A Woman Loved

by T. B. Markinson

  “We got this. Can you help Maddie in the kitchen?”

  My phone rang. “Uh, it’s…” I mouthed, “Ethan.”

  “You should answer.” Sarah gave me a chin-up smile.

  “Hold on a sec.” I stepped out onto the back deck, stiffening at the burst of cold. “Okay, I’m here.”

  “I’m on the plane, but I got a text from Lisa’s uncle. Her mom isn’t expected to make it through the night. I hope… I get there in time.”

  “I am so sorry, Ethan. Please tell Lisa we’re thinking of her.”

  “I will.” He paused. “Don’t tell Casey anything. I think Lisa and I should be the ones to tell her. I haven’t figure out when and if we’ll fly her out for the funeral. I need to see Lisa first.”

  “Gotcha.” What was one more secret?

  “The flight attendant is giving me the evil eye. I need to shut down. Thanks again, Lizzie. You saved my bacon.”

  “I love you, Ethan.”

  He laughed. “I can’t remember you ever saying that. You’re the sister I always wanted. Bye.”

  I took a deep breath of the cold air, simultaneously invigorating and freezing my air passages. “Okay, Lizzie. Sarah probably needs you.”

  In the kitchen, Maddie conferred with Gabe in hushed whispers. Did anyone speak in a normal voice anymore?

  “Anyone care to fill me in?” I said.

  “Not yet. We’re convening a family meeting in the living room.” Maddie sipped her drink.

  If Maddie needed fortification… I cleared my mind to the best of my abilities. For the most part, I was an observer, considering I wasn’t at the center of this storm.

  Would I learn Peter did indeed have another baby on the way?

  Or, was Tie lying?

  Both, if possible. How would that work, Lizzie? Stranger things have happened in this family.

  As Sarah breezed into the kitchen, some of the stress in her eyes diminished. She kissed my cheek. “The kids are off. How’s Ethan?”

  I pulled her into the family room and explained the situation.

  Sarah smothered her mouth with a palm but was able to shove the news into the recesses of her mind. With a soul-cleansing sigh, she put on her game face. “You ready?”

  I shook my head.

  She threaded her fingers through mine. “I got you. Always will.”

  I boosted our hands to my lips and kissed her fingertips. “When everyone leaves, let’s have another Christmas. You. Me. The twins. A fucking do-over.”

  “Sounds lovely.”

  Hand in hand, we covered the much-too-short route to the living room, where the Peter-Tie confrontation was about to be convened. Who would be left standing?

  Peter still sat in the chair, not looking at anything or anyone. I’d never seen him so lost. Confused. Sad. He wasn’t able to muster any anger, which I took as a really bad sign. He was the Scotch-lady’s son after all. But, maybe that fact impaired him in this situation. Confronting reality hadn’t been her thing.

  Tie sat on the couch, close to her husband, yet she seemed so far away from him and the rest of us. Her cocky grin sliced through me. How did a person like her spring to life? Nature or nurture? A combo? Did it matter?

  And, Peter?

  I had a pretty good idea the Scotch-lady had helped him along on his path to this day. If she were alive, what thoughts would be going through her mind? More than likely disappointment that her son was being bested by the likes of Tie, not understanding Tie was her doing to a certain extent. Peter was an adult and made decisions leading him to today, but my therapist and I constantly discussed self-destructive patterns, such as my attraction to Meg the alcoholic when I was a young grad student. Even if deep down we understood the dangers of associating with people who reminded us of the ones who hurt us the most, as humans, we still craved the familiar. Like a baby wanting her favorite blanket. And breaking the pattern took courage. Luck. Determination. And love from the positive people around you. I had Ethan. Maddie. The twins. Rose. Gabe and Allen. And, most importantly, Sarah.

  I squeezed Sarah’s hand, which she reciprocated.

  Who did Peter have?

  Tie wasn’t the type to stand by her partner through better or worse. She preyed during the worst of times.

