The Glass Wives (23 page)

Maeve. Evie was glad to know her name. She deserved a name.

“I hope one day you’ll forgive me. Forgive me for what I did and for not telling you when I should have. Or for telling you at all. I’m not sure what’s worse.”

Neither was Evie.

Beth continued, “I would never trade a moment of our friendship for anything. Even now. I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. I’m a better person because of it. Because of you.”

Sometimes it was tiresome being the teacher. Evie just wanted to exist alongside everyone and not stand at the front of life’s classroom. Momentarily, the women’s eyes met in the mirror. Evie looked away, the barren landscape of their friendship too new. If she looked at Beth, it would be hard to be mad, easy to forget this betrayal.

“I’m so proud of you,” Beth said. “For who you are and for who I know you’re going to be. And one thing’s for sure—you will be fine. No, better than fine.
The best
.” Beth touched Evie’s shoulder and whispered into her ear with zeal, “Don’t you dare doubt that or let anyone convince you of anything else.”

Beth stepped out of the car and walked through the rain without putting up her hood.

Evie sat perfectly still and cried away an old friendship.

*   *   *

Tossing and turning when all she wanted to do was sleep, Evie kept thinking about Beth. She couldn’t erase the friendship’s facts. The winter they all went to Snowmass, Beth stayed with her on the bunny hill when Beth could have skied a Black Diamond. Cody stayed with Evie, Richard, and the twins for a week when Beth and Alan went to Bermuda for their fifteenth anniversary. Evie shared Bubbe’s cookie recipes; Beth taught Evie to tack a hem. They attempted découpage and birdhouse building and failed; they attempted a book club and Bunco and succeeded. Beth held Evie’s hand for an hour the first time Armando at Superior Salon covered her gray; and Beth reliably invited Evie for dinner every other Friday when the kids were with Richard. Beth called Evie first when Beth’s mother passed away five years before, and Evie called Beth first with the news about Richard.

While Laney was Evie’s blustery confidence, Beth was Evie’s quiet strength. Evie was
their
juste-milieu
. Or she used to be.

Evie eased her misgivings with a midnight snack even though it was only eleven. She rummaged in the back of the freezer for emergency cookies wrapped in aluminum foil. Darkness amplified Evie’s thoughts. She was living with Nicole but had written off Beth. It wasn’t logical—it was just a head-heart continuum that had yet to find its constant. So, with each frozen snap between her teeth, Evie tried keeping Beth at bay, except the only cookies left were cranberry oatmeal. Beth’s favorite.

*   *   *

With Nicole gone for therapy and errands, Tuesday afternoons had become Evie’s alone time. Today she decided to try yoga. She pulled on the organic-cotton stretch pants and special socks—at least she thought they were socks—unrolled the mat, and slid in the DVD, all sent by Lisa weeks before. “You have nothing to lose by relaxing,” she’d said. Rex agreed and nestled into a corner of the living room that had trapped an errant sunbeam.

During her first modified cobra, the phone rang. For a slow count to three she considered letting it go to voice mail, but not with the kids in school. She’d at least have to check caller ID.
Midwest Mutual.
Evie started flitting around the living room like a four-year-old on Pixy Stix. Don Baker said he’d have news the next time he called. The kids’ college funds would get their share, and then, if she landed the job at County and used a little of the insurance money, she would be able to afford soccer cleats, groceries, and the mortgage. Evie’s personal trifecta of modest suburban solvency.

“Hello?” She paused the DVD as the instructor shifted into a low warrior.

“Hi, Evie. It’s Don Baker. I hate to do this to you, but I have to fill out another report.”

Evie sat on the mat with a thud and channeled Lisa by tapping her fingers on the floor. “Are you kidding me?”

“I wish I was. I need documentation of your official capacity as defendant.”

“I’m not defending anything. I’m the mother of Richard’s children. His
ex
-wife. C’mon, Don, you have two notarized copies of the divorce decree.” She’d also sent the
get,
the Jewish divorce papers, as backup.

“I need to put you on hold.”

“I’ll be here when you get back.” That’s what Evie always said when he put her on hold. She crossed her eyes at no one. “I cannot believe this,” she said aloud. She’d sent them all this information in triplicate in January and again a few weeks ago. Evie walked to the dining room and paced.

