The Misadventures of the Laundry Hag 00 - Swept Under the Rug

cleaning partner route before and it didn’t turn out very well.” I poured my coffee and took the first bracing sip.
    Neil shrugged and ate his cereal. “It was only a suggestion. She seems nice, kind of reminds me of you.”
    Coffee went down my windpipe and I choked, tears welling in my eyes. “What do you mean?” I wheezed.
    Neil shook his head and rinsed his empty bowl. “Nothing, I guess it’s the accent.”
    Grrrr.
    “I’m going to take a shower. Wanna conserve water and share?” The heat in his green eyes was unmistakable. Chances were good that until Marty and Penny moved on, the only private time we could claim would be in the shower.
    I opened my mouth to reply, but Penny glided into the room. No waddling for this pregnant Southern Belle. “Morning ya’ll. That sure is one comfy bed, much better than the fold out in the camper.”
    “I’m happy you slept well.” I stretched to alleviate the stiffness in my back. Neil gave Penny a wink and headed off to the bathroom. Alone, I sighed and poured more coffee.
    “So, Penny, have you thought of any baby names yet?” It struck me as I observed her silhouette that I was going to be an auntie. I loved babies and babies that I could cuddle and spoil on a regular basis were the best.
    “Not really,” Penny said mildly as she poured a glass of milk. “I guess we’ll just see what she looks like.”
    “So it’s a girl?”
    “I don’t know.” I waited for her to continue, but she just drank her milk.
    “Well, have you had an ultrasound yet?” I probed.
    “Nope.”
    A nasty thought took root. “You have been to an obstetrician, right?”
    “Nu uh.”
    “A midwife then,” I grasped. No reply. I blinked, then blinked again. “Penny you have to get prenatal care. You should be on vitamins, and have tests—”
    “Relax, Maggie. Women have been having babies since the dawn of time. It’s a natural process.”
    “Yeah and women died having babies without proper medical treatment. Do you have medical insurance?” But I already knew what the answer would be before she shook her head.
    Fricken’ perfect. My brother had no job and no insurance and apparently neither did Penny. With a baby on the way and no place to live except an ancient death trap on wheels. Lord, have mercy.
    “If you’ll excuse me a minute,” I shot her a wan smile then marched to my bedroom. Marty lay sprawled on top of the covers, bare ass exposed to the world. I swiped a sneaker from the floor and flung it at the full moon.
    “What the—” Marty launched out of bed.
    “Get your hide in gear. You’re coming cleaning with me.”
    “Now?” Marty asked with a glance at the alarm clock.
    “No, later. Now, you’re going to get on the computer and do a little research into insurance plans and OB/GYN’s for your pregnant girlfriend. Did you know she hasn’t been to a doctor yet?” I hissed.
    “Well, that’s really her call—”
    “Not while she’s carrying my niece or nephew and sleeping in my bed it isn’t. This family has endured enough tragedy and I refuse to sit by and do nothing while you two endanger a child.”
    “Calm down, Maggs. We’re on top of it.”
    “The only thing you were on top of is my duvet. Now you have a choice. Either be a grown up and earn your keep or get out.”
    Marty took a step back, eyes going wide. “You don’t mean that.”
    “The hell I don’t.” I understood his disbelief. Even before Neil and I had married, my home had always been Marty’s safe haven, a place to weather any shit storm he’d stirred up. Time and again, he’d put strain on our home life and my relationship with Neil. But expecting to mooch and act like a runaway from Juvie hall wasn’t gonna happen this time.
    Marty opened and closed his mouth a few times like a large mouth Bass. Really though what could he say? I stepped closer and lowered my voice. “You’re better than what you’ve become Sprout. I want to be proud of you, I do. You have to earn it, though. So get to work.”
    “Anything else, boss?” though his tone was snide, I answered him seriously.
    “Yeah, put on some pants for Chrissakes.”

    * * * *
    “Hello?” The obnoxious clock in Dr. Bob’s waiting room read ten minutes to ten when I answered my cell. There was still no sign of a receptionist and no voices carried from behind his closed door. True to my prediction, the schools were closed due to inclement weather. I’d left Penny in charge of the house almost half an