Wrong Side of Forty

by Jana DeLeon

  “You’re assuming there is some.”

  “Everyone has some dirt, even if it’s just something embarrassing.”

  “I suppose you’re right. Still, he seems like a nice guy.”

  Halcyon’s eyes narrowed. “You like him.”

  Marina felt a blush creep up her face. “Of course I like him. He just kept Avery from sitting in jail until trial.”

  “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

  “I don’t know him well enough to like him that way.”

  “Okay. I’ll give you that, but you’re attracted to him. Why is that so hard to admit?”

  “Because I don’t do instant attraction. That’s your field of expertise. And I just left my husband three days ago, and my daughter is looking at a felony conviction over Harold’s dumbassery, and none of this insanity matters at all if I don’t find the ring before the bad guys take over the universe.”

  Halcyon shrugged. “So the timing’s not great.”

  Marina stared at her sister for a couple seconds, then laughed. “You are really something.”

  Halcyon grinned. “That’s what they all tell me.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The bail bondsman, Mike Thompson, was a guy Marina and Halcyon had gone to school with. He’d also managed to coax Halcyon into a couple of dates. He was rough around the edges and would scare the crap out of someone in a dark alley, but Marina supposed that was what made him good at his job. People were afraid to cross him. In reality, he’d always been nice and polite when Marina had run into him in town. His expression when they entered his office was one of surprise, but pleasantly so.

  He waved them to two chairs in front of his desk. “I can’t imagine what I could do for you two. Are you collecting for some local charity?”

  “I wish that were the case,” Marina said and handed him the paper Luke had given her. “I need to bail my daughter out of jail.”

  His eyes widened as he unfolded the paper. “Avery’s in jail?”

  He scanned the document and Marina could see his jaw flex.

  “What is this about?” he asked. “If you don’t mind my asking.”

  Marina gave him the short version of the fight, figuring he already knew the prequel part. He spent the entire time shaking his head in disbelief.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “Avery is a good kid and neither of you deserves this. I gotta be honest, I never liked Harold and always wondered what you saw in him, but I don’t pretend to understand women all that well. My wife tends to agree that I’m clueless.”

  “Don’t worry,” Halcyon said. “You’ve got plenty of company.”

  He nodded. “I can’t stand the LeDoux and could give you all kinds of reasons on that one. I’m not alone there either.”

  “You’re not,” Marina agreed. “But since most of the town is financially obligated, hiding something, or otherwise scared of a lawsuit, the LeDoux have the upper hand.”

  He tapped on his computer and entered some things into a form. “This will take me an hour or better to get processed. I have to get the money transferred and the paperwork filed.”

  “But you can get her out today?” Marina asked.

  He nodded. “But you gotta keep her away from the LeDoux. If they even catch sight of her, I wouldn’t put it past them to accuse her of threatening them just to get her tossed back in.”

  “I can’t afford another round of bail,” Marina said. “This one is taking most of what I have.”

  He gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry I’ve got to take your money, especially for this. But you’ll get it back, less a bit of a fee, once it’s all over.”

  “Please don’t feel bad,” Marina said. “You have to follow the rules and this is your business. You’re not responsible for any of this.”

  “No, but Harold is,” he said. “Why isn’t he here taking care of this? He’s the money man.”

  “That’s a long story,” Marina said.

  He stared at her for a second, then gave her a single nod. “I see.”

  Marina got the impression that he had read in between and beyond the lines. She supposed he’d seen and heard most every tale of woe in his line of work, and they probably weren’t all that unique. It bothered her more than she’d ever admit that her entire existence had become a cliché.

  “If you don’t need us to stay,” Halcyon said, “we can go collect her things from Harold’s now. That way, when we pick her up, we can go straight to my house.”

  “And ship her back to college first thing tomorrow morning,” Marina said.

  “I think that’s a really good idea,” Mike said. “Can’t nothing else be put on her if she’s not here. And I’d tell her to make darn sure she’s always in someone else’s company back at college.”

  Marina stared. “You think she needs to have an alibi for every minute of the day?”

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt. I’ve seen some things…”

  Marina blew out a breath. Thank God there were people who knew how to handle these things, because that was something that never would have crossed her mind.

  “All I need is your phone number and you two can get out of here and take care of your other business,” he said. “I’ll call when everything’s been processed and meet you down at the sheriff’s department with the paperwork.”

  “Oh, I don’t want to put you out,” Marina said. “I can stop and pick up the paperwork.”

  He shook his head. “The sheriff’s beholden to that dick Preston LeDoux, one of the deputies is a relation, and the other has one foot out the door. If I’m there, no one will even think about causing problems. They won’t try anything in front of a witness.”

  “Thank you.” Marina stood and reached across the desk to shake his hand. “I really appreciate everything you’re doing. I wouldn’t even begin to know…”

  “’Course you wouldn’t,” he said as he rose. “You’re good people. You’re not supposed to know how to do any of this and it’s a damned shame you’re having to do it now.”

  They headed out and Marina drove straight to Harold’s house. Avery’s car was still parked at the curb and his was in the driveway, so Marina strode onto the porch and banged on the door as hard as she could. A couple seconds later, Harold opened the door a crack and stared out at her.

