Chapter Twenty-three 2 page

Tully walked to Bailey’s door first again and knocked loud enough to be heard over the music. When Bailey opened it, her hostile glare killed any greeting Tully might have offered. “If you want a ride I’m ready to go. I have court today, so I’d appreciate it if you meet me in the kitchen in five minutes.”

Bailey opened her mouth, but for once the rude comment died in her throat. Her mother looked different and it wasn’t a good change. Tully had been many things to her in her short life, from hero to punching bag, but one thing she never associated with her was defeat. Not the kind of defeat she was witnessing now.

“Ralph, you ready?” Tully called through his door.

In the kitchen she handed them what they had asked for the morning before and held the door open for them to head to the car. When Tully started the engine she turned on the music they had listened to the morning before and seemed to drive to their school on autopilot. She didn’t comment on the language or attempt to make conversation.

“Have a good day,” Tully finally said when she stopped in front of the school.

“You too, Mom,” Ralph said. He got out and stood next to the car, waiting for Bailey.

With her hand on the door handle, Bailey stopped when Tully asked her the last thing she ever expected. “You don’t like it here, do you?”

“It’s not totally lame, I guess.”

“Sometimes, Bailey, I ask you things because I really am interested in an answer and not because I’m setting you up for a lecture. What about this place don’t you like? How about if I phrase it like that?”

Bailey’s anger receded a bit and she stared at her mom. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because eventually you’re going to see that high school is a blip on the radar, but when you have to live it every day, it’s miserable if you don’t like it.”

Tully never took her hands from the steering wheel because she didn’t want to set herself up for another rejection, but she ached to engulf Bailey in her arms and take the sad face away. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, but if you ever do, I’ll listen and try to come up with a solution that’ll make it better.”

“Thanks.” Bailey hesitated before getting out. She didn’t say anything else, but she smiled a little when Tully nodded.

“Anytime, Bailey Bean.” The nickname made Bailey’s smile broaden, and for once she walked away from the car as if she wasn’t facing execution.

“You were due in court in an hour, but Iverson’s clerk called and said the judge had to move us back to tomorrow.”

As Roxanne followed Tully down the hall to her office, Tully knew she was wondering why the front of her shirt and pants was covered in coffee and she’d been cursing under her breath from the minute she’d walked in.

“Lady Luck is smiling on you today,” Roxanne continued, “so stop cussing before you work yourself into a coronary.”

The closet in her office usually held a set of clean clothes, but when Tully opened it, the bar was empty. “Shit, I forgot to bring the damn things back after I took them to the cleaners.”

“Go home and change and get back here as soon as you can. I just got off the phone with some potential clients I think you’re going to want to take. They’re coming in this afternoon at three.”

“I’m already working two cases, Rox, so we wouldn’t be doing them any favors if we stretch ourselves too thin.”

“Just listen to their story, and if you don’t want to take them, I’ll find them a new attorney myself.”

“All right, let me get out of this and I’ll be back in an hour.”

They headed back to the elevators.

Roxanne surveyed Tully’s shirt. “How did that happen, anyway?”

“Some idiot elbowed me when I started to take a sip because he thought I was talking to the server too long. He was in a hurry, I guess.”

“Were you?”

Tully punched the button for the elevator three times, though she knew it wouldn’t make the cars move faster. “Was I what?”

“Talking to the server too long?”

“Libby was telling me how her class went last night after I gave her some pointers yesterday. She wasn’t that long-winded.” Spending time with Libby provided her a guilty pleasure every day, so an occasional miffed customer was a small price to pay. Libby fawned over her and seemed to enjoy her company, and, absurdly, Tully kept hoping that Jessica would feel the same way about her once again.

“You better stay out of coffee shops until you get back. We have a lot to do and you need to look the part.”

Tully was still laughing about the comment when she turned into their driveway thirty minutes later. She had to slam on her brakes when she found a car parked in her spot. Her first thought was to call the police, but she decided to investigate the situation herself. Since the sticker on the front windshield read Children’s Hospital, it was a safe bet that Jessica had invited a friend home for an early lunch.

