Ava Comes Home

by Lesley Crewe

  “Good.” He got up and clapped his hands. “Okay, people. Let’s do this thing.”

  Seamus was nearly out of his mind. They weren’t moving at all. He checked his watch. It was nearly an hour since he called Lola. And then suddenly his cell phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Seamus, it’s Lola. I’m sorry, I don’t want to worry you, but I can’t wait any more.”

  “What?”

  “I couldn’t stay with her. They made me get out.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “They threw us off the set. I tried to get her to come with me, I really tried, but she’s inside with them. You have to hurry.”

  “I’m stuck in traffic!”

  “Where are you? If you’re not that far, maybe you can run. You’d get here faster.”

  He asked the cabbie.

  “You’re about ten blocks away.”

  “I’m only ten blocks away. I’m coming.”

  He shut the phone off and put it in his pocket, then took out his wallet and gave it to the taxi driver. “There’s about two hundred bucks in there. I’m going to run, so I’m leaving my bag. I want you to drive to the address and stay there until I come out. Do you understand?”

  “Okay, man. I’ll be there. Go straight down this street. You can’t miss it.”

  Seamus got out of the taxi and dodged the cars surrounding it. A few were moving and he had to jump out of the way. As soon as he hit the sidewalk, he ran. He ran as if his life depended on it. Because it did.

  Hayden had his arms wrapped around her as they waited to start the scene. They were behind the door they had to burst out of.

  “Okay?”

  Ava nodded.

  “You’re shivering.”

  “I’m cold.”

  “I won’t rip your sweater off. I don’t care what he says. Fuck the Nigels of the world.”

  She nodded again.

  They heard Nigel say, “Okay. When you’re ready…and action!”

  Hayden opened the door and pushed her into the room. She stumbled and righted herself. “How dare you.” She reached out and slapped him. “That’s for what you said downstairs in front of all those people.” She marched over to the bed.

  He followed her. “Well, it’s true, isn’t it?”

  She faced him. “Who do you think you are?”

  “I’m the guy who shares your bed, but lately that’s been off limits too and I’m sick and tired of it.”

  “Well, get used to it because that’s how it’s going to be from now on.” She turned away but he grabbed her upper arm and forced her to look at him. It was Seamus’s father. He took her by the wrists and shook her and then he threw her on the bed.

  “Please. Don’t hurt me.”

  “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to love you.”

  “Seamus! Help me!” she screamed.

  He reached across the bed and slapped her face. “I am so fucking sick of hearing about your fucking Seamus!”

  He pulled her hair and brought her face close to his. “You little slut. I’m gonna show you how a real man does it.” He grabbed the back of her neck and covered her mouth with his own. He kept it there even as he ripped off her skirt and tore off her panties. Then he pushed her back on the bed.

  Seamus’s heart beat so fast he thought it would burst. He was almost there. He saw the trailers and the people, and then he saw a young woman with black spiky hair gesturing for him to hurry up. Lola. She pointed at the door. Libby was on the other side of that door. He ran up the stairs and pushed aside the man who tried to stop him. He heard her scream, “Leave me alone! Stop it!”

  “I’m coming, Libby!”

  He ran up the stairs two at a time, blind to the people coming at him. He didn’t see the cameras or the lights or the equipment all over the floor. He saw her on the bed, hitting and punching his father as he touched her with his filthy hands.

  Seamus yelled and kept yelling. Hands grabbed him. People screamed and ran but he didn’t stop. He leapt around things, knocked down light stands and chairs. He reached over and grabbed his father by the back of the shirt. He pulled him off and punched him so hard he landed at the foot of the bed and was still.

  He reached down and picked her up. “I’m here, Libby. I’m right here.” He felt her arms go around his neck and she held on to him as Sarah did when she was hurt. He wrapped his arms around her and took her off the bed. Then he turned and faced the people who ran up to them.

  “Keep away from us!” he screamed. “All of you! Don’t you dare touch us. Leave us alone!”

  He saw Lola rush towards them. “Please, do as he says. Just let him be with her. Let him talk to her.”

  That’s when Hayden sat up with a bloody nose. “What happened?”

  Lola pointed at the two men beside her. “Go get him.” Maurice and Harold went over and led Hayden away. “What happened?” he kept saying.

  “Everyone, please. Take a break and give them some time to be alone,” Lola cried. “This is real life. It’s not a movie.”

  People started to back up and mill about and eventually drift to the farthest corner of the room or downstairs. Lola asked one of the crew to turn off the bright lights. She looked back at Seamus as he stood there with Libby clasped tightly in his arms. “It’s okay now, Seamus. I’ll keep them away.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She started to walk away.

  “Lola?”

  She turned around.

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “And you,” she cried before running down the stairs.

  He finally moved. He wanted to get her away from that bed. There was a couch off to one side of the room so Seamus put his hands under her knees and carried her there. He sat down with her on his lap. Her head stayed on his shoulder. He hugged her closer.

  “It’s okay, Libby. I’ve got you now. You’re going to be all right. I won’t ever let anyone hurt you again. I promise.”

  She whispered something.

