by Terri Marie
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Tyler couldn’t sleep. He tried not to move around too much, for fear of waking Renee, but lying still wasn’t working out so well. He looked over at the sweet woman lying next to him; the blankets were pulled up to her chin, and her calm, steady breathing made her look so serene. That’ll change, thought Tyler. In six hours, you’ll no longer be at peace, you’ll stop sleeping and eating adequately, and your world will begin to fall apart, just as mine has been for the past few days.
Making as little racket as possible, Tyler got out of the bed, put his robe on, and walked out into the hallway. He went directly to Brian’s room and cracked open the bedroom door. The kid was snoring a little, his body was sprawled out, and a science magazine was splayed open on the floor, as if he’d dropped it when he fell asleep. Jacob had bought the subscription for him, and it was the only magazine that Brian read, cover to cover.
Heading downstairs, Tyler sat in the moonlight, coming through the large window in the living room. He could see part of the backyard, where he and Brian would toss a ball around. In reality, Tyler knew that the boy would feel safe, be loved, sleep in a warm bed, and eat healthy food…for just one more day. Come Monday, the floor could be yanked out from underneath all of them.
As the sun began to rise, he stepped outside onto the porch and called Vincent. He didn’t really need anything, but calling his brother gave him something to do, when he felt like he couldn’t do anything at all.
“Ty, I wanted to talk to you. I didn’t dare call and risk waking up Renee and Brian though.” Tyler knew his brother hadn’t slept much. His voice wasn’t even slightly groggy.
“Are you still coming over at nine?” Tyler looked at his watch. Three more hours and the fuse to possible doom would be lit.
“Yeah, I’ll be there. Do you mind if I bring Carrie? She can give us a cop’s prospective of the situation. At this point, anything will help. If you’d rather it just be the four of us, I won’t bring her.” Tyler could hear him shuffling papers. He wondered if Vincent had worked all night.
“Carrie’s good people, and I know she’d do anything to help us out. Besides, she’ll be a loving friend to Renee during this and, believe me, she’s going to need one. I wasn’t kidding, Vin, when I told you Renee will come completely unglued when we tell her. Just be ready for that. I think Brian will probably remain calm, but the serenity in this house is going to stop right there. The first sign that she’s having pain in her stomach, or that she’s starting to mentally break down like she did in the courthouse, the meeting will end, immediately.” Tyler turned around to make sure the lights were still off in the house.
“I know, Ty. I can’t control how Renee’s going to react to this information, but I can present it without sounding like the sky is falling on us.” Vincent covered the phone and asked for some coffee. Elissa or Carrie must have gotten up.
“Tell me the sky isn’t falling, Vin.” He could feel his eyes starting to burn.
“I can’t do that, Brother, and it’s killing me.” Tyler listened to a long pause. “I’ll see you at nine.” When Vincent hung up the phone, Tyler felt every muscle in his body tighten, as he turned to go back inside the house.
“Tyler?” Renee’s voice startled him. She turned the kitchen light on and looked at him with concern. “You didn’t sleep at all, did you?”
“Are you hungry? I thought I’d sneak down here and whip up some breakfast for everyone.” He hoped the mention of food would distract her.
“At four this morning, you weren’t in the bed. No one gets up that early to make Sunday breakfast.” She eyed him suspiciously, and Tyler knew he wouldn’t be able to get out of explaining the situation.
“I dozed off down here on the sofa. I’m sorry I didn’t make it back upstairs. So how does breakfast sound? I’m starving and I feel like being the chef today!” Tyler hoped his big smile would mask the darkness he felt.
“I’ll put some coffee on, and then I’ll help you cook.” Renee walked over to the cupboard, which was a really good sign. If she was still concerned, she’d have stayed right where she was, and grilled him.
“You can make the coffee, but this chef is going to insist that you go put your feet up and relax. I’m cooking and doing the cleanup. See? I’m not just another pretty face in the crowd. I’m useful too.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck.