The container of imperial chicken from the night before was sitting open on the bar with a spoon sticking out of it, as was the container of egg rolls. The only things missing were plates or any sign of Jessica. For once, Tully was glad their house still had carpet up the stairs and on the second floor. They’d meant to put down wood but never gotten around to hiring someone.

She walked down the hall to the open door of the master suite and, when she reached it, felt like someone had twisted a knife in her gut. What she’d found different about Jessica the day before hit her like a two-by-four across the forehead. The top two buttons of her wife’s blouse were missing, probably because the redhead who was going down on her was too impatient to open them the old-fashioned way.

As Jessica’s moan reached Tully’s ears, an overwhelming wave of nausea hit her. Jessica had her eyes shut, obviously enjoying what her lover was doing so much that she didn’t hear Tully. That changed in an instant when Tully grabbed the woman by the back of her head and jerked her off the bed.

“Tully, don’t,” Jessica screamed as she tried to cover her nakedness.

“Tully, don’t?” she roared. “You fuck some piece of shit in my bed and I’m just supposed to walk out of here and let her finish?”

The naked woman cocked her fist back and connected with Tully’s eye before she could complain about anything else. The blow was so hard that her eyebrow started to bleed instantly, but Tully wasn’t about to retreat. She hit back, throwing the woman into the dresser.

“It’s my fault she’s here, so take it out on me if you want.” Jessica held the sheet up around her. “Don’t hit her again. Just tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”

“What I want?” The movement behind her made Tully turn around, only to get hit two more times. “What I want is to kill this piece of shit, but I’ll settle for this.” She felt some deep satisfaction when her blow connected, making the woman’s head fly back. The redhead landed in a heap, in no shape to get up again.

“Tully, calm down before someone really gets hurt,” Jessica pleaded, still making no move to get off the bed. She watched with a frozen expression on her face when Tully walked to the phone and dialed 911.

“Yes, Operator, I’d like to report an assault in my home.” She paused, feeling numb as she looked at Jessica and smiled. “I came home unexpectedly and found what I believe was a woman trying to rape my partner.” Jessica sat up, then rose from the bed. Tully watched her get dressed while she continued her report. “Yes, ma’am, the assailant then attacked me. I was able to fight back and she’s momentarily unconscious. I’ve got a deep cut, I believe, but I’ll have it looked at later. I just need you to send a unit out as soon as possible. Thank you.”

“You fucking bitch.” Jessica glared at her.

“No, darling, the only one doing any fucking here is you. I just laid the groundwork for the story your children will hear, which is the least I can do for you. If you choose to go another route, then tell the nice police officer your version of events.” She didn’t try to clean off her face or the shirt that now displayed a mixture of spilt coffee and blood. “I’ll leave you two alone.” Without another word she headed downstairs to wait for the police.

“You aren’t going to get away with this, Tully,” Jessica yelled after her.

Get away with what? Having some reaction to finding my loving wife with her legs spread for someone else? What a joke, Tully thought as she wiped the blood from her face.

“Dr. Badeaux, your partner says it’s an affair, not an assault,” the police officer explained after talking to everyone involved. “Actually, both women say you mounted more of an assault than she did.”

“Does my face look like the assault was my fault, Officer?” Tully removed the ice pack the paramedic had handed her and showed the man the damage.

“Tully, cut the crap and tell him the truth,” Jessica demanded as she held another ice pack to her lover’s jaw.

“Ma’am,” the officer cut in. “Does this woman live here with you?” He pointed to the redhead sitting at the dining-room table.

“No, I share the house with her.” Jessica pointed to Tully.

“My name is Dr. Kara Nicolas, not ‘this woman,’” the redhead added.

“Is it fair to say that Dr. Badeaux knew about the relationship you have with Dr. Nicolas?” The officer added a bit of sarcasm to Kara’s name, making Jessica realize where this was going.

“No, officer, that’s why it’s called an affair.”

“I understand that, ma’am, but you have to see the situation from my viewpoint. The person who lives here comes home and finds some stranger pinning you to the bed, the same stranger who then gets up and punches her in the face numerous times. Dr. Badeaux was well within her rights to protect herself and to file charges against Dr. Nicolas if she chooses to.”