  “What do you want?” he asked, his voice wavering.

  Unbelievable! He was actually scared of her.

  “I’m here to collect Avery’s things,” she said as she shoved the door open. “Since you’ve decided to be no help with the devastation you’ve caused, what I want is for you to get out of my way.”

  “I want him to drop dead where he’s standing,” Halcyon said.

  “Maybe tomorrow,” Marina said. “We’re too busy today. Halcyon, there’s some boxes and packing tape in the storage space under the stairs.”

  Harold’s eyes widened as she pushed past him and she heard him retreating down the hall as she stomped up the stairs to Avery’s room. Most of her summer clothes had gone with her to college but as she didn’t have the space there that she had here, some summer items remained, as well as her cooler-weather stuff. And then there was her personal stuff—ribbons and trophies and pictures of her friends. Stuffed animals, books, and other dust collectors.

  Halcyon came in with an armful of boxes and the tape and they went to work. Marina removed entire drawers from the dresser and dumped the contents in a box. Halcyon gathered all the clothes hanging in the closet and did the same. Then they used the sheets and pillows to cushion the breakables. It wasn’t neat work, but it was efficient. In forty-five minutes, they had everything in boxes and started the cumbersome process of carrying them downstairs and stuffing them into Marina’s and Avery’s cars. Harold never appeared again.

  By the time they had dumped all the boxes in Halcyon’s living room, Marina’s phone rang and Mike let her know that everything was in place for Avery’s release. Marina clutched the steering wheel as she dr
ove to the sheriff’s department. Would Mike being there prevent a confrontation? Would Preston show up just to make things miserable? Would Avery have a meltdown? She’d never had one before. Not the emotional kind. Marina wasn’t even sure she knew how to handle one if she did.

  Mike was waiting for them outside the sheriff’s department and gave Marina a reassuring nod before opening the door for them to enter. Randy was at the front desk and stood when they walked in. Marina was relieved that he appeared to be the only one in the office. Mike handed Randy the paperwork and he scanned it and nodded.

  “I’ll go get her,” Randy said and left.

  Marina pulled nervously at the end of her shirt, worried that something could happen to prevent Avery from leaving. Worried that Preston might show up and send things over the cliff. Or even worse, Chastity. But after a couple minutes, Randy opened the door and Avery walked out.

  As soon as she caught sight of Marina, Avery ran over and threw her arms around her mother, squeezing her like she was the only life preserver in an endless sea. Marina hugged her daughter, fighting back the tears. This was never supposed to happen. Avery was not the kind of kid who had this brand of trouble. She was not the kind of mother who had to post bail. And yet here they were.

  “Sign here, Avery,” Randy’s voice cut into their moment.

  Avery shot over to the desk and scribbled her signature where Randy indicated. Then she whirled around and almost ran to the door.

  “Let’s get out of here!” she said before hurrying outside.

  “Thank you again for your help,” Marina said to Mike. She barely glanced at Randy before leaving, but the sheriff didn’t even look up as they exited. Another coward.

  Avery was already slumped in the back seat of Marina’s car when she and Halcyon climbed in. Marina checked the rearview mirror and could see her daughter glancing around as they drove, probably worried that someone was going to see them and say something. Marina’s heart clenched again for Avery. She didn’t deserve this. Should never have to be going through this.

  Before the car even came to a complete stop in Halcyon’s driveway, Avery jumped out and practically ran to the front door. Halcyon hurried after her and opened the door so Avery could get inside. When Marina came in, Avery was standing in the middle of the living room, staring at the stack of boxes.

  “What’s all this?” she asked.

  “It’s your things from your father’s house,” Marina said. “Halcyon and I packed them up earlier.”

  “We’ll get everything set up in my guest room,” Halcyon said. “Consider it your room now.”

  “But where will Mom sleep?” Avery asked.

  Crap! Marina had completely forgotten that she’d never let Avery in on her current living arrangements. Avery had assumed she was living with Halcyon.

  “I’m not staying here,” Marina said. “I moved into the fishing cabin.”

  Avery’s eyes widened. “That dump! Good God, Mom. It’s not even safe, much less hygienic. You can’t live there.”

  “Your aunt and I got it cleaned up and decorated,” Marina said. “It’s a lot nicer than what you remember.”

  “But why don’t you just stay here?” Avery asked. “Aunt Halcyon has a nice house and it’s close to your job. The cabin isn’t close to anything but weeds and bugs.”

  “I’m not working for Patricia any longer, so the commute isn’t an issue,” Marina said.

  Avery stared at Marina for several seconds, then glanced at Halcyon, who was unusually quiet. Then tears formed in her eyes and she flopped down in the middle of the couch.

  “You lost your job, didn’t you?” Avery asked. “Because of me.”

  “No,” Marina said, and sat next to her. “I quit that job yesterday because I didn’t want to deal with Patricia any longer. She was never a good person to work for. You know that.”

  “She’s a total bitch,” Avery said. “But it never stopped you from working there before. This is Dad’s fault. All of it. And where is he? I didn’t see him in court.”

