by Kathi Barton
“I’ll have to get with him and get some of the pictures too. Are they still in those big albums?”
North explained to Amy that Aunt Holly would print every picture she took, no matter if they were from a camera or her phone, and put them into an album. Watts laughed as he continued the story.
“Each year, there would be a new album. She even had us write something about the pictures we were in. At first, I thought of it as dumb. But later on, when we’d be looking over the older pictures, I could see my comments and wonder why I was such a teenager. Aunt Holly never told us what to say. I think I’ll do something like that for my own kids. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a yearly album still?” Amy said they had two photographers in the family, they’d better bet there would be pictures. “We should have some taken of all of us. I mean, with our dads. What do you think? Each year we get together at the mansion, take the picture in the same spot, and make that the first picture in the books.”
“I love that idea.” He did too. North said he’d have to talk with Mars. Amy said she’d do it. She needed to speak to him about a couple of things anyway, regarding an upcoming wedding. “You getting married again? I think it’s a little soon for us to be thinking of renewing our vows, don’t you?”
“It is. But have you seen the garden in the back of the house?” North said he’d grown up there. “Yes, well, Abby hired some firm to come in and make it fresh. And holy smokes, it’s really beautiful now. I wanted to find out if I could take a few engagement photos there sometimes. Not all of them. Also, a few wedding shots. The way they have it situated back there now, you can barely see the house for all the flowers.”
“I’ll have to check it out.”
Dad came over about the time he got the wheelchair loaded up in the truck. North was glad now that he’d gotten a larger bed on his truck. It was making things like this possible. Amy hugged his dad, and they both helped her into the back seat where she could stretch out.
“I think I might need to think about getting us a car too. Perhaps for Amy to get around in.”
“I just heard from Mars while I was at the house. He wanted to know if I wanted any of the cars in the garage. To be honest with you, I had completely forgotten there were old cars stored in that thing. After we get back, you should go and look them over. I believe Mars has decided to see if Amy or Abby would like to use them for wedding pictures.”
He told his dad what they’d been talking about. “I wonder if they’ll go into business together. I mean, they’re in different fields of the same thing, but it might do them some good to start their own studio around here. Sure would keep them home more.” Dad laughed with him. “I’ll talk to them all when we have the dinner you want to have.”
The three of them enjoyed the drive to the furniture store. Even more so when it seemed his dad had way different tastes than they did. North did ask him if he’d been out and about lately, and he told him he’d not been to a furniture store in over thirty years.
“Sorry, buster, but it shows.” Dad laughed with Amy. “You need to get out more. I know you’re doing better, but you still are behind in the times. Speaking of which, you need to upgrade your wardrobe. It’s all right to wear sandals, but when you wear dress socks with them, you start to age yourself. And it’s completely acceptable to not have three million pockets in your shorts.”
“I have a lot of stuff to carry around.” She asked him what. “Tissues, my wallet. I also need my sunglasses. Then there is—” Amy put up her hand. “What if I just got me one of those man purses? How would that work?”
“You do that, and I’ll have you committed. Christ man. Did you ever pick out something you wanted to wear? Something comfy? Do you even own a pair of gym shorts?” Dad asked Amy what those were. North had a feeling his father really didn’t have a clue what she was referring to. “You own any jeans? Anything that you could consider sloppy?”
“No. I mean, I have been wearing a tie since I was old enough to tie one.” She asked him if he wore a tie at home. “Sure. I mean, what if someone showed up and I had to talk to them?”
“Then you say, ‘I’m fucking taking some time off, and if you don’t care for my mode of dress, then fuck off.’” Dad said he could never say that. “I think you just need to forget what other people think about what you’re wearing and start dressing in comfort. You don’t have a job that you have to dress up for. There aren’t that many meetings you have to attend where you need to have a suit on to make sure you’re ready to go. When we’ve picked out enough furniture for the house, we’re taking you shopping for something fun. You do remember what fun is, don’t you?”
“I’ll have to try and remember, but yes, I’ve been known to have some fun in my day.” She asked him if he dressed in a suit when he did. “You know, it is quite possible to have fun while wearing a suit, young lady.”
“No, it’s not. It’s completely not possible to wear any kind of matching clothing and have fun. At least real fun. Fun to most people isn’t sitting around the house and reading about who you can throw out of the orphanages today.” Dad told her she was a little harsh. “No. I’m not. You, my dear father-in-law, have been stifled way too long. You need to let out the inner bad boy in you. I bet you could be the life of the party if you were to let your hair hang down.”
“North, I think your wife is trying to change me.” North told his dad he did need to be updated. “You two are making me sound like an old computer. Update indeed.”
When he walked away, North looked at Amy when she said his name. “We have enough for now. Go and take your dad shopping. Please? He really does need something fun if he’s going to talk to the others’ wives. He needs to show them he’s got his shit together, and they can suck a big dick if they have shit to say about it.” North cocked his brow at her. “I’ve been hanging out with Abby. But I do have a reason for being this way about your dad. Did you hear that the women are trying to find a hitman to take out Mars again? Abby said the police called the house yesterday and told Mars about it. He’s pretty upset, but didn’t want you guys to know.”
