The Fall of the Prodigal (24 page)

“I don't like being lied to,” Bill roared.

Mindy kept silent.

“I don't like being played for a fool,” he yelled.

She lowered her head. Her father was right. She had tricked him and played him too many times to count.

“And, I don't like being drugged,” he stated, in an ominous tone.

How did he know?
She had been careful. Mindy's head shot up. She wondered if he had discovered the other thing she had done. She took a step back and Bill advanced toward her. His face held menace and she knew she was in for it.

“Did you think I wouldn't find out? Do you think me so stupid I wouldn't figure out what my only daughter has been doing to me?” he roared. Bill grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a vicious shake.

Mindy could not hold her tongue. “Yes, I did it! I wasn't trying to kill you or anything. I wanted, no, I needed to be free. I wanted to get help.” She pressed. “What about what you've been doing to me?”

“Wha . . . What?” he asked. “What have I done to you, more than love you?”

“You don't love me,” she spat. “You treat me as if I'm a possession, a prized doll. You pretend as if there's nothing wrong with me when we both know I'm sick. I haven't been the same since the day I found Carl. I . . .” She broke. “And, you won't let me talk about it.”

This time Bill was the one to back away. He shook his head. “No, I refuse to accept what those quacks, who've never experienced anything in their lives, have to say. You have an active imagination. I only gave you the pills to put your mind at ease, but I know the truth.”

Mindy lifted ravaged eyes to his. “I went to see Pastor Keith and we went to see Dr. Forrester.”

Bill leaned forward and cupped one ear. “Did I hear you correctly? Did you say you went with Keith? Keith Ward, Michael's attorney and brother?”

Mindy trembled. She rubbed her nose, wiped her eyes, and then grabbed her head.
Answer him.
“Yes, I went to see Dr. Forrester with him. Pastor Keith was nice to me. He listened to whatever I said. He was nice.”

“Ha! Of course he was nice, as you've mentioned twice. He was taking advantage of you.”

“No, he helped me!” Mindy forcefully replied. She lifted her chin. “I'm not sorry I asked him. And, Dr. Forrester helped me.”

Mentioning Dr. Forrester again took Bill's mind off Keith. “Did she spout all that psychobabble so she could take more of my money? The only way to deal with your brother's, um, what happened to him is to move on.”

Mindy held her hands out toward him. “Why can't you see you're wrong? Say the word, Daddy. Suicide. Carl killed himself. He was ill and he didn't get help. I'm afraid I'll do the same thing!”

“Don't. Ever. Utter. Those. Words. Again.” Bill gritted his teeth. “Going to a shrink is not going to bring Carl back.”

“I know. I'm ill, not stupid. And, you're wrong! I spoke about Carl. Then, Dr. Forrester helped me remember that night.”

Her father looked at her with pain in his eyes. He did not withhold anything. Mindy knew she had pushed him enough with the subject of her brother's death. Time for a conversation change.

“I was stripping for a while,” she confessed.

Bill craned his neck toward her. “What did you say?”

“I've been going to Finn's for a while, off and on. I made good money. He didn't know who I was.” Her body shivered with fear, but Mindy felt it was time for full disclosure. She needed to take responsibility for her actions and her alter egos. Pastor Keith had advised her to speak with her father and tell him everything.

Bill studied her like he had never seen her before.

She gulped. “I'm not your sweet little girl. I—”

Her father snatched her hand and gave her a beseeching look. “It's going to take me some time to process all of this. This is the first real conversation we've had in years. I feel like I'm speaking to
you,
if that makes sense. And, I much prefer the ugly truth over being drugged any day.”

Mindy gave a wistful smile. “I'm sorry, Daddy. In my defense, I wasn't always in my right mind. I've got a journey ahead of me, but I intend to try God. Pastor Keith has shared some scriptures with me, and I know God can heal. I really believe God can heal me.”

For once Bill did not criticize her. He nodded his head.

“Now that I know the full truth, Michael will be off the hook. He can begin to pick up the pieces of his life I destroyed.” She jutted her chin to keep from crying but the tears came anyway.

In a surprising move, Bill encircled her with his powerful hands. “You didn't destroy his life, Mindy. You were afraid and confused.”

She sniffed. “I did. I almost put an innocent man behind bars.”

“Now, he might not have done this, but Michael Ward is no innocent,” her father corrected with a pat on her head. “He'll bounce back in no time. He'll come back bigger and better. I'm the one who should be worried.”

For the first time since she had known her father, Mindy heard him distressed. She noticed the bead of sweat around Bill's forehead. “What do you think he'll do to you?”

“Ruin me.”

Mindy could not believe he had actually answered her. Bill was treating her like she was a real human being. Awkward, she bit her lip and touched him on the back. “Michael's not going to do anything. He doesn't blame you. He knows I'm sick. It will be all right.”

“I should've killed him when I had the chance,” Bill moaned covering his face with his hands. “Now, he's going to come after me and what's going to happen to you? Who's going to take care of you?”