“It was a mutual altercation, not an assault,” Jessica yelled.

“Do you have proof of that?”

“You have my word and Dr. Nicolas’s word. What more do you want?”

“The word of someone not trying to cover up the existence of an affair, ma’am.” He took his card from his breast pocket and handed it to Tully. “Don’t worry, though, I’ll include all of your statements in my report. The court system can work it out.”

“This isn’t the last of this, Tully.” Jessica helped Kara out of the chair and headed to the door. It had been a bitch getting her dressed and presentable before the police got there, but now all she wanted was to get the hell away from Tully.

After Tully heard the engine start, she heard a crash and watched the remaining officers rush to the front door. Jessica had gunned Kara’s car into Tully’s vehicle and pushed it out to the street to get it out of the way. Before she could drive off, the same policeman stopped her and wrote her up for reckless driving, adding another report to give to Tully.

He stood at the door and gave her the incident number as well as the phone number of a wrecker service. “You sure look calm for someone who’s just been fucked over, if you don’t mind me saying so.” He surveyed the wrecked car and shook his head. “I’d have expected this shit from you, not her. You’re the wronged party here, after all.”

“It may seem like I got fucked over today, but I do my fucking over in a different arena.” When he cocked his head to the side, she added, “I’m an attorney as well, and this will eventually make it into court, sir. There you can really fuck someone over.”

“Good to know. I’ll call you if I ever have the need. Can’t have too much luck or know too many good attorneys.” He shook her hand. “I’ll do this paperwork right away. And you might want someone to take a picture of your face for future reference.”

“Thanks, I appreciate the advice.”

Though Roxanne offered to come over Tully’s house to make sure she was all right, Tully made her promise to stay at the office and reschedule everything for the rest of the week until she was ready to return to work.

“I’ll let you know if I hear anything from the police.”

“I doubt if you will. Now I have to clean up a little and buy a new vehicle.”

“Tully, I know you’re probably not up to it, but I’m going to reschedule the couple that was supposed to come today for sometime tomorrow. I hate to push you, but I promised them that you’d see them as soon as possible, so if I have to beg, I will.”

“Make it the late morning and warn them that their attorney might look a little worse for wear. The bitch was short but she packed quite a wallop.”

After Tully finished on the phone she went up to take a shower. The rumpled bed made her skin feel even dirtier, but she could burn the sheets later. Now she needed to go talk to Ralph and Bailey before someone got to them first. As angry as she was at Jessica, she was just going to tell them they needed some time apart for now and let it lie.

The ever-efficient Roxanne had called for a tow truck and had a rental car delivered while she was getting cleaned up. Tully adjusted the seat of the Ford Explorer, thankful her car would be one less thing in the long list of humiliating things that had happened to her that day that she’d have to show the kids. She drove to their school and walked down the long corridor to the office, intent on checking them out for the day and sure that Bailey and Ralph would have more than their share of questions about everything, starting with the bruises on her face.

“I’m sorry, Tully, but Dr. Badeaux checked them out about an hour ago,” the school secretary informed her. “Is there a problem?” The older woman stared at Tully’s face.

“No problem. I’ll just give her a call since it seems we got our wires crossed.”

Not having the energy for anything else, Tully drove home to start making some calls to make sure her kids were all right. She didn’t want Jessica to drive around with them, on the off chance she decided to ram someone else. She also didn’t know who this Kara Nicolas was and how she would welcome a lover with two children.

Having no answers to the multitude of questions in her head, Tully felt lost. Aside from the kids, she was now alone, and having such solitude thrust upon her so suddenly and through no fault of her own left her wanting to hit something. She flexed her fingers, still feeling the soreness of hitting Kara earlier, but the memory didn’t bring her satisfaction.

Chapter Four

“No fucking way, Jess.” Kara sat on her sofa and popped a few pills into her mouth before putting the ice pack back. “You can move in here if you need a place to stay, but I look at fucking kids all day long. I’m not coming home to any.”

“You knew I had kids. And right now they’re sitting outside the apartment building in the car and I’m sure wondering what the heck I’m doing in here.”

“Your kids and her kids, not mine. This isn’t up for discussion.”

