Chapter 19: The Value of Friendship

Cade woke up with a start in the middle of the night thinking about the locket that Callie had pawned. He peered through the darkness at Callie's sleeping form and then he nudged her to wake her up, "Where is the receipt for that locket you pawned?"

Callie had difficulty waking up at first. She had almost completely forgotten about the locket and the sterling silver picture frame she had pawned more than six weeks ago. She wondered why Cade was waking her up in the middle of the night to discuss it. Couldn't it wait until morning? "I don't remember," she said in a tired voice, wishing he would let her go back to sleep.

Cade frowned, "C'mon Callie, you can do better than that. Where is the receipt?"

"God Cade," she moaned, "Do you need it right now?" Her body was screaming for more sleep.

"Yes," Cade said firmly, "Now find it for me," and he smacked her bottom to wake her up.

Callie groaned from his smack and roused herself enough to think about where she had placed the receipt. She finally recalled putting it in the nightstand next to the bed, and she turned on the lamp and began to sort through the papers inside the drawer, until she found the receipt, and subsequently handed it to Cade. Cade didn't know why it was important, but he wanted the receipt at that moment, no matter how unreasonable it seemed. It was as if he couldn't rest until he had it in his hand. She handed him the receipt and he looked at it briefly before setting it on top of the nightstand next to his side of the bed. Then he watched as Callie rolled over. Both of them went back to sleep.

In the morning, Callie woke up the children, fed them, and sent them to school. As she served Cade his breakfast, she noticed he was ready to go somewhere. "Where are you going this morning?" she asked sleepily.

"I'm going to see about getting that locket back," Cade sighed. "I forgot about it until last night. I see from the receipt that it's been at the pawnshop over forty-five days, and there was only a thirty-day limit, so I'm not sure it's still there. It may have been sold," he looked at her sharply.

Callie looked down. "Sorry Cade."

Cade could understand the feelings of desperation she had felt when she made the decision to pawn the picture frame and locket, and he had punished her rather harshly for her behavior, but he felt a strong need to get the locket back and he wasn't sure why. "When do you start your new job?" He asked as she moved about the kitchen.

"Tomorrow," she said quietly.

Cade breathed a heavy sigh, "I'll be gone all day today. I won't be back until after dinner."

"Where else are you going?" She asked in a worried voice.

"Out," Cade quipped, and then he noticed she was crestfallen when he didn't share his plans with her. "After I go to the pawnshop, I'm going to the trade school to see about enrollment. I need to find a solution to getting a job. I don't want us to lose this place. I'll be damned if we are going to sell out to the Pennington's." He looked at her sharply as he fingered the pawnshop receipt, "I hope I can still get that locket back."

Callie squirmed a little and then poured him another cup of coffee. After Cade left, she washed the dishes, and stood looking out the kitchen window, wondering what to do with her day. She finally left the kitchen and settled down on the couch in the living room to read one of the paperback novels she had already read. About mid-morning, she heard a car pull into the driveway and wondered if Cade had returned. She quickly stood up and looked out the window. An old Jeep Cherokee was in the driveway, and Callie's heart leapt when she saw Angie Jameson and her three youngest children get out of the Jeep. One of her four-year-old twin boys was hefting a gallon of milk as they approached. Callie rushed to the front door and flung it open. "Hey," she smiled.

The boy carrying the milk hurried up to hand it to Callie, "Thank you," Callie smiled down at him appreciatively as she took the milk. "What's your name?"

"Tommy," the boy grinned.

"Well thank you Tommy," she said. "Come on in," she motioned to Angie. Callie watched as Angie walked inside the house carrying her two-year-old daughter in her arms, with the four-year-old twin boys by her side.

"Now y'all better be good," Angie warned her boys as they bolted past her.

"Where is the TV?" Tommy asked.

"Sorry, we don't have one," Callie informed him. Tommy frowned, so Callie thought for a minute and then she rushed upstairs to find the old toys that Cade had given Harley. She returned with a set of army men. "Would you like to play with these for now?" She offered. The twin boys eagerly took the army men and began dividing them up.

"Now don't get carried away," Angie warned, "We aren't going to be here long, so don't make a mess."

"Come in the kitchen and I'll brew us a fresh pot of coffee," Callie offered and Angie followed her and sat down at the kitchen table. "I wanted to get that milk back to you right away," Angie said. "Lonnie is a great guy, but he can be so forgetful; we sure appreciate you loaning us that milk."

Callie nodded as she put the milk away in the refrigerator and began to brew some fresh coffee.

"You're house is so clean," Angie said looking around. "How do you keep it so clean?"

Callie smiled, "Well it's a lot of work, but Cade won't allow it to be cluttered or dirty, so I've gotten used to it."

Angie nodded, "Allow? Lonnie doesn't seem to care if we have a clean house or not, and I'm glad."

