Chapter 62

The pounding on Phil’s apartment door stirred him off the couch where he had sat only a moment before. He opened the door to find a wide-eyed Lisa standing on his doorstep.

“Hide me!” she urged, pushing past him and into the apartment. He noticed a handprint on the side of her face and he saw red.

“Who did this?” he seethed. Lisa’s eyes were red from her tears and she shook her head. “Was it your father?”

Lisa’s eyes glanced away and Phil had his answer. He would deal with that little problem in due time. He grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and passed it to her.

“Where’s Scott?” Phil asked.

Lisa shook her head again.

“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on,” he pointed out. “I’m on your side, Lisa. If you don’t want to tell me I can get Hailey or Mom over here. I can call any of the people you met Saturday and they’d be here in minutes. Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.”

Lisa blinked away a few tears and wiped her eyes.

“They ... they tried to take me,” she said in a halting voice.

“Take you?” Phil interrupted.

“Scott and I told our parents last night,” she told him, although he already knew. Scott had called him to let him know that things went as well as could be expected. “His Dad was pretty nice, actually. It surprised me. I’ve never been certain he didn’t dislike me because I’m not white but he was OK. He sat there and nodded slowly for a moment and then he asked us what we wanted to do. We told him that we wanted to get married and have the baby. He said he’d help us as much as he could but with the two little boys at home it might be hard. He said we were welcome to live there with his family for as long as we needed.

“He made it clear that he was willing to be a grandparent to the baby but he wasn’t going to raise another child. That meant he wouldn’t babysit without prior arrangement; he said not to expect him to admonish the child because he would be too busy spoiling him or her. He actually gave me a hug and welcomed me to the family. He told me that his problem wasn’t with my race but with my gender but he saw that Scott was happy and that was all that was important.

“We were buoyed by his reaction so we went to my house. My family greeted the news with silence. I had expected yelling but no one really reacted at all. It was like they had expected it or something. They didn’t ask about our plans so we told them what we wanted. My father asked to discuss things with me privately. He was polite so we agreed.

“He told me he had been disappointed that I disobeyed him by dating Scott in the first place. You know that SouthPointe has several Chinese families and so do a lot of the surrounding communities. He told me he thought I had set a bad example for my nieces and brought shame on the family.”

She set her lips and shook her head.

“I told him he had shamed the family by continuing to live in the 19th century,” she continued. “I told him if he wanted to maintain his heritage he should sell the practice and pack his ass to China – where he would probably be under surveillance every minute of the rest of his life. You would think it was him who came across after World War II instead of my grandfather. Grandfather was not ashamed of me. He liked Scott. He told me the reason he snuck out of China was because he wanted his children and grandchildren to have the choices they wouldn’t have there.

“Since my father has become head of the family he behaves like an ancient warlord or something. I stormed off to bed and I planned to give him one more chance this morning. Instead he showed up in my room at dawn with two other men I don’t know. They planned to abort the baby, Phil. They weren’t going to give me a choice. They forced me into a car and drove me to a clinic. I ran and father caught me. He slapped me and I kicked him as hard as I could between his legs. I grabbed his wallet and car keys and threw them in the gutter on my way here.

“Everything I own is still at the house. I can’t tell Scott. He would kill him. He wasn’t happy that I agreed to stay there last night anyway. I still need my stuff though.”

“My Dad and I will handle that,” Phil said firmly. “Give me a few minutes and I want you to make a list of what you want.”

“Don’t get into trouble,” she urged.

“I don’t want you to worry about me at all,” Phil said. “You should call Scott. I’m sure he’s frantic. Just tell him you had to get away and you came here. Let him know you’re safe.”

Phil’s father answered on the first ring. It wasn’t usual for Phil to call him and he’d dropped him off only half an hour earlier. David had been gone for a week so he had to stop in at the office before departing again. He said he’d show his face and have a brief discussion with everyone and then meet Phil in SouthPointe.

“Dad, wait,” Phil cut in. “Let’s step back for a minute.”

He glanced over his shoulder to see Lisa talking to Scott so he continued.

“We have to let them handle this,” he said softly. “We can’t charge in and take over. They have to know they can take care of themselves. We can handle it quietly like Grandpa did with Dan Landry if it comes right down to it.”

