Day 96

In the dream I was fighting with Jules' mom, but every punch or kick happened in slow motion, like I was striking through water instead of air. I heard the pounding of drums as we fought, then realized someone was banging on the front door. I got up feeling muddled and grabbed my robe.

"What the hell?" John sat up scratching his head.

"Dunno, let me check."

I went downstairs and opened the door without removing the chain. A uniformed officer was standing outside holding a clipboard of some kind.

"Yes?"

"Are you Kate Miller?" He was reading my name.

"I am."

"Sign here please." He turned the clipboard around and indicated a line with my name printed on it.

I closed the door to remove the chain. When I opened it again, he held the clipboard while I signed it, then he handed me a thick envelope.

"Thank you, Ma'am." He turned to walk away leaving me standing there confused.

"What was that all about?" John asked as he walked up behind me.

I locked the door again and went to the kitchen table. "I have no idea." I tore open the envelope and tried to make sense of the legal language I found on the paper inside. "Oh, fuck me."

"What?" He looked over my shoulder and tried to read. I pointed to the line I'd just read while I read it out loud. "This Letter of Intent shall serve as your formal notice of my client's intent to commence legal proceedings against Kate Miller in respect to the matter of exploiting a person of diminished mental capacity, namely Julie Adkins, currently in residence at the Constant Care Rehabilitation Center.

"In the event you wish to resolve and settle this matter prior to legal proceedings being commenced against you, please contact the writer at the above address in writing within five (5) business days. It will be necessary to vacate the primary residence of Julie Adkins, cease and desist all attempts to contact her while she is undergoing psychiatric treatment, and reimburse any and all costs incurred by my client, including but not limited to expenses charged to my client's credit card without their approval.

"Failure to receive a written reply from you within the time frame indicated above with your intention of resolving this matter, my client will take any and all actions necessary for the commencement of legal proceedings in the courts of applicable jurisdiction and will be seeking costs against you in respect of same."

"They can't do that, can they?" John took the letter to read through it himself.

"I have no idea. I don't even know who to ask." I stared away at nothing while my brain spun around in circles. My first thought was to call Mom, but then I remembered she wasn't speaking to me. I had no money to hire an attorney and didn't know who to hire even if I did.

John must have been thinking the same kind of thing. "I wish I could call my Mom. She works part time in a law office as a secretary and would probably be able to just ask her boss."

"I wish I could talk to Jules. I know her parents haven't told her what they are doing."

"Wait, didn't you say you talked to her mother at some point last night?"

"Yeah, but then I got really distracted." I mussed his hair with a smile. "She came here yesterday around noon to speak to me, but it was just part of some kind of attempt to scare me. She started off acting all concerned to feel me out. When I asked her to get to the point, she got nasty and called me a whore. She said Jules paid for the hotel in Vero using her father's credit card. After her confession to them about our relationship, her dad freaked out. Her mom said they were prepared to commit Jules legally and hold her in the hospital against her will unless I agreed to move out of here and not see her anymore."

"Fuck! Seriously? What a bitch!"

"I threw her out at that point."

"I wish we could tell Jules all that."

"I tried. I drove to the hospital and wrote out as much as I could remember of the conversation with her mom. I don't know if they actually gave it to her, but since she said the staff reads all her mail, at least her doctor will know."

"I can't see their trick working. As an adult, Jules would either have to cooperate, which I can't see happening, or they would have to find a doctor willing to say she is nuts. She might be suffering from some kind of anxiety, but she isn't crazy. Not like that."

"Yeah, she's going to be twenty-one next month. Her parents haven't got any legal standing as I see it. It's got to be some kind of trick." I shook my head. "When her mom was going after me yesterday, all I could think was that poor Jules must have put up with her crazy head games for years. No wonder she has a hard time trusting people she loves."

He put his arms around me. We stood in the kitchen holding on to each other and missing Jules for a while. He tilted my chin up and kissed me softly. It was so nice, but I had to pull back. "Morning breath. Sorry."

He smiled and touched my short hair. "I love your haircut."

"I'm glad. I've got to work later at the mall. Will you be okay kicking around today by yourself?"

"Yeah. I have to work on my school stuff. I'll be fine."

It was interesting going back to work in the mall. The pace was so much slower than the bar. I felt like I was going nuts standing around folding clothes and counting inventory. The department store wasn't very busy, so I spent lots of time standing around looking for things to do. Toward the end of the shift I saw Mom and Chris walking towards the escalator to go up to housewares. They didn't see me, but I enjoyed watching them holding hands and looking cute.

When they came down a little while later I stood near the aisle to see if they would walk by. It hurt when Mom saw me and suddenly looked unhappy.

"Hi Mom. Hi Chris."

"Kate! Love the haircut. How've you been?" Chris was just as friendly as he was before. Mom put on a strained smile.

