For Better or For Worse

by Desirae Williams

  My anger was still burning at his audacity. He didn’t know me; he didn’t know her, or our situation. All he knew was what that egg head Oden was telling him and now he had nerve to sit in my house accusing me. “Look I don’t know what that bastard has been telling you but I have never hurt my wife.” Detective Trent looked at me with a blank expression that most cops used when they didn’t want anyone to read them and nodded. “How do I know that?”

  Chapter 20

  I don’t know you anymore

  Lucy

  I cringed while laying in the hospital bed wondering how on earth I got here. My medication was wearing off and I was starting to feel the pain in my body. Damn, I thought. Just my luck. At the moment little Greg burst through the room. “Mama.” He yelled as he ran into my arms. “Easy kid mommy is still hurt.” My dad eased in and gleamed as my son and I reunited. “Hey sweetie.” “I have missed you mama.” I smiled seeing my baby boy. “I have missed you too. You look so much bigger before I know it you’ll be grown honey.” He giggled but then his face grew sullen. “Grandpa told me you fell down the stairs.” I sent I sharp look in my father’s direction and he eased back. “Yes but mommy is going to be just fine.” I said to him smiling. “You sure mama? Daddy brought me in to see you while you were sleep and you didn’t look so good.” My heart stopped when I heard that. Grant came to see me? I always did think he came but I wasn’t sure. “Daddy brought you to see me?” My father grew intensely quiet in the corner not wanting to hear Grants name.

  “Yeah mama, we came and saw you every day. Daddy said you were sleeping like sleeping beauty and we had to wait until you woke up.” My son explained to me. I couldn’t help but admit it touched my heart that Grant stilled cared, but where was he now? I patted my son on his head. “Well thank you for being there for me baby.” After a while little Greg began playing around the room with stethoscopes and gloves. While he was distracted I decided to direct my attention to my father. I looked at him intently. He looked offended. “What?” “Why did you tell him what happened…. The poor thing is probably going to have nightmares dad.” He leaned in close to me. “Why didn’t you tell me your so called husband has been abusing you.” “What!” I shrilled. My face was blank and I felt cold. “Greg.” He looked up at me. “Ma’am?” “Honey go and get some snacks from the machine and let one of the nurses help you.” My dad took out a few dollars Greg quickly grabbed them and bolted for the door. As soon as he was out of sight, I turned back to my father.

  “Now what are you talking about?” My dad looked at me with a disapproving look. “Greg told me everything, what type of man does that in front of his own child?” Now knowing what he was talking about I sighed while my eyes pleaded with him. “It wasn’t that serious we…” “It wasn’t that serious?” He cut in. “Greg said that he grabbed you and that you were crying.” I exhaled needing some more meds. “He didn’t hit me.” “But he was going to?” Oden spoke sternly. I was on the verge of tears ashamed to admit to my own father how reckless my marriage had become. “He didn’t dad. He wouldn’t hurt me.” He shook head and leaned back into his chair. “Until now.”

  At those words my heart sank into my stomach. “What do you mean?” My dad gave me a rough stare that said everything. I shook my head. “No, Grant didn’t do this dad.” “How do you know…you don’t remember what happened.” I was in disbelief and very uncomfortable, how could he say something like this, I always knew my father hated Grant but this was a new low. “Grant could never hurt me daddy.” He scoffed. “Yeah because he has proven that time and time again.” “Dad that is a whole other situation, you are practically saying my husband tried to kill me.” My dad saw how frantic I was and eased off. “What I am saying is the police have yet to rule him out. He was the only one who was there when you fell …that’s why he is being questioned.” I was hurting physically and emotionally and it was unbearable. Questioned...he is being questioned. “He…he is a suspect?” I asked shocked by what I was hearing. He nodded. “Look Lucy I can’t say for sure that Grant did this but then again I can’t say he didn’t.” My father drew me into his arms as tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t believe that my husband could actually hurt me but then again I couldn’t believe a lot of the things he had done so far.

  Oden

  Little Greg began to doze off on the sofa cushion next to his mother who was drifting in and out as well. As they slept I chatted with Detective Trent outside sure not to wake them. “So what are you saying…you can’t charge him?” Detective Trent exhaled. “No I can’t.” “But he was there he had motive. Kill the wife live happily ever after with the pregnant mistress.” I leaned against the wall not understanding why the hell nobody saw fault in the situation. Trent shook his head at my constant pushing for answers. “But there is no concrete evidence just insinuation…..plus she doesn’t even remember if she was pushed or not.” “But doesn’t mean he didn’t do it.” “Listen...” Detective Trent rubbed his temples having had enough. “There are no witness, no fingerprints, nothing that links him to being the one that pushed your daughter down the stairwell other than he was there.”

