Authors: H.M. Waitrovich
CHAPTER 6
Have you ever had the feeling as if something bad was about to happen, but you couldn’t figure out what? I am sure I had this feeling all morning, as I was getting ready to meet her…
Maggie was still against this whole meeting, she had called me this morning to try to talk me out of it. “What if she’s crazy Grace, or worse what if she wants something? I just do not like this at all,” Maggie said. I could hear her breathing speed up into the phone, and Oli was standing in from of me in the kitchen laughing and rolling his eyes the entire time. She really meant well, but she was not going to change my mind, she was just being a protective sister. She is the same way with Oliver, which is why he is rolling his eyes right now.
Once we pulled up to the coffee house, I felt an instant panic wash over me. “Calm down Grace, let’s just hear what she has to say before we panic, ok baby,” he said sweetly. I smiled at him. “I know you are right,” I said batting my eyelashes at him. He grinned at me. “Of course I am right,” he said.
When we walked in I spotted her immediately, she waved her hand in the air so that we would see her easier but I could see her just fine, we walked over to the table and I smiled politely and Oli said “Hello Ms. Peterson, we did not really get a chance to meet yesterday formally, my name is Oliver James, and I believe you know my wife, Grace,” he said gesturing towards me. She nodded her head “Yes of course, Mr. James, Mrs. James, I am glad you came to meet me,” she said smiling sweetly. “Please call me Oli,” Oliver said. I looked over at him and frowned, you can call me Mrs. James,” I said sternly, trying to make my point. Oliver looked over at me and I smiled. I immediately felt bad. Damn. “Sorry, Grace is fine,” I said.
She smiled shyly and said, “Well, let me start from the beginning if that is ok,” she said looking directly at me. I did not even know how to talk to this woman, “Sure go ahead, from the beginning would be just fine,” I said. It would honestly never be fine; this whole thing is a mess.
“Well to be honest I did not know Max very long, I met him when I was in college working as an intern, he was cute and sweet and said all of the right things, I had moved to Boston when I was 18 against my families wishes and once I had been here for a few years they died suddenly in a car accident, I lost my parents and my brother all in one day, I had no one, no family and no friends and Max was there for me. Before I knew it things had gotten serious, and he was proposing, Max never did anything spread out you know? He somewhat just always wanted to do what he wanted right away; he was a force to be reckoned with, but I loved him anyways, I knew it was all probably too sudden but I didn’t care, I loved him and I think in his own way he loved me too.
We had been married for about 2 months when the drinking started,” she said. Those words…rocked me to my core, as if she had reached into my brain and unlocked all my old memories about Max; it is like De JA Vu.
“I was young and dumb; Max was the kind of guy you are immediately drawn to, like a force field or a magnet pulling you so hard you get lost immediately. He was smart, funny and knew all of the right things to say, I did not stand a chance. I fell for him hard right away and after we got married, everything changed, not right away but slowly. Things would happen that seemed out of place, like he would forget to pick up something from the store, which isn’t that big of a deal but he would come home and say he went to the store and they were out of what I asked him to get but he would smell like a bar, so I knew he didn’t even go, after a few years the lying and the cheating got to the point where I wanted out…it was then that the abuse started,” she said, shame in her voice.
I heard every word she was saying, but it was as if I was having an out of body experience, why did he pick us, what was it about women like us that he picked, and what did he want?
“Grace, I just don’t understand why you are here, I mean don’t get me wrong, I went through the same thing, but I ran because I wanted out, I didn’t want this life for my daughter or for myself and this was the only way to escape him, I would rather not re live the whole thing like I have had to since the day I left,” I said.
She looked at me and her face fell, it was as if she was trying to tell me something more important but did not know how. “I am sorry to put you through this again, believe me I understand, I just wanted to share my story with you, and there is more…
When he became abusive I fought back, I really did. I tried to leave so many times and he told me that if I ran he would find me, and he would kill me, he would say things like we belonged together and no one could ever love me like him, he was a man possessed and obsessed. He did not know any other way I guess. He never talked of his family, I never met them. One day he was gone at work and I had been sick so I stayed home, I decided to snoop around in his office at our home, which I was never allowed in to. I found things like money laundering receipts and a file with pictures and birthday cards and Christmas cards, I opened them up and they were from his past, letters taped inside from his mother, wondering when he would call her or come see her again. I thought it was strange because the way he talked it was as if he was cut off from his parents for not following in his father’s steps and becoming a doctor. I did some digging around and found out that his parents lived in Seattle; they were retired surgeons and completely loaded. I found there address and phone number and decided to call them, I explained who I was and it was like a weight had been lifted off of their shoulders to know that he was alive and ok. His mother was asking me so many questions about us and all I wanted to do was tell her how happy we were, but I could not do that without lying. She told me not to tell him that we were talking until she felt it would be a good time,” she said, checking my facial expressions every so often. This was heavy, and confusing.
“I think she knew the type of person he was so I listened, but it made me nervous. I was happy to talk to someone, and finally she told me that Max had always had a problem with drinking and lying. This was not news to me, but I played dumb until she flat out asked me if he still drank, it was so hard, I did not have any family my parents gone and my brother along with them, it was nice to be able to talk to her about our issues. Things with Max and I had gotten worse by the day, I decided that I wanted to leave for good, his mother agreed it would be best and she offered to take me in to her home half way across the country just so I could get away. I wanted to take her up on her offer but Max came home one day and found my bags at the door, he was 2 hours early. I could have left and since he never speaks to his mother, he would have never found me. When he saw the suitcases, it was as if a switch was flipped and rage hit him and when he came at me, I thought for sure I was going to die that night,” she said embarrassed. Why is this all so familiar?
