“It’s no problem. We’ll just hold on until we’re both able to afford an apartment. Shouldn’t take longer than a year or two. You OK with waiting a year for me to return the favor you just did me?”
“No,” Nick said. “We could go get a room at The Clipper, but everybody in town would be talking about it, and it wouldn’t be long before the money we spent on motel rooms exceeded the cost of an actual apartment.”
“Jolene has made it clear she doesn’t want overnights under her roof.”
“I haven’t brought it up with Patty and Brad, but I assume they’d at least prefer discretion.” He ran his hands through his hair. “This didn’t even cross my mind when I agreed to move in. It never even occurred to me. I wanted to save money and pay off my loans fast, and I had pretty much come to the conclusion that I would just be on my own. But now I have to figure out how this is going to work.”
“No brilliant suggestions here. I’d really just as soon not get caught messing around by teenagers though,” Julie said.
“I’ll figure out something,” Nick said. “But at least I got to take care of you.”
“Now I feel guilty,” Julie said. They leaned toward each other and their desire immediately caught fire again, their kisses heating up and both of them groping each other. Julie could feel that Nick’s erection was trying to burst out of his pants. Finally, Julie pulled away. “We either get a hotel or we go somewhere in public where we won’t tear each other’s clothes off.”
“I vote for the hotel,” Nick said.
“I’m in.” Nick kissed her passionately, but briefly, and started the car. They held hands, smiling at each other, until Julie’s phone went off. One glance was enough to ruin her mood.
“Oh, no,” Nick said, seeing her face. “Somebody in labor?”
“No,” Julie said. “It’s Jolene. Ken has been arrested.”
Chapter 11
They said little as Nick rushed Julie home. She hunched over her phone, texting with Jolene.
“I’m sorry,” she said to Nick as she texted away. “I’m never a fun date.”
“No, it’s OK. We’ll have another opportunity soon. I’ll make sure of it. Right now, your sister needs you.”
“I guess you were right. It was drugs,” Julie said. “This is a disaster.”
“Had she talked to him?”
“No, but she had talked to her lawyer about it and had a plan. She just couldn’t get Ken to make contact. But at least she was somewhat mentally prepared, or at least more than she would have been.”
“I hope it works out OK.” He turned onto Jolene’s street. “This is his first offense, I’m assuming. That ought to count for something.”
“I don’t know any details,” she said. “But I’ll text you later.” They were in the driveway, so she gave Nick a quick peck on the lips and without a backward glance ran into the house.
Inside, Jolene seemed eerily calm. She had parked the kids in front of a movie and they seemed completely unaware that anything was going on.
Jolene, who typically dressed for comfort, especially when pregnant, had put on a business-like maternity suit and low heels. She wore no makeup but her eyes were clear and her hair was neatly pinned up. “I haven’t told the kids anything,” she said. “I’m going straight to the police station. His attorney is there. I’ve already spoken to mine.”
“What happened?” Julie asked.
“Police busted his dealer while he was there. He’d just made his buy, so he’s looking at a small possession charge. My supportive presence might help it go better for him. He’s never even had a speeding ticket before, so that will also help.
“I can’t believe how well you’re holding it together,” Julie said. “Keep me posted.”
“I see this as an opportunity to cut to the chase. He needs to come home, he needs rehab and he needs to be honest. We’ll see if he gets it. Pray for us,” Jolene said, and she kissed her sister and rushed out the door.
Julie wandered into the family room. The movie Jolene had started wasn’t exactly a kids movie — it was rated R, in fact. So Jolene wasn’t quite as cool as she looked, Julie knew. She had to have been very distracted to have turned on this movie for the kids. But they were transfixed, so that was something. Seeing an unsuitable movie wasn’t the worst thing happening today, so best to just go with it.
“Who wants popcorn?” she asked.
They all wanted popcorn, though none of them took their eyes off the screen. The older kids seemed to find this a rare opportunity to see something besides the same old kid movies they’d seen a dozen times before.
