Distance of the Heart

by Agnes H Hagadus

  It was Emily’s job to make certain she and Tabby were able to receive that happily ever after. The past two nights of lovemaking had sealed their relationship once again. Not that Emily had had great doubts. It had been the separation. It had been her father and mother in her head. It had been so many things that had caused her to doubt. And she hated to have doubted anything she shared with Tabby, even for a second.

  And that was why Emily was where she was so early in the morning. Not that she was opposed to mornings. It was having to leave the bed of her lover. It was having to face someone that scared her more than Jenny or Anthony ever had. And that said something. The two were mobsters. Both were armed and surrounded by armed men and women. You’d think she’d be more terrified of them.

  It was one little boy who terrified her. Emily knew he was the only remaining threat to her relationship with Tabby. It wasn’t a true threat as she knew her soulmate would continue to work with Nicky until one day he understood. But at such a tender age, how could he? And for how long? Even Adam and Conrad couldn’t convince their friend that he was overacting. And they had been through so much worse than he had, with the exception of his health scare.

  Emily made her way from her pink demon. She had been shocked when her brother had arrived early the previous evening. There had been something driving his need to arrive in Middletown. It was something that still worried Emily. And she would have her talk with Rick. But for now, he had to find his own way. He had to learn how to crawl before he could walk. He had to…

  The therapist couldn’t help but laugh at her own inner musings as she opened the door. There was the usual collection of patrons in the diner. These were the people that worked all night unwinding for breakfast before they returned home. They were the ones most people didn’t even realize meant so much to a city’s survival. They were the ones who maintained the roads in winter. They were the police officers that patrolled the streets. They were the ones who staffed emergency rooms. They were the ones who made the difference without being seen or recognized for their contributions.

  There were the ones who were fueling for the day. The ones who would take over from the ones who worked through the night. They were the ones who would keep a city going, even if it was as simple as being the clerk at the local hotel or cashier at the local grocery store. Without these unknown, unseen people, what would the world be like?

  Emily slowly made her way to the counter. The waitress was the same one she had flirted with before she had begun dating Tabby. “Hey, Stranger.” There was something different in the greeting. Since her initial flirtation with the young woman, they had struck up an easy friendship. Or so Emily had thought. “What can I get for you?”

  It used to be asked what could be done for her. They would joke and laugh about it. Emily wondered as eyes would not meet hers. She wondered if the young waitress had been reading the headlines, both in print and online. Her and Tabby’s arrest had been making the news nearly every day. Almost like someone was planting the headlines instead of legitimate reporters reporting the news.

  Of course Jeffery’s newspaper had done nothing of the sort. Not only was he Sam’s youngest brother, he was also a man of integrity. He was like all the Walkers in that regard. They all seemed to hold themselves to a higher standard of morality than others. That was why when there was injustice to anyone they knew, they reacted more vehemently.

  “I want two triple thick, cookie dough shakes to go.” When the waitress still wouldn’t look her in the eyes, Emily sighed. Until she could clear her name, it would most likely be like this. More importantly, she needed to clear Tabby’s name. If only for Nicky’s sake, if no one else’s. “If it’s not too much trouble. I see you are busy.”

  The waitress couldn’t look her former favorite customer in the eye. Instead, she scribbled on her notepad before turning to fill the order. Emily sat at the counter. Timing was everything. Already she knew from Adam and Conrad that Nicky was planning on coming to the diner on his own for breakfast. The young man was doing whatever he could to avoid his mother and Emily. That included not eating the nutritious meals that Melissa especially prepared for him.

  The opening of the door caught her attention because it didn’t close. Emily turned on the stool to see who was still standing there. When her eyes locked with Nicky’s, the boy turned to go. “So you are afraid of me.” Her voice was firm. It was loud enough that everyone in the diner turned their eyes on the young boy. Emily stood and patted the stool next to hers. “If you are as brave as you think you are, join me.”

  Nicky glanced around the diner. Everyone was staring at him. He hated that. Ever since having to be poked and prodded while he was sick and examined by everyone, he hated to be watched. He hated anyone he didn’t know looking at him for too long of a time. Had Emily known? Was it another reason to hate the woman sitting at the counter?

  The woman who had stolen his mother away from him? Nicky hesitated, even with everyone staring at him. When the two shakes were placed in front of Emily, the young man decided that he could at least get a treat out of it. One that his mother hated for him to have. One that he had been using his birthday money to have when she wasn’t around. He sighed before making his way to the offered seat.

  Without a word, Nicky sat down and grabbed the shake. When he took a sip, he realized it was his favorite. Of course it was his favorite. As manipulative as Emily was, she would order his favorite. She would do anything to gain his trust. She would do anything to get back in his good graces. But there was nothing she could say or do that would make a difference. Except for maybe leaving his mother, for good.

  “I know you don’t want to talk. So just listen.” Emily took a sip of her shake. She was glad she’d been having so much great exercise as of late. Still, she would need to go for a walk around the lake or even take a swim if she continued to eat the way she had been as of late. Food made her think of Lena. And it made her think of her uncle. Mitch was still MIA. She knew he was after the chef. But at what cost?

