Broken Lives (22 page)

“
Do you have the key?” I ask
as I remove the safety box, which holds the guns, from the
backpack. 

She laughs and returns with the key. “This
might help.” She smiles and hands me the small key for the locked
cabinet. 

“
Thank you,” I say, as I
secure my weapons in the large gun cabinet. 

“
Did you have a good
time?” 

“
I did; it’s been awhile
since I have been there.” 

I shower before Emma and I do our nightly
bedtime routine with the kids.

Emma and I lie in bed and I hold her close to
me. “I close on the house tomorrow.” 

“
How do you feel about
that?” 

“
I feel good about it.
Madison said she thinks I should look at a house that she
found.” 

Emma looks up at me and asks, “Are you
thinking about moving out?” 

“
I was thinking something
long term. Maybe a house to accommodate a larger family.” I stop
talking and let what I just said have time to sink
in. 

“
You want more children?”
she asks. She has her game face on, and I can’t tell what she is
thinking. 

“
With you, yes. In a few
years, I would love nothing more than to have a baby with
you.” 

“
Good; me, too. Three is a
good number. Two boys and a girl or two girls and a boy. Either
way, it would be perfect.” She snuggles into me and I dream of big
houses, lots of kids, and a beautiful blond-haired
wife. 

The next day I take the kids
to school and I meet Madison, so I can close on the house that
Molly and I once shared. It is bittersweet.
It is Raelynn’s only home she ever lived in, other than
Emma’s, but it is also the home we lived in when Molly destroyed
our family.

“
Alec, are you all right?”
Madison asks. 

I blink a few times and give her a sad smile.
“I’m fine.” I stand tall, square my shoulders, and ask, “Where do I
sign?” Once everything is signed and taken care of, I start to
leave. 

“
Alec?” 

I turn around and look at Madison, standing
there, “Yes, did I forget something?” 

She walks over to me and says, “No, you
didn’t forget anything. I’m meeting Mason for lunch, if you would
like to come, and I have the keys to that other property if you
want to take a look at it.” 

I look at my watch like I have some place to
be, although I have no other plans for the day. I look up at
Madison and smile. “I would love to, thank you.” 

“
Great, meet us at the
Bonefish Grill. I have to make a few phone calls, but I’ll be right
behind you. The reservation is under Myles.” She reaches into her
briefcase and pulls out a brochure. “Here’s a picture and
description of the house, although the picture doesn’t do it
justice.” 

Walking the short distance, I take the
brochure from her. “Thank you and I’ll meet you there.” 

I pull into the already packed parking lot
and read over the brochure while I wait for Mason and Madison to
show up. I look at the brochure of the home, which is spectacular.
It’s on a lake and has four large bedrooms and a privacy fence with
a gated entryway. I look up when someone taps on my window. Mason
is standing there, wearing a pair of green scrubs.

I get out of the car and lock it.

“
Madison called and said you
would be joining us. Congratulations on the closing of your house,”
Mason says, as we walk towards the restaurant. 

“
Thank you, it feels good to
let go of the past.”

“
Is that the house she wants
you to see?” Mason asks, gesturing at the brochure as he opens the
door to the restaurant.

“
It is.”

I hand him the brochure and he smiles and
says, “It’s very nice.” 

“
Mason, I want to ask you a
personal question.” 

He stops and looks at me. “Go ahead, you can
ask me anything.” 

“
How did you deal with
Angel’s abuse? You know, trying to keep her safe.” 

“
Alec, you have seen our
home. It’s like trying to get into Fort Knox. Those gates and that
fence weren’t there before. I added those after Angel’s attack.
Unless we have a party like the other day, our house is locked up
very tight.” He laughs and I know he is trying to make light of a
serious conversation. “It’s the best way to keep her safe. I can’t
control her or stop her from doing things, or going places, and I
can’t control who she comes in contact with, but when she’s home, I
can at least protect her while she’s there.” 

I say, “I want to protect Emma.” 

“
Who do you want to protect
Emma from?” 

“
From Molly, from the
world.” 

“
Well, this house looks like
it’ll help you with your fears,” he says, handing me the brochure
back. He looks at the hostess and says, “Myles, and I believe my
sister is already here.” 

“
Right this
way.” 

After we eat, I ride with
Madison to see the house on the lake and I remember what Mason
said.
“It’s the best way to keep her safe.
I can’t control her or stop her from doing things, or going places,
and I can’t control who she comes in contact with, but when she’s
home, I can at least protect her while she’s
there.”
 

We drive out of the city, towards the
country. I notice the curvy winding roads and the wild boars in the
fields. The ride is relaxing. No traffic, no stoplights, and very
few stop signs.

Madison enters a security code and the large
black iron gates open. I can’t see the house from the street. As we
drive down the winding driveway, a big two-story stone house comes
into view. I can see the large lake from the car. “Come on, you
haven’t seen anything yet,” Madison says as she puts the car in
park. 

I get out and look at the
large front yard with the large mossy tree.
Perfect to climb in,
I think to
myself. I see a large three-car attached garage. We walk up the six
steps leading to the large wrap-a-round porch and the large
double-doors.

“
Do you want to enter
through the front or the back door?” 

“
Let’s walk around the porch
to the back.” I motion with my hand for her to lead the
way.

The windows are large bay windows so you
always have a view of the lake from within the house. The backyard
is just as big as the front yard with a gazebo down near the water.
A small boathouse is at the end of the pier.

Madison opens up the back
door and inside is a large eat-in kitchen with an island, a double
oven, and a large six-burner stove.
This
kitchen was made with a chef in mind.
The
dark hardwood floor and tan granite counters are beautiful. The
living room has a large wood-burning fireplace that is shared on
the adjoining wall of the formal dining room. A full bath, a den,
and a family room are also on the first floor. The second floor has
three bedrooms, two full baths, and a master suite. Large bay
windows and white plantation shutters are throughout the entire
house.

