Difficult Lessons (17 page)

Sara walked over to Shelly and her mother.

“Are you okay?”

Shelly turned to look at Sara and broke down.

“Ms. Carson, I have been looking for you. I went to your house last night and you weren’t home. I finally came here this morning. I knew that the people who owned this place were your friends. I waited until they came up. I hoped they would help me find you.” 

“Why don’t you guys grab a table and talk? Kathy and I will get you something to drink.” Mel was already grabbing glasses from behind the bar. “
You guys want sodas
or something stronger?”

“Sodas will be fine.” Cynthia spoke for the group. 

Sara spoke to Shelly. “Your mom told me about last night. I want to know where you spent the night. I am sure your mom does too.”

“I just walked around mostly. I hid every time a car came near out of fear that it was Dad. I didn’t want him to find me. I am not going back to that house.”

“No you aren’t. I don’t know what we are going to do, but neither one of us is going back there with him.” Mrs. Griffin grabbed her daughter’s hand to reassure her. 

“I have an idea.” Cynthia’s voice broke the brief silence. She was smiling as if she was very pleased with herself. “I leased a house about 3 months ago. My lease is for a year. I am moving in with Sara. We can talk to my landlady and see if she will allow you to assume my lease. It’s a great house and affordable. It’s in a nice neighborhood too. I will be moving my things this week.”

“That’s a great idea.” Sara responded with excitement. “Until Cynthia gets her things moved, you two can stay with me. I have plenty of room. What do you say?”

“Do you think your landlady will go for that?” Mrs. Griffin turned to Cynthia.

“I’m pretty sure she will. Why don’t we all go back to Sara’s place and try to relax for the rest of the day? I can cook us a nice dinner. Both of you look like you could use a meal, a shower, and a good rest.”

“How can we get our things out of the house? I know that Dad is sitting there waiting on us.” 

Sara remembered the officer that had come to her house when her car was vandalized. “I think I have a solution for that one too.” 

Officer Pierce was on duty and called shortly after Sara left the message at the department for her. She graciously agreed to escort Mrs. Griffin and Shelly to gather some things from the house. 

***

“I see you decided to come home.” Griffin was sitting on the sofa when they walked in. “And you brought some back up. Don’t you trust me?”

It was obvious that he was drinking. His speech was slurred and his clothes looked as if he had slept in them. 

“No Frank. I don’t trust you anymore.” His wife spoke to him as if he was a stranger. “We just came to get our things.”

“You can’t be serious.” He was visibly stunned by her statements. “You’re leaving me?”

“Yes. I’m leaving you.” 

“Why?”

“Because of the way you have treated our daughter. I cannot and will not tolerate you berating her anymore. Last night when you slapped her and caused her to leave was the last straw. You obviously don’t want her here, so you don’t want me here either.”

“You’re right. I don’t want the little dyke bitch here. I didn’t raise her to be like that and she will not live in my house behaving like that.”

“Fine. Let us get our things out of here and you will not have to worry about us.” 

“You don’t need a damn thing out of this house. I have worked hard for everything here. I’m not going to allow you to take any of it.”

Officer Pierce stepped up. “Let’s not make this difficult, Frank.” You and I are on the same team. Don’t make me do something that’ll haunt you later on.”

“On the same team? Humph! We are not even close to the same team. You seem to be on the same team as my daughter and that dyke teacher.”

“Frank, this is not the way to handle things. Let your wife and daughter get some of their things to hold them for a while. Maybe when you sober up a bit, you guys can discuss things and work something out. Neither one of them needs to stay here right now.” Officer Pierce was calm and firm with her tone.

“There isn’t anything that we need to discuss. If she is going to side with that little freak, then they both need to go.”

“Okay. Frank. Can they get some of their things without a scene?”

“They can get all of their things.”

Officer Pierce stood with Griffin to make sure that he did not try anything while Shelly and her mother gathered some clothes and other items. Sara and Cynthia watched from the porch of the house. 

Chapter 28

Cynthia was in the kitchen making breakfast when Sara woke up. “Do you ever stop?” Sara’s voice startled her.

“I didn’t expect you up this early.” Cynthia said as she cleaned up the egg she had dropped.

“These wonderful smells made me get up. You continue to spoil me.”

“I figured everyone could use a good breakfast after yesterday. I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep so I got it started. Sit down at the table and I’ll pour you a cup of coffee.”

Shelly and her mother had not awakened yet. They had all stayed up quite late talking. Mrs. Griffin was terribly upset by all that had happened. She did not want her marriage to end, but she could not condone how her husband was treating Shelly. She was very supportive of Shelly and would do whatever she needed to make sure that she was safe and happy. She needed to talk and get it all out. Sara and Cynthia were more than willing to listen to her.

They also discussed moving them into Cynthia’s house. Cynthia was going to call her landlady and get the approval from her, but she was sure that everything would be all right for them to assume her lease. It would benefit all involved. Mrs. Griffin and Shelly would have a place to live, Cynthia would be out of her lease and not have to continue to pay the rent after she moved in with Sara, and the house would not be vacant. 

“Ms. Carson?” Shelly was standing at the door to the kitchen.