  “As you know, your mother and I are officially back together. We’re both in trouble with the law.” Nicky glanced at his enemy. No one was speaking of what was happening. He wondered if Emily would tell him the truth if he asked. He had to give her credit. She’d already treated him more like an adult than anyone else, including his mother. “And I’m going to do whatever I can to make certain she isn’t in trouble. Even if that means sacrificing myself.”

  Emily gave her charge a moment to think about her words. She could see his mind working as he took small swallows of his frozen treat. Some mistook his quietness for not being intelligent. Some took his inability to accept what had happened as being jealous for no reason. But they were wrong on both counts. Nicky was one of the most intelligent young people she knew. And there was always reason for a child to be jealous of a new person in a parent’s life.

  “But even without everything else happening, you, young man, have an attitude problem.” Nicky nearly spit out the sip of shake he had just taken. He began coughing as it was. Emily gently patted him on his back until he was breathing normally once again. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean for that to happen. I just wanted you to open your eyes.” Emily turned from the eyes burning into her own. “More importantly, I wanted you to open your heart.”

  Young eyes blinked. There was a scattering of tears. Partially it was because he was still recovering from the coughing fit. Partially it was from the words Emily had spoken. They weren’t harsh. They were honest. And deep down he knew that they had been spoken from the heart. There never had been anything malicious about Emily. Helen had been different. She had been mean to him. Both physically and mentally. But the only thing Emily had done was to hurt his mother.

  And when his mother had begun to forgive Emily, why couldn’t Nicky? Because the time that had been spent with Emily was supposed to be his time. Nicky and his mother had been the gruesome twosome for so long. It had been so much better once Helen had left. And when
Emily had entered his mother’s life, she had been happy. At least for a short time she had been happy.

  And now? Nicky sighed heavily as he stood. He took his shake. He downed the remaining contents in five huge gulps, nearly choking once again. Instead of setting the disposable cup on the counter, he threw it as hard as he could at the waitress who had served it. “If my heart has hardened, it’s because you stole her away from me! It’s because you want me to go away like Helen did. She told me she tried to get Mom to send me to boarding school. Isn’t that what you want?”

  “Nicky Smith, sit your ass down!” Nicky blinked. Never before had he heard Emily use a naughty word. Never before had he heard her raise her voice. Especially never had he heard her raise her voice when it came to a child. It took a moment for the young man to recover. He sat down. “First you will apologize. Then you and I are going to have a serious discussion. One that is long overdue, without you throwing a temper tantrum like a two-year-old would.”

  At first, Nicky thought about running. It was the easiest way out. But he knew he was, at least partially, wrong. Another heavy sigh escaped him before turning to the waitress. “I’m sorry, Miss. I didn’t mean to hurt you or make a mess. I’ll help you clean it up.” There was a hitch in his voice. It was clear he was near tears.

  “It’s all right, young man.” The waitress was already cleaning up the mess. While she was still leery of Emily, something had changed. Was it how she was attempting to show the young boy so much love? Even if it was with discipline? “I tell you what. If you want, you can help me wait on a couple tables. After you have had your talk.” Nicky nodded. Even though he hated dealing with strangers, it was much better than cleaning up yucky messes.

  “Now that that’s settled…” Emily waited until she fully had Nicky’s attention. “I want you to know something.” Though it was something very personal and private, Emily never lowered her voice. Instead, she continued to speak in her normal voice. “I can’t have children of my own. I never could. So when your mother entered my life, it was a blessing times two. I had this amazing woman who I instantly knew I loved more than my own life.”

  Nicky began to squirm. He hadn’t thought of things from Emily’s point of view. Only from his and his mother’s. “Then this amazing, wonderful, sweet and loveable young boy was in my life as well. At first, I was terrified. I mean, what if he didn’t like me? What if I did something to hurt his mother or him? As it turned out, I was talented. But not in a good way. I managed to hurt them both. Very badly. And I’ve managed to make it up to his mother, but what about him? He’s as precious to me as his mother is. I don’t think I can live without either of their love.”

  The entire diner was silent. Nicky sat there, staring at the counter. The waitress continued to pretend to clean the mess he had made. But there was more of a mess he had made. It had taken Emily speaking from the heart. It had taken her speaking to him like he was an adult. Like he could understand where she was coming from.

  In so many ways, Nicky could understand. After all, it wasn’t so much a fear that his mom or he would be hurt once again. It was what he had wanted with Helen and had been stolen from him. It was the fact he had wanted a family. He didn’t care if it was two moms or a mom and dad. All he wanted was to be accepted. To be a part of something. While he now had that with the Walkers, it wasn’t the same thing.

  Tears were once again leaking from his eyes. Angrily, he wiped them away. Not because he was ashamed of crying. But because of the reason he was crying. It wasn’t Emily, anymore, that was the one preventing him from having everything he had ever dreamed of. Sadly, he only had himself to blame. Now that he had admitted it, what was he to do?

  Just as Nicky was about to speak, to say the words that might just be able to begin healing the chasm between them, the door to the diner once again opened. There was a woman in a business suit. She was followed by Charlie’s partner. They made their way over to Nicky and Emily. The woman showed identification to Emily before kneeling before Nicky. “I’m sorry, Son, but you have to come with me and the police officer.”