“Well, you are one heck of an amazing man, Mr. Montclair.” Renee sat down at the kitchen table and watched him as he piled lots of ingredients on the counter. “Tyler, what all are you making? You’re not feeding an army.” Renee chuckled at him. He treasured her laughter, for he knew it would be gone in two hours.
“I’m starving. In case you’re not aware of the rule about interrupting a chef, I can remind you.” He continued to pull items out. “We’re having pancakes, eggs, French toast, ham, bacon—” Renee stood up and held up a hand to stop him.
“No. We’re not going to have all of that for breakfast, Tyler. It’ll just go to waste!” she protested and began putting items away.
“Honey, you do so much for me. I just want to make a spectacular breakfast for my family.” Tyler certainly couldn’t tell her that it could possibly be the last breakfast they’d ever have with Brian. He couldn’t hide the sadness he was feeling.
“If it means that much to you, then cook away, Babes.” Renee hugged him closely. He patted her butt as she headed towards the living room, causing her to walk away with a playful grin.
Tyler was turning the bacon over in the pan, when Brian came downstairs rubbing his stomach.
“Bacon! Yes!” He hurried into kitchen. “…And ham, pancakes, eggs,” Brian looked over the spread on the counter. “So you decided to make a feast?” he laughed.
“What can I say? I was hungry.” Tyler held out the plate of bacon so Brian could take a piece. “These should be cool enough.” Tyler poked at the remaining bacon in the frying pan.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining, because I always wake up starving!” exclaimed Brian. He went to the cupboard and grabbed some plates to set the table.
Tyler didn’t know that seeing the kid this morning would set off so many emotions, that threatened to make him crumble. What if he had to give him up tomorrow? When Brian said he was starving, Tyler knew that he’d spent most of his life being starved.
He didn’t realize how much food he’d cooked until he sat it all on the table. While Renee and Brian happily filled their stomachs, Tyler found himself having difficulty eating. Nothing tasted good, and his throat felt as dry as sandpaper. But he continued to empty his plate. He certainly didn’t need to raise their suspicions at this hour. Vincent was probably at home getting dressed and gathering his papers for their meeting. Tyler was sure that his brother was struggling, just as much as he was.
Brian insisted on helping out with the dishes, and Tyler wasn’t going to complain. He must have used every pan they had. No matter how much laughing and joking was going on, Brian could tell something was up. He kept staring at Tyler out of the corners of his eyes, and then he’d glance into the living room at Renee. He wasn’t only book smart, but he was a scholar in street survival. The ability to read people could mean life or death out there.
By the time they were finished in the kitchen, it was ten minutes to nine. Renee and Brian were still in their pj’s, and Tyler knew there’d be no way to ask them to get dressed without giving them an explanation of what was coming. He’d thrown on jeans and a t-shirt, but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Ordinary. Nothing’s ever going to be that way again.
At nine o’clock sharp, there was a knock at the door. He tried to get to it before Renee did, but what she lacked in height, she made up for in speed. Looking through the glass, Renee smiled as she opened the door excitedly and greeted Carrie and Vincent.
“Good morning!” bellowed Vincent.
“What a great surprise!” Renee motioned Brian over for hugs and hellos, then they each t
ook a seat at the kitchen table. Tyler remained standing.
“We thought it’d be a great day to get together.” Vincent smiled, and Tyler glared at him. He knew his brother had blown it the second he’d stepped foot inside this house.
“So you always haul your briefcase around when you visit family?” Renee’s initial excitement had left her immediately. Her eyes could have burned holes through the man. “Someone better start talking.” She pushed her chair back and folded her arms in front of her.
“Seeing the three of you is always great, but you’re right. I’m here to go over a few things.” Tyler could tell that Vincent was looking for a shovel to dig himself out of the hole he’d just fallen into. Bringing the briefcase inside right away, was definitely a bad idea.
Tyler started talking as soon as he saw Vincent faltering. “As you all know, I like to make rules when it comes to family meetings. So here it goes: No one leaves this table. No one leaves the house, unless we all agree to it. We have to keep our emotions in check, and most importantly, we work out a solution as a family.” Tyler expected some agreement to his rules, but instead, Carrie and Vincent stared down at the table, while Brian and Renee stared at him as if he had three heads.
