by Annie Jocoby
“Hey, pop,” I said, “I’m sorry that I wasn’t thrilled at first about you seeing somebody new. It takes some getting used to the idea that, you know, mom is being replaced, but I’m really happy for you.”
“Your mom isn’t being replaced,” he said. “And don’t ever think that. This is a different thing. Olivia will never be replaced. Olivia can never be replaced. Not in my heart, and not in this house. Carolyn understands that, though. I hope you will too, one day.”
We embraced, and I felt tears coming to my eyes. But it was time to make room for somebody else in my life, and that was my soon-to-be-stepmother Carolyn.
And, while I bonded with Carolyn, Dalilah was forming a strange bond with Serena of all people. Serena, after that first night, seemed to actually come out of her shell, and, just like Dalilah said, she seemed just a little bit human. Which was weird to me, and to my other siblings. None of us quite had seen anything like it.
It started with tentative smiles whenever Dalilah was around, and it seemed that Serena was interested in watching Dalilah compose her artwork, which she did for a few hours every day. I painted right alongside her, but Serena was only interested in Dalilah’s work. I soon was noticing that, whenever I would be hanging out with Chris and Mark and pop, doing guy things like playing foosball, poker and video games, Serena and Dalilah would be talking in the den. Amy was also around, but she chose to hang around her husband, as Serena was always with Dalilah, and Amy and Serena never got along. I felt a little badly for Amy, as I knew that she was interested in bonding with Dalilah more, but Dalilah seemed strangely drawn to Serena instead.
That night, I asked Dalilah what she and Serena talked about, and she told me “oh, everything. She’s really having a rough time with her divorce, and she knows how much she’s fucked up. She...well, I think that you need to give her a break a little bit. She’s had a tough life, more than you will ever know. And that’s all that I can really say. She does have a hard shell, but she seems to really want to open up to me.”
I cocked my head to Dalilah a little. “Oh. I guess there are some things that I don’t know about my sister.”
“Yes. Things that would explain almost all of her behavior. I can’t go into that, but I think that you might try to be just a little kinder to her. She might not handle things well, and she knows that. She knows how much she’s hurt her family and her husband and everyone who should be close to her. I think that I’ve maybe even encouraged her to get some help for these issues.”
“Wow. How did you become her therapist? None of us have been able to get anything out of her but hurtful behavior.”
“As I said, you’re too close. I’m more of a stranger, and I think that she knows that I’m willing to have an open mind.”
“I hope you’re not being naïve,” I said.
“Well, I’m not. I have a gift, and I’ve always had it. I think that I get it from my dad. But my intuition is amazing, and I can almost see inside someone’s soul. That was why I was able to be in such demand when I was a portraitist, because I could get at my subject’s essence and bring out what lies beneath. You can too. I see that in you. But you might have more problems doing that with somebody that you know so well, like Serena.”
“You’re probably right about that. I guess maybe I need to see her in a different light, and not think that she’s beyond repair. It’s really amazing that you’re able to do that, though. Get past her apparently tough exterior to see her humanness.”
She smiled, and stroked my hair a little bit. “Just give her a little bit of a chance, and you might actually be able to help her.”
I brought Dalilah closer to me. “How are you feeling?” I asked her, kissing her forehead.
“Okay. I mean, my taste buds just seem just a little bit off, for some odd reason. But, other than that, I’m okay.”
“That’s good,” I said. “God forbid you’re sick. Of course, I would take good care of you, because that’s what I do.” I brought her chin up and kissed her gently.
She sighed, and climbed on top of me.
Our vacation was almost over, and the real world would soon be intruding. But, for just that one night, we had each other, and that was all that mattered.
The hell that awaited us back in the city would have to wait for just a little while longer.
Chapter 41
Dalilah
It was finally time for Luke and I to say goodbye to his family. We had to leave the morning of the 27th, and Mark had left the day before, and so did Amy. Chris would be returning to Boston, where he was based, the following day, and Serena would be leaving as well. I had found out that Serena actually lived in the Village, which was something that Luke had never told me before, and she expressed interest in hanging out with me when we all got back to the city.
I readily agreed. Even though I knew that she was sexually attracted to me, I still felt comfortable befriending her a little more. Because I could see the hurt child that she was underneath all her crazy behavior that she had displayed over the years. And I knew where that behavior was coming from. It was coming from a deep sense of hurt that she had carried in her soul from the time that was she was just a little baby. She had confided in me that she had sought hypnotherapy over the past few years, because she didn’t like who she was, and she needed to find out the root of why she was constantly acting out. It turned out that her baby-sitter had regularly sodomized her as she lay in her crib, before she turned one. Apparently that was enough for her to live her life in a constant state of fear and shame, so her behavioral issues began there and just got worse over the years.
I immediately saw that Serena was somebody who needed me, and, while I was apprehensive about helping her, because Luke was still very suspicious of his sister, I knew that it was something that I had to try to do.
As we left, there were hugs all around. Serena hugged me tightly, and tentatively went over to Luke and hugged him too. I could sense his awkwardness as he put his arms around her, and I immediately felt badly for her. Chris hugged us both, as did Carolyn, who made sure that we had an apple crumble pie to enjoy on our way home.