“Come on in, Shelly,” Sara said turning to see her. “Do you drink coffee or would you like some juice or hot chocolate?”

“Coffee would be good. Maybe it will wake me up.”

“Did you not sleep well?” Cynthia asked the question as she set a cup of coffee down on the table in front of Shelly.

“Not really. I was too uptight to sleep very well. Do you have some cream?”

Sara got up to get the cream out of the refrigerator. “I was hoping you and your mom could relax and get a good night’s sleep.”

“I think Mom slept pretty well. Every time I woke up, she was snoring. It is probably the best night’s sleep she has gotten since all of this mess started. I think she has had it worse through all of it than I have. I have been able to escape through school and stuff. She has had to deal with him all day every day. I know it has been hard on her. I guess her finding out that I like girls hasn’t been too easy either.”

“I thought I told you that it didn’t matter to me.” Everyone jumped as Shelly’s mother walked in and spoke. “Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning, Mrs. Griffin. Would you like a cup of coffee or juice?” Cynthia asked from the stove.

“Coffee would be good. Black coffee. And it would be even better if you two would call me Elise instead of Mrs. Griffin.”

“All right. Elise it is, and here is your black coffee.” Cynthia laughed. 

“That’s better,” Elise said sipping the coffee. “Mmmm. Coffee is wonderful.”

“Breakfast is almost ready.” Cynthia said as she scraped the scrambled eggs out of the pan and into a bowl.

“You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble. We can fend for ourselves. I was going to take Shelly out for breakfast this morning.”

“Save your breath, Elise. I have tried and tried to keep her out of the kitchen in the mornings. She gets up before me and always has breakfast almost done by the time I get up, even when I have to go to work and she doesn’t. She has me so spoiled.”

“From the way it smells, I could get spoiled easily.” Elise breathed deeply to take in the smells of bacon, eggs, grits, and toast.

Cynthia was getting plates out of the cabinet when she said, “It’s done. Come fix your plates before it gets cold,”

***

“Hello?”

“Good morning, Kim. This is Cynthia Wesley. Did I wake you?”

“No, not at all. I have been up a while. Is something wrong?”

“No. Nothing is wrong. I just need to talk with you about something. Are you free this morning?” 

“Sure. Come on over to the house. I’ll be around until about lunch time.”

“Good. I’ll be over there in about an hour, if that’s all right.”

“Great. See you then.”

The four of them got dressed and headed to Kim’s house. 

After Cynthia told Kim about the vacation and commitment ceremony that Sara had surprised her with she explained Elise and Shelly’s situation. Kim was more than willing to let Elise assume Cynthia’s lease on the house. All they would have to do is see Diane and put the paperwork in Elise’s name.

“You know, I really don’t need the furniture in the house. Elise, would you be interested in buying it? You could pay me when you get on your feet.”

“That would be so wonderful. Just give me a price on it. I certainly appreciate it. We have nothing.”

Things were working out great for everyone at this point. They stopped by Cynthia’s place for Elise to take a look at it and to get some of Cynthia’s things to take to Sara’s. Elise loved the house, and so did Shelly. 

“This afternoon I will get all of my stuff out and we can bring yours over and move you two in,” Cynthia told Elise.

“We can’t thank you two enough. Now I know why Shelly thinks so highly of you, Ms. Carson. Ms. Wesley, you are incredible too.”

“Please, call me Sara.”

“And drop the Ms. Wesley stuff. Call me Cynthia.”

“Okay,” Elise laughed. “Sara and Cynthia it is then.”

Chapter 29

Sara and Cynthia loaded the tent, sleeping bags, and other supplies in the car and were making last minute preparations for Meg in the house when the knock at the door came. Sara looked out the window, but did not recognize the car sitting in the drive. She opened the door and saw a woman standing with her back to the door.

“Can I help you?” Sara questioned.

“Ms. Carson, I had almost decided that you weren’t home. I was about to leave.”

“I’m sorry it took me a minute to answer the door. We were getting ready to go somewhere. Can I help you with something?”

“I guess you don’t recognize me out of uniform. I’m Michelle Pierce.”

“No. I didn’t recognize you. I’m sorry. What can we do for you this morning?”

“No problem. I was going to visit a friend that lives in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by and see how things were going with you guys and the Griffins. I hope you don’t mind. This is an unofficial visit.”

“We don’t mind at all. Things seem to have settled down a bit around here. Cynthia and I are doing great. Elise and Shelly have moved into a house by themselves.  We talk with them every once in a while. They both seem to be doing well. Elise has filed for a divorce. Shelly is getting ready for her senior year. All seems to be well.”

“I knew about the divorce. It is all over the department. Griffin has an issue with me since I went with you guys to get their belongings. He keeps watching me like he is waiting for me to do something wrong. He’s not taking the divorce well either. He is blaming everyone but himself for his problems. I think the chief is about ready to put him out on leave and recommend some type of counseling for him.”

“I can’t have any sympathy for him, especially not after what he has put his daughter through.” Sara replied rather coldly.

“To be honest, I can’t either. I just wanted to stop by and see how all of you were doing. I will let you guys get on your way.” Officer Pierce turned to leave.

“Officer Pierce?” Sara called after her.