by Morgan Henry
Chapter 2
That evening Mary was lounging on the sofa watching a trashy romance movie when there was a knock on her door.
She jumped so high she fell off the couch.
She was a bit shocked. Normally visitors had to buzz her to get access to the condo. Someone must have let them in.
She peeked through the spy hole and saw her mother.
“Hi, Mom,” Mary said as she opened the door.
LeeAnn Winsor strode into the condo, black heels clicking on the tile in the small foyer and her eyes darting around for Sammy. LeeAnn and the cat had a mutual hatred of each other.
Mary caught a glimpse of her cat heading to the bedroom. Likely he was going to hide in the darkest part of her bedroom closet until her mother was gone.
Early on in their relationship, her mother had been so incensed by the kitten’s insatiable curiosity she had dumped a glass of water on him in the kitchen. Mary had seen it from the doorway. Sammy had been sitting in front of her mother after annoying LeeAnn somehow. Mary forgot the specifics. LeeAnn had taken the glass from the counter, looked Sammy in the eye, and poured it over his head and body. Sammy had never forgiven her.
Mary hadn’t really forgiven her mother either, but she didn’t bring it up.
Ascertaining that the cat wasn’t around, LeeAnn got straight to business. “I stopped by your office today and discovered you weren’t in. They said you were taking time off.” The disapproval wafted off her mother like the smell from a dumpster as she sat on the couch. She picked up the remote and turned off the TV with a derisive sniff.
Mary, placing herself carefully on the edge of a chair, took a deep breath. “I was, am, kind of sick. I spent the night at Mount Sinai.”
LeeAnn looked her daughter up and down. “Aside from that atrocious outfit, you don’t look unwell. What is the issue?”
“An ulcer. I lost too much blood.”
LeeAnn frowned as she contemplated this, her perfect nails pattering on the couch. “I thought ulcers were caused by stress. Why would you get an ulcer?”
Mary had been reading the information the hospital had given her on ulcers. “Actually, they’re not. Most of the time they’re caused by bacteria. Sometimes they’re caused by medication.”
“So they’re infectious? What have you been doing to get infected?” Her mother leaned away from her as though Mary would contaminate her.
Leave it to her mom to assume Mary had done something wrong. Mary spent most of her life trying to do the right thing, according to her parents’ standards.
“Apparently it can be transmitted in a variety of ways. It doesn’t matter. They’re treating me for it and likely the ibuprofen I was taking played a role in it as well.”
“And why were you taking ibuprofen?” Lawyer LeeAnn smelled weakness.
Mary was suddenly sick of this conversation. It wasn’t going to end well, no matter what she said or did. She was to blame for taking the medication, that was true, but she didn’t deserve to be derided for being human and succumbing to job stress. Especially from her mother.
“The stress from work gives me headaches. I’ll have to find healthier ways to deal with it, and until I feel better, I’m taking some time off. I haven’t used vacation time in almost two years so I’ve got a lot coming to me. They can live without me for a week or two, and I can consult from here if needed. I asked Bob to leave a message for you last night, but obviously you didn’t listen to it since you didn’t call the hospital. I’m tired. Was there anything else you wanted?”
“Stop being rude.” The censure in LeeAnn voice rolled across the living area. “There is no call for that when I’ve come to visit. Your father took the message and thought he must have misheard it.”
Mary felt the flash of guilt as that censure flattened her. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be rude, but I’m not feeling great,” she pleaded, trying to placate her mother.
“Well, you look fine, and you should be able to handle a little bit of stress at work. It’s not as though you’re a partner in the firm or trying the big cases. You just look after the money. It’s an excellent career and has a great deal of promise, but if you’re getting sick every time they turn around, you’ll never advance in the firm. I’m sure you can pull yourself together and live up to expectations. A good job will support you and keep you financially sound through your life and potentially into retirement as well. You need more than the government pension to live on, Mary. Your father and I know you are capable of more than a McJob and expect you to perform as such.”