“Where’s Robert?” Renee asked through clenched teeth.
“Honey, this has nothing to do with Robert.” Tyler took a deep breath. The time had come for the sky to fall.
“Obviously you know something very important, which concerns your son and I, but you’ve kept it to yourself.” Renee leaned forward in her chair, as she practically spat venom at Tyler.
“Yes, but I did it for a good reason. This meeting has to do with Brian’s case against his parents, not Robert. Today was the only time that we could all get together, without interrupting Brian’s school. I know I could have said something about this sooner, but all it would have done was upset you, Renee. Please understand my logic.” Tyler sat down beside her and held her hand.
Brian’s eyes shifted from Tyler to Vincent. “What about it?”
Vincent cleared his throat, reached down and picked up his briefcase, and opened it on the table. “Brian, is there anything more you can come up with, which could prove the abuse your parents put you through?”
“You don’t believe me?!” Brian stood up.
“Son,” began Tyler as he put a hand on Brian’s shoulder. “Of course we believe you. Don’t ever think that you have to prove anything to us.”
“Hank and Shirley Waters may not have had the money to post their bonds, but in the time since you ran away, they’ve kept themselves busy. There’s no evidence of abuse under their roof.” Vincent had an angry look on his face as he pulled out the documents from his briefcase. “They even have records which show that you were homeschooled.”
“Oh. My. God.” Brian threw his head down on his arms. “You really think they were giving me an education?” He laughed, but his eyes were beginning to water. “Did they even bother to check in the basement? There’s evidence all throughout that house!” Now his tears were streaming.
“The investigators found nothing, Brian.” Vincent looked into Brian’s eyes, reached forward and squeezed his hand. “It doesn’t mean anything you’ve said isn’t true. We all believe you. But it’s not us who you have to convince. It’s the judge. As it stands right now, your mother will be released from jail tomorrow, and your father will be out in a few months, if there’s no more evidence.”
Renee took some deep breaths, letting them out slowly. “When do we go to court, Vinnie?”
“Tomorrow morning at eleven. Brian, the cops have your’s and Tyler’s statements from when your parents pulled their stunt at the hospital. Unfortunately, the prosecutor doesn’t think it’s going to be enough. I know this is difficult for you, but is there anything else you can add to the things you’ve already told the police about your past?”
“Yeah, there’s a lot that I’ve never told anyone.” Brian’s cheeks reddened when Tyler put his arm around him. “I really hate talking about it…like you don’t even know.”
“Is this going to be necessary? For him to relive his entire childhood trauma?!” Renee started to stand up, but Tyler quickly put his arm around her to keep her sitting. She took another deep breath.
“Renee, if the judge doesn’t believe there has been any crime committed, it’s highly probable that Brian will have to be sent home with his mother, tomorrow.” Vincent’s hands were beginning to tremble. Tyler now knew, just how frightened his brother was.
Carrie wiped at her eyes and looked at Renee. “I’m here for you, Sweetie. We’ll get through this.”
“Thank you two for coming by,” smiled Renee. “I know it wasn’t easy to bring us this information. I’ll be okay though. We all will, because Brian will go back to those sickos over my dead body.” She calmly left the kitchen and slowly walked up the stairs.
Carrie and Vincent stepped outside to go to their car and Tyler caught up with them. The fear he was feeling was overwhelming him. “Vin, what Renee said in there, before she left the kitchen…She meant it.”
“Yeah I know she did, and it’s scaring the hell out of me.”