  Dad hadn’t exactly been there for us much during our formative years. He was trying now, but could the damage be repaired in Peter’s time of need, without damaging Peter’s veneer of Mr. Tough Guy?

  Helen was motherly, but it was difficult to blunt the knowledge that she’d always been in the shadows, supporting Allen the way I couldn’t even contemplate. Getting the best of our father, when he’d barely said two words to me whenever in my presence.

  I had meant my words earlier to my father, but it didn’t make things any easier. Like him, I was only human.

  Maddie’s feelings seemed to seesaw from love to resentment for squashing her heart.

  For obvious reasons, Gabe kept Peter at a distance, but I think he still felt a stepbrotherly connection.

  Allen, who had been sheltered in a different way than Peter and I, was too fragile to understand.

  As for me, I still didn’t know my brother. Not completely. How would I react to whatever was about to happen?

  I scanned the room again, and George either had gone home or was lumped into the kid category, shuffled off to Rose’s. Probably for the best. However, now that the children weren’t present, his “I like dick” interjections could have made the next hour or so more palatable on some level. Eccentricity had merit.

  “Peter,” Helen started. “I’m going to be blunt. Tie has made it clear she thinks you have another child on the way. Is that true?”

  “No,” he muttered into his chest, not sounding convincing.

  Helen’s pursed lips were in tune with my thoughts.

  “Tie, I’m not sure how to say this, but it’s difficult to believe anything you say.” Helen stared her down.

  Tie’s smile didn’t falter. Nor did she defend herself. I had to give it to her because it was more convincing than Peter’s mumbled no.

  “Son,” Dad started. “If you do have a baby on the way or out there already, you have an obligation to care for the child.”

  “Like you did with Allen?” Peter crossed his arms, but his voice grew stronger. “Where were you when I needed you? Or when Lizzie did?”

  This was the time Peter used the name I preferred?

  Dad didn’t wilt. Not entirely. But Peter’s words dented his armor when I scrutinized his eyes.

  “Are you telling my husband to set up a secret family?” Tie’s voice was free of venom.

  “I don’t have a secret family. I don’t have another woman. I don’t have anything.” Cocky Peter slowly oozed back into form. “That’s not true. I have Demi.” He whipped his head in Tie’s direction. “If you think you’re getting custody, you have another thing coming. I’d rather—”

  Helen cleared her throat, stilling Peter’s words. Had he been about to threaten Tie’s life? Not a good sign at all.

  And was Peter contemplating full custody? That surprised me. Had he finally cut the Scotch-lady’s apron strings? Or was he realizing what damage could be wrought when a child was raised by someone of the same caliber as our mother?

  “Yeah, right.” Tie crossed her legs, placing her folded hands strategically on her knees as if readying for a photoshoot. “Judges love mothers. Not fathers.”

  “You are not a mother. It takes more than giving birth to claim that title. Look at Lizzie. She’s an amazing mom.”

  Flabbergasted, I looked to Sarah. She squeezed my hand.

  Tie slowly turned her head to me, fixing me with that grin that would terrify a rattlesnake. “And your brother is a terrible husband.”

  “You knew what you were getting into, my dear,” Peter defended. “We had an agreement from the start.”

  Her stare dug into me.

  Why was I in the middle of their marriage? And, what kind of agreement did
they have? Peter could sleep with anyone? While Tie did what exactly?

  “Things change, Peter.” She turned back to him.

  “They do. I have.”

  She scoffed, “Yeah, right. I have proof you haven’t.”

  “You mean this?” Maddie produced the photo of the redhead, displaying it prominently on the table in front of Tie.

  Tie narrowed her eyes.

  “Which is exactly like this one.” Maddie situated another eight by ten photo of the redhead.

  Had Maddie sent Gabe to her apartment to search for this photo? That would explain his sour mood when he’d returned. And, it answered one of my questions. Gabe truly loved Maddie to help Peter out of this jam. It didn’t soothe my mind about Maddie’s feelings for Gabe and Peter, though.

  Peter leaned forward in his seat, comparing both photos.

  “You’re point, Maddie?” Tie’s voice didn’t give way.

