That Sunday AfternoonChapter 7 Drastic Measures
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December 18, 1988, Iron Mountain, Michigan
“What the... ?!” I gasped.
“She’s sedated,” Alicia said from behind me.
“Sedated? What the fuck did you do?”
“An intervention,” Jennifer said. “After Elyse worked on you, we talked. I got in touch with Alicia, she talked to Doctor Barton and we hatched a plan.”
“Which was?”
“To kidnap your wife and bring her here,” Alicia said. “Doctor Barton officially knows nothing about that part of the plan. But he sanctioned it. Come have some coffee and we’ll explain.”
I went with the girls to the kitchen.
“Kara, did you know about this?” I asked.
She shook her head, “No!”
“Sit down, Steve,” Kathy urged.
I roughly pulled out the chair and sat down.
“I told Alicia what was going on,” Jennifer said. “I’m sorry, but Kathy and I needed her help. She talked to your friend Doctor Barton and we decided to go out to Riverside and basically force Jess to come with us.”
“Did she know about the DNA test?”
“Carissa said that Jess believed you were lying about it to try to get her to talk to you. She didn’t believe it could be negative.”
“Neither did I,” I said. “But it was. Why is she sedated?”
“She broke down completely. With Carissa’s help we got her into my car, and then the three of us brought her here. We got here about four hours ago. Elyse gave us the name and number for the rental agent who let us in. Jessica became agitated and then hysterical, so I gave her a small injection of Haldol to calm her down. She’s been sleeping ever since.”
“What about a pregnancy? Would that drug hurt our baby?”
“Baby?” Alicia said, surprised. “Nobody said she was pregnant! It’s not supposed to, though.”
“Well, it’s not clear if she still is or not,” I sighed. “I guess we’ll find out when she wakes up.”
“Carissa said she hasn’t been sleeping or eating very much for the past two months. Just enough to get by, I guess. She was alternating between crying and babbling. I’m afraid she’s had what you would call in layman’s terms a nervous breakdown. I hope it’s not a psychotic break, but she’ll need a full clinical evaluation to determine that. If we’re lucky it’s malnutrition plus stress plus lack of sleep.”
“Shit,” I said. “Now what?”
“Well, the other girls are going back to Chicago in the morning,” Alicia said. “We have rooms at a bed-and-breakfast in town, and I rented a car so I can move around. Doctor Barton arranged for a week’s absence for me. She needs care, and I’ll do it, with consultation with him by phone. I know that sounds a bit odd, but he’s trying to give her the best chance to get back into the Residency program. He really put his butt on the line for her.”
“So did you,” I said. “You could lose your license for something like this, I suspect. Not to mention that you aren’t licensed in Michigan.”
“I’m not licensed in Illinois yet. I plan to take my boards in June.”
“Jesus, Alicia! You’re running a huge risk! Isn’t practicing medicine without a license a felony?”
“Let Doctor Barton and me worry about that. Let’s hope we can manage her without needing an IV or anything like that. If we do need an IV, we’ll have to have her admitted to a hospital. I hope you don’t mind if I stay here tonight, just to be safe.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “Supposedly that’s a sleeper sofa in the main room. I’d say probably Kara and I should use it and you stay with Jessica. I can’t imagine I should be in bed with her at this point.”
“No, probably not. What are you doing with Birgit?”
“We have a fold-up travel bed in the trunk of my car. I’ll bring it inside in a bit.”
“Steve, Kathy and I are going to head out,” Jennifer said. “You’re OK with bringing Alicia home next weekend, right?”
“Yes, of course. I don’t even know how to begin to thank you.”
“If you and Jessica can put things back together, that will be thanks enough,” Kathy said. “You guys are our best friends and we’re worried about you both.”
“Well, thank Kurt and Josie for me,” I said.
I hugged them both and got soft kisses from both of them. That Jennifer gave me a rare soft kiss told me just how much she cared and how worried she was. I walked them out to the car and after they drove off, I got the portable crib from my trunk and took it into the cabin. I set it up and stoked the fire while Kara prepared some soup from the supplies that we’d brought with us.
“There’s a small grocery store in town,” Alicia said. “I suspect you’ll need a few supplies given that you didn’t know that Jessica would be here.”
“What should she eat?” I asked.
“Start with broth and then soup. We’ll figure it out from there.”
“I’ll need to run to the store, then,” I said.
