Chapter 32

One week in the hospital. Allen sat in a chair by Kate’s bedside. He had to finally tell her parents that she was recovering from a mental breakdown. So that Saturday morning early, Kate’s parents Frank and Shelby visited.

Frank was annoying as ever, “Maybe if you’d spend better use of your time caring for our daughter she wouldn’t be here,” he scolded Allen.

Allen held his peace at the request of his wife. Shelby touched Kate’s hand, “Frank just hush, how are you, Kate?”

“I’m getting there. I’ll be leaving in a few days as long as I don’t have another episode.”

“Episode?”

“Yeah, Kate’s been reliving some trauma which causes her to break down in violent fits. It’s been rough.”

Frank scoffed, “Nothing a lil prayer won’t fix. That’s the problem. You’ve taken our daughter away from the church. If she was still in the word and worshipping God, none of this would have happened.”

Allen nodded, “So, I suppose when she was going to church and worshipping that should have kept her from getting sexually abused.”

Frank stared at him angrily. Shelby turned to Allen, “What are you talking about? Kate was never abused. She never said anything to me about it. Is this true Kate?”

“It’s foolishness,” replied Frank, “Pure ridiculousness.”

“Is it, Frank?” he asked accusingly.

Shelby was confused, “Why are you directing your anger towards Frank?”

“Because he’s a no-good gigolo out for what our family has. The land, the money all of it.”

“You’re full of shit. I bought the house that Kate and I live in. Kate hasn’t had to work in five years.”

Frank sucked his teeth.

“Tell your wife how you knew of Kate’s love for April and fixed her to remove the demon of homosexuality from her.”

Shelby grabbed frank’s arm, “What is Allen talking about?”

“I don’t have to stand here and listen to this. It’s crazy. It’s foolish. Kate is not one of those ... people. There’s no way one of my kids would be like that.”

“But I am, dad. I am. I’ve always known that I liked girls more than boys. You told me that what you did to me would fix me and it didn’t. I have loved a woman for nearly 20 years and have been afraid to live my truth.”

“It’s not true. Stop saying that.”

Shelby had a look of sheer disgust on her face as she realized what occurred without her knowledge. “You, you, you violated our daughter? You took from her, her innocence? You did that?”

Frank had repressed the memory of what he had done. He couldn’t answer ... it was so long ago. As far as he was concerned it didn’t happen. None of what was happening was true, “You put Kate up to this ... you want to take control of her finances ... have her declared incompetent. You’re driving our daughter to the pits of hell—”

“Shut the fuck up Frank!” said Shelby as she shook, “Kate would never lie about something so serious. I’ve always passed your homophobic comments off as harmless, but you have stressed our child out for too long ... too damn long.”

“Just like that, you’re taking her word over mine?”

“I’m accepting that you’re not the man I thought you were. I’m done subjecting my peace to you. Go home Frank, just get out of here. If you can’t even admit what you did ... just go.”

Frank left.

Allen had left the facility. He wanted to give Kate time with her mother. He couldn’t believe how Frank denied what he had done. He hit the steering wheel. As he drove there was a woman on air telling a wild story of how she had twins by two different men. It was insane, yet it was something that kept his mind off of what he and his wife were experiencing.

As he pulled up to his house, he noticed a moving company removing things from Bree’s house. He parked and hurried over to one of the men, “Hey what’s going on?”

The man was dressed in baggy cargo and a t-shirt, “Um, we were contracted to move the stuff. That’s all I know.” The man walked off. Allen got in his car and drove to Nicole’s house.

He hurried to the door and knocked. When it opened, he was greeted with coldness as expected. Yet he flashed a smile, “Hi Nikki.”

“Steve is not home.”

“I know. I came to see you.”

She made face, “Look, don’t think just because we fucked a few times, we cool. You messed up when you fucked over my girl.”

“I didn’t fuck over her, look can we talk inside?”

She rolled her eyes and let him in, “What?”

He sighed, “I saw people moving stuff out of Bree’s house.”

“Okay.”

He sucked his teeth, “Come on.”