Chapter 18
Between four and five in the morning, Vincent had fallen asleep at the kitchen table, while pouring over every piece of paperwork he could get his hands on. He startled awake at six, and turned on the shower to get ready. But all he could do was stand there, staring at himself in the mirror. He had two more hours to wait, before he could reach Anthony Chase, the prosecutor on Brian’s case. Until then, his hands were tied, making him feel even more helpless. A loving family, deserving of all the great things life had to offer, was going to be torn to shreds today, and there was nothing he could do about it. A tear slid down his cheek, and as he wiped it away, another one dripped down, then another. Before he knew it, Vincent was sobbing into a towel. He dropped to his knees on the bathroom floor and curled up in a ball. The sobbing had become uncontrollable. He could just picture Tyler and Renee, being held back by bailiffs, while Shirley Waters walked Brian to his death.
He had no idea when Carrie came into the bathroom, or how long she’d watched him lose all composure, but there she was. She lowered herself down to the floor and wrapped her arms around him, slowly rocking him. She rose from the floor and walked away for a moment. When she returned, she held Vincent’s hands and helped him to stand up. Carrie brought his head down to her shoulder and held him while the sobbing continued. She put her arm around his waist and walked him over to the bathtub. She leaned down and turned the water off, but Vincent hadn’t even noticed that she’d shut the shower off and filled the tub.
She slid his t-shirt over his head, and lowered his jeans and boxers. She took off her pj’s, and stepped into the warm water. After she was seated in the back of the tub, he slowly got in and sat in front of her. It felt good when he leaned back, like he was being caught by a safety net. She soaped up a washcloth and gently slid it over his skin, while he closed his eyes and tried to shut off his mind. While the warm water rolled down his arms and chest, Carrie could have easily tried to strike up a conversation, but she didn’t.
The bathroom remained calm and silent, aside from the slow trickling of water. Vincent didn’t know what time it was, or even what was happening outside the door, but somehow, he knew that she was handling it all. Carrie seemed to be lifting every concern, every worry, far away from his mind, until he couldn’t see them anymore.
The bath water started to cool, so Carrie stood and led Vincent to do the same. She dried him off, then herself, before cracking the door open to look down the hallway and make sure it was clear. She pulled him by the hand to his bedroom, where she wrapped the comforter around his shoulders. He began to warm, but Carrie hadn’t. Her flesh was full of goose bumps, and she’d begun to shiver. Despite her apparent discomfort, not one complaint came from her mouth. After she’d gotten him warm, she grabbed a rumpled t-shirt from a chair, and slid it over her head. Vincent opened up th
e comforter, which was now heated by his body, and pulled her against him. He enveloped her in the warmth, as they held onto one another.
Vincent pulled her down on the bed, where they lay facing each other. Still no words were spoken. Carrie’s breathing slowed as her body warmed against his. Vincent could have easily looked behind him at the clock on his nightstand, but he knew if he did, the overwhelming hatred, doom, and resentment, would take over again. For now, he only wanted to be in this moment.
Vincent constantly lived with the pressures of always being in control and always winning. Even if things could go wrong, he had no problem alluding to complete confidence. Ninety percent of the time, that’s how he felt. Tyler had raised him this way: “Stand behind your decisions, Vinnie, and if you’re wrong, promptly admit it and make things right.” Being an attorney made it difficult to abide by sometimes, but for the most part, his brother was right.
But this time, Vincent felt like he’d already lost the battle. He knew what the outcome would be, even though they hadn’t stepped inside the courtroom yet. There wasn’t a shadow of doubt in his mind that the judge was going to release Brian back into the care of Shirley Waters. Also, there’d be no adoption, but Vincent had been unable to raise that subject when he was facing all of them. It’d be just one more blow to the gut when that realization hit the rest of the family. Tyler already knew it though. As soon as Hank was released, if Brian was still alive, the torture would begin all over again. The kid had grown tall and strong, so he could overpower his mother, should she choose to attack him. But that insane woman would already be aware of that. She’d probably have a gun.
His mind and body began to coil again. His stomach felt as if someone had hit him with a baseball bat and sorrow was flooding every inch of the peace he’d felt just moments earlier. Carrie must have seen it happening. She put her hands on his face, forcing him to look at her. He could see her concerned eyes and furrowed brow, and he could hear her saying his name, but the bad in this moment seemed to outweigh the good; the echoes of failure in his mind, were ringing louder than her voice.