Julie made a big batch of popcorn, and then realized she wasn’t sure if the kids had had their dinner. She brought the popcorn in and asked if they’d eaten.
“Nope,” Eddie said, steadily delivering one handful of popcorn to his mouth after another.
“Are you hungry?” Julie asked.
“Nope,” Eddie said, speaking for everyone.
“So no pizza tonight?” Julie asked. That got their attention. She made an executive decision that this was a night to splurge on having a pizza delivered.
She called Sorrentino’s and placed the order and then texted Nick: “Jolene at police station. I’m watching movie w/kids … hoping for best”
Nick: “Let me know if you need me”
She put her phone aside. It would probably be late before Jolene got home, she thought. Her plan was to indulge the children with movies, pizza and popcorn and then to get them bathed and into bed so whenever Jolene returned, everything would be taken care of.
She’d seen the movie and knew it wasn’t all that extreme, so she let her mind wander. Jolene seemed to see this as an opportunity, but Julie wasn’t so sure. She’d been reading up on opioid addiction and wasn’t quite as optimistic. But she also knew not to underestimate her sister when she was determined.
The doorbell rang and she went to get the pizza. She didn’t recognize the young man delivering it. The youngest Sorrentino girl had gone off to college and the family had apparently for the first time in many years had to hire someone outside the family to do their deliveries. Julie gave him a good tip and served the pizza in the family room as a special treat. She cut Georgie’s piece into tiny bits so he could eat it with his fingers, knowing he’d probably only eat about four bites.
Lizzie would only eat the crust from her pizza. She peeled off the cheese and left it on her plate, pronouncing it “ooky.” Meanwhile, Tori peeled and ate only cheese from her piece and wouldn’t eat the crust. Seeing an opportunity to prevent waste, Julie suggested they share. Both looked horrified at the suggestion.
“Lizzie has cooties!” Tori said, snatching up her plate and running to a corner. “I won’t share with her!”
“I don’t want the ooky crust you touched,” Lizzie said. “You always scratch your butt.”
Julie gave up. “Just eat whatever parts you like, then.”
Eddie had been quietly working his way through his portion. “Mom is gonna be sad she didn’t get any pizza,” he said.
“We’ll save her a piece,” Julie promised.
“Where is Mommy?” Tori asked. Julie realized she didn’t know what Jolene had told the children.
“She has a meeting, dummy,” Lizzie said. Julie decided not to scold Lizzie for calling her sister a dummy. She just let it go and hoped for a change of subject.
“She will probably be home late, but I promise we’ll save her some pizza,” Julie said. The kids finished up their pizza and she cleaned up with the dubious help of the kids.
“Eddie, go take your shower,” Julie said when they were all done. Eddie and Lizze were the only ones who bathed themselves. She’d bathe Georgie and Tori together after the oldest two were finished. Then she’d get everyone’s teeth brushed and would read books. Georgie would probably not go to sleep unless she rocked him, but he was rubbing his eyes already, so she crossed her fingers.
Eddie was done so quickly that she strongly suspected he hadn
’t really washed, but she wasn’t in a mood to call him on it tonight. At least he got a good rinse, anyway. She said nothing, just sent Lizzie into the bathroom for her shower. For now, the two youngest children were amusing themselves by chasing each other around the family room and shouting. Maybe they’d get tired.
Lizzie took such a long shower that Julie feared there would be no hot water for the younger kids, but there was. She popped Tori and Georgie into the tub, added their bath toys, and let them play for a while before leaning over to wash their hair and bodies. How Jolene did this while pregnant was a wonder; Julie’s back hurt by the time she was done. They wanted to keep playing but she drained the tub, to their protests. Then she wrestled their wiggly little bodies into their jammies. Georgie still needed a diaper, but Tori could now stay dry all night.