  “This is one of the women Peter had an affair with when we were together.” Maddie tapped her finger on the framed picture.

  “He’s loyal to a certain degree. I don’t see how that changes things between us.” Tie waved to Peter and back at herself.

  “He must also be a magician.”

  Tie’s grin faltered. “I’m sorry?”

  “The woman died last year. I remember seeing her photo in the obits—because her”—Maddie jabbed a finger at the photo—“image is seared into my brain.”

  “She died?” Peter scratched the side of his head. “I didn’t know.”

  He wasn’t like my father, then. Dad had stayed with Helen. For well over a decade, closer to two.

  And how did Peter not know one of his mistresses was dead? Although, it wasn’t like I googled people from my past to ensure they were still breathing. However, I had a feeling the number of people I’d slept with was much smaller than Peter’s.

  Tie uncrossed her legs. “Nice try, but the photos are different. I’ve never seen that one.” She flicked a finger at the one I assumed came from Maddie’s collection.

  Maddie stood and removed Tie’s photo from the frame with the agility of a designer who handled items like that every day. Sitting next to Tie on the couch, she held the photos side by side. “They are identical. And, I called the private investigator I worked with. After some threats of a lawsuit, he confessed you forced him to supply these photos. I have no idea how you found out I hired a PI, or what dirt you had on him to get him to play ball...” She shrugged.

  “Please. The man would say anything if you give him enough money.” Her grin slid into pursed lips.

  “You’re only proving my point, Tie.” Maddie relished exaggerating her name. “And, I happen to know it’s impossible for Peter to impregnate anyone.”

  “That’s enough, Maddie,” Peter spoke through clenched teeth.

  “Are you accusing me of cheating? Suggesting Peter isn’t Demi’s father?” Tie placed her manicured hand on her chest.

  “Oh, no. She has Peter’s smile. But, after…” She seemed to mull over the next part carefully. “Getting you pregnant, Peter got clipped.”

  If that was the case, why didn’t Peter own up to that earlier when everyone was silently, or not so silently considering I hadn’t been involved in the library talk, thinking Tie’s accusation was a foregone conclusion?

  Tie studied Maddie’s face and then Peter’s scrunched brow. “And you know this how?”

  “I was with him when he went to the appointment.”

  “Why in the world would you go with him for that?” Tie’s steely veneer started to falter.

  “He asked.”

  What an odd fucking request for my super-uptight brother to make. What’d he say? “Oh, hey, what are you doing Monday? I’m getting neutered like a puppy and would like some company. We can do lunch after.”

  And he’d asked Maddie, not his wife. Granted, I knew he was still in love with Maddie, but… something niggled at my memory. Peter had slept with Maddie soon after Tie got pregnant. Had he gotten Maddie pregnant that night? Was that why he voluntarily had a vasectomy? Or, did the Allen bombshell spur the decision? He didn’t want to end up like Dad, having a secret family? That seemed more likely. Surely Maddie would have told us if she was pregnant.

  Did she…?

  Was it my business? And how did one ask their best friend, “Hey, did my brother get you pregnant in my home?” The old Lizzie may have asked, but the new Lizzie… who the fuck knew? At the moment, I didn’t want any more secrets spilling out into the open.

  The room was silent.

  I wanted to channel George and blurt out, “I like dick!” to break the tension, but given the topic at hand, it was probably for the best George wasn’t here and for me not to mimic him.

  The family meeting came to an uneasy close, with nothing being resolved. Tie, even in the presence of Maddie’s evidence, held firm after recovering from the vasectomy news. She clung to her belief that Peter hadn’t been clipped and was a father to-be. It was like she couldn’t abandon the script in her head. The one she’d planned. That was becoming clearer and clearer.

  I wondered if Peter would present his medical records either to her or in court.

  Dad pulled Peter aside for another chat. Then Maddie. Finally, Tie. For a while, I fretted I’d be called into his office, my library.

  “Maybe we should move,” I said to Sarah, helping her load lunch plates into the dishwasher.