  I perked up just remembering incriminating evidence. “But he has hit her before, so that’s a history of violence.” Detective Trent glanced to the side to avoid eye contact. “Well he didn’t actually hit her.” “You know?” He nodded. “Yeah he told me.” I was in shock. “Well what the hell are you doing then man?” He looked at me sternly getting tired of all the craziness I was ensuing on him. “Look my hands are tied. I have done what I could for you being that you and my Captain go way back, but we have reached the end of our rope.” I found the nearest chair and flopped down wondering what the hell I was going to do next. “Ok…how do I keep him away from my daughter?” Detective Trent leaned back against the wall. “I don’t see how that is possibly they have a child together.” I shook my head not willing to admit defeat. “Doesn’t matter, if I can get a court order saying he is a danger to her and the child he’ll get barred access...” “You can’t do that …he was questioned not under investigation or charged. Listen you don’t want to make things more difficult than they already are. You don’t want to go too far with this Oden.” I chuckled at his comment; obviously he didn’t know me to well. “I can’t go far enough to protect my family.”

  Grant

  I managed to creep in Lucy hospital room without being spotted. I didn’t care if Oden had a SWAT team ready to take me out, I was going to see my wife and no devil in hell was going to stop me. I saw little Greg resting on the arm chair and made sure not to disturb his sleep. I walked to Lucy, although badly bruised I still thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world. I leaned over and pressed my lips against hers, the feel of my mouth must have woke up my sleeping beauty. Her eyes fluttered as she arose to me over her. “Grant.” She said in suspense, looking surprised I was there. “Hey baby, I’ve been waiting to see you.” “What are you doing here?” she looked confused and scared. “What do you mean what am I doing here….I needed to see you…you didn’t want to see me?” A panicked look swept across her face and I picked up on it. “No. No you can’t possibly believe…”

  I rose to my feet. “Oden…he told you I did it didn’t he... And you believe him come on.” Lucy eased back not knowing what to do. “I didn’t say that.” “You don’t have to.” I cut her off. “How could you let that man poison your mind to think I would try to hurt you?” Lucy tried to calm me down. “Grant listen…” at that moment Oden and Detective Trent walked in. “What the hell are you doing here?” Oden yelled. “Lucy did he hurt you?” “What?” I exclaimed. “No dad.” She spoke up not wanting anything to go down between me and her father. “So I guess you came to finish what you started huh?” Oden smirked. “You bastard…You’re a fool you know that?” Oden stepped toward me with rage and I was ready when he was. “Dad?” Little Greg said sleepily. “Hey kid.” I walked over to my son but oden intervened. “It’s alright Greg, go back to sleep.
Your father was just leaving.” “Excuse me?” I exclaimed. Alright I was going to lay this old man out. “Guys!” Detective Trent spoke up. “Let’s take this outside.” We nodded and slowly eased toward the door. I looked back at Lucy, she looked on helplessly at the situation as we got of ear shot of her and Greg.

  Oden was still looking for a fight. “Look, I meant what I said for the time being you are going to stay away from them.” Oden said jamming his finger at me. I laughed finding his threats hilarious. “Yeah because you’re going to stop me? I got half the mind to put you in a hospital bed.” Oden smiled as well. “Oooh threating me huh? That’s not going to look good when a judge hears that.” I smirked. “Oh you’re going to the court of law to try to keep me away.” “You’re damn right especially with a protective order.” I glared at him. “I’m sure if I contacted a judge and told him that you are a suspect in my daughter’s accident he wouldn’t mind giving me one…especially with your prior record.” I shook my head in disbelief at how far this man was willing to go to keep me away from my family. He was so filled with venom it wasn’t even funny. “Yeah so take this as a warning stay away from Lucy…Or your main concern will be not to drop the soap.” and with that Oden walked back into Lucy’s room. I fell back against the wall trying to figure out how to clean up this very nasty mess I had made out of my life. There was no way in hell I was going to let Oden keep me away from my own family. Detective Trent leaned over my way, watching me in my pitiful state. “He really doesn’t like you does he?” He spoke up. “I have noticed.” I said still glaring. “Well.” He straightened up his coat and turned to leave. “You better get ready for war.” and walked off. I nodded. “Trust me….. I’m ready.”

  Chapter 21

  Don’t Want to Lose You

  Grant/2002

  Weeks had passed since the debacle over the holidays and Lucy was still mad at me. As she prepared dinner I could hear her in the kitchen slamming the plates on the table. I shook my head and flipped through the channels on my big screen. I couldn’t believe that she was still resentful toward me after all this time. Maybe I shouldn’t have used our relationship to dig at her father but I had to show her what he was really like, that he would never accept me as her man, but maybe I went about it the wrong way. I got up and walked to the kitchen and stared at her as she slopped our food around our plates. “Baby we need to talk.” She sighed and glared at me. “No.” Lucy continued to throw food on our plates… and the floor. “Woman before you have our food all over the table tell me what’s on your mind.”

  She threw the pots and pans back on the stove. “Where are we really going with this Grant? What is our relationship?” I didn’t understand what she was saying. “We are together. We love each other.” I responded. She glared at me and folded her arms across her chest. “That is it we are just together.” “Yeah haven’t we been together for years. Do we have a problem now? What more do you want?” “What I want is to know where we are going with this? Do you really see yourself with me for the rest of your life? Can you honestly say I’m the one you want to be with?” I didn’t want to think about all these questions she was asking me, I never liked to plan for the future. All I had was today. I had been that way since I was a youngster. Tomorrow was of no importance, all I had was today. I went over and put my hands around her waist. “Baby I love you, I do. But marriage isn’t in the plans right now.” She twisted her face up at me. “But it was in the plans when you were bragging to my father. You couldn’t stop talking about it then.” I sighed knowing I had put myself in this situation. I dropped my head and tried to comfort her. “I want to marry you babe…eventually.” Lucy shook her head and pulled away from me. “I can’t do this.” Now I was getting pissed, I was damn tired of her spoiled ass attitude, I was doing more than enough for her and if that wasn’t good enough I didn’t know what to tell her.

