Page 4 of Letting Go
Did I hear him correctly … a crime scene at the Plaza Hotel? Maybe he was walking by and not inside the hotel when he was shot, but that doesn’t clarify why he wasn’t at the hospital as he claimed or what he was actually doing this morning.
Trent wouldn’t have been at a hotel without me knowing why, especially if he told me he was operating. I try to recall our last conversation, but everything is hazy and I can’t quite make sense of it all. But I know he didn’t mention anything about the Plaza, or anyone coming into town, or really anything other than Eloise’s birthday plans.
No, this doesn’t make sense. I’m still trying to make sense of what Dan said as Trent’s phone continues to light up in the plastic bag, a stark contrast to the dimmed somber lighting in the hospital room.
Without thinking, I reach in and grab it before it rings on silent again. The screen displays:Incoming call: Bianca Bishop.
She’s an old friend of Trent’s from medical school and in the extensive hierarchy of people I need to speak to today, but she is not a priority right now. I send the call to voicemail and unlock his phone with his passcode. Trent has eighteen missed calls and twenty-five new text messages. Before I lock the screen and put away his phone, a new text arrives from none other than Bianca Bishop.
Bianca
T, please call me back. I didn’t mean it. We can figure this out. Messy, but worth it, right? I’m in our room, waiting for you to come back.
My mind tries to comprehend this text, on top of everything else. But this doesn’t make sense. What room would Trent have with Bianca? She couldn’t be referring to a hotel room, like the ones at the Plaza Hotel, right? Unless … my stomach drops before I even finish the thought and now I really am going to be sick. Before I can grab a trash can, another text comes through.
Bianca
I’ll call David today. I don’t need to wait. I’m so sick of waiting for you and for us! I’ll even go with you to tell Vivian. We can do it together. You and me, babe. Just come back. I love you. XX -B
She loves him?
My husband, whose body lies cold and lifeless in front of me, was at a hotel with another woman. The man I promised forever to was cheating on me. Trent was not only cheating on me, but on our family, on our lives together, and on our future. While I was taking care of our daughter, grieving our baby boy, and fighting for our marriage, he was in a hotel room with Bianca Fucking Bishop!
He lied to me.
He betrayed me.
He betrayed us. Those few text messages obliterate the illusion of what I thought my life was in so many ways, and my husband can’t even explain or defend himself.
The hospital room starts to sway as I turn and rush toward the garbage can before emptying my stomach as Dan holds my hair back. I finish puking only for my numb body to collapse onto the floor, sobbing.
Strong arms that remind me of home suddenly wrap around me, pick me up off the floor, and hold me tight. “We’re here, sweetheart. Savannah and I are here.” My big brother Jack holds me close while Savannah wraps her arms around me and hugs my back. I can barely hear anything over my sobbing other than my brother gently say, “We’ve got you, Vivi, it’s okay, it’s all going to be okay.”
As thankful as I am to have them here and holding me, I know they are lying to me right now. Things are never, ever going to be okay again.
Chapter two
Savannah
Stepping into the private family lounge, I take a deep breath and smooth the front of my dress as the door clicks shut and the quiet welcomes me for the first time in the last two hours. I’m grateful for the tranquil space where I can take a breath away from the crowds. There are so many people here that even I’m overwhelmed, and honestly, I’m surprised by the size of the crowd for the rat bastard.
The funeral director told my sister to expect a full house at both today’s visitation and the service tomorrow. Trent may not have had any family other than his in-laws, but apparently he had quite the network of colleagues, friends, and patients. I still can’t believe the man I thought was so perfect for my baby sister was a lying, cheating cad. He had us all fooled, especially my sweet Vivi. I wish Mama was here. She would know what to say to make things better or give us some idea of what we’re all supposed to do to help Vivian and Eloise.
If it weren’t for my sister and precious niece, I would not waste a minute paying respects to that man after everything that has happened over the last two weeks. There’s a lot of grief with his passing, but on top of that, I’m dealing with a churning rage that feels foreign to me. I am livid at Trent, but since I can’t chew him out as he inconveniently got himself shot, I’ll focus on whatever I can do to help my sister navigate this mess. It’s hard enough witnessing my sister try to process and grieve the loss of her husband, along with everything that was revealed when he was killed, I’m also grievingthe man I thought was a wonderful husband to my little sister. Even if we weren’t close friends, I knew Trent for over fourteen years and I respected him as a man, husband, father, and doctor. Growing up with four brothers, I tried to build a friendship with Trent over the years, but he never really reciprocated my efforts. He never joined in our siblings’ shenanigans of giving each other shit, pranking each other, or even taking part in game nights as a family, but I thought my brother-in-law loved my sister so well. I thought he was a great daddy to Eloise. I thought they were safe with him.
I thought wrong.
I tug my dress a bit more. I swear this fit better the last time I wore it, and my ill-fitting dress is adding to my annoyance of the day. Walking back into the lobby, I notice the receiving line still appears to continue indefinitely. Toward the back of the room, Vivian’s childhood best friends are in the sitting area. I’m not surprised to see them, but I’m very thankful they came to support our girl. Mary Kate, or MK, as everyone calls her, gives me a small wave as she visits with Lauren, Willa, and Brittany.
Our oldest brother, Jack, makes eye contact with me and heads my way. Even in my tall heels, I still need to look up to meet his gaze. “Sav, can you go stand with Viv for a while? This is getting to be too much, I think. I can’t believe how many people are here.”
“Yeah, of course, but have you seen Shane? I can’t find him; I thought he was with our girls, but they’re in the lounge without him.”
“I last saw him stepping out front on his phone when Liam was taking Eloise outside for some fresh air and to burn off some energy, but I’ll keep my eye out.” Annoyed my husband thought some phone call was more important than being present with our family, I nod in acknowledgement and maneuver through the crowds to make my way to my sister.
My little sister is one of my favorite people in the entire world. I remember when Mama placed her in my arms for the first time and it was love at first sight. I was a few months shy of five years old and my parents gave me a real-life baby doll to love and snuggle. Vivian Grace may have initially been my personal baby doll, but we also have a genuine friendship, and I’m worried about my best friend.
Vivian has barely slept over the last two weeks, and I’m not sure if she slept at all in the last twenty-four hours. She is still beautiful with the same long blonde hair we both share just like Mama. Vivian is voluptuous in all the right places, whereas I inherited the generous Callahan curves, as I lovingly refer to them. My body is even more, shall we say, curvaceous after three babies, but Mama taught us to walk with our heads held high, no matter what we are wearing or what we are doing.