  “What, sweetheart?”

  He could still hardly hear her.

  “Is it really you?”

  “Yes, it’s really me.”

  “Seamus?”

  “Yes. It’s Seamus.”

  She kept her head down. “You’re not a dream?”

  “No. I’m real.” He kissed her hair. “I’m very real.”

  “You came after me.”

  “Yes, finally. Like I should’ve done ten years ago, and I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

  She lifted her head and looked at him before touching his face. He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. “I love you, Libby. If only you knew how much.”

  “I do know. I’ve always known.”

  “I know the truth. You don’t have to keep it from me anymore. The secret you’ve been carrying inside.”

  “You know?”

  He choked on his words. “I know it was…my father.”

  He felt her body go limp as she let out a big sigh and leaned into him. He held her tight. They sat like that for a long time. There was no need for words. They needed time to absorb the truth together. When she finally spoke her voice was stronger. “I know how much that must hurt you.”

  “Hurt me? It’s you he hurt and I want to kill him, the lousy drunk. I almost killed him last night.”

  “Oh, Seamus.”

  “I can’t believe it.”

  “I know.”

  He entwined her hands in his own. She rubbed her thumb over his skin.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? You could have told me.”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “But you were alone. When I think of it I want to scream. I should’ve been there for you.”

  She sat up and touched his face again, as if recording it to memory. She brushed his hair away from his eyes. “No. We’d never have made it.”

  “We’d have been together.”

  “No, Seamus. We wouldn’t have been together for l
ong.” She looked away. “If I’d told you, you would’ve killed your father.”

  “He’d have deserved it.”

  “But your life would be ruined. You’d have gone to jail and we couldn’t be together. Or one of my brothers would have killed him and met the same fate. It would’ve destroyed your mother and mine. Your sister wouldn’t be able to hold her head up in her own community. People would have whispered behind my back.”

  She looked at him then. “But worst of all, when you’d be with me, you’d be thinking of him and I’d be thinking of him. That would have poisoned our love for each other. We were too young to handle it, Seamus. Much too young.”

  He didn’t say anything.

  “You know I’m right.”

  “You’ve always been told that you weren’t a strong person and look what happened. You were stronger than all of us put together.” He hid his eyes with his hand.

  She got off his lap and knelt on the floor between his legs, taking his hand away. “Look at me.”

  He lifted his head. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

  She reached out and touched his cheek. “No. That’s one thing you won’t do.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I refuse to spend one more day of my life in that bed. It happened. It’s over. It can’t be undone. We’ve survived it and now it’s time to bury it and let it die. I want to live. Now kiss me.”

  Seamus kissed her and kissed her and kissed her.

  Then he put his arms around her. “Come home with me.”

  Libby nuzzled his ear. “My sweet boy, I am home. You’re here.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  The wedding took place three weeks later on a gorgeous September afternoon.

  Seamus wanted her to marry him the next day, but Libby knew in her heart that they needed a little time to get over their trauma. They needed to be with their families and be allowed to rest and have the excitement of anticipation. A wedding wasn’t just the wedding day, it was a celebration weeks in the making.

  “We’ve waited this long,” she said. “We can wait a little longer.”

  Seamus and Libby took the cab back to the hotel. Lola, Maurice, and Harold followed behind. When they got to her room, Libby was able to introduce Seamus to her family of friends properly. There were a lot of hugs and thanks exchanged.

  Lola called room service and asked for some piping hot tea. When it arrived, the five of them sat around the table and devoured Aunt Vi’s blueberry muffins and oat cakes. When Libby opened the tin this time, she took a big sniff. “Mmm, yum.”

  They laughed.

  It was decided that Seamus would fly home on his own and get back to Jack and Sarah as soon as possible. He knew they’d been badly frightened and needed him. Libby and Lola decided to fly to Los Angeles and sort out her affairs there. Maurice and Harold promised to be in Cape Breton a week before the festivities to make sure the whole family had makeovers and new do’s for the wedding.

  Reservations were made and Maurice and Harold said their good–byes. The other three went to the airport together. Seamus could get back to Toronto that night and leave in the morning for Halifax and be back in Sydney around midday. He said he’d stay at one of the hotels near the airport. Libby and Lola got on a flight leaving almost immediately, so there was a quick goodbye near the security gate.

  Lola kissed Seamus goodbye and went through. Libby and Seamus hugged each other and didn’t speak. Finally they parted and he clasped his hands around the back of her neck.

  “So.”

  “So.”

  “I’ll see you…?”

  “I’ll let you know. I’m not sure how long it will take to get things in order, but I have a feeling it will be really quick.”

  “I’ll see you in Cape Breton,” he laughed.

  “Oh yes, I’ll see you in Cape Breton. And once I step on that island, I’m never leaving it again. Ever.”

  They kissed each other one last time and he let her go. She waved as he turned around and walked away.

  “Goodbye, my love,” she whispered after him.

  She fell into a deep sleep on the plane and didn’t wake until they landed.