Mindy could not believe her ears. Her father was fretting over her? “Michael's got religion. He's been going to his brother's church.”

It took her a minute to realize her father's shoulder was shaking. Laughter bubbled up within him and Bill clutched his stomach. He landed on the floor, laughing until tears filled his eyes.

“Daddy, have you gone mad? Control yourself,” Mindy commanded. Wow, how the tables had turned.

“You really believe that hogwash?” Bill howled. “It's all an act. Michael's pretending until he's in the clear. Then he's going to go back to his scheming ways. You mark my words, Mindy. I give him two weeks max and he'll back to his old self.”

What if her father was right? Mindy wondered. He and Michael had been best friends for years. He knew him. There was only one way to find out. She held her hand out to help him to his feet. “I'm going to Pastor Keith's church this Saturday, Daddy. I think you should come with me.”

“I don't—”

“Scared?” she challenged. Her heart pummeled in her chest. Who was this new person emerging from within? She was proud of her. She liked her.

Bill brushed his pants. “Never met a challenge I didn't accept.”

 

 

“You invited Mindy to our church?” Gina asked as they folded back their bedspread. “I don't think that was a good move. Mindy can receive the same Word from Terence and Colleen's church.”

“Must we argue over every move I make?” Keith retorted with a heavy sigh. “First of all, it's not my church. It's God's church. I am only his vessel. I can only do what He asks.”

“God asked you to invite your brother's accuser to church this Sabbath?” She tossed the pillows on the floor.

“Not in so many words, but Mindy came to me for help. She needs God just like everyone else.”

“I agree. I'm not saying that,” Gina said.

“Will Verona be there? I remember you said you invited her.” Keith undid his cuff links and unbuttoned his shirt.

“She's going back to California for the weekend.”

Gina wandered off into their shower. Keith finished undressing and plopped into bed.

Thank God, Verona would not be there. Keith planned to announce Michael and Lauren's engagement and that would have been awkward. Keith shook his head. When Michael informed him of his engagement, Keith had questioned him at length. He had urged Michael to slow down, to take time to be sure of his feelings. Keith reminded Michael about his catching him and Verona in a compromising position.

But Michael was adamant about “doing the right thing.” Whatever that meant. There was no way Keith was marrying someone for any reason other than love.

Boy was he glad he was settled with a wife. Keith would not want to be in Michael's shoes. When would single men realize how marriage freed you? Keith had a ready date. He had a friend. He had a lover. He had everything he needed wrapped up in one pint-sized, feisty package.

The next morning, Keith's front lawn was covered with reporters. He knew Michael's acquittal would be big news but he forgot how sensational it would be. Trey and Epiphany had not made it out to school. They were all quarantined inside the house.

Keith waited with the entire family for the press conference. The police commissioner came on and gave a perfunctory speech. He didn't stop for questions, closing with, “The City of New York wishes Michael Ward the best in his future endeavors. If you don't mind, I have six other pressing cases waiting on my desk.” With that, the case closed and it was on to the next one.

Everyone gathered in the family room breathed a sigh of relief. Keith pumped his fists in the air. “Hallelujah!”

Gina clapped her hands. E.J. joined in with exuberance, though she did not fully understand what was going on. Trey gave his uncle a hug.

Michael rushed over to Keith. “Thank you, brother. Thank you for helping me.”

Keith shook Michael's shoulders. “Thank God. God gets all the credit. He did this for you.”

“I say we throw a party,” Gina suggested.

“Why not a wedding instead?” Michael grinned.

“I'm telling you, Mom. Michael plans to ask me to marry him.”

As they strolled the Westfield Fashion Square mall, arm in arm, Louisa gave Verona a wistful smile. “In my umpteen years here on earth, I've learned not to count chickens.”

“I'm not counting chickens, Mom. I know he's making a large purchase from Tiffany's. What else could it be? Michael said he loved me. Granted, we were fighting at the time, but . . .” Verona was not about to tell Louisa about her and Michael's passionate make-out sessions. Some things a mother did not need to know.

“Did you speak about when it you were in New York?”

Verona shook her head. “We didn't verbalize our feelings, but I know how he feels. Why do you think he's against me quitting? Michael needs me, and I need him.”

Louisa stopped to look at the blouses in Ann Taylor. “I don't want you getting your hopes up for nothing.”

“Too late,” Verona confessed.

They made their way down to the ice cream spot. Each ordered a cone. Once they were munching away on the cold treat, Verona remembered she wanted to ask her mother a question. “Mom, I wanted to ask you a question. Was there another reason why you and Dad pushed for the adoption? I mean I know things were bad, but I'm still asking.”

Her mother's eyes flittered like a butterfly. She was looking everywhere but at Verona, which made her hackles rise. “Mom. What is it?”

Her mother set glassy eyes on hers. “Your father is sick. Noel hasn't been well for years.”

Verona clutched her chest. “But, he doesn't look sick.” She balked. “What's wrong with him?”