Michael drove us to the bus, and then, when we arrived at the station, unloaded our things, which had increased evermore, through the addition of the Christmas gifts and the pie, and hugged both of us.
“Now, you don’t be a stranger anymore,” he said to Luke. “I expect to see you at least once before the next holiday season.”
“You can count on it, pop,” he said. He brought me closer to him. “Who knows, maybe there might even be a special occasion involving this one here and me before the end of next year. Keeping my fingers crossed.”
Michael put his hand on my shoulder. “You’re a keeper. I’ve never seen my daughter Serena act like that with anybody. It’s one thing for my son’s girlfriend to get along with Amy, Mark and Chris. That’s easy. But to bond with Serena? You’re a miracle worker.”
I smiled. “I guess I just have a way with people.” I raised my eyebrows conspiratorially. “That’s why I’m an artist, just like Luke. I can peel back the layers.”
We all hugged again, and Luke and I boarded the bus for the long ride back. As we sat on the bus together, holding hands, we tried very hard to make this moment last just a little longer. The city seemed foreboding for both of us. I was going to have to file for divorce, and who knew what hell would come from that. And he would have to face his criminal charges, and do the hard work that would come with trying to find a way, any way, to salvage his art career from the ashes.
But, during the bus ride home, neither of us addressed any of this.
Chapter 42
Luke
Dalilah and I had gotten back to the city the day before, which also happened to be my 21st birthday. As 21st birthdays go, though, it was a low-key affair. I had no desire to go out and get drunk, as I was inundated with the stress of what was coming up, and alcohol would just make that worse. So, Dalilah and I just ordered in some
Chinese and watched some of my favorite old movies, like The Terminator and Field of Dreams. That one always got me, because it reminded me of the overall distance I had between me and my pop, a distance that really wasn’t alleviated by my recent visit.
It was just as well that Dalilah and I didn’t go out for my birthday, too, at least from her perspective. Because she was really tired, and that seemed to be something that was a recurring theme anymore. Dalilah was having a difficult time, it seemed, recovering from our traveling experience, because she was tired a lot and also seemed to be nauseated much of the time. I worried about her, but she always insisted that she was okay – it was just a little bit of stomach queasiness¸ no big deal, and she felt that perhaps she was stressed out because of her impending divorce, so that was making her nauseated and fatigued.
While Dalilah was fighting what seemed to be an abundance of stress and a possible minor bug, I had to face what I had to face, so I found myself in an attorney’s office the day after my birthday. The money from my show had come in, all $102,000 of it, and I immediately sent $30,000 of it to the IRS. No use having it tempt me. I sent another $10,000 to the State of New York for the same reason. The last thing that I wanted was to end up with a giant tax bill after all the money was gone.
So, I was anxious to see how much this attorney was going to charge and also see what I was up against. Dalilah was with me, because she, too, wanted to know everything. After our meeting with this attorney, Dalilah and I would have to proceed with the full knowledge of all that was about to go down. Neither of us could quite understand how the charges were so elevated, when clearly Nottingham didn’t have any injuries. So, that would be the first thing that I would be asking this attorney, one James Francis.
This attorney was in one of the high-rise buildings in lower Manhattan, and he was somebody who was recommended by Nick, who was the best friend of Dalilah’s father. Nick’s father was an attorney who was familiar with many attorneys in New York, so this James Francis came highly recommended. And highly expensive, too - $500 an hour.
I wanted to go bargain hunting, and this actually caused a large fight between Dalilah and me.
“You can’t bargain-basement this, Luke. You don’t know whom you’re dealing with. You need somebody clever who is going to be able to get around Nottingham’s bullshit, because you know that he used his power and influence to make sure that you get trumped-up charges. You know he did. He’s a devious piece of shit, so you need somebody who knows what he’s doing. Finding an attorney on the Internet and going with the cheapest one will find you in prison, no doubt about it.”
“Oh, come on Dalilah, it’s not that big of a deal. You and I both know that Nottingham wasn’t injured, so any Joe Schmo should be able to get this whole thing reduced to a misdemeanor without any problem. I have to live off of this money while I try to hustle some more jobs. I’d like to cut back on my bartending hours and use that time to really throw myself into finding commissions and gallery owners who want to show me. And that’s going to be harder than ever with Nottingham poisoning the well.”
“Luke, you won’t be able to get any commission and showings if you’re in prison for years. And that’s what might happen if you take your eye off the ball. There’s something going on, and you need a good attorney with a good investigator to find out what that is.”
I started pacing. That was what I really wanted to avoid – finding some high dollar attorney who was going to eat up most of the leftover money I got through my show. I wanted a cushion, even a small one, so that I could look at doing my art full-time. Working at the bar took time away from my art, and I really desired to be able to quit the bar and sock away the money from my show, and really make a go of it. I had no desire to pay most of my leftover money for an attorney.