Callie wasn't sure how to respond to Angie's observations about Cade not "allowing" the house to be in disarray. "Men are all so different," she finally said, and then she poured them each a cup of coffee and went inside the pantry to retrieve the sugar. She noticed the strop sitting on the shelf as she reached for the sugar and her face flushed red. She quickly pushed the strop to the back of the shelf and placed some cans in front of it in order to conceal it from plain sight. She thought she might die if Angie ever saw the strop and realized that Cade used it on her. "Would you care for some sugar?" Callie offered as she came out of the pantry carrying the sugar.

"Just a little," Angie smiled and she eagerly scooped some sugar into her coffee.

Callie glanced inside the living room where the twins were playing. They seemed to be happy for the moment playing with the army men. Callie had baked cookies two days prior, so she offered each of them a cookie, but regretted her actions a little when the kids began to get crumbs everywhere.

Angie noticed the worn curtains hanging in the kitchen, as they sipped their coffee. "God I think these curtains have been here forever; I remember them from when Walt was still living here."

"Yeah," Callie sighed, "But Cade won't let me replace them yet; no money for it with him being out of work."

Angie looked at Callie, "It sounds like Cade has the say about everything." Angie had meant it as a joke, but it hadn't come out sounding like much of a joke.

Callie didn't laugh, and as she sat there, she figured she might as well admit the truth to Angie. "Cade likes to have things his way, but I don't mind it," she said timidly, and Angie could tell Callie felt nervous confessing this to her.

"Well the last time Lonnie thought he could tell me what to do, he soon found out differently," Angie laughed. "So tell me more about you Callie," she said in an attempt to ease the tension.

Callie smiled and began to tell Angie a little about her life, carefully skirting the details that might paint her in an unfavorable light. She would save those issues for later, when she knew she could trust Angie. She wanted to skip the part about Cade being in prison, but when she got to that part, she didn't know how to get around it, and she stumbled as she tried to find the right words. Angie could sense that she was uncomfortable about it. "It's OK Callie, I know Cade was in prison," Angie said with a warm smile and she reached over and placed her hand on top of Callie's shaking one. Callie was relieved. They talked for a while longer until Angie announced that she had to leave. "Come by and see me again tomorrow," Callie begged; then she remembered her job and that she would be working tomorrow. "Wait, never mind, I start my new job tomorrow."

"Well, I guess I won't come by tomorrow then," Angie grinned, "but soon." Callie watched Angie shuffle out the back door with her children, leaving behind a small disaster of army men, cookie crumbs, and a dirty coffee cup. Callie waved goodbye as they drove away.

Callie then went inside the house and collapsed onto the couch, staring off into space. She had been lonely without anyone for company, and she was grateful for Angie's visit, but she began to worry about what Angie had thought of her when she admitted that Cade was the one in charge of the household. Angie had made it quite clear that she didn't defer to Lonnie. Callie looked down at the scattered toys and crumbs and began to feel a bit sorry for herself, because Cade was so strict about everything. She knew there was nothing she could do to change that however, and after awhile she stood up with resignation, got the broom, and began cleaning up the crumbs. She knew if she didn't clean up the house, Cade would be angry when he got home, and even though he wouldn't be home for hours, there was no sense putting it off.

Cade drove straight to the pawnshop after breakfast. The middle-aged man who owned the shop was inside waiting. When Cade produced the receipt for the locket and picture frame the man smiled. "I had a feeling that little lady wasn't supposed to be pawning those things," he chuckled, and he looked rather pleased with himself.

"I know it's past the thirty-day limit," Cade said apologetically, "I was hoping you still had these things and that you hadn't sold them yet."

The man nodded, "Well business has been slow." He cocked an eyebrow. "I've still got them, but it's going to cost you." He pulled out a box and retrieved the locket and picture frame. Cade hated paying the man twice as much for the items, but he realized he had no choice if he wanted them back, and he forked over the cash.

"Here you go," The man, grinned at Cade as he took his money. "Give my regards to the little lady."

Cade turned and strode out of the store. He would give Callie the man's regards all right; it was times like these when Cade had a struggle remaining calm about Callie's impulsive urges.

Cade next drove to the trade school. It was early afternoon when he arrived. He didn't want to stop and ask directions, so he was relieved when he finally found the school. He had obtained his high school diploma while in prison, and schools made him a bit uneasy, they always had. He was nervous about going inside, but he figured there was no use putting it off. He was desperate for a solution to his unemployment issues.

Cade rubbed his sweaty hands on his jeans as he nervously approached the front desk. It turned out that the school personnel were friendly and helpful, and Cade spent a long afternoon asking questions and gathering information. There was a chance he could qualify for financial assistance, as long as he was willing to complete the paperwork, but the program to become a plumber was a long and arduous one, four to five years for completion, and he wasn't sure he had the patience for something like that.

He learned that funding for the required courses he would need might be available, if he completed the proper forms. It was a lot of work in his estimation, and it was rather foreign to him. He found out that Callie could get a high school diploma at the trade school if she chose to do so. By the time he drove away from the trade school, he had a lot to consider.