“Let me go after we eat,” Kara said. “Alicia needs to be here for Jess and so do you.”
“Unless she freaks out because I’m here,” I said. “Is that why she became hysterical, Alicia?”
“Possibly. No, probably. But I have some very mild sedatives that I can give her that won’t affect a pregnancy. I’ll keep the dose low if we need to do that. I wonder why Doctor Barton didn’t tell me about that.”
“Because Jess told us she was having an abortion about three weeks ago. I’m guessing Al assumed that she did. I assume she did, unless she says otherwise.”
“Are you OK with that?” Alicia asked.
“No, I’m not. But for this week, I officially don’t care. We’ll worry about what it means once we get Jess healthy and on track to restart her Residency.”
“She’ll have to restart her whole surgical year. No credit for the time from June to October. That’s assuming they let her back in at all.”
“I know. Thanks for helping, Alicia. I owe you!”
She smirked, “I’d love to collect on that, but I don’t see that in my future. Your thanks will have to be enough.”
Kara smirked and raised her eyebrow, but a quick shake of my head said I wasn’t interested. We ate our soup and then Kara left to go to town. Jessica hadn’t woken up by the time Kara returned from the store, though she had stirred a bit. Alicia checked on Jessica about every fifteen minutes and said everything seemed OK, at least for now. The three of us were sitting in front of the fireplace with Birgit in my lap when Jessica called from the other room.
Alicia got up and went to see her, and a minute later came out and got her medical bag. She went back in and about five minutes later, she came out with her arm around Jessica. Alicia helped her to the couch and covered her with a blanket.
“Hi, Babe,” I said lovingly.
Jessica started sobbing softly. I looked at Alicia who nodded. I handed Birgit to Kara and went and sat on the couch next to Jessica. I put my arm around her and she collapsed against me, her body wracked by heaving sobs.
“Shh,” I soothed. “Kara and I are here and we love you. We want to help you.”
It was fifteen minutes, and what seemed like half-a-box of tissues before Jessica had calmed down enough for me to even think about talking to her.
“Will you eat something?” I asked.
She nodded and Kara put Birgit on a blanket on the floor in front of us, and went to the kitchen to make some broth. When it was ready, she found a TV tray table and set it in front of Jessica, then put a shallow bowl of chicken broth in front of her, along with a glass of water. Jessica picked up the spoon and ate tentatively, but she finished the bowl of broth and drank the glass of water. Alicia’s nod told me she approved.
“Did the test really say you aren’t the father of that little girl?” she asked.
“Yes, Babe. I’d never lie about something like that. It’s not completely over because Carla could challenge the results and even get a new test, but Gwen Meyer says the system is on my side now.”
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“Just that the results are usually conclusive, but there are legal games that Carla and her lawyer can try. According to Gwen and Al Barton, when a test has DNA from the mother, father, and child, it’s more than 99.999% accurate. So unless there was some mix-up of the samples, or something like that, it’s conclusive and the court should rule in my favor. Jamie agrees with Gwen.”
“Good,” Jessica said. “I’m happy for you.”
That didn’t sound right. Happy for me? Not for us? Not for herself. But I wasn’t about to say anything at this point. For the most part, right now, all I could do was listen and try to support her as best I could.
“We’ve missed you, Babe. We’ve been worried about you. All of us. Me, Kara, Elyse, Kathy, Alicia, Doctor Barton. All of us.”
“Why did they make me come here?” she pleaded.
“Because they saw you suffering and wanted to help. They love you, just like Kara and I do.”
“Why?” she signed. “I’m nothing special. I’m just a stupid, useless girl from Plano, Texas.”
“What?!” I gasped. “That is NOT true!”
“I’ve thrown it all away,” she said, starting to sob. “My career. My marriage. My friends. I’ve ruined it all! There’s nothing left!”
“I don’t think that’s true,” I said gently.
“Maybe she should get some sleep,” Alicia said.
I didn’t think that was the case, but I was going to defer to Alicia, because she was working under Doctor Barton’s guidance. Alicia came over and helped Jessica into the bedroom. She was back about five minutes later.
“I gave her a very mild sedative,” Alicia said. “A good night’s sleep will help. We’ll try to get something substantive into her in the morning.”
“OK. She sounded really depressed,” I said.