“I’ll gamble. I’ll gamble that it’s no big deal, and it’s all going to go away. A misunderstanding. Or the prosecutor just filed elevated charges because that’s what they do. They file trumped up charges so that they can have something to reduce them to for a plea bargain. I heard that’s what happens. You get the defendant all freaked out because he’s being charged with something major, so that, when the prosecutor comes with a deal that the defendant never would have taken before, he takes it, just because he’s so relieved. You know, the prosecutor charges the guy with a robbery, freaks him out, and then reduces it to stealing with a huge fine. Well, if the guy was charged with stealing to begin with, he probably wouldn’t take that huge fine. But, since it’s a reduction from the earlier charge, he’s like ‘hell to the yeah, I’m taking that.’”
Dalilah nodded. “I think that does happen, but we need to know what we’re dealing with here. Please, Luke, this is your future here. You don’t want to be known as somebody who has a felony charge, especially one that was incurred by assaulting a powerful man like Nottingham.”
“Well, maybe that’s a good thing. I’m sure you and I aren’t the only ones who think that Nottingham’s a bastard. I’m quite sure that there are those who would like to give me a fucking medal for doing what I did. Who knows? This might actually help me.”
“Listen, Luke, this isn’t a poker game here. This is your life. This is your life, and you need to take this seriously. While I agree with you that you might win fans for doing what you did, because I also agree that Nottingham has made some enemies, you can’t discount the fact that he carries a lot of power in this city. You don’t want to mess around with him anymore than you have to. And if he has the power to put you in prison for seven years, than he will do it. He will do it, and have no compunction about it. All over two little punches. I can’t let that happen. If I have to get my dad to get you an attorney, I’ll do it.”
That did it. Bringing her dad into it, and the threat that she was going to be the one getting the attorney. No way would I do that – let her foot the bill through her father. I wanted Ryan to stay out of this mess, and here she was, threatening to bring him into it.
“Okay, okay. I’ll see that fancy attorney who was recommended to you.” And, at that, I made an appointment with this guy, James Francis.
Chapter 43
Dalilah and I sat the law firm’s waiting room, each of us with a glass of water in our hands. I looked around. The waiting-room suite was as nice as Nottingham’s, with dark panels on the walls, plush carpeting, and modern furniture. I could see the conference room just beyond the receptionist desk, and it had floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the vast city.
I grabbed her hand anxiously, wondering why I was always kept waiting by these important people. I wasn’t looking forward to this, at all, because I knew that this attorney had obtained a copy of the file from the prosecutor, so he would be able to tell me exactly what was happening and why.
And I probably didn’t want to know the answers to these questions.
Finally, the receptionist said that “Mr. Francis will see you now,” and got up to lead us through the corridors of offices and opened the door to Mr. Francis’ enormous office. Like the rest of the suite, his office had floor-to-ceiling windows, and his back wall sported a fireplace and was wood-paneled. The office was illuminated with track lighting, and various floorlamps. James Francis sat behind a huge cherry wood desk, and, to his right, were leather couches.
He stood up and greeted us as we walked through the door. “Hello,” he said, “you must be Luke Roberts.” He extended his hand, and I shook it, and he turned his attention to Dalilah.
“Yes,” I said, “and this is Dalilah Gallagher.”
He shook her hand, and said “yes, yes. I think that I met you a few times when you lived with Nick O’Hara. Good guy.”
Dalilah nodded. “Probably. They had a lot of parties. You probably were at a few of them.”
“Yes, yes I was. Anyhow, have a seat.”
We both sat down, as did James. He took a deep breath, before launching into what he had to say. “Okay, now, Luke, I have your file. It was sent to me by the prosecutor’s
office. I’ll be honest with you. It’s not looking so good.”
My heart sunk as I heard those words. “What do you mean? I punched him twice, and he seemed absolutely fine. I don’t understand. There weren’t any injuries.”
He raised his eyebrows. “No injuries. Sorry, kid, but you must be joking. Nottingham suffered some pretty serious injuries in your altercation.”
Dalilah and I looked at one another quizzically. “I don’t understand. Please tell me what you know.”
“Well, I’ve read through the medical report. Says here that Nottingham reported to the hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion and internal bleeding. Here are the photos,” he said, passing me the pictures.
I looked at the pictures, and felt absolutely stunned. Nottingham looked like a prizefighter went ten rounds with him. His left eye was swollen shut and sported an enormous bruise. His lip was also swollen, and he had various cuts all over his face. I looked at the pictures of his abdomen, which showed a massive bruise on it.
I then read the medical report from Mt. Sinai, which stated that Nottingham was admitted to the hospital after complaining of a headache, dizziness, abdominal pain and nausea, and was diagnosed with a severe concussion and internal bleeding, after a CAT scan was taken, along with an ultrasound. He remained in the hospital for observation for 48 hours, after which he was discharged, as the internal bleeding apparently resolved on its own, as did the concussion.
I looked at James, feeling bewildered. No way was this medical report accurate. No.fucking.way. Nottingham seemed to be perfectly fine, and, in fact, I didn’t punch him in his eye. I punched him in his jaw. So, this bruising and the fact that his eye was swollen shut was proof positive that there was no way that I could have done this to him.
I tried to make a joke of it. “Oh, come on. I know that I can pack a punch, but there’s no way I did all of this to him.”