  “You can’t do what? Now since I don’t want to walk down the aisle right now you want out?” I looked into her face and couldn’t read her expression. She wasn’t angry or sad her face appeared blank and it caused me to worry even more. “I want to know that when you say you love me you mean it. I want to know that I mean something to you...” “Woman are you out of your damn mind?” I looked at her like she was plum crazy. “I brought you here all the way to New York, I take care of you, hell I put up with that dumb nut of a Father you have and you want me to prove I love you?” I had enough of this, everything I did wasn’t good enough, now she was trying to force me down the aisle, this was crazy. I didn’t need this shit. I walked into our bedroom and plopped on the bed. Lucy followed me and stood in the door way. “Grant!” She yelled to get my attention. I turned my head to look at her and was alarmed when I saw tears filling her eyes.

  “I dropped everything to come to New York with you, I walked out on my own father, I have been turning myself inside out trying to please you, and what is my consolation prize? A hope, a dream that one day you’ll marry me? C’mon man I need more than that.” I rubbed the back of my head wishing I could rip out my skull. “Lucy you are so spoiled and ungrateful. I could marry you tonight, hell I could give you the moon and you still wouldn’t be satisfied.” “That is not true.” She pleaded but I didn’t want to hear it. “Yes it is, I do so much for you and you don’t even acknowledge it, all you see is what I’m not doing. I am so sick of trying to make you happy. Obviously that’s an impossible mission.” I began to walk to the door; she stood in front of me eyes full of tears begging me not to go. I soon realized the familiar look that was in her face earlier, it was the same look I had when I was out on the street all alone. Lucy and her father hadn’t spoken since the dinner, he was the only family she had and she had left him to be with me, she was scared because for the first time like I was she was all alone…but she wasn’t because I was here. I sighed and took her face into my hands.

  “Baby I can’t promise you forever right now, all I can do is let you know that we are going to get there. Just cause I don’t move when you want me to move doesn’t mean were standing still, you got to work with me baby.” She seemed to calm down the more I talked to her. “Do you remember the night I told you I love you?” She nodded sobbing. “Do you know I have never said those words to anyone before in my life, not even my own family?” And that was the truth I never let anyone get close enough to me that I trusted expressing to them how I felt. She was the only one I kept in my heart like that. Lucy began to wipe tears away from her eyes. I placed kisses on her cheeks. “One thing you don’t need to ever do is question my love for you. You got to give me some time…You got to give us some time.” I kissed her lips reassuring her I loved her and I wanted to make this work. “I’m sorry I just don’t want to lose you.” She cried into my chest. I held on to her for the longest time wishing I could give her everything she needed. “I’m not going anywhere woman…nowhere.”

  Oden

  A week had passed by and I felt I had done a good job of keeping Grant away. All I had to do was threaten to take him to court and file a protective order…I knew nothing scared him more than going back into lockup. I couldn’t really do that because he was not charged with anything in my daughter’s accident but I knew he was too stupid to figure that out, so the plan worked. I didn’t see it as a hard task it’s not like Lucy really missed him but little Greg did, but he would soon realize I was doing what was best for him…for both of them. Today she was being released from the hospital into home care, which I planned to do until she was well, and that also meant keeping her worthless soon to be ex-husband away.

  I made my way into the hospital and turned left to her room, but boy was I in for a surprise. The room was completely empty and there was not a trace that anyone had been there. “What the…” I exclaimed. I ran to the front desk and pulled one of the nurses aside. “Excuse me, what happened to the patient in room 114?” The older plump lady seemed frazzled by my aggressive attitude but she in turn looked up the files on her computer. “That patient was released
early this morning sir.” I shook my head knowing I wasn’t hearing her right. “That’s impossible; I’m here to sign her out being her caregiver.” “No sir, she was released to the care of her husband.” “What!” I roared panicking the old woman. “How could you do this? They are separated, they are not even together how could you release her to him?” The old nurse regained her composure and spoke softly. “Well sir he gave us this...” she handed me some documents. “We had to release her into his care.”

  I read through the papers. “I Natalia Lucy Dodson here by name Grant Gregory Smith my asset recipient and primary care taker if need be.” Damn, I thought. The bastard out smarted me. “And she just went with him?” The nurse nodded. “Well… she was sedated….she had been experiencing some pain the night before…but we figured it would be fine since Mr. Smith was her husband right?” “Like hell he is...” I shouted then quickly calmed down realizing there was nothing more I could do. I walked back to the parking lot and sat in my car wondering where the hell he could have taken her. Oh Lord, now that she was with him…Lord only knows what was going to happen now.