Chapter 13 -- Balance
The weekend passed swiftly after my Friday night with Mindy. I was quite concerned for her state of mind after the ordeals of the evening. Brad seemed to be in check for now and Mindy did not have to worry about anything except her own internal conflicts. I wished I could be there to help her resolve them. The confusion, the hurt and the anger she must be feeling about the way things turned out would overwhelm any normal person. I had been there. I had felt those feelings, had those questions and endured those long, excruciating moments of figuring it all out on your own. I wished desperately that I could help her get through it.
But I had other, very pressing things to deal with on this overcast Monday morning. I showered and dressed quickly, ensuring that I looked perfectly professional. I made my way downstairs and paced the floor in the dining room as I waited for Penny to come down. I heard Emma's car pull up in front of the house and I knew that Penny did as well. She suddenly came into view as she made her way down from her bedroom.
We exited the house together and I locked the door behind us. We climbed into Emma's car, Penny in the front and me in the back seat. Emma drove swiftly, eager to get to our destination.
"How did it go on Friday night with Mindy," Emma asked me as she drove.
"It was an interesting evening," I admitted. "I am worried about her."
"Did Brad get the message," she inquired.
"Without question," I confirmed.
"Good, then the rest will take care of itself," Emma asserted.
We drove on without any further conversation. I was confident that we were all thinking the same thing; we wanted this meeting to be over and the results to be clear. Emma pulled up to a set of gates built within a large stone wall at the end of a long driveway. She lowered her window and pushed the button on the speaker box next to the gates. The box buzzed and the gates slowly opened.
We proceeded up the long driveway and Emma parked in front of the large, white house. Emma shut the car off and Penny and I followed her up the stone stairs to the front door. Emma rang the bell gingerly and we waited. I noticed that it was exactly 10am and I was impressed that we were so punctual. I was a little surprised when Brad answered the door. He motioned for us to come in and we all entered the house, without any conversation. We followed Brad through the ultra modern and well decorated home. He showed us out to the back patio where a small table and 4 chairs was setup overlooking the in-ground pool.
"Wait here," Brad indicated.
Emma nodded and we waited as Brad disappeared back into the house. We all stood, silent, waiting. We were anxious but prepared. I surveyed the well landscaped property and terrifically maintained pool area. Time ticked away slowly and I assumed Sienna was making us wait on purpose, to prove a point. It was not until 10:15 am that Sienna finally graced us with her prescreens.
"How good of you all to come," she said as she emerged through the glass framed door that led out from the interior of the house.
There was no response from any of us as we kept our eyes on her.
"Please sit," Sienna urged as she pulled up a seat for herself. "So, where should we begin?"
"We have some concerns about our situation," Penny began, as we all seated ourselves at the table.
"What situation would that be, dear," Sienna asked.
"The situation of our dueling games," Penny stated.
"Our dueling games," Sienna repeated. "Miss Emma, are you not in charge any more?"
"Times change," Emma responded confidently.
"Well, well, that certainly changes things for me," Sienna laughed. "I am not sure that this little girl is even worth the effort."
"Sienna, don't force my hand," Emma warned. "While I may not be in charge, I am still loyal and I will do what I have to in order to protect those I care about."
"Care about," Sienna mimicked. "You must be joking. This game isn't about caring, it's about power."