“She is. Whatever the original problem was, I think she might be clinically depressed. We’ll be able to tell better tomorrow. If that’s what we think it is, she’ll need psychological counseling and probably oral Fluoxetine to dampen the symptoms. You probably know the trade name ‘Prozac’. But there’s no way we can give that to her here, in this setting. And, that only treats the depression, not whatever caused her breakdown in the first place.”
“Shit,” I sighed.
“Believe it or not, there is an upside,” Alicia said. “If she IS clinically depressed, and gets treatment, it improves her chances of getting back into the Residency program. They look at things like that as not being the resident’s fault. It would explain her behavior and provide them a way to let her back in without attracting attention for what might seem like special treatment.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to help,” I said.
“Right now, let her get a good night’s sleep and we’ll see how she is in the morning. Talking to her might help, but it might also set her off. If so, we’ll probably have to take her back to Chicago. It’s not clear that she can function.”
“Then why bring her here?” I asked.
“Honestly? To make sure she couldn’t easily run away from you. Doctor Barton thinks you can get through to her now that the paternity issue is resolved.”
“It’s not resolved,” I said. “But close enough, I guess. Maybe. We’ll see.”
“Get some sleep, Steve. We’ll see where she is in the morning.”
December 19, 1988, Iron Mountain, Michigan
“What do you think?” Kara asked while Jessica was in the shower.
“I don’t know. At least she ate some eggs and toast, but she seems like a zombie,” I said.
“Should we go home?”
“Let’s wait until Alicia comes back from talking to Al. I listened to her talk to Jessica and I’m not quite sure what to think. This is really Bethany’s territory. Honestly, it’s not Al’s or Alicia’s area of expertise.”
“So then what?”
“I have no fucking clue,” I sighed.
“Hi, Tiger,” Jessica said softly when she came out of the bedroom. “Hi, Kara.”
“Are you ready to talk?” I asked.
“Is there even anything to talk about?” she sighed.
“Always. Come sit down. Do you want some tea?”
“Sure,” she said.
She sat down at the kitchen table and I poured some lemon tea for the three of us. Kara came to sit with us, bringing Birgit with her.
“Jess, no matter what you say, no matter what happened, I want to help you.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Me too, Jess,” Kara said. “We’ve really missed you and we’re worried about you.”
Alicia came in the front door just then.
“Jess, how are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’m OK. Thanks for helping me last night.”
“It’s OK. Doctor Barton is worried about you.”
“I’m OK, Alicia. I’m depressed, but I’m not going to hurt myself. Do you mind if I talk to Steve and Kara alone?”
“No, of course not. Doctor Barton said I need to take your vitals three times a day. I’m staying at a bed-and-breakfast in town. I’ll come check on you in the morning, around lunch and in the evening.”
“I’m fine, Alicia,” Jessica said.
“No, you aren’t and you damned well know it. And you’re too good of a doctor to try to treat yourself. You know better because you know where that leads.”
Jessica sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you’re just being a friend. Tell Doctor Barton I agree. Steve, is it OK if Alicia has dinner with us?”
“Sure,” I said. “Anything you want.”
“OK,” Alicia said. “I’ll be back after lunch today, and then come for dinner.”
She left, and I waited for Jessica to talk. This had to start where she wanted to start. I had one question I desperately wanted to ask, but I was afraid of the answer. I was pretty sure what it was, but when Jessica said it out loud, it would change everything.
“Will you tell me about this woman that sued you? I mean start at the beginning and tell me what happened?”
“If that’s where you want to start,” I said. “Will you tell me why?”
She smiled slightly, “Not yet. Please just explain.”
I nodded, “I met Carla when a photographer came to take pictures of the basement for the architectural magazine. She was his assistant. She flirted lightly with me and I invited her back for dinner and a sauna. We had a serious misunderstanding about how I normally used the sauna.”
“She didn’t realize you were usually naked?”
“Correct. Anyway, she flirted again, but she always shut me down as soon as I took her up on it. It went on for a couple of months that way - she’d flirt, but as soon as I responded in kind, she’d just freeze up. I broke things off with her and told her to get her shit together. She called me back and we went out, but she acted goofy AGAIN. She told me about the guy in High School who came close to raping her. I should have known then that she was too unstable, but when she called and invited me to dinner, I went.