“Why not?” Amy told him she wasn’t sure, but it had to be out there. “I agree with you. Mars isn’t alone in this anymore. Not that he ever was, but we’re all here for him, including his uncles. You’re right about them. They can suck a big dick if they want things to go their way.”
“That’s my man.” She asked him if he thought she’d upset his dad. North told her he didn’t think so. “I love him too. I hope he knows I just want him to feel like he’s cutting away from the old him.”
“I’ll talk to him. I promise he’ll find something new to wear. It’s doubtful my mom would have allowed him to have worn anything but suits all the time.” Amy told him how much she loved him. “And I love you. You and Abby have been great for this family. I can only imagine what the next woman will bring to the table.”
They were both still laughing when they caught up with his dad. Dad had been a little upset, but he told Amy he was sorry. Also that she was right. After that, Dad kept an open mind and an open mouth. He was very vocal to them about what he wanted in new duds, he called them, for himself.
~*~
Amy found herself at the prison the next afternoon. Tonight she was going to sit back and watch six grown men make dinner. She didn’t have any doubt they could do it, but she was really concerned for the mess they might make while doing it. Her dad was also going to enjoy the fun. She and Abby were in charge of desserts. But a call from the prison regarding her mother had her hitching a ride from Abby to see what her mother could possibly want.
“I’m going to have a little talk with Tina and Penny. By the way, you have to call them that if you want to piss them off. What do you call your mom to make her mad?” Amy said, Mom. “Are you kidding? She doesn’t want you to call her Mom? That’s really tough on you, I bet.”
“Not so much anymore.
When I was younger, it was, but now, I just don’t care. I think that’s what really bothered them too, my mom and sister. It’s that I literally do not give a crap what they think about me.” But she knew it had hurt her. Abby had been a good person to cry to when she got off the phone with her mom. “What are you going to say to them? Any notes?”
“I’m going to tell them to stop fucking calling the house and upsetting my husband for starters. How they got the new number is beyond me. I’m going to have to do some house cleaning of staff if they get this one.” Amy told her she’d have fired them all anyway. “I think it’s going to come to that. Some of them are very loyal to the other women. But a lot of them are coming around. I’ve told Mars that we could maybe change their minds, but I’m not having the best of luck.”
They were sitting at one of the tables, waiting on her mom to show up, when Abby got a phone call. As she walked away, Amy’s mom was seated across from her and chained to the floor. Amy didn’t say a word to her until the officer walked away.
“Why the hell am I still here? Does anyone out there care that I don’t belong in here?” Amy told her she doubted that anyone had missed her. “You’re a crude bitch. I know better. Why, I’ve gotten at least three calls a day since I’ve been in here from my friends. That’s all I’m allowed, or there would be more, and you know it.”
“What I know is that you’ve not gotten a single call in here since you’ve arrived and that not one of your so-called friends is the least bit surprised to find out that you’re on that side of the bars. What is it you want that has me dragged down here when I have better things to do? Like I have a dentist appointment later today that I’m looking forward to more than I am talking to you right now.” Mom told her to shut up. “Gladly. Does that mean you won’t be calling me anymore? Or having the police call me? I really am sick of hearing about how you were wrongly accused of what has you in here.” She said she needed to get home. “To what? There is nothing left there for you. As you’ve been told, the house is being stripped down to the walls, and Dad is making it more like he wants it. You have nothing in the house that didn’t come from Dad, so you’re not going to even get anything like some dirty underwear you might have left behind. That wasn’t a joke, by the way. They did find some of your nasty thongs in your bathroom when it was cleaned out.”
“You tell him I want everything put back where it was. He’s not to touch my things.” Amy asked her if she thought he’d turn into something by touching her things. “What do you mean, turn into something?”
“I don’t know, Mother. Do you expect that unlike everyone else in this world, your nasty shit should be put on display so all those who come after you can be impressed? No one would be just so you know. I’m certainly not. Besides, Dad isn’t touching anything. He’s having a group of people in hazmat suits cleaning your rooms.” Amy laughed at the expression on her mother’s face. “Also, you should be aware that Phoenix’s things have been removed. Going into her rooms now is like she’s never been there. There were some laughs because of the posters she still had on the walls. I think some of the bands she had hanging there have been broken up longer than I’ve been alive.”
“I swear to you, Amy, you’re going to regret doing all this. I’m going to make you pay for every little thing that is missing.” She asked her if she had an inventory. “What are you talking about now?”
“You said you were going to make me pay for it. I wondered how you were going to accomplish that if you didn’t have an inventory of the shit that was in there. It’s doubtful you’d get very much for any of it anyway. Is this all you wanted? For me to come down here so you could complain about your things being trashed?” Mom told her she wanted out. “Well, you should put your wants in one hand and your shit in the other and see which one of them gets attention faster. You should get something through your head right now, Mother. No one cares at all what you might want. Also, you need to get your head wrapped around the fact you’re not ever getting out of here. Not upright, anyway. Neither is Phoenix. You’ve fucked up, and now you’re caught. Deal with it.”