She brushed their teeth and then remembered to call Eddie and Lizzie in to brush theirs. None of the children ever wanted to brush their teeth. Tori’s toothbrush was mysteriously missing and Julie had to hunt for a new replacement brush in the bathroom closet.
“I want to get a cavity,” Lizzie insisted. It was what she claimed each time she was told to brush. Georgie always clamped his teeth down and made it a contest of wills; he won tonight and only got the outsides of his teeth brushed. Oh well. She would try to brush the insides especially well next time.
It was controlled chaos for a while, and then she finally got them all into Jolene’s bedroom for the nightly storytime. The three older children each chose a book, and Julie read them one after another. They were all books she’d read a hundred times before, and she read on autopilot as her mind flitted to Jolene’s situation.
Then she sent them all to bed and turned off the light to rock Georgie to sleep. He had weaned recently, but he still slept in his mother’s bedroom and was used to being snuggled to sleep. Julie hoped he’d fall asleep quickly, but knew better than to count on it.
She checked her phone constantly but didn’t hear back from Jolene. Georgie started crying for his mother and Julie had to get up and walk with him, making soothing noises and holding him close. He finally cried himself to sleep, poor guy, and when she was confident he was really out, she carefully lowered him into his crib and prayed he wouldn’t wake up as she crept away. So far so good.
Just in case he woke up again, she left the door to Jolene’s bedroom ajar so she’d hear him right away. She left her own bedroom door open as well. There was still no sign of Jolene so she got ready for bed. God only knew what was coming next; she decided she’d just go to bed and get some sleep so she’d be rested to deal with whatever ordeal came next.
She assumed she wouldn’t be able to sleep until she knew what was happening, but in fact, she was out in seconds, and didn’t wake up until she heard a soft tapping at her door very early the next morning. Tori and Mr. Pickles, she presumed. But it was Jolene, wearing her nightgown but not looking particularly well-rested.
“I’m sorry to wake you up,” her sister said. “I wanted to talk to you before the kids get up and before your classes.
Julie sat up, suddenly wide awake. “What happened?”
“Well, apparently he will be arraigned this morning. His attorney said he thinks he has a good chance of getting into something new called drug court. If he does everything he’s supposed to as far as rehab and whatever else they tell him, and doesn’t get into any more trouble, he won’t even have a record. There’s just one thing. Assuming they release him, he’ll be moving back home after rehab. His attorney said that having home support is one of the things that will help sway the judge into letting him into the program. So I’ll be dressing up again and showing up for the hearing in a couple hours. I’ve already arranged for Lila to come watch the kids. I know you have class.”
“Well, that’s all good news, then, isn’t it?”
“It is, but Julie, now I don’t know if he wants to come home because he wants to be here or if he’s just wanting to make everything look good for the judge.” Jolene’s mask cracked, and tears flowed down her cheeks. Julie hugged her, carefully, and patted her back. Jolene let herself have a good cry for a minute, and then she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her nightgown.
“I can’t cry now,” Jolene said. “The kids will be getting up, and I’ve got to come up with another excuse for dressing up and leaving the house. I’m not telling them Daddy is coming home because it might not happen. So don’t say anything.”
“Of course not,” Julie said. “Listen, Jolene, you’re going to know right away what his reasons are for being here. And if you decide you’re not happy with the situation, you can change it. Nobody is going to force you to live with him if it’s not for the right reasons.”
“He’s still the children’s father, whether he stays my husband or not,” Jolene said. “So there’s that side of it, too.”
Julie took Jolene’s hand. “I’m really proud of how well you’re handling everything,” she said.
“It’s like you always say to your clients when they’re in labor: You never know what you can do until you have no choice but to do it.”
Chapter 12
Julie couldn’t concentrate on kidney disease, riveting as that subject had sounded in the syllabus. She thought about whether Ken would be moved back in when she got home, whether he’d be going straight to rehab, whether her sister’s marriage would survive, and many other things — everything but kidney disease, in fact.