  She nodded, resting against the counter, her arms crossed. “Any teaching opportunities in the Arctic?”

  “I like where you’re going with this.” I shut the dishwasher, hitting the buttons to start the load. “People are so overrated, especially if related to you.”

  “Me?” She clutched the front of her sweater. “It’s your family causing all these issues.”

  “I didn’t mean you, you. Just saying in general.” I tugged her arms apart. “I need a hug.”

  She complied with an embrace conveying she had me, through thick and thin.

  “Break it up you two. People might think love exists without a doubt,” Maddie teased.

  “Says the woman who got engaged hours ago,” Sarah retorted, leaning her head against my shoulder as if unwilling to break off all contact.

  “Yeah… and then all of this. It’s doing my head in,” she whispered, scouting over her shoulder after the words escaped.

  “Please, Maddie, don’t let Peter and Tie influence any life decisions. They are not normal.”

  I nodded in agreement.

  “I’m trying to block everything out today, but…”

  “It’s way too early for cold feet.”

  “Well, I went into a tailspin when we got engaged, and it worked out for us,” I confessed, wrapping an arm around Sarah’s shoulders.

  She laughed. “I seem to remember a lot of angst during that tailspin.”

  “And yet, you’re laughing now. So, like I said, it worked out.” I waggled my brow at her.

  She elbowed my side.

  I wanted her.

  “What if you two are the exception and not the rule, though?” Maddie opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of champagne. “No reason to let this go to waste.”

  “Are you going to include Gabe?” I asked, still relishing the thought of taking Sarah back upstairs for some alone time.

  “Did someone say my name?” Gabe, with his showman smile firmly affixed, strolled into the kitchen.

  I had to wonder how confident he was about his engagement considering everything.

  Maddie glanced around him. “Good, it’s just the four of us. Will you do the honors?” She handed the bottle to Gabe, but I noticed a frostiness to her tone.

  Sarah pulled out four flutes, placing them on the island.

  He peeled the foil back from the Dom Pérignon, turning away from all of us to pop the cork. The bottle fizzed and Gabe laughed as he quickly poured into one of the glasses, not wanting to waste a drop.

  All four filled, we raised the glasses.<
br />
  “To my brother and my favorite pain in the ass. May you two be as happy as I am with Sarah.” I wasn’t happy with my speech considering Maddie’s sour mood, but I didn’t want to be the one to clue in Gabe that all might not be well between the two. If he hadn’t noticed, he was a moron.

  The doorbell rang.

  I jerked my head to Sarah, with a creased brow.

  She hefted her shoulders.

  I set the flute down on the island and left to answer the door, and there was Matthew, my dad’s driver. “Oh, come on in.”

  “That’s okay, ma’am. Is Mr. Petrie here?”

  Dad didn’t need beckoning. “Matthew, give me one minute.”

  I stood in the entryway, confused. Were Dad and Helen fleeing the ship? Would they pick up Allen from Rose’s? Why couldn’t I go? Or was this an old versus new family thing?

  Dad returned with Tie on his arm. “Matthew, can you please drive Mrs. Petrie home?”

  Matthew dipped his head.

  Tie, tight-lipped, didn’t speak. Dad had one of her arms in a restraint with his meaty arm. He whispered something in her ear. She paled slightly but did her best to recover. With a nod, she left my home.

  When the door closed, I looked him in the eyes. “What? How?”

  “I have some experience with women like Tie. I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.”

  “You bribed her.”

  He tossed his hands up in the air and then crooked his arm for me. “Shall we see where the rest of this day goes?”

  “Shrimp cocktail?” Maddie, poised with a tray on her right palm, did her best French maid impression, minus the outfit—which was somewhat surprising given the past forty-eight hours and her penchant for flair.

  “We just had second brunch,” I said.

  “So what? Typical isn’t a Petrie thing, and food soothes the soul.”

  Gabe and Peter each selected one, dipping theirs into the cocktail sauce.

  “Thanks, Mads,” Peter said, still looking pale from earlier events.