“You know about him?” David asked.

“I know about him and I know about Tonya Stanton,” Phil replied.

“Tonya?” David inquired. “Your grandfather did the same thing to her?”

“Not Grandpa,” Phil said. “Mom.”

“Oh, of course,” David replied. “I guess it’s no different than what I threatened to do to Hailey and others. I suppose that’s where I learned it. Fine, that’s probably a lot better idea. You know your mother has a soft spot for Scott’s family since their mother walked out. We’ll have to rein her in and let her know we’ll handle it.”

“Good point,” Phil agreed. “So, why don’t you come over when you can? Dr. Chen is going to have a hard time walking and a harder time getting back to SouthPointe.”

“Why?” David asked.

“She gave him a nut shot when he slapped her for trying to run away,” Phil told him. “And she took his car keys and wallet and tossed them down a gutter.”

“Don’t ever let her say that to the police,” David warned. “He might try to have her arrested for theft. Warn her that she can never admit that officially.”

“OK, Dad,” Phil replied. “But you have to admit it was smart thinking.”

“It was beautiful and I hope there was a security camera nearby,” David said. “I will buy the footage of him getting his ass kicked and post it on You Tube. You know we’ve never hit you anywhere above or below your bottom – even when you might have deserved it. Your mother and I have had gotten into arguments that bordered upon World War III and we still didn’t get violent toward each other or you. I’ve been in fights before. I know you have, too. Your mother has even had a couple of brawls, if you can believe it.

“Fights happen and sometimes exchanging punches might keep you from exchanging gunfire a day later. I’m not trying to debate that. I’m saying every time we’ve fought it’s been against someone our size or bigger. It’s never been against a weaker opponent. It’s never been against a child. To slap a pregnant woman is almost as offensive to me as slapping a child would be. It’s only a step or two above molesting a child or raping someone. I will kick the shit out of Wei Chen if he tries to hurt his daughter and I have to watch. I won’t care if it’s today or a month from now when the beating Scott gives him heals.

“I wanted to let you know so you won’t be mad at me when it happens.”

Scott and his father arrived at Phil’s apartment about an hour later. Phil watched first Scott and then Chet Finley hug Lisa. Scott kissed her on the lips and Chet offered a kiss to the top of her head.

“Phil, do you think you can find some clothes for her?” Josh asked. Phil had noticed that Lisa still wore pajama pants and a T-shirt but he didn’t think much about it. That was the latest fashion craze on campus and he figured the look either started at State and spread to Heilman or vice versa.

“I’d offer to grab her something from Hailey’s closet but I’m not sure it would fit,” Phil agreed. “I can run upstairs and pick up something from Molly or Tiffany.”

Lisa actually laughed for the first time when she arrived.

“What?” Scott inquired.

“Those two told me how one of their biggest kicks is seeing who can out-tramp the other in front of Phil,” Lisa confided. “How do you think I’d look in a crop top T-shirt and a pair of Daisy Dukes?”

“Uh, well, actually I probably won’t mind,” Scott admitted. “But it might not be the best attire for retrieving your stuff.”

“They do have other clothing,” Phil told them, shaking his head. “Chet, do you want to come up to help me? You know her style better than I do.”

“I’d like for him to stay here,” Lisa cut in. “You’ll be fine. I know you’ve wanted to check out my boobs for years and only didn’t because of Scott.”

“And the fact you don’t like me that way,” Phil cut on.

“Please,” Scott replied, shaking his head. “Like that would matter. Dad, remember how you always warned me that I couldn’t be friends with a guy who screwed around because it would harm my reputation? Phil is living proof that you’re full of crap. He has mastered the art of being the ‘Three Week Boyfriend.’ They’d break up and still be friends.”

“I warned you that you have to treat a woman with respect,” Chet corrected. “A part of it was being careful about who you were with. A bigger part was making sure you didn’t brag about it to others. Did Phil ever tell you intimate details about his trysts?”

“No, of course not!” Scott said.

“And of course you’ve never shared details of your love life,” Chet added. “You were lucky to find someone special in high school. I know ... I know you thought I didn’t like Lisa. I told you last night that it wasn’t because of who she is or what country her family is from but I guess I didn’t explain it well. Your mother and I started to date when we were 14 – the same age as you two. We were married at 20 because you were coming along. She left when you were 13 but she was unfaithful to me for many years before that.