Her phone was silent. She assumed Jolene either didn’t have the ability to text from court or was busy dealing with things. When she was finally done with classes, she thanked Lila for watching the kids.
“It was no problem,” Lila said, all smiles and sweetness. “I did my morning exercise DVD with the kids. I think they had fun. You know, there’s always a way to stay in shape if you really want to. If you ever want to borrow some of my routines, just let me know! I have tons of them, including some nice beginner ones.”
“Thanks,” Julie said, sucking her stomach in self-consciously and forcing a fake smile onto her face. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”
As soon as Lila was gone, Julie started organizing the chaos. If Lila had paid any attention to what the kids were up to, Julie couldn’t see any evidence of it. The whole place was in disarray.
Eddie was at the kitchen table with modeling clay, making lumpy dinosaurs, and protesting loudly whenever any of the others wanted to play. He was making serious art, apparently. Julie upheld his right to create undisturbed, but insisted that the other kids could make their own creations as long as they didn’t touch his. He grumped. Eddie was a born grumper. Julie always privately thought he wouldn’t really come into his own until he was middle-aged and could yell “Get off my lawn!” regularly.
Lizzie didn’t actually want to make any art. She just wanted to be allowed to, in order to irritate Eddie. Tori wanted to do everything Lizzie did, so she was keen to play with the modeling clay only as long as Lizzie did, and when Lizzie was done, so was Tori.
Georgie just wanted to whine for his mom, so Julie picked him up and worked to pacify him and then tried to make him laugh.
Finally, Jolene arrived home. She distractedly kissed each of the children and then retreated to her bedroom, saying she was going to lie down for a bit before making dinner.
Julie said she’d make dinner, but she slipped into Jolene’s room to find out what had happened.
Jolene had changed from her nice maternity dress to a loose, comfy nightgown, and was removing the pins from her hair as she filled in Julie.
“So he’s in a residential rehab center in Springfield, and he’ll be there for four weeks. I can visit him once a week after the first week. I’m not going to tell the kids. He can be on a work trip or something. How much concept of time do they even have, right?”
Julie nodded.
“The whole story came out today. I don’t have the energy to go into all the details, but I’ll boil it down for you: He took all those pain pills after his
accident and got to where he couldn’t do without them. Finally, the doctor decided the practically unlimited prescriptions he was writing might be a problem — no shit, Doctor! — and decided to cut him off. That was when the problem started.”
Julie knew Jolene was good and mad when she used any kind of curse word. But she let it go without comment.
“He couldn’t do without them. He decided he’d quit on his own, but of course that didn’t work. Well, everybody knows where you can buy drugs on the south side of Springfield. It’s not like it’s a secret. He started buying pills there, and he kept trying to cut down, but he couldn’t. He said he kept telling himself that as long as he didn’t shoot up, he wasn’t really an addict. But he’d gotten to the point that he had to take so many of them. It was probably just a matter of time before he’d have moved on to heroin. Thank God, he hadn’t. This is bad enough as it is. He could have died. They’re going to detox him and put him through an intensive rehab program. His employer has agreed to hold his job. He gets three weeks of vacation anyway, so this is just one unpaid week.”
Julie felt a sick feeling spread through her stomach as Jolene confidently spoke of what was happening. She knew that fixing addiction wasn’t like curing a cold. “I don’t want to be a downer, Jolene, but rehab isn’t a 100 percent effective solution. It can take several times before it sticks. I just want you to be prepared.”
“I know that. But there’s a thing they told us about called harm reduction. Kind of a newer option they’re offering, it sounds like. If he can stay clean, that’s best, but if he can’t, there’s methadone, and he can take it for life if he has to. They said people on methadone can keep their jobs and families and live completely normal lives if they need to. It doesn’t get you high, but it helps keep you from using. And frankly, I will take whatever solution works. I want my family put back together, Julie. I want it more than anything.”
“Did he say anything about … you? About your marriage?”
Perfect Fit (Small-Town Secrets-Fairview Series Book 4) Page 12