When Don was back on the line, his voice was grainy but loud. “What I was starting to tell you was that a second claim has been made on the policy with the two minor children as beneficiaries.”

“What? Is that what this holdup is? A clerical error? There
is
no one else.” Evie’s arms and hands were cold even though she’d warmed up during yoga.

“Like I said, a second claim has been made—”

“Don, what does that mean?”

“It means that a third party is trying to be renamed as a beneficiary of that policy.”

Something tugged at Evie’s memory like a toddler who wanted attention. “You mean someone
else
wants the money Richard left my kids?”

“Precisely, Evie. I’m so sorry. It’s out of my hands. Now the case goes to interpleader.”

“To what?”

“Interpleader. The insurance funds have been handed over by Midwest Mutual to the federal courts, and a judge will rule on the outcome.”

“Are you kidding me? My kids are the beneficiaries.” Evie was shaking. This had to be a joke, a wake-up-from-a-nightmare kind of joke. When they’d headed for divorce, Evie wouldn’t sign the papers until Richard had enough life insurance to make sure the kids would be able to finish college if anything happened to him. They never thought anything would happen, but isn’t that why you buy insurance, so you don’t need it? “I don’t understand.”

“The policy is titled so that funds are to be used by you, for the benefit of your and Richard’s children in the case of his death. But now the
intent
of that policy at the time of the owner’s death—Richard’s death—has been challenged. Between you and me, you should get a lawyer. The other party has secured representation.”

“Intent? The intent was that Richard’s
children
be taken care of.”

“That’s the plaintiff’s case as well.”

“If you can’t tell me who it is, how am I supposed to fight this?”

“How many children did Dr. Glass have?”

Evie groaned. She knew the speech by heart. “Don, I had fraternal twins with Richard in 2001, at Lakewood Hospital in Lakewood, Illinois. Samuel Alexander and Sophie Elizabeth. Their social security numbers are—”

“How many children did
Dr. Glass
have, Evie? Not you. Your ex-husband.”

“Three.”
Were there more?

Then the Midwest Mutual envelope addressed to Nicole flashed into Evie’s head. Her blood turned to ice, the skin on her torso prickled, and then her limbs stung as if she’d been pelted with hailstones from inside.

“Oh my God, it’s Nicole.”

“I’m sorry, Evie … I can’t confirm.”

“You don’t have to.”

She clicked the
END
button and held the receiver to her chest, swallowed hard, speed-dialed Laney, and left a message. But when the kitchen door swung open two minutes later, there was Beth.

*   *   *

“You don’t have to forgive me, but you have to let me help you.” Beth tucked her foot against the door so Evie couldn’t slam it.

“Did you know she was doing this?” Though Evie’s gut told her no, she wasn’t so keen on her gut lately.

“No!” Beth sounded insulted. “Please let me in. Really, I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m asking you to let me help.”

Evie stepped aside. She felt as if her life had defeated her, that no matter what she said or did or wanted, nothing would ever be good again. So she relinquished her make-believe control. Beth walked into the kitchen and sat at the table, not the counter.

“Will you let me help you?”

Evie just shrugged and sat one chair away from Beth. “Promise me you didn’t know she was doing this. Swear on Cody’s life.” Beth hated any kind of swearing and Evie knew it.

“I swear.” Beth made an
X
on her chest. “If I’d known, I would have told her to come to you, to be honest about what she was thinking. Or I would have told you.”

Evie believed Beth. “Things with us can’t be the same, you know.”

“I know, but we’re on the same side. That’s a start.”

“Maybe.”

Laney barreled through the door and threw herself onto the chair between Evie and Beth. “Catch me up.”

“I don’t have more details. All I know is what I told you.” Evie sneered. “What you told her.” She looked at Beth’s face and tried not to see the empathy.

“Now, will you stop making excuses for her?” Laney turned to Beth. “Your best friend is sitting here, and the woman she took into her home is now after the money she needs to raise her kids. Did you kick her out yet?”

Evie shook her head.

“What are you waiting for?”

“She’s not here. Plus, I need to be prepared when I ask her about this. I have to know the facts and I have to know my rights. I need a lawyer.”