“What exactly would you like me to do with them? They’re my children.”

Kara glared at her from what seemed to be a pain-induced haze. “If they’re that important to you, why don’t you go find a nice hotel room for the three of you so you can play the doting mother. I don’t give a fuck, but they’re not staying here. I have enough shit happening in my life.”

“All right, I’ll be back in a little while.”

After a silent drive from the apartment, Jessica and the kids parked in front of the house again, and Jessica wondered who the car in the driveway belonged to. “Something happened today, and I’m going to move out and stay with a friend.”

“For how long?” Bailey asked.

“I don’t think I can come back here, guys, but I want you to know I love you.” She touched Bailey’s cheek and sighed when she slammed against the car door to get away from her. Bailey apparently wasn’t any fonder of her than she was of Tully, and Jessica figured this wasn’t the time for total honesty on her part. “We’ll work something out, but for now you’re going to have to stay with your mom.”

“That’s all you’re going to say?”

Jessica sighed. “This situation is between your mom and me, and not up for discussion.”

“You pull this random crap and we’re supposed to accept that it’s ‘not up for discussion.’ That’s not good enough.”

“Bailey, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t curse at me, and what happened was between adults. It had nothing to do with you or Ralph.”

Bailey reached up and slammed her fist down on the dashboard. “My bad. I keep forgetting we’re just the freaking last thing you or Mom are concerned about.”

When Ralph opened the door and got out without saying a word or asking any more questions, Bailey was surprised, even though she wanted nothing more than to sit there and insist until she browbeat Jessica into answering. She followed him to make sure he was all right because he didn’t beg Jessica to stay. She was even more surprised when she reached the back door and heard him screaming at Tully.

“Why did she leave? What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything, Ralph, and I’m assuming your mother told you why she left.”

Tully was standing at the island in the kitchen with a Coke can in front of her, along with her car keys. Bailey wondered if she had been planning to run away too, or if she had intended to come try to find them.

“She just said something happened, but it isn’t any of our business,” Bailey said. She pointed to the large cut and bruise on Tully’s face. “Is that part of what happened?”

“Your mom doesn’t want to be with me anymore, guys, but I’d never lift a hand against her. You know that.”

“Then what happened to you?” Bailey persisted.

“Her new friend and I had a little difference of opinion, but it’s not as bad as it looks.”

“That’s all you’re going to say?”

“Right now I can’t think of anything else I can say that’s going to make this any better or easier.”

“Typical,” was all Bailey said before she turned her back on Tully. When it was clear Tully wasn’t going to add anything new, she and Ralph went up to their rooms.

Tully left them alone, not wanting to push them into talking to her if they didn’t want to. She sat outside on a chaise lounge with a pack of cigarettes. At nine that night she heard the back door open behind her but no footsteps, as if the person was hesitant to approach.

“You came home and found her with someone else, didn’t you?”

“That isn’t a question you should be asking me, Bailey.”

“Why? You told me yesterday that if I answer questions in the most direct and respectful way I can, I’ll earn the respect I think I deserve.” Bailey even used the same inflection with which Tully had delivered the line.

Tully stubbed out the last stick in the pack and laughed so hard she started coughing. “So I did.”

“So answer it.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to, but right now the last thing I need is for you to blame me for one more thing. My face hurts, my head hurts, and I can only take so much in one day.” The tirade sounded childish to her own ears, but she was tired, hurt, and shell-shocked, so in a way she couldn’t help herself.

“What am I going to blame you for? You’re still here, she’s not.”

“She left me, kid, and you’re right about one thing—it has nothing to do with you.” Tully sighed and stared up at the stars. In the dark backyard, they were vivid in the cloudless sky.

“The problem is, though, she left me and Ralph too, and I know you don’t want…”

The unfinished statement made Tully swing around and face her daughter. “I don’t want what?”

“You probably think we should be with her instead of here bothering you, but she didn’t want us.”

Not caring if Bailey pushed her away, Tully hugged her close and held her. “No, Bailey Bean, I do want you here with me. Your mom and I are having problems, but that has nothing to do with how I feel about you.” She wanted to cry when her daughter slumped against her and accepted the comfort she was offering. “I love you with all my heart, even when you get really mad at me. Nothing you do in this life is ever going to change how I feel about you.”