  It was a hectic four days. She put her expensive minimalist cube of a house on the market and used that money to buy her way out of her movie contract with the studio. Trent nearly had a heart attack when he found out she was leaving the business and berated her for being such a miserable client. Libby asked if a half a million dollars would make him feel better. He conceded it would help. Camilla was at least gracious about this change in her circumstance. Luckily she was good at her job and she wasn’t unemployed for long. She gave Mercedes a very handsome severance package, glowing recommendations, and sent her on her way. Then she and Lola went through the house and sorted all the things she wanted to keep, mementoes she’d picked up in her travels and pictures of family and friends.

  They packed her clothes, putting the clothes and costumes from her movies in a separate pile. These she’d keep for her nieces and sisters.

  Libby sold the furniture and contents of her home with the house, and got a moving company to pack what she was taking with her. Then it was off to the bank to straighten out her financial affairs. She made sure the money she had, once everything was settled, was put into a trust fund for her family and a separate account for Jack’s and Sarah’s education, and hopefully someday, for children of their own.

  She had meetings with her accountant and lawyers to go over any–thing that needed sewing up because she had no intention of coming back. She wanted to make sure she left no stone unturned.

  Libby didn’t have many friends in Hollywood, but there were a few who she’d been close to. She made sure she saw them before she left. They said they’d keep in touch, but Libby knew they wouldn’t and that was fine. She wouldn’t either.

  Finally it was done and she and Lola parted at the airport. Lola was flying back to Chicago to be with her mom until the wedding.

  They hugged each other.

  “Thank you for being my sister. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me,” Libby said.

  “Thank you for being mine. Although why I’m not as jealous as hell, I don’t know. That boy of yours is a hunk.”

  “He always was.”

  “Some girls have all the luck.”

  “We’ll find someone for you. In Cape Breton maybe.”

  “I wish.”

  “Before you go, I wondered if you’d do me one more favour.”

  Lola rolled her eyes. “I’m exhausted. Give me a break.”

  “Will you be my maid of honour and general dogs-body all rolled into one? Please, pretty please?”

  Lola’s face lit up. “Sure! But you better not make me wear a hooped skirt. I have to draw the line there.”

  They laughed and said their goodbyes.

  It was the longest flight of her life. She was so impatient to get there it felt like fifteen hours. She finally transferred from the big jet that flew into Halifax to the Dash Eight that would fly her home.

  Home.

  Libby looked out the window the entire time. Every minute was another mile closer to him. It was a clear day. She saw the trees and the water and the rivers that meandered along. She looked over the clouds and thought of her parents. She’d visit them when she got home and tell them about the new life that waited for her.

  Finally, they touched down.

  She remembered how upset she’d been when she arrived in Sydney in February. A lifetime ago. Now it was pure joy. She got up with the other passengers and slowly made her way to the front. She said goodbye to the flight attendant and walked out of the plane. She looked over at the big window and there he was.

  He waved. Jack and Sarah waved too.

  Her family. Hers.

  As soon as she touched the ground she ran. He disappeared from the window. She stepped through the two open doors and into his arms. They didn’t say anything as they hugged each
other. Then Libby felt a small tug on her sweater. She looked down and there was Sarah with a bouquet of daisies wrapped in cellophane. She reached for them.

  “For me?”

  “Yeah.”

  She bent down and held Sarah’s chin in her hand. “Thank you, sweetheart. They’re beautiful like you.”

  Sarah smiled at her. “Yeah.”

  She looked at Jack, who hung off his father’s pant leg. “Hi, Jack.”

  He hid his face and mumbled, “Hi.”

  She knew better than to go near him.

  They drove to Aunt Vi’s and Uncle Angus’s house. Everyone was in the yard, waving and jumping up and down. She got out of the car. Aunt Vi ran towards her.

  “Oh, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!” Aunt Viola screamed. “It’s herself, in the flesh.” She grabbed Libby in a death grip. “Oh girl, we can’t believe it. We’re so happy to see you. Welcome home, darlin’. Welcome home at last.”

  Then Aunt Vi ran over and hugged Seamus and ran after Jack and Sarah. Jack hid behind his father’s knees again, though Sarah took Aunt Vi’s hand and followed her happily.

  “Do you like sugar cookies?” Aunt Vi asked her.

  “No.”

  “A girl with a mind of her own. I like that,” she nodded. “I bet you like ice cream.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, Auntie Vi will get you some. Let’s go.”

  Libby walked into the house with Seamus on her arm as Teddy Bear trailed happily behind, but not before waving to Geranium, who had a big “Welcome Home” sign in the window.

  The next two weeks were a whirl of planning and cooking. Maurice and Harold arrived as promised and it was one big hair dressing salon at Aunt Vi’s. Lola flew in three days before the wedding and she and Libby, along with the sisters and nieces, headed to Jacobson’s to buy a dress.

  This time it was reversed. Instead of watching, she was the one in front of the mirror as the gang deliberated. And while the gowns were beautiful on her, there seemed to be more dress than her. They had to be taken in to such a degree that it was hard to get a sense of what they might look like. She tried not to show her disappointment but she didn’t succeed. It wasn’t what she had imagined.

  Then Lola snapped her fingers. “My God, Libby, we’re idiots.”