  Chapter 11

  Mr. Applewater watched as Emily paced back and forth. Tabby was seated, but shifting nervously. Melissa was holding her hand. Rachael was also watching as the scene unfolded. While she was one of the best criminal lawyers in the state of New York, she knew there were those more accomplished when it came to family matters. Since Mr. Applewater had assisted Abby and Sam in the past, the decision to request his services only made sense.

  They had spoken briefly on the phone shortly before noon. Without even asking who it was for, Mr. Applewater had heard Middletown and trouble and had moved his appointments or had one of his paralegals handle the details they could until he was available once again. Sam had helped him in the past. And even though she would only say she was doing her job, she had helped his daughter gain closure. It was something that could never be repaid.

  The two lawyers knew they would have to work in tandem. They both knew, from the allegations that had been made, whoever it was also was behind the setting up the soulmates for murder. And what else? Rachael was beginning to wonder how far whoever was behind this would go. Would they be satisfied with only destroying that which couldn’t be destroyed?

  Or would they want either Tabby and Emily behind bars, or worse. Rachael didn’t like the thought of worse. She didn’t like the thought of the extremes someone could or would go. They’d all seen it before. In one way or another, they had been affected by what others were capable of. In her case, it was watching as SVU detectives attempted to make a case against her wife when there obviously wasn’t one.

  “If they think they can keep us away from Nicky…” Emily continued to pace. Back and forth, nearly hitting the wall each time. Whoever was behind this had the worst timing. She had been so close to once again earning Nicky’s trust and love. It had shown in his eyes. He had realized how he had been acting. Instead, he had been ripped from his mother’s arms.

  “I’d be careful what you say.” Emily came to a screeching halt at the sound of the familiar, deep voice. Charlie stood at the entrance to the courthouse. It was unheard of that a child was removed from custody in the morning and the hearing was in the afternoon. Normally, the child was held at least overnight while all the facts were checked. “I’m certain that your lawyers would tell you the same thing.”

  Emily resumed her pacing. Ever since being kidnapped the first time, her patience was not what it once had been. Never a saint or goddess, she had once had some measure of patience. But needing to know she, Tabby and Nicky would be all right had worn what little patience she had to a nub. Somehow, she would have to reach deep inside herself and find some semblance of the patience she had once had.

  When her eyes took in how defeated Tabby appeared and how it was Melissa who was comforting her, Emily immediately knew where she was wrong. While her intentions, as usual, were true, her actions were not. All because she had attempted to sit still while they waited. Any word would be better than none. Emily closed her eyes and thought about what Nicky was going through.

  It didn’t take long before Emily was sitting next to her soulmate. Instantly, Melissa had relinquished her hold on the young nurse’s hands. It was how it should be. Tabby was being comforted by her soulmate. When Emily sat back, immediately Tabby’s head was leaning on her shoulder. The only thing missing would be Nicky. If they were nearly anywhere but here, it would make a touching family portrait.

  “Thanks, Charlie.” Emily winked at the detective. She knew what side he was on. It wasn’t hers. It wasn’t Tabby’s. It wasn’t Nicky’s. He was on the same side that Sam and Abby were on. They were on the side of justice. They were on the side of right. It, sadly, took many people to gain what most take for granted.

  What was that? Peace. Stability. Love. Justice. All those things that we assume should be ours. It takes people fighting for what is right. It takes people doing things for others they wouldn’t or couldn’t
do for themselves. When this was all over, Emily knew what she had to do. While she had to continue her studies and loving the woman she was holding, what she really had to do was pay it forward. She had to continue to do what she could to help those that could not help themselves.

  “Anytime, Darlin.” The endearment made Emily once again think about her uncle. Mitch going off grid was nothing new. She hadn’t seen or talked to him in nearly a year before he had suddenly shown up just when she needed him the most. “I actually came to tell you all that there’s yet more evidence. I could, technically, get in some hot water over this. But I don’t like what’s happening to the force.”

  With that, everyone huddled close to one another. It being a courthouse, there were cameras everywhere. But there weren’t microphones. And yet, with the way whoever seemed to know intimate details, perhaps there were. Charlie brought a chair over and sat so that he could lean his arms against the back of it. It would keep the cameras from reading his lips, he hoped.

  “I have proof that my partner is on the take.” Charlie retrieved his cellphone from his pocket. “This can’t be used in court, but it can help you. Both in the matter of Nicky’s custody and with the bogus murder charges.” They all leaned in and watched as a shadowy figure, dressed in black, handed Frank Matthews an envelope. No one could tell if the figure was male or female. But it was clear the detective was counting something. “I don’t know where he has it stashed. I’ve been over his records.”

  “I have as well.” Rachael pulled her tablet from her briefcase. She shared her own video. It was another night, but it was the same scene. It was Frank and the shadowy figure. “I’ve been over his records. Even before he was on the force, I’ve had him checked out. Either he’s good or he’s keeping company that is. Is there anyone else you are concerned with?”