“That was roughly a year after Carla and I met. Anyway, after dinner, she told me she wanted to have sex. I was a bit worried about her state of mind, but she had rubbers, which told me she’d at least thought about it. We had sex. When we finished, she told me that it was great, but then told me that she never wanted see me again. Basically, she wanted me to help her get past her issues. Once I did, she was done with me. That was the last I heard of her until the lawsuit.”
“Just out of curiosity, was she any good?”
“Normally, I don’t answer that, but given the circumstances, I will. It was nothing special. I’ve had worse, but I’ve had a LOT better. Bottom 10%, I guess. Why?”
“I don’t know. I just wondered. And it was only that one time?”
“Yes. I’m curious, why?”
She sighed, “There’s a lot you don’t know about me and my family.”
Suddenly, a light went on in my head. Something like this had happened in her family in the past.
“Are you ready to tell us?” I asked.
She nodded, “I have a half-brother. One I didn’t know I had until I was six.”
“Why didn’t you say something before?” I asked.
“Because it’s a deep, dark family secret. It nearly caused a divorce. It can never be mentioned around my parents. Ever!”
“I promise.”
“One day, when I was six, a woman came to the door with a boy who looked to be about ten. My mom answered the door and the woman said that she was looking for Troy Wilton. Mom said that he was out, and asked who the woman was. She said that her name was Catherine and that the boy was Dale, Troy’s son. Needless to say my mom flipped out. When my dad got home, they had a huge fight, with my dad denying everything.
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December 5, 2000, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota “I had a good time last night,” I said. “I was surprised you invited a friend!” Mary laughed as we walked into the exam room, “Naomi had a good time as well. You know what a Resident’s life is like.” I nodded, “No social life.” “Exactly. You guys seemed to hit it off pretty well.” “Yes, but I’m not here for that!” “You’re everywhere for that, and you know it!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s just say that you hit the sweet spot -...
March 1980, Hovås/Göteborg, Sweden I woke early as usual, but just enjoyed being in bed with Katt. When she woke, she hopped out of bed and pulled a robe out of her closet and handed it to me. “There’s a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. Go have your shower, then we’ll have breakfast after I have my shower.” I quickly showered and brushed my teeth, and went back to Katt’s room. She went to shower and came back a few minutes later. She dressed, and I got a very good look at her sexy body...
April 5, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “You missed cuddles this morning!” Birgit said accusingly when I walked into the house about 9:30am. “I know, Pumpkin, but I had a work emergency and had to go see Aunt Joyce and Grandpa A.” “And now we have to get ready for karate!” “I know. We’ll have some family time this afternoon. I don’t have any plans.” “Good!” I hugged her and the rest of the kids, then went to find Kara. We hugged and kissed, and went straight upstairs to get ready for...
September 3, 1989, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” I said, bowing to Sensei Jim. “Good morning!” he said waving me to a chair in his office. “How was your trip?” I asked. “Enlightening. I spent most of my time acting as a manservant to Sensei Robert and Sensei Hiro.” “He who will lead, must first serve,” I said. “Someday, I’m going to send you to Sensei Hiro, should he live long enough. You understand.” “Does that mean you are now 6th Dan?” I...
October 29, 2000, Chicago, Illinois Birgit followed me as far as the stairs, then scooted upstairs when I went to the front door and opened it. “Hi!” Sophie said. “Hi!” I replied and held the door open so she could come into the house. I closed the door behind her then led her to my study where I waited until she went in, and then walked in, closing the door behind me. I nodded to one of the wingback chairs, she sat down in one, and I sat down in the other. “Is something wrong?” she...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois I walked in the near 90°F heat to Carla’s place. I was grateful that the humidity of the morning had dropped significantly; otherwise the heat would have been unbearable. By the time I walked up the steps to the apartment over the photography studio and knocked on her door, I had broken into a light sweat. Carla answered almost immediately and invited me inside her studio apartment. The air was moderately cool, and the window air conditioner was running full...
July 1982, Milford, Ohio On Tuesday morning, I kissed Kara goodbye and headed to my parents’ house for my usual morning routine with my little sister. She was happy that I could spend the morning with her and asked to take a walk, so we weren’t in the house with my mom. “Let me guess — this walk will end in the clearing,” I said with a smile. “Yes,” she said, taking my hand as we walked down Overlook towards Klondyke. As usual, we turned around and walked back, taking the path to the...