“You sure? I’m kinda buggin’ about this, so you can imagine what Ralph’s going through. He won’t talk to me and I’m worried about him. Usually I have to slap him to get him to shut up.”

“I’m sure, baby.” She moved them toward the door. If Bailey was feeling this undone, then she was right, Ralph was a wreck. “We’re going to get through this just fine.”

“But you don’t know how to do anything.” Bailey sounded almost as lost as Tully felt.

“As long as the grocery doesn’t run out of Pop-Tarts we’ll be okay.”

She spent a good deal of time in Ralph’s room with him and Bailey, reassuring them of the future but steering clear of any subject that would turn them against Jessica. As angry as Tully was now, Jessica was still their mother. All three of them cried together and went to bed with a new fragile truce in place. Tully hoped the kids were more certain that although their place in the world was changing, they wouldn’t lose it.

“Mom, where in the hell are you?” Bailey called from the kitchen.

The high-pitched, panicked voice made Tully pop her head up from the sofa. “What’s wrong?”

“I went to your room looking for you and thought you’d left.”

Running a hand over her face, Tully tried to think of a reasonable way to explain why she’d rather eat hot coals than sleep in her bed. “Sorry, I just sat here for a little while and must’ve fallen asleep.”

“If you want I can get the guest room ready for you. I’m sure the maid put fresh sheets on the bed, but it’s been a while since anyone’s stayed in there.” Bailey moved closer and sat on the other side of the sofa. She’d seen the way the bed looked when she went in to find Tully and figured her assumptions from the night before were correct. Contrary to what her parents believed, sixteen didn’t equal stupid in some areas. “Until we decide what we’re doing, I can do that if you want.”

“You know something, kid?”

“If you don’t want me to help you through this, that’s just fine. I just thought you’d feel better if you talked about it.” Bailey folded her arms across her chest so she wouldn’t blow from anger.

“I was going to say that you’re really observant.”

“Maybe it’s just that you and Mama think I don’t have any brains for anything.”

Tully shook her head. “I can’t speak for your mother, but that’s not what I think of you at all. And last night I decided to let the maid go.” If Tully thought Bailey was going to object to the suggestion, the laugh she got instead surprised her.

“The drapes were Mama’s idea too. Are we ripping those out?”

“The maid was your mother’s idea, and the only time the woman can work herself up to talk to us is when it’s time to get paid. Getting rid of her isn’t going to be a real hardship, is it?”

Bailey poked Tully in the chest with her finger. “Not until you expect me to start vacuuming and cleaning up after Ralph in the bathroom. Get rid of her if you want, but we might need to talk.”

“Can I ask you something else?”

Bailey’s hair fell into her face when she nodded. “Whatever.”

The answer didn’t make sense to Tully, but she figured it was all right to ask her question. “Lately you’re so angry all the time…can you tell me why?” She winced when she stretched her back out. “I know you think I’m never around, but I get the impression that even if I was here twenty-four/seven, you’d still feel the same way about me.”

“I don’t hate you…not really. It’s just that…” Bailey’s arms seemed to tighten against her chest as if to delay the words. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Want to make a deal?”

Bailey nodded.

“When you’re ready to talk to me, and I mean really ready to talk, I’ll answer all your questions truthfully until you tell me to stop. I’ll do that if you’ll do the same.”

“Why would you agree to that?”

“Easy, because I love you. And if it takes laying myself bare for you to believe me, then it’s an easy deal to make.”

“I’ll think about it, because I might want more stuff out of the deal.”

“Ah, spoken like a true future attorney.”

“Could we do one question now just for practice before we finalize things?” Bailey asked.

“Just one?”

“I think it’s best to go slow.”

“Then ask away.”

“Mama told me that you never wanted to have children. Is that true?”

Tully was stunned to hear what Jessica was feeding the kids along with their nutritious breakfasts. “When your mother and I met, having kids had never crossed my mind,” she started, as hesitantly as she ever spoke.

“So it’s true?”