I walk over to the large bay window and look
out at the calm lake. The sun is high in the sky and is reflecting
off the water. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Madison asks as she
walks over to me. 

“
It is beautiful; it is
everything you said it was,” I say honestly. “It feels and looks
like a country home, although you are only a few miles from the
city. This house is a very rare find in Florida.” 

“
Yes, it is, but do you need
some time to think about it?” 

“
I do; when do you show the
house again?” 

“
I don’t show this house
again until Sunday.” 

“
That gives me a few days.
I’ll be in touch with you before Sunday. I have a few things I need
to do first.” 

Molly

I drive by the house that
Alec and I shared with Raelynn, and I see that a SOLD sign has
replaced the FOR SALE sign in the yard. I knew it would sell sooner
or later, but I didn’t think it would sell so soon. A tear slides
down my cheek, and I wipe it away.
Why does
this bother me so much? He has moved on; I am trying to move
on
.
It’s just a
house.
I don’t stop and I don’t look behind
me.

Bobby has been on an alcohol/drug high since
he went to the cemetery, and I don’t know how to help him. I can’t
even help myself. He hasn’t said anything about it or who he went
to see, and I don’t ask. We are friends, but we also have
boundaries. 

It’s Thursday so I drive by the church that
is having the Addicts Anonymous program. I have been really trying
to get clean. I have vowed to stay away from Emma. Even I can admit
she is a good role model for Raelynn. I was stupid to make those
threats to go to her son’s school.

The church has a lot of cars in the parking
lot, so I park in the back of the lot. I watch as a guy and a girl
walk in. I wait a few minutes after 6:00 before I go in. I don’t
want to have to stand up and tell them about myself.

Just like last week, the back door is left
open and I can hear talking. I quietly walk in and sit at a chair
in the back of the room. I look up at the podium and a girl is
standing on stage, saying, “Hi, I’m…” 

“
Hi, Molly, I missed you
last week,” someone says as they sit in the chair beside
me.

I look over and smile at Adam McDaniel, who
is sitting beside me. He is wearing a pair of holey designer jeans,
flip flops, and a salmon color tee shirt with ‘Hollister’ written
across it. His blond hair is spikey, and I just want to touch it to
see if it will stick me.

“
Hi, I was busy last week,
sorry,” I say. 

“
Did you have to work?” he
asks, as he stares directly into my eyes.

I blink and look at the floor. “No, I didn’t
have to work.” I turn my attention and look at the girl standing at
the podium. 

“
You took my business card
when you left; I was hoping you would call me.” 

I look at him and his white, toothy smile. “I
guess I didn’t need you,” I say, and I look back up at the
podium. 

Tonight they have several guest speakers, and
I watch and listen to their very personal stories. 

The girl sits down and an older man stands up
and talks.

“
You know, you can just call
anytime to talk about anything you want.” 

I look over at him and he smiles at me.
“Adam, I’m sorry, I think I should go.” 

“
No, stay,” he holds his
hands up as to surrender. “I’ll behave, I
promise.” 

True to his word, he behaves the rest of the
meeting. When the last guest speaker sits down, he stands up and
walks to the podium.

“
Hi, Adam McDaniel here.
Thank you all for coming, and thank you guys for sharing your
stories with us. It’s not easy coming up here and sharing your
personal and private life with others; however, it is very
therapeutic. Everyone in this room has been through or is going
through a very difficult situation. Reach out and lean on one
another. I haven’t met one person who could do this alone.” He
looks around the room and locks eyes with mine. “Here are my
business cards; call me anytime you need me, or if you just want to
talk. I am a great listener.” He places a stack of his cards out on
the table and says, “Thanks for coming, and I’ll see you all on
Tuesday.” 

I watch as he shakes hands with others in the
meeting. Many people stand and take his business card before
leaving.

While he is busy talking, I sneak out the
back door before he sees me. A few cars have left, but the parking
lot still looks pretty full. I almost make it to my car when
someone calls my name: “Molly, hold up.”

I don’t answer, I already know who it is
without looking. I walk faster to my car without looking back. When
I hear someone running to try to catch up with me, I finally turn
around. 

“
You didn’t hear me calling
for you?” Adam says, when he catches up to me. 

“
No, I didn’t,” I lie. “Did
I forget something in there?” I am not really sure what he wants
with me. 

“
No, I don’t think so.” He
asks, “Do you still have my business card?”

I have to think about that. I put it in my
purse and I haven’t taken it out. “Yes, I still have it.” I watch
as several cars pull out of the parking lot. “Is that why you came
out here? To give me your business card?” 

He looks around and smiles, “No, I used that
as a lame excuse to talk to you.” He runs his hands up and down his
scruffy cheek. He hasn’t shaved in a few days, and it looks good on
him.

I look at him with a raised brow. “Talk to me
about what?”

“
Molly, would you have a cup
of coffee with me?” 

“
Adam, thank you, but I
can’t.” 

“
It’s just coffee and it’s
within walking distance. There’s a
24-hour
diner
right over there and I hear they have
great day-old coffee.” He smiles and I can see the kindness in his
eyes.

I look away and say, “Adam, I’m a mess, you
really should just walk away from me and be grateful you
did.” 

“
Molly, it’s just coffee …
and dinner, if you’re hungry.” 

I look at him and I have to smile. “Just
coffee.” 

He takes my hand and we walk to the small
diner on the other side of the parking lot. He holds the door open
for me and greets the hostess like they are old friends. “Hi,
Rosemary, do you have something in the back corner?”