Page 103 of Take Two

“Hey,” she says after the second ring. I take a deep breath and count to three before I talk. I don’t want to alert my mother to anything. “How was your trip?” She tries to sound upbeat, but I sense some tension in her voice.

“Is Terri there?” I ask, ignoring her question. “That’s why I’m calling. I haven’t been able to reach her since yesterday.” And I’m looking for her to give her the beatdown of a lifetime, I think to myself. That bitch has earned it because she’s gone too far.

“She lost her phone. She’s in her room now passed out drunk. I couldn’t wake her if I tried,” Mom says. “She’s been so depressed about everything. I’m really worried about her.”

The distress in her voice forces me to stop my tirade. Terri drinking to forget her problems is one thing, but drinking until she passes out is another.

“How long ago did she lose her phone?”

“I’m not sure. She’s lost it a few times recently.” Then she takes a deep breath and says, “I need to talk to you about something. Can you come over? I really need to see you.”

I don’t remember the last time my mom said she needed me, and I’m sure part of the reason is that I made myself unapproachable to her for so long. I’d avoid her so I could avoid Wade, but I don’t bother to ask about him now. This is bigger than my dislike for her husband.

“I’ll be right there,” I tell her. Just as I hang up, I get an alert of another call, and it’s Charlie.

“Darlin,” he says. “I’m sorry. I was in the kitchen talkin’ to the chef and missed your call. I was right. It wasn’t Terri. It was Spence who paid Holly.”

I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. Not only that, but I’m confused as to why Spence would do this. Sure, we never got along, but I have nothing to do with his marriage ending. I haven’t had a relationship with Terri for six years because of him, so why is he the one holding a grudge against me?

“I don’t understand why he would do this.” I say, suddenly feeling deflated and alone. “We don’t like each other, but I’ve never tried to hurt him. I’ve stayed out of his life.”

“I don’t know, but you should stay away from him. At least until I get there. You should tell Terri and your mom too.”

Charlie’s unhappy when I tell him I’m on my way to my old house since my mom is worried about Terri. I am now too, especially since it looks like she’s using alcohol as a coping mechanism.

“Don’t go yet,” he says. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll call you right back.” We end the call, and while I wait for him to get back to me, I change into a comfortable pair of jeans and tee.

It doesn’t take Charlie more than ten minutes to call me back.

“Hey,” I say as I grab my purse and keys.

“Okay, so Colt is sending you a car. The driver is also a member of Vickie’s personal security. He’s yours until I can get there.”

I pause at the door as I absorb his words. “Um,” I say, totally taken off guard. “Tell him thank you but that’s not necessary. I can take Arnold with me.”

“Itisnecessary and forget Arnold. Please do it for me. Promise me,” he says. He gives me his name and the details of the car to look out for. Of course, I promise him I’ll go with Brett. He arrives minutes after I step outside. Charlie stays on the phone with me the entire ride to my mom’s house, and forthe entire ride, he’s angry at himself for not being here with me to protect me from whatever’s happening.

It’s not until I get there, and Brett assures him that it’s safe that he lets me get off the phone. Mom’s pacing around the house, still in her house dress, which is completely unlike her. Her hair’s a mess, and it’s obvious she’s been crying.

“Should we wake her up?” I ask. “What happened?”

“She’s drinking to forget her problems,” Mom says while her own eyes fill with tears. “I don’t know what to do, and I don’t understand why this family is falling apart. She went to meet him the other day to talk about the divorce. She thought he had finally accepted it, but he made a huge scene instead. He called her all kinds of ugly names. He said horrible things about you too.” She swipes a tear away.

“Mom, I don’t care what he says about me,” I remind her. “But I honestly don’t understand what I have to do with their divorce.”

“I know, but it’s not right. You’re my child, and you don’t deserve that. You’re a good person, Violet.” She takes my hands in hers. “I have something else to tell you, and I hope you don’t get angry at me.”

She gestures to the kitchen table, and I take a seat. She sits across from me and takes a deep breath. “Did anything happen between you and Charlie recently? Have there been any issues?”

I can tell she’s holding her breath while she waits for me to answer. My eyes narrow as I look into her face, but she won’t make eye contact with me.

“A little bit,” I say slowly.

“Tell me,” she practically begs. So, I do. I tell her about the events that took place between Holly, Charlie, and the paternity test.

When I’m done, she breaks down in tears. I reach over and rub her back to soothe her.

“Mom, calm down,” I say, worried that her blood pressure will spike. She looks up and takes both my hands in hers.

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