“Technically that’s your second question, so let me finish answering the first one before we move on to your version of the truth.” Tully helped Bailey off the sofa and led her into the kitchen. “When we met and started dating, I’d never considered having children. Later, I went along with the idea because she wanted kids so much.”

“So it’s true?”

Tully tugged on a strand of Bailey’s hair and smiled, trying to keep her quiet until she was done. “I remember when I saw your mom’s first ultrasound, then heard your heart beating. I fell in love with you right then. Once you were born I stayed up countless nights, without any sleep.”

“I had a lot of colic?”

“That’s four questions now, but that’s not why I lost sleep. I’d just go into your room and watch you. You had this thick head of hair, and I knew right then that you were the best thing I’d ever done.”

Bailey watched Tully as she spoke, especially the way her eyes were glued to the backyard as if she was trying to capture those memories.

“I never regretted having you or your brother in my life. You’ve always been my motivation to do good in the world so you’d be proud of me.” She shrugged and didn’t say anything else.

“Why haven’t you ever told me that story?”

“I have, about a million times. Only then you enjoyed hearing stories from me, and the sight of me didn’t repulse you like it does now.” Tully’s features relaxed. “Maybe you’re right, Bailey Bean. We should talk more often. I don’t want other people to tell you how I feel or don’t feel about you. If you want to know, just ask—deal or no deal.”

“You don’t repulse me, you know.” Bailey put her hands on the counter between them in an effort to stay calm, but she couldn’t help shifting from foot to foot.

“It’s okay to tell the truth, I’m not going to get angry. I haven’t up to now, have I?” Tully reached across the space between them and put her hands over Bailey’s. “I’m not very good at communicating my feelings, but that’s not your fault. I just want to know why you’re mad at me.”

“You’re never around anymore.”

“I’m home every night, but you’re right, I guess. I’m home, but I’m not really here.”

“Why is that?” Bailey turned her hands so that their palms slid together in a more affectionate way. She had her mother talking and wanted to keep it that way.

“Because I came home to a family that didn’t need me anymore, and I couldn’t find a way to accept that reality. You always ate out with your mom somewhere, then came home and couldn’t have cared less about talking to me.” Seeming tired, Tully sat down and sighed. “I’m sorry. That sounds rather childish, doesn’t it?”

“No, it sounds like you’re talking straight. I know you talk to Ralph sometimes, but I felt the same way you did. You never seem interested in what I’m doing or what’s going on in my life. I stopped talking to you because I thought you didn’t care about me.”

“Can I ask my question now?” The nod Tully received was so hesitant that she led Bailey around the kitchen counter and into the den. On the sofa she hugged her and just held her, expecting Bailey to withdraw quickly. The real surprise was that she didn’t. “Why do you look so unhappy when I drop you off at school, Bailey Bean?”

“I’m not…” Bailey buried her face in Tully’s shoulder in an obvious effort to keep from answering.

“It’s all right. If it’s too hard, don’t answer. But tell me if you want me to do something to make it better.”

“I don’t have any friends. This girl has made fun of me from day one, and she’s real popular so it stuck and everyone thinks I’m a total loser.” The words came out in a rush, muffled since her face was still pressed to Tully’s shoulder.

“There are plenty of good schools in this city, so if you want to transfer somewhere else we can start looking. I meant what I said about high school and being miserable. You should look back at this time with fond memories, not a sigh of relief that it’s over.”

“If I leave now that girl wins, doesn’t she?”

“It isn’t a contest, honey, but whatever you decide, you let me know.”

“Aren’t you supposed to make the decisions?” Bailey asked, sounding a lot better. It was the first time in forever that she had teased Tully.

“Tell your grandmother that when we visit her. I’m not young anymore, but she still feels it’s her duty to tell me what to do. From now on I’m going to make an effort not to do that to you. That is, unless you want to run off and become a juvenile delinquent set on drugs and mayhem. Then I might be making plenty of decisions for you, starting with locking you in your closet until you come to your senses.” She hugged Bailey closer, wanting to cry with joy because her daughter didn’t hate her. “Give me time to think of a good solution that doesn’t involve physical violence. Or I could come home early today and we can talk about it some more.”

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 506