March 13, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Steve!” Ailea said when she opened the door. “Hi,” I replied, accepting the offered hug. There was no touching of lips, just of cheeks, and I wondered if I’d misread her intentions at her birthday lunch, or if, perhaps, she detected my reluctance to return the offered affection. “Lunch is ready, so go ahead and sit. I’ll bring it in from the kitchen.” I went to the low table, sat down, and a minute later, Ailea brought miso soup and sushi, our usual...
April 3, 1997, Dallas, Texas “Remember what I said about drinking too much,” I said, as I poured bourbon into three cups. We’d stopped at a liquor store, bought a bottle of Blanton’s, and then returned to the small suite I’d reserved at the Westin. Deborah’s room was down the hall, and Krissy’s was two floors below. Krissy’s comment had caught me a bit off guard, but I hadn’t reacted visibly. I didn’t know her quite well enough to know if she’d been teasing with Deborah, so I was being...
March 28, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “This day belongs to you, Kara!” I said when the three of us woke on Thursday morning. “Happy birthday!” Jessica said. “Thanks,” Kara replied happily. “I think I’d like an amazing birthday fuck from our husband, and then a nice loving shower with my wife!” Kara said. “Do we have enough time?” I asked. Jessica giggled, “I set the alarm for thirty minutes earlier!” “Then let’s not waste any of it!” I said pulling Kara to me. Kara’s squeals as I plunged...
September 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois On Monday morning I went to my study to make a surreptitious call to ensure that the surprise I’d planned for Kara was still going to happen, and after confirming that it was, Jesse, Matthew, Michael, and I began preparing for the Labor Day party by getting beer and soda into coolers, getting the grill ready, setting up tables and chairs in the backyard, and ensuring the liquor cabinets were stocked while my wives and daughters worked on food prep in the...
September 1, 1987, Chicago, Illinois “I heard that you have some kind of plan to help Ed,” I said to Connie. “There’s no plan,” she replied. “A witness who saw the shopkeeper alive after Ed left came forward.” That sounded convenient, and I wondered if the witness was real or someone that Anthony had put forward to solve the problem. Certainly, the videotape was real, because I couldn’t imagine how Anthony could have faked that, but the witness? Who knew? “So is he being released? Or is...
August 17, 1997, Chicago, Illinois We finished lunch and Marissa and the younger kids went to play, but Natalie sat with the adults to talk, with coffee, tea, or soft drinks. The Sarcus were very comfortable, but the Heaths were still struggling. But, vitally, they hadn’t left and hadn’t insisted Natalie leave the group. “Can you explain how you developed this attitude and approach?” Chris asked. I nodded, “It started when I was just a bit younger than Natalie. My mom was a total control...
July 1979 — Falkenberg, Sweden On Friday, when I got back from my run, Pam was in her bra and panties again. I whistled at her, she giggled, then finished dressing. I showered, and we went to breakfast and finished up our last day. Once class was done, we were pretty much free. On Saturday, we’d have several optional activities and then on Sunday we’d head back to our host families. After dinner on Friday, I took Pam’s hand and we walked towards the river. It was quiet and peaceful, and...
July 1980, Over the North Atlantic We reached cruising altitude, and I settled back to read my book. Pam raised the armrest between us, snuggled close to me and read as well. The cabin crew offered drinks, and I had my first Coke in a year! Meal service began about an hour and a half into the flight. After the cabin crew picked up the trays and offered drinks again, they passed once more, offering headsets for the movie. Trevor and Maria took them, but Pam and I didn’t, instead we turned on...
July 8, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “Is it really that surprising?” Leah asked. “I suppose not,” I replied. “I just didn’t read too much into the kiss on the cheek.” “I didn’t think it was a good idea to kiss you on the lips with all those people around, because I had no idea who they were or what they would think. You were VERY careful with our dance, so I kind of followed your lead.” Which showed very mature thinking on her part. Both of these girls were exactly the kind of students I...
November 8, 1993, Chicago, Illinois A dark fog swirled before my eyes as I tried to take stock. My head hurt, badly. I felt something on my face and realized, dimly, it was an oxygen mask. My right hand was uncomfortable and I recognized the feeling of an IV and pulse-oximeter. My left arm ached fiercely. On my chest I felt the pads and wires of an EKG. I didn’t feel anything else wrong as I continued taking inventory. I tried to open my eyes, but the fog didn’t clear. I tried to speak, but...
