned for her brother. “Come watch television with me.”

“Oh, I’m not leaving your side,” Emerald said kicking his shoes off and diving in her bed. It was good to be home. He could see perfectly that he had come at the most needed time. Ivy was in no shape to fight this battle alone, but he could add balance. And he would.

Chapter Fifteen: Strategy

Chapter 15

STRATEGY

“You should have been there the other day,” Emerald said whispering on the phone to his father. “I came in after Nicola, and Grey came in after me. I truly believe that if I had not been there, they would have tried to kill each other.”

“Damn, I always miss the good stuff,” Madison said whirling around in his office chair like a mischievous child. He wouldn’t have cared if they had killed each other for what they were doing to his daughter. “So, how is Ivy?” He hated to think of his darling little girl losing her perfect shape and dealing with motherhood alone.

“She seems to be fine…nothing to worry about. So, when are you coming this way?”

“In another few months or so. I sent Ivy a little something to help her until I get there though.”

“Care to send me anything?” Emerald asked jokingly. He had not yet told his father or anyone else except Ivy about his marriage to Kakeline.

“You’re a grown-ass man with only your mouth to feed. I’m not sending you anything. Hell, you need to be trying to send me something. Speaking of which, you did pay your mother back that five hundred dollars, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Emerald said dismissing the beginning of another of his father’s tirades. “Look, remind me to tell you something after you get here. Not that I’ll likely forget.” He was bursting to tell Madison, but he didn’t want the spotlight to be taken from his little sister in her time or need.

If no one knew that he and Kakeline were married, there was no reason to be upset about of lack of attention. However, if everyone knew and no one seemed to care, he feared it would sour the entire experience.

“Why can’t you tell me, now?” Madison hoped Emerald had not gone and done something stupid.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Are you still on my phone talking long distance?” Sadie asked walking into the den where Emerald was sitting on the couch. This was his cue to cut the conversation short.

“It’s Dad,” Emerald explained hoping it would cause a change in Sadie’s mood.

“All the more reason to say goodbye. Ask him if he can read and if he can then email him.” She always got a kick out of insulting her ex-husband.

“No, she didn’t just ask if I could read?” Madison asked hearing her remark. “If you weren’t my son, I’d tell you to tell her something.”

“What did he say?” Sadie asked standing over Emerald cutting her eyes.

“He said if…if you only knew how he loved you, you wouldn’t say those type of things.” Emerald wanted them back together as badly as Ivy did, but they were a lost cause.

“Liar,” Madison said doodling on his notepad. “Tell her I said buzz off.”

“Tell him, if he loved me so much, he would send for you and Key lime Pie permanently.” Pushing his feet off her coffee table, Sadie walked off. She couldn’t stand talking to both of the men in her life at the same time. They both were too much of an annoyance.

“What’s with her?” Madison could sense an unusual tone in her voice.

“Probably the change. Plus, I brought Kakeline home with me, and she thinks we’re shacking up. She gave her Ivy’s old room and insist that we come back and visit sometime again.”

“You guys really need to get a hotel.”

“Not you, too. Okay. I’ll look into today.” Emerald recalled his mother’s attitude. “Somehow I think things would be different if you were here.”

“Somehow, I think they would be worse.” Receiving a message for another call holding, Madison ended their conversation. “Can we pick this up later?” He loved to talk with his son, but never seemed to find the time.

“Yeah, we need to get out of here and take care of a few things anyway,” Emerald said standing up and stretching.

“Just call me later collect, and tell your mother to cool out.”

“You tell her,” Emerald said jokingly. No one told Sadie what to do.

**

Sadie simply couldn’t understand all the turmoil that had come into her family over the last few months. She had been praying and steadfast. She and Madison had sent the children to good schools. They had grown up in better social circles than most. They both had received a hand up in life and yet, here they were both spinning their wheels. Ivy was a single, pregnant college girl, and Emerald was shacking up in her house with an islander. She shook her head in despair and tried to fight back the tears. Somehow, she was sure that all of this was Madison’s fault in some way.

Hearing the doorbell, Sadie walked into the foyer, where she found Ivy and Grey with several bags of clothes.

“What a surprise,” Sadie said kissing her soon-to-be son-in-law on the cheek.

“We’ve been out at the malls shopping,” Ivy said setting her bags down. “The bigger