Evie was shaking. Shit happens. She knew this better than anyone, yet was continually surprised when things didn’t follow a straight and narrow path. Richard would have said she was naive. Evie felt plain stupid.

“You need to kick her ass out of this house is what you need to do,” Laney said.

“Oh my God, the kids. What am I going to tell Sam and Sophie?”

“You’re going to tell them it didn’t work out, that Nicole and Luca needed their own trailer. I mean house. They’ll get over it.”

Laney was so resolute Evie almost believed her.

“I’ll talk to Nicole,” Beth said. “Something’s got to be up.”

“Yeah, her gig is up, that’s what,” Laney said. “She can’t be trusted. Once a cheat always a cheat.”

Beth crossed her arms, opened her mouth, but closed it without a word.

“I’m going to have to sell the house. Can I even sell a house in this market?” Evie said. “I’m going to have to move.”

“No, you’re going to get that job and you’re going to be fine, this is just a setback,” Beth said.

“I think I’m going to throw up.” Evie dashed to the bathroom, sat on the floor, and waited for the nausea to subside. She followed the advice she gave Sophie during the three-month string of morning bellyaches and took slow, deep breaths. She pressed her cheek against the cold wall and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, she fixed her gaze on one spot, rose from the floor, patted cold water from the spigot on her forehead, and went back to the living room, ignoring the lump of lunch at the base of her throat.

Evie lay on the couch with her head propped on two pillows. Beth put a cold washcloth on her head. Images of Sam, Sophie, Nicole, Luca, and even Richard collided. She was wide-awake, the nausea was gone, but her thoughts were hazy.

“That bitch,” she said. “It was all about money. Wiggling into my family and my town and my life—and now my kids’ college funds.”

“There ya go,” Laney said.

“How dare she play the sad double-widow card with me. And I fell for it. What else do you think she has going on in that trailer-park brain of hers? Oh my God, what if she won’t leave? What if I tell her she has to go and I have to call the police.” Rage and fear fought for supremacy in Evie’s thoughts.

“I think you need to wait. Try to understand where Nicole is coming from.” Beth was on the losing end of this argument but Evie knew if anyone could find out more information, it was Beth.

“Stop defending her. Tragedy is not an all-purpose excuse for bad choices and reprehensible behavior,” Laney said.

“She adores your kids, Evie. She wouldn’t want to hurt them, but she’s looking out for herself. She couldn’t protect her little girl, and now she’s doing whatever she can think of to protect Luca.”

“You’re pissing me off,” Laney said. “She wasn’t protecting Luca or thinking of Evie’s kids when she shampooed her way into Evie’s marriage.”

“Shh, please. I need to think,” Evie said, knowing that no one cheated who didn’t want to cheat and that there were many kinds of cheating.

“Sam and Soph can sleep at my house if you want them to,” Laney said.

Evie knew Laney was sincere, but also knew that would never work. “Just let them hang out with you guys for a while after school?”

Laney nodded and pulled out her cell phone. “I’m just going to give Herb a heads-up. Maybe he can take Sam to the park for some soccer practice. And the girls will keep Sophie occupied.”

Beth gathered her jacket and purse. “Look, there’s got to be more to the story. I know it’s hard, but we shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

“I didn’t jump,” Evie said. “I was pushed.”

*   *   *

Nicole walked into the kitchen holding Luca in one arm and a bag from Jewel in the other.

“Where are the kids? Soccer practice? I didn’t see that on the schedule.”

“They’re at Laney’s.”

Nicole laughed. “That’s why it’s so quiet in here!”

Evie nodded but said nothing.

“What’s wrong?”

“Have a seat.”

Nicole pulled out a chair and sat with Luca facing her. He only wanted to stand, so close to walking at nine months. They all took turns holding both his hands and walking him from room to room to room. Evie loved his slobbery smile and baby words. For Luca, and for her own sense of propriety, she vowed to remain calm. Another excursion on the high road for Evie. Her emotional energy would no longer be used for Nicole’s benefit. “I know about Midwest Mutual.”

Nicole jumped from the seat. Luca gasped from the jolt and cried.

“I can explain—”

“Don’t.”

Luca wailed an I’m-scared-and-I-need-a-nap wail.

“I want to put Luca in for his nap. Then we can talk. I’ll be right back.”