LeeAnn stood and started toward the door.
“Was that all you stopped by for?” asked Mary. Call her crazy but she thought her mother might offer some help or… something.
“I was going to ask if you knew of anyone who could give my class a basic overview of forensic accounting, but you’re clearly not able to think of anyone but yourself at this time. I’ll see myself out.”
LeeAnn closed the door with a click. She was above slamming it.
“I could have given that lecture,” Mary said to no one.
In addition to her practice, LeeAnn gave a few lectures at the University of Toronto law school. Mary thought she had aspirations to give more than a few lectures, as she seemed to angle for more and more time each year.
Mary was qualified to give a basic lecture on forensic accounting. She did enough of it for the firm. True, she wasn’t a specialist, but for a first-year class, she certainly could give them the basics. But her mother wouldn’t have seen Mary’s ability to do that. She would have wanted a big name, someone whose testimony had won some landmark case to add to LeeAnn’s own prestige.
It was all about looks, after all.
An hour later, Bob showed up.
He had a key and waltzed in to find Mary still on the sofa, engrossed in another movie and eating popcorn. Sammy quickly vacated her lap and headed out, likely to the bowels of the closet again.
“Well, you’re looking relaxed. That’s quite the outfit you’ve thrown together there.” Bob looked dismayed at her choice of loungewear. “Guess you’ll be back to work tomorrow.”
Bob set his briefcase on the dining table as he came around to brush Mary’s feet off the couch and sit down.
Bob was a lawyer at the firm where Mary worked. He was angling to become partner and wanted to follow in LeeAnn’s footsteps and teach at U of T as well. LeeAnn and Mary’s father, Howard, thoroughly and enthusiastically approved of Bob.
“No, I won’t.” Mary felt an uncharacteristic flash of resentment at Bob’s pushing her feet of her own couch. She shouldn’t feel that way. Bob was her fiancé. She was going to be with him for the rest of her life. Eventually.
“So what’s the deal? You don’t look too bad. A bit pale, but not on death’s doorstep or anything.” Bob grabbed the remote and switched off the TV.
Mary repeated the ulcer information to him.
“Well, that’s not too big a deal, is it? People get ulcers all the time. You’ll be back at work before you know it. Can’t have you slacking off. It’ll look bad.”
Bad for you or for me?
“It’s a big deal when the ER doctors are debating about whether to give you a transfusion or not. It feels like a big deal when you’re puking up clots of blood,” Mary said. Her emotions were in turmoil about the casual way her mother and Bob treated her trip to the ER. She was angry with them for not taking it seriously and hurt because it seemed as though they didn’t care. Maybe she was overreacting?
“Oh, come on. Everything will be fine. They sent you home, so you must be okay now.” He shifted on the couch and faced her a little more directly. “The Ralstead case is going really well. I think they’re going to settle.” He reached over to caress her thigh.
“Are you kidding me?” Mary didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Bob’s response to a case going well was to get horny. It was suddenly obvious that he was here not to check on her health but to get laid.
“
No,” he said seriously, “the case is going well.”
From the slightly confused look on Bob’s face, he didn’t even realize what he was doing. He was so self-centered he couldn’t see that sex was really what he’d come to her condo for. His hand wandered up her thigh, gently kneading.
“I’m tired, and I don’t think I’ll be great company. I’m supposed to go to bed early and get lots of rest.” It was pathetic that she had to spell that out for Bob.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you at work.” He still had the confused look on his face. “Maybe not tomorrow but later this week?”
“Maybe.” Mary didn’t have the strength to argue with him. Who was she kidding? She wouldn’t argue anyway.
“I’ll let you rest then, dear. You certainly wouldn’t sleep well if I were in bed with you.” Bob gave a little chuckle at his own joke and left the condo.
Mary got up and put the deadbolt on. She didn’t need any more visitors tonight.
So, neither her parents nor her fiancé had visited her in the hospital. Neither asked her if she needed anything or offered her help. Neither actually asked how she felt. They just said she looked okay. Oh, except for the clothes.