"I'm a little tired, actually, but not too bad. What brings you guys out?"

"Just out doing a little shopping. There was a sale in the kitchen area. I've been looking for a new stock pot. Last time I used mine, it got too hot and scorched the bottom."

I didn't see them carrying any bags. "No luck?"

"Nothing jumped out at me today. I'm going to check online and see what the prices are on Amazon before I decide."

"Don't forget I have an employee discount." I'd been thinking about the letter all day and impulsively decided to seek some advice. "Chris, this may seem like a weird question, but can you recommend an attorney?"

Mom frowned as Chris thought for a minute. "I have a guy I use for my business stuff, but most lawyers tend to specialize. What do you need him for?"

"It involves someone else's private business, so I'm not at liberty to discuss all the details. Basically I got a letter threatening me with legal action. It's probably nothing, but I'd like to get some expert advice."

Mom's face turned red and she took the kind of tone she used when I was a naughty child. "Kate, why are you bothering Chris with this. You should have spoken to me privately first."

"Mom, you've made it pretty clear you aren't interested in discussing anything with me. I'm sorry, Chris, never mind." I was so angry it was all I could do to walk away before I said something I'd regret.

"Kate, wait a minute. Lisa, I don't want to get in the middle of you two, but you've been acting like you're chewing on tinfoil since you got back from vacation. I'd like to help Kate if I can, assuming it doesn't cause a problem between us."

Mom was glaring at me with pinched lips. "I don't want you to get dragged into our family drama."

"Are you afraid I'll think less of you somehow? Or is it me that you have the problem with?"

She looked startled and turned to him. "It's not you. I'm embarrassed by Kate's behavior and choices recently. She nearly ruined our vacation with my sister's family. I dread what will happen when the situation she's created becomes common knowledge."

"How bad can it be?" Chris asked with a nervous chuckle.

I'd had enough. "From my perspective it's not bad at all. I am involved in an unorthodox relationship with my best friend and my cousin. John and I really hit it off over Christmas break. My best friend Jules and I have had a smoldering attraction for years, and it sparked up after I got involved with John. The three of us discovered we were compatible and have been involved in a relationship together since January. Despite hitting a small rough patch while on vacation, we've decided to take things to the next level and move in together over the summer."

Mom started crying and tried to turn away, but Chris pulled her into a one armed hug. She buried her face into his chest and sobbed. He looked thoughtful and nodded his head like he was processing what I had said. "Well, that's certainly not what I would have guessed, but I think I can get my head around it. The father in me worries you guys are too young and are moving too fast, but you're all adults and can do what you want."

"Thank you for at least trying to understand."

"I'm old fashioned and don't really get the whole gay thing myself, but I do have some sympathy on the stigma of kissing cousins. My parents are first cousins by blood and had to hide it from people for years to avoid being shunned."

Mom pulled back and gave him an odd look. "Don't look so surprised. Marriages of first cousins isn't that rare and it's legal most places, including here in Tennessee. The genetics issues aren't as big a deal as all the jokes make it seem either."

"John's not even my blood cousin. My aunt and uncle adopted him when he was a baby."

"So that makes it even less of an issue."

Mom wiped her eyes. "I guess it's just me then. I tried not to make a big deal about it at Christmas. I knew if I tried to forbid them seeing each other, they'd just fight harder to do it." She looked up at Chris. "I was so afraid you would find out."

"What did you think I would do?"

"I don't know. I'm so disgusted by the whole thing, I just assumed you would be too."

I bit my tongue to keep from saying something ugly. "Well I'm glad it's out in the open between us. I hate secrets like that. By the way, Mom, John's back in town for a while."

"What about his school?"

"He's arranged to do part of his classwork online and will travel back to take tests and work on his labs."

"Well, we should go on a double date or something." Chris was doing his best to lighten the mood. "How about I have you guys over at my house tomorrow evening and grill some steaks or burgers?"

I gave him a big smile. "Oh god, that sounds so nice and normal after the week I've just had. Mom, please say yes. I know John would love to see you, too. Jules won't be able to make it, though."

We both stared at Mom until she gave in. "Fine. Just don't start kissing each other, please. I changed both your diapers and it creeps me out when you get all lovey-dovey."

I'd left John the tip money from Friday night so he could go grocery shopping while I was working. When I arrived home, the house smelled of garlic and spices. He had straightened out the boxes in the living room and covered them with a bed sheet so they didn't look so out of place. The table was set with candles and he had a radio station playing quietly to set the mood nicely.

"Oh, Babe, this is wonderful." He was standing in the kitchen stirring a pot of meatballs and sauce. The spaghetti was still sticking up out of another pot, so he must have just put it in to boil when he heard me coming in.

"It's the least I could do for you after a hard day at work."

"Did we get a letter from Jules in the mail today?"