  “He wasn’t there,” Marina said.

  “Did he at least give you money for bail?” Avery asked, tears pooling again.

  Marina hesitated before answering. This was one of those times when she had to choose between lying to protect Avery’s feelings now and risk the fallout when she found out the truth or tell her the truth and risk being accused of trying to turn her against her father. She glanced over at Halcyon, who frowned and shook her head. Her sister knew she was considering the lie and didn’t think it was a good idea.

  “No,” Marina said quietly.

  “I hate him,” Avery said, her voice so cold that it made Marina’s heart clench.

  “You don’t mean that,” Marina said. “He’s made some bad decisions but he’s still your father.”

  “No. He’s not,” Avery said. “Father is an action, not a noun. And you can’t force me to like him. I’m an adult, right? Isn’t that what they established in court? My car is paid for and titled in my name, and since I have scholarships, I don’t need him for money. I’ll get a part-time job for spending and the other things I need. But I will never speak to him again.”

  Marina looked up at Halcyon, at a complete loss for how to handle this. What she wanted to say was probably what she shouldn’t say. But what should she say? The universal “they” who wrote all the books on parenting didn’t have a chapter covering this sort of thing.

  “Good for you,” Halcyon said and sat on the other side of Avery.

  Avery’s eyes widened. Marina started to talk but Halcyon waved a hand at her.

  “You know you were thinking the same thing,” Halcyon said. “I don’t blame Avery for hating him. I hate him too. Maybe one day that will be different, but today, it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to feel, and no one should have to feel bad about it.”

  Realization ripped through Marina. This is exactly how she’d felt about her mother at one time, but everyone had insisted that she act and believe a certain way. That she was obligated to endure the bad behavior of the woman who’d given birth to her simply because she was her mother. And Marina, being Marina, had gone along with it even though her resentment had grown every time her mother lashed out at her and treated her poorly. She’d spent the first twenty years of her life afraid of her mother. She’d spent another twenty-seven trying to convince herself that one day her mother would change. It was only in the last year that she’d finally accepted that her mother was toxic and was going to remain so until the day she died.

  And Marina had been about to push Avery in the same direction she’d been pushed.

  “She’s right,” Marina said.

  Avery whipped around to stare at her, her mouth open slightly.

  “I mean it,” Marina said and squeezed Avery’s hand. “You have a right to be angry and disappointed and you should feel that way for as long as you want to. All I ask is that you don’t let it take over every second of your thought, because you have great things to accomplish, and I don’t want his crap interfering with the awesome life you’re building.”

  Halcyon nodded. “That’s it exactly. Get angry. Throw things. I used to go out into the bayou and shoot stuff when I was fed up with my mother. But I learned how to partition her off, for lack of a better expression. That way, my feelings about her didn’t taint everything else.”

  “How did you do that?” Avery asked.

  “I started by distancing myself from her until I could get healthy,” Halcyon said. “Being around her kept me riled up. I didn’t have time to establish boundaries and learn how to separate who she was from how I needed to be. I had to accept that she was a narcissist. I didn’t do anything to cause it and I couldn’t do anything to change it.”

  “How long did you go without speaking?” Avery asked.

  “Eight years,” Halcyon said.

  “Really?” Marina asked, surprised. She’d known that Halcyon had ceased involvement with Constance for a chunk of time but hadn’t r
ealized it had gone on for that long.

  “What made you cut her off?” Avery asked.

  Halcyon looked out her back window, a sad expression on her face. “Four days after Danny died, she showed up at my house, asking for money. She was having a stressful week and needed to take a trip to Mexico to recharge. She got angry when I refused to give her any. Not that I had any to give. I’d just buried my husband the day before. She hadn’t even come to the funeral.”

  “Oh my God,” Avery said. “That’s awful.”

  Marina felt tears well up and she struggled not to break down in front of Avery. She’d known, of course, that Constance hadn’t been at the funeral, but Halcyon had never told her why or what had happened after. No wonder she’d restructured her life to exclude her mother.

  “It was awful,” Halcyon agreed. “But it also made it very clear to me that I would never matter to Constance. It was something I had to accept in order to let it go. Does that make sense?”

  Avery nodded. “But you see her now.”

  “Yes, but it’s very surface-level,” Halcyon said. “She blows into town three or four times a year and we have lunch, then she heads back to New Orleans, and we return to our regularly scheduled lives.”

  “If she’s not capable of caring for other people, why does she come see you?” Avery asked.

  “Honestly? I think it’s because she doesn’t want to look bad to her friends when they ask if she’s seen her daughter lately,” Halcyon said. “Appearance is very important to Constance. Maybe the only thing that’s important. She might be an unfeeling bitch but she doesn’t want to appear that way. At least, not to other people.”

  “Wow,” Avery said. “I’m really sorry, Aunt Halcyon.”

  Halcyon leaned over to hug Avery. “You’ll get through this, baby. And your mother and I will be right there to give you an arm any time you stumble. Just take your time with it. You don’t have to make decisions about your relationship with your father today. And even if you do, that decision doesn’t have to be forever. But for now, you do what is best for you and don’t worry about anyone else.”