“He has hypertensive heart disease. For years, he had high blood pressure. While he's done everything right, he could still suffer from heart failure. Right when he received the news, you became pregnant. At the time, we weren't sure.” Louisa coughed and took a sip of water before continuing. “We weren't sure he'd make it past five years.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” Verona asked. “I can't believe you both kept something this big from me. To think I blamed you, I blamed him.” She stood.
Oh, Lord.
She was the most selfish human being on the planet. Louisa grabbed her bag for them to go, but Verona held up a hand. “I need a minute, Mom. I'll be right back.”

Verona raced toward the bathroom. Her chest heaved. She peered into several stalls before finding one clean enough. She made it into the tiny compartment before she broke.

Her body shook. She put a fist in her mouth to keep from crying out in agony. Her father could die at any minute. She had wasted years shutting her parents out of her life. What if she had never come home? What if she had never reconnected with them?

This was all too much. Verona tilted her head and saw the paint chips in the ceiling. “God, I didn't know. I didn't know,” she cried.

She heard a rap on the stall door. “Verona, are you in there?”

Verona wiped her face and pulled several tissues off the roll to blow her nose. How long had she been gone? Ten minutes? An hour? She did not have a clue. Pain filled her heart like shooting darts.

“Verona, please come out, honey,” Louisa urged.

She knew her mother was worried, but it still took Verona several minutes before she could command her feet to move. Numb, she opened the door and collapsed into Louisa's arms.

“He's lived with it for all this time and he's still here.” Louisa ushered Verona out of the public restroom.

Verona sniffed. “Yes, but he could die.”

“He's not dead now.” Her mother was firm. “Get yourself together. Noel and I brought you up to have faith and to believe in God. God sent you home. You've rekindled your relationship with your father. Come what may, all is well.”

By this time, the two women were seated in Louisa's car. The hymn “It Is Well,” came into Verona's head. Though her cheeks trembled, Verona began the refrain: “‘It is well, with my soul.'”

Louisa hummed along as she navigated her way out of the busy mall. Verona's voice strengthened with each line and by the end she believed the song. Noel had missed out on her graduation from law school, but he would not miss her wedding. As soon as Michael put that ring on her finger, she would be in major planning mode.

Hold on. Why wait? Verona already knew Michael planned to ask so she was not jumping the gun. “Mom, can we stop by the bridal store before going home?” Verona asked. “I think it's time I go dress shopping.”

 

 

Verona followed closely behind her mother hiding the gown. She knew she was doing the cart before the horse thing but she could not leave this number in the store.

Verona wondered how Gina would feel about standing in as her matron of honor. She scrunched her nose. She did not care for that term. “Matron” sounded too old, archaic. Lady in waiting. Yes, she liked she sound of that.

Louisa kept her mouth closed. Verona knew she wanted to say something but was biting her tongue. “I know you think I'm moving too fast, but this dress was a bargain. I couldn't let it go. It's chic. It's classy. It's me.”

“I'm not worried about the gown,” Louisa fretted. “Call me old-fashioned but I certainly wouldn't jinx things by buying a dress when no one has asked me to marry them.”

Verona plodded behind her mother up the stairs, holding the gown high in her hands to keep the train from snagging. “He's going to ask, Mom. This purchase is faith in action.”

Louisa lifted her hands. “Okay, honey, I'm done arguing with you. You know better than I do, but I for one won't be plunking down a fortune on a gown until I get the official invite.”

“Where's Dad?” Verona wanted to show off her gown to someone else. She felt a strong need to hug him and never let go.

“He's in our room. It's his usual rest time. I know you want to talk to him but, sweetheart, please give yourself a day to process.” Louisa strolled down to their bedroom and Verona a faint smile.

Verona nodded. Louisa had reassured her that Noel exercised and maintained a healthy diet but she had visions of her father collapsing at her feet. Hearing about her impending nuptials would give her father a boost, a reason to keep well. If only Michael would hurry up and ask her already.

Verona entered her childhood room and closed the door. Her head was filled with wedding cake ideas. Maybe she should go with cupcakes; they were all the rage. She tapped her chin. Her mother was right. She was getting ahead of herself. She needed to secure a location first. Verona did not want to get married in Keith's monstrosity of a church. But wedding season was upon them and pickings would be slim.

With extreme tenderness, she unzipped the garment bag to gaze at her gown. The silky material felt smooth in her hand. She fantasized about how Michael's eyes would pop when he saw her in this ensemble. Paranoid about damaging or soiling the delicate material, Verona re-zipped the bag and hung the dress in her closet.

She dug into her jeans and pulled out her cell phone. There was a text from Nigel, but Michael had not called. However, Verona was not concerned. Michael was most likely searching out engagement rings. Good, because she could not wait to see her father's face when she told him she was settling down.

No matter what her mother said, all she could think about was her father dying suddenly and not seeing her as a bride. Verona straightened. Her father was not going to miss another milestone in her life. Not if she could help it. Noel would walk her down the aisle. As soon as Michael slid the ring on her finger, Verona was moving full speed ahead with her plans.