“Who says? You? You might want to remember something, Amy. You’re nothing either without me.” Amy asked her how she’d come up with that. “I made your life what it is. You don’t want to forget that. Without your sister and I opening doors for you in this world, you’d be nothing. Less than nothing. Don’t think I’ve not heard about your little job. How much does it pay to have you go around taking pictures of kitties and pups?”
“Very well, as a matter of fact. My husband and I own a lovely home that is newly furnished. Our bank accounts are well stocked with billions of dollars of our money. You might say I’ve more money than I need.” Mother told her that she lied. “No. That would be you that is the liar. You and Phoenix both. If there is nothing else, Mother dearest, I have to go and put Phoenix in her place. Too bad it’s not in a body bag, but then I guess I can’t hope everything goes my way.”
She left her mom there, screaming at her to come back. Amy made her way down the hall, where she was told Phoenix was waiting for her. As soon as she entered the room on her crutches, Phoenix started complaining about not having enough to eat, not having her cell phone, and not having anything like the nice bed she had at home. Abby joined her in this room.
“Who the hell are you?” Abby told her who she was. “Like that means shit to me. I’m wanting to talk to my sister, not to some stranger from off the street. Is that why you’re here? You’re hoping my family will bail you out? Don’t count on it, girly. My family isn’t going to part with anything until Mom and I say so.”
“Is that what you think?” Amy felt like she was on a roll now. Not even bothering to curb her temper, she slammed her hands down on the table after storing her crutches against the wall. “Listen here, you overweight cock sucking bitch. You’re not getting out. You’re not going to be getting any special treatment. You will not be having Dad pay for an attorney. You and Mother have found your new home, so fucking get your heads out of your asses and make do with what you’ve got. I surely am going to enjoy every second you’re not around to cause trouble. Lucky for you, the judge you shot didn’t die. But she isn’t going to be able to walk ever again, nor will she be able to feed herself or anything else that she could do before you stole a gun from an officer of the law and tried to shoot me. That was who you were aiming for, wasn’t it? Your only sister?”
“Hell, yes, I was trying to put you out of my life. It would have been so much better had you not been born at all. Christ, I can’t believe Mom didn’t try and rid herself of you long before Dad found out about you.” Amy asked her if she’d done that before. “How the fuck should I know? I’m her daughter, not her priest. But you’re going to do a few things for me, and I don’t want to hear shit about how you’re not going to. I need some things brought to me so I can get by until I get out of here. You’re going to do it, or so help me, I’ll tell the world what sort of person you are.”
“What sort of person am I, Phoenix? Do you even know? Tell me, what’s my birthday? Month, day, and year? I know yours.” Phoenix said she was full of shit. After rattling off the correct date for her sister’s birthday, Phoenix asked her when she’d picked that up. “From you. Every year on your special week, you would tell me repeatedly as you knocked the shit out of me why you were able to do it. That being older than me by thirteen years gave you all sorts of rights I didn’t have. Whatever they were, I certainly hope you enjoyed them. Because as of the moment you fired that gun, all specials of any sort were taken from you.”
“So says you. Like I said, I want you to get some things for me from the house. I want you to make sure that I have my old bed back. This one here isn’t fit for anyone.” Abby got up and handed her her crutches. “Where the hell are you going? I want dates and times you’ll be here with my things, Amy. I shit you not, I’m going to have things my way, or so help me, when I do get out, you’re goi
ng to be toast.”
“I like toast. You’re not getting out, so I think I’m going to be all right without doing what you want.” She was at the door when she turned back to her sister. “The funding you were getting from Dad is officially cut off. The things you had at the house are gone. There aren’t going to be any visits from either of us. No money going to a good attorney to get you out. Frankly, Dad and I both like you right where you are. As for calling me again? Don’t. As of the moment I walk out of this door, I’m finished with you and Mom both. Good luck in whatever lives you have coming to you. No one I know deserves it more than you two.”
By the time she was in the lobby again, Amy had to sit down. Her leg was so shaky that she was sure she was going to collapse right there. Sitting down also had her crying. Saying things like that to anyone bothered her, but to have to talk to her mother and sister that way had hurt her deep in her heart and soul. Abby was there for her when she sobbed out how they’d hurt her, and how she didn’t know what else to do.
“I’d say you did just what you needed to do. I didn’t hear what you said to your mom, but the guards are talking about it all over. They said it was a come to Jesus meeting with you, and that you spared no punches in making sure she understood you were not going to take her shit. Did you?” Amy nodded at her friend. “Good for you. Now, if North can do the same to the other women in his family, we might have a good life after this. Did I tell you they’re all going to trial as one unit? I heard this from Aiden just this morning. What the hell do they think they can accomplish by having a single trial for what they all did? I’d think they’d stand a better chance of some kind of life if they were tried separately. But what do I know? I’m just a pretty picture taker. One of them actually told their guard that’s how I make a living, trying to keep Mars and I in food. Christ, I hate those women.”
“I wish I had known Holly. She seems like such an amazing person for all the crap that happened to her.” Abby told her she was. “North seems to have gotten his positive outlook on life from her. And Clayton is really coming around too. He and his brothers are dealing with a lot of shit they’re finding out their wives were up to while they were married. I’m sorry for them at times.”