“She always believed she missed out on a part of her life by being with one partner when she should have been playing the field. I was scared that someday you’ll find out what I found out when you were six or seven years old. I worried that someday one of you would have to explain to your children that their mother or their father had run off without so much as a word. I worried that someday one of you would come to look at your spouse and your children as a burden. That was the word she used in the note she left. We were a burden to her that she no longer wanted to carry.

“I’m not saying that Lisa is like that and I’m not saying you are. I didn’t think your mother was that way either. I hope that you two have more than I did. I hope that you’re more mature and better prepared for this step than we were. It could have been any girl in the world, Scott, and I would have opposed her. You’re a romantic. You see love and you think that everything is right in the world. I don’t want you hurt. I don’t want Andy or Noah hurt either. Now I have to worry that my bitterness has rubbed off on them – that they’ll think love is worthless. I’m going to count on you two – and your little one – to help me out. I do think the world of you, Lisa. I really always have. I wished that you two would have found each other at 24 instead of at 14.

“You’re a wonderful young woman and you’ll be a great mother to your children and partner to your husband. I will do my best not to let my biases cloud my judgment and soon I’ll grow to love you like a daughter. I already love the little bundle you’re carrying around and I only found out about him or her last night.”

Phil had slipped away to raid the upstairs closets while the Finleys – and soon to be Finley – talked. He found a pair of shorts in Tiffany’s closet and a nice shirt in Molly’s. He left them a note telling them he’d explain later. He knew they would understand. He considered calling Hailey. She figured she was entrenched with his mother and things had to be kept from her until everything was complete.

“No secrets,” he whispered to himself as he waited for the elevator. He stepped back and closed his eyes for a moment before pulling his phone from the pocket of his shorts and dialing.

Hailey was bubbly when she answered and Phil smiled at the sound of her voice.

“It’s only been three hours and you already miss me!” Hailey said brightly when she answered.

“I do,” Phil admitted. “I actually started to miss you as soon as you left the bed. I fought it for as long as I could, though.”

“Me, too!” Hailey told him. “I was going to try to fight it for a few more minutes and then call to see if you wanted to go to lunch with me.”

“I do,” Phil replied again, “but I’m not sure I can. Uh, look, Hailey, I have to tell you something but I need you to keep it from Mom until later on. Can you do that?”

“I don’t know,” Hailey confessed. “Do you have a good reason?”

She had heard the angst in his voice and it concerned her.

“I have a valid reason,” Phil said.

“Then I’ll keep it from her unless it means you might be harmed,” Hailey agreed.

“Good enough for me,” Phil replied. “Uh, Lisa’s father sort of kidnapped her this morning.”

“What!” Hailey said in a voice loud enough Phil was sure his mother heard it. He was almost positive he heard clear across the street.

“Let me finish,” he urged. “She’s fine. She’s with me. Scott and his dad are downstairs with her now. I came up to grab her some clothes from Tiffany and Molly’s closets.”

“Did they rescue her?” Hailey cut in.

“Hailey, please,” Phil said in exasperation. “Let me tell this and then I’ll answer questions. I don’t have much time. Dad is going to be here soon and I need to keep everyone calm.”

“Sorry,” Hailey said abashedly.

“Her father and two men took her to an abortion clinic somewhere in the Chinese section of the city,” Phil continued. He ignored the gasp that came through the phone. “She escaped and made her way here. We’re going to formulate a plan to keep her away from him.”

“You should just go out there and let Scott kick the shit out of him,” Hailey seethed.

“I’m sure that is going to be one plan we consider,” Phil admitted. “However, I’m not sure it is the best one right now. Right now we require stealth and coolness. There will be time for pure might and vengeance later. That’s why Mom can’t know about this.”

Hailey paused.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” she said.

“Dad is the planner of the family,” Phil explained. “He’s the one who can start a polymer chain and know what the expected outcome will be. Mom is a wonderful and thoughtful woman but if you cross her you pay for it. Dr. Chen will pay. He might already know that but maybe not. He always had an opinion of himself that was much higher than warranted, if you ask me. That’s not the point. Mom’s first reaction would be to call the cops.”