“I woke up 5 days later in the hospital, turns out he had given me two broken ribs, a broken arm, a rearrangement of my facial bones and a concussion, he must have thought I was dead because my neighbor heard commotion and came over to check on me and Max was gone. She said she did not know who did it and I did not tell a soul. I told the police office I was leaving my husband and someone broke in. I found out from a detective months later that Max came back to move my body and realized I was not dead and that I had fled, he had all of his lawyer and police officer friends looking for me, but I was long gone,” she confessed.
I cannot believe she is telling me all of this. I looked over at Oliver who starring with a gape of shock on his face. It is hard to believe that someone like Max existed on this earth. I myself have often wondered what I would do differently if I could go back and change it all. I have a feeling that the other Mrs. Peterson is feeling the same way.
“Grace the whole reason why I came to the trial and came to find you was because I thought that Max was long gone, I sure as hell was. When I was discharged from the hospital his mother flew out to pick me up and I have been with her ever since. She has taken me in and provided me with shelter and care. I have also been taking care of her, she is not well, has not been for many years. That is why she was contacting Max; she wanted to fix things before she died, his father has passed away a few years back and Max would never return her calls when she tried to tell him the news. After we saw the news reports of his death, we both had a heart attack just about, I mean it is not every day that you see your husband on television and find out that he had ran away and started a new life. I am not complaining in the least because I was leaving him anyways but I was worried for you. So was his mother, she ended up being contacted by his lawyer who said he had his last will and testament ready to be read. We were confused because if he was re married then why are they calling his mother, but we did some digging and then it hit me, we were never divorced…and now I am not sure how you would take this news and if you’re as smart as I can see then you already know what I am about to say…” she said trailing off.
I gasped a huge sigh, “Our marriage was never legal was it? It couldn’t be if he was still legally married to you,” I said.
“Yes I am afraid that is correct, his mother got the baulk of his estate but it wasn’t much since he had a habit of spending his money on illegal things. She wanted me to leave it to you, it is for Annabelle, and she deserves this money. His mother also wanted me to leave her number with you in the hopes that she might someday be able to apologize for her son and maybe meet her only granddaughter,” she said looking nervous.
I reached out my hand and took the envelope from her; it was thick like there were other papers besides for a check in there. “Grace this is very thoughtful of her, but I have to be honest, I am still processing all of this that has happened and I don’t know if I am ready to meet her or let Annabelle as well. I hope that she can understand, and maybe sometime in the future when I have my life back to normal and she is older to be able to process all of this easier,” I said to her.
She smiled sweetly and said, “I understand and she will too, something else you should know about her…she is his adoptive mother, his parents adopted him when he was a year old, his real mother was only 16 when she gave birth so she could not take care of him,” she said. “ He never really forgave his parents for not telling him until he found out as an adult, he was a sick man and his mother will never forgive herself for keeping that from him and I can tell she feels responsible.”
“I had no idea that he was adopted, I guess that shows just how little I really knew of him. Did he ever find his birth mother?” I asked. Why I was even asking about this was above me but I cannot help but feel curious now, I mean what if Annabelle is ever sick and needs medical records?
“He did, he found her but he never confronted her, his mother Sheila said he told her that it didn’t matter, she must have been trash to give him up. But that is not true at all…Sheila found her recently and spoke to her, she was just a scared young girl who had no help so she did what she thought was best for her son. Everything is in this envelope and I do not want to say much more, so go ahead and read this when you are ready. I am happy to have met you and again I am sorry that you went through this, I am sorry I did as well. At least no one ever has to again. It stopped finally, with you Grace,” she said.
And just like that, she was gone and I am left with a large envelope that I am not sure I can open yet.
CHAPTER 7
2 weeks later
I feel as though my life is starting to finally get back to normal, as normal as things should be I guess. Oli and I are so happy and so is my Belle, I haven’t been working in a while and I am missing Gloria like crazy, she gave me so much when I came here and I don’t know how on earth I can ever repay her. Oli was back to work as the town sheriff and I still love seeing him in his uniform. I feel like I made the best decision ever in picking this town to stay in. I feel like we are closer than ever. A few weeks ago, we decided to start trying for a baby, I love kids and so does Oli, he cannot wait for more little girls just like our Belle he says. So when I was three days late on my last period I was so excited thinking I was for sure pregnant, I mean it happened to easily the first time…I was sad when the test was negative, my doctor said it could have come late due to all of the stress I have been under. I just let it go and tried not to get discouraged. It will happen when it happens Oliver says.
Now it is time for my monthly visitor again and I am two days late, am I excited, nervous, I am not sure, but I do know that I have to know soon or I will explode. Oli had to be at work earlier than normal this morning so here I am lying in bed daydreaming about what my new baby might look like.
I look over at the nightstand on my side of the bed and there it sits…the same envelope with the precious information in it from my ex mother in law whom I never knew. I have almost opened it up several times and something is always stopping me. I cannot help it, I am a coward and I do not want any more pain in my life. Oliver has teased me so many times saying how he would have opened it up right away…of course he would have, the man has no patience. I am not ready to open it, not at all.