“What did you expect, Allen. For Bree to happily live next door to the two people that put her through shit.”

“No one forced Bree to be with me.”

“No. You’re right, but you did give her hope. You allowed her to dream. You let her love you.”

“And what was I supposed to do? How does a person turn down love? I loved her too and I had hope for us too. But my wife needed me.”

“So, what now, has she stopped needing you?”

He shook his head. “Listen, I said some messed up shit to her and for that I’m sorry. I was trying to make it easier for her to move on. And it was a lot of shit I had to deal with.”

“You could have talked to her. She would have understood.”

“Yeah, I suppose.” He looked around her living room and saw a suitcase, “Are you going somewhere?”

She nodded, “To Tampa to see Bree. She needs me.”

“What happened?”

“Allen,” she huffed, “You need to focus on your wife. Bree is no longer your concern. Just let it be.”

“Nikki, come on.”

“Bree’s mother isn’t well. She’s been in the hospital for about a week. It’s not looking good. I’m going there to help her get through this dark time. So, like I said, focus on Kate. Don’t worry about Bree.”

He nodded and left. His mind flashed to the night they argued. He got in his car a grunted and yelled, “Fuck!” before pulling off. He drove to the lake park. He sat out on the dock and stared out at the water. It was one of their favorite spots to walk, talk, to capture pictures.

He heard the sound of her voice, “We make life complicated. It could be simple if we just did the things, we knew we should or wanted to do.” He fought back tears, what if he had met her years earlier ... maybe she would have been too young. What if Kate had told him, “No,” when he proposed and lived her truth. Would he have had a chance to meet Bree under different circumstances, would it have worked? Too many what-ifs and not enough certainty.

He sighed. No matter what, his place was with his wife. That’s what he vowed to do. He wouldn’t leave her during her darkest time.

Allen arrived back at the facility late. Kate was sitting up reading a book, “How is she?”

“Who?”

“Oh, come on Allen, I know you went to see her. I swear, I’m here fighting for my mental health and you can’t wait to use that as an excuse to run out and—”

“Stop. Just stop it. Do you think that lowly of me?”

She placed her book on the side, “I haven’t been available to you. I just— I’m sorry.”

“Please stop accusing me of things I’m not doing. The fact that I’m here should speak volumes.”

She swallowed and nodded. He was right. She knew it. Allen had not been the one cheating for years. She was. “Again. I’m sorry. I know that you had to care for her in some way. It couldn’t have been just sex.”

“It’s not important right now. We just have to focus on getting you better.”

She nodded. Allen was there. Another man perhaps would have left a long time ago. He had heard her deepest darkest secrets. The ugliest parts. He was still there. “Thank you, Allen.”

He walked over to her and hugged her, “It’s okay.”

Tampa, Florida. The hospital was a place of growing tension. Especially in the room where Bree’s mother lay. Nothing but machines keeping her alive. Bree paced back and forth.

Sam stood next to the doctor and the nurse. Marcel and Jorian stood near Bree. Sam spoke, “We have to think realistically here. It’s not likely she’s going to come back from this.”

Bree turned to him with great anger, “Shut up. This is your fault.” Marcel rubbed her shoulders, “It’s okay babe.”

“No, it’s not okay.” She walked over to her mom. All the mean things she said flashed in her mind and she cried, “I’m sorry mom. I’m sorry mama, please don’t leave me. Dad already left. I can’t. I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve any of this. You deserved to be happy. You deserved better. Not this.” She sobbed loudly.

Jorian and Marcel hugged her.

Sam truly felt bad, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t change what had happened. He could only deal with the present. “I have to make the decision. I held off to see—”

“Just do whatever you want. That’s what you’ve always done.” She walked out of the room, and Marcel and Jorian followed her.

After an hour went by, Bree and Jorian got the word their mother was gone and arrangements were being made. Bree tried to be strong for her brother, but he ended up consoling her in the bedroom he used at Marcel’s house.

Nicole had arrived later that day. He hugged her and showed her to the room where Bree was. Immediately she went over to her friend and they embraced and sobbed together.

“I have to be the worst daughter ever. I should have left her here with him.”