Did her life need an overhaul?
Mary thought about her life in general.
She was happy to be an accountant. She really liked the forensic work she did but working for the firm left her a little cold. She could do without supervising the entire department and the politics of the firm. She would much prefer to work with smaller businesses, maybe have her own small accounting service.
Her parents were successful people who had encouraged her to succeed as well. They were happy with her choice of profession and with her employment at the prestigious firm. They always encouraged her to do more. They would be ecstatic if she were to specialize in a narrow field and rise to the top of it. Or if she were to be a partner in her firm, though the odds of a non-lawyer being a partner were non-existent. Her mom had hinted that she should go back to school and become an accountant-lawyer. Mary had zero interest in this.
Her parents always insisted they wanted the best for, and from, their daughters. Her mom had grown up not poor but close to it. She talked about how she never wanted to worry about whether she could spend a few dollars or not again, and she certainly didn’t want her daughters to be in the same position.
Her sister, Karen, was off doing her own thing in Hardwick Bay. Karen had always been the rebel of the family and had opened her own business in the town where the family cottage was located. She rarely came to the city, and Mary didn’t speak to her often.
Mary realized how much she regretted this. Her sister was a good person and didn’t deserve her parents’ censure because she’d chosen her own path in life or because Karen’s idea of what was best didn’t agree with their parents. Similarly, Mary didn’t deserve their praise just because she did what they wanted.
She should connect with her sister more. She’d always envied Karen a little and maybe this coloured their relationship. Mary was busy being the “good girl” and working hard to please their parents while Karen was chasing her own dream regardless of the consequences. Mary wondered what choices she might have made if there hadn’t been the pressure from her parents.
Mary didn’t have a ton of friends. She had a number of acquaintances and colleagues, but that wasn’t the same. Her neighbor was a friend, and she was grateful they had exchanged keys so Sammy was fed when she was in the hospital. She was also close to her roommate from school, but that was about it in the friend department.
And there was Bob. Parent approved, well educated, ambitious, and meticulously groomed. He was a decent guy. He was very good in the social obligations that went along with their positions in the firm, especially if there was a bit of alcohol involved. He was well versed in the finer things in life and ensured whatever he purchased was the best and most fashionable.
In fact, the last time she’d wanted to buy something for the condo and Bob was with her, Mary had found a set of pillows with a bright abstract print. They were cheery and inexpensive, and Bob immediately labeled them as cheap and tacky, rolling his eyes at her bad taste. She left them in the store.
Maybe an overhaul was due.
Chapter 3
“So, you’ve made some decisions?” asked Dr. Isles. The psychologist was courtesy of her family physician’s insistence on at least short-term therapy to help with Mary’s stress reduction. Mary hadn’t argued with her doctor, though initially Mary had not been sure Dr. Isles was needed.
“Yes, I’m going to beg my sister’s forgiveness for my lack of contact with her and see if I can move in with her in Hardwick Bay. I’m taking a leave of absence from the firm. I might rent out my condo temporarily.” Mary sat on the couch in Dr. Isles’ office. She was comfortable enough now to be leaning back and have one leg curled under her.
Mary had come to realize Dr. Isles was actually a gift. Over the past few months she’d allowed, almost forced, Mary to examine her own desires and opinions when it came to running her own life.
“Is that where you want to be, or is it a convenient place?”
“It’s both, for now. I like it there, and I don’t want to live in the city anymore. That I know for sure. It will give me some breathing room, and I’d like to see if there is a place for me to make a living in Hardwick Bay. And I’m breaking it off with Bob.” This last was said hesitantly.
“You don’t sound sure about Bob.”
Mary inhaled and sat a bit straighter. “I am sure. It’s still hard to say it since it seems to go against what anyone with sense would want. Though he has many good qualities, I don’t love him. And I want my marriage to be based in love.”
Dr. Isles smiled. “That’s much better. I’m pleased to hear the confidence in your voice.”
“It’s going to be ugly.” Mary stared out the window.
“In what way?”
“My parents will have a cow. Bob might have a stroke. Or maybe he won’t care. I don’t know. Work will be easier. There’s another accountant that they hired temporarily during tax season who can step in while I’m away. This is all assuming Karen will help me.”
“Well, let’s come up with some strategies to help you with those situations.”
Mary looked up at Dr. Isles. She gave her a grateful smile. “Yes, let’s.”
Two weeks later, Mary was driving to Hardwick Bay to have breakfast with her sister, Karen.
Anxiety fluttered in her stomach like an angry hummingbird, and a tension headache lumbered behind her eyes. She had to pull over for a few minutes to practice some of the cognitive behavior exercises Dr. Isles had taught her to calm herself. She started to look forward to seeing her sister after that, and the burgeoning headache receded.
Arriving at the back door to Karen’s Kandies, her sister’s gourmet treat store, she parked her car beside her sister’s SUV.
Now that she was here, Mary was feeling quite excited. She had dressed with her sister in mind today and wore denim shorts and, in homage to her sister’s love of colour, an orange top. She had on lace-up sandals, and she’d left her hair loose.
Mary knocked on the door, and when Karen answered, she gave her sister a hug.
“Morning, sis! Love the front of the store. Can I see your apartment? Oh my God, what happened to your hand?” Mary’s voice went up in volume and pitch at this last question, and her eyes widened.
Karen’s hand was in a brace or cast or something. What had happened to her?
“Sure,” her sister answered. Mary thought it was in response to her request to see the apartment. “Um, I hurt it playing ball. It’ll be okay, though. I get a smaller splint next week, I think.”
Mary was horrified that she didn’t know her sister had been hurt. Then again, Karen didn’t know Mary had been in the hospital either.
The two women trooped upstairs to Karen’s colourful nest. Mary burst out laughing when she entered.
Karen’s apartment
was all, well, Karen. It was a riot of colour, clutter, and general hominess. From the bright blue sofa to the red-accented kitchen, it said Karen from floor to ceiling.
“This is all you, really, isn’t it? I bet the only reason the walls are beige is that the owner of the building put some sort of restriction on paint colour.” Mary turned around in the living room, her eyes eating up every pop of colour as if it was the candy downstairs.
“Something like that,” Karen murmured.
Mary headed to look at the bedroom and bath while Karen grabbed her purse.
“So, uh, what’s going on?” she asked as Mary came back to the living room.
Mary suddenly felt very self-conscious. Guilt that she was here to ask her sister for a huge favour took residence in her stomach, along with the angry hummingbird of anxiety. “I don’t know what you mean,” she lied, fiddling with her purse strap.
“Fine, let’s go,” Karen said tonelessly, her expression suddenly blank. It reminded Mary a bit of their father’s expression when it came to discussing anything in their lives, completely devoid of any feeling.
They walked in silence to The Cottage, the local diner in town. It was open but not particularly busy, which surprised Mary a little because the food was great.
“Hi, Karen,” greeted Gina, one of the owners, warmly. “This must be your sister. She looks so much like you!”
Normally Mary would say people didn’t see the resemblance between the two of them. They did have similar faces, but usually Mary was wearing far more conservative clothing and had her hair tightly up. Most of the time people didn’t look past the clothes.
“Yeah, Gina, this is my sister, Mary.”
“Hi, Gina!” Mary tried to sound warm and carefree as she waltzed over to a table for two tucked in a corner.
Gina dropped by with menus and coffee. They were both quiet as they looked through the menu. Mary was getting pancakes. She was hungry and going to order what she wanted, not what was Bob or parental approved.
As they waited for their food, Mary tried to figure out how to talk to Karen. She was nervous, and that made her default to sitting up straight with perfect posture. But she didn’t want to be nervous with her own sister. Mary tried to relax, but she knew it didn’t look right.