August, 1983, Chicago, Illinois In the morning Anala and I ran as we had the previous time, then showered together, carefully washing each other’s bodies in an intimate but non-sexual way. After our shower we went to the kitchen and I made breakfast and we sat down to eat. “Steve, may I make a suggestion?” she asked. “Sure.” “Broaden your circle of friends. Other than me, all of you are white, nominally Christian, 20-year-old Americans. And you don’t invite me to your Sunday...
June 23, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Steve,” Kimmy said over the intercom, “I have a Suzanne Aavik for you.” “Thanks,” I replied. “Put her through, please.” A few seconds later, Suzanne was on the line. “Hi!” she exclaimed when I greeted her. “I’m in Chicago for three weeks. Can I still run away and join the circus?” I chuckled, “You might want to find out what the circus is actually like before you join! If you’re free, you’re welcome to come to the house tomorrow or Sunday and meet the...
March 1979 Monday was back to the normal routine of school. Debbie Courtney, who lived across the street and had turned fourteen the last week in February, started flirting more with me on the bus each day. Debbie Vaughn, who lived just down the street, would turn fourteen on March 16th and invited me to her birthday party. And Donna Woody, who lived just down the street in the other direction, would turn fourteen on March 20th. She had made it clear what she wanted for her birthday, and in...
June 2, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “My office, please,” Sensei Jim said after class on Saturday. I followed him to his office and waited for him to bid me to sit. He did, and I sat in the usual chair across from him. “She has a real problem, you know that, right?” he asked. “I do. That’s why I insisted she start seeing a counselor.” “I run a huge risk having her here with that kind of temper and her violent acts.” I nodded, “I understand. May I ask what you intend to do?” “I really don’t...
February 21, 1991, Chicago, Illinois “Hi, Sweetheart!” I said, greeting Bethany at the door. “Uncle Steve!” Nicholas exclaimed. I took him from his mom and he hugged me tightly. “Is Jesse with his moms?” Bethany asked. “Yes. They won’t bring him back over tonight so you and Nicholas can surprise him in the morning.” “Perfect!” “How was the drive up?” “The same as usual. Just a bit of traffic in Northern Indiana. Otherwise, smooth sailing. It was driving the other direction that was a...
November 4, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Good morning, Sensei,” Miyu said when Kara, the girls, and I walked into the dojo on Saturday morning. “Good morning, Miyu.” “Do you have a moment, please?” I nodded and we went to the small practice room for privacy, as Sensei Jim had a family in his office. “What can I do for you?” “I need you to meet a young man,” she said. “I think you might be taking this ‘not do anything without permission’ a bit too far!” Miyu shook her head, “No, I’m not....
May 1979 The limo dropped me at home about 9:00pm. I took my stuff to my room, stripped, and hung up the tux. The rest of the things went into the hamper. I took a shower, put on shorts and a t-shirt, and walked down the hall into my dad’s office. I saw no reason to put this off any longer. “Stephen, you need to explain yourself!” my mom demanded. “I was in Mrs. McGrath’s, well, Mrs. Sanders’ now, wedding, as I said.” “You walked her down the aisle! You’re sixteen and not even related to...
November 3, 1990, Chicago, Illinois “I still don’t understand why you told everyone to leave Katy alone last night,” Elyse said on Saturday morning. “Because we weren’t going to talk her out of it. I could tell by the way she told us. I hoped letting her sleep on it would allow her to hear what we had to say. Obviously I was wrong.” “I was surprised that she wouldn’t talk to Jennifer at all,” Kara said. “I thought Jennifer would be the one to get her to listen to reason this morning.” I...
February, 1983, Chicago, Illinois Our first joining since the previous summer was slow and sweet, trying to express our deep love for each other through the motions of our bodies. When we finished, Karin held me tight and refused to let me move off of her. “Sleep there, please,” she whispered. I kissed her once more then adjusted my pillow so that I could rest my head next to hers. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it was what Karin wanted. The feel of her firm body under mine,...
July 3, 1996, Chicago, Illinois I blinked several times and took a breath before responding. It didn’t help. The best I could do was contain my visceral reaction at her completely out-of-line request and her wrong-headed assumptions when she had NO idea what had happened in my life the previous eight months. “What makes you think you can make that request after refusing to talk to me for nearly eight months? And equally importantly, without explaining Alexi? And without giving me the first...
August 12, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “Fuck ‘em all,” I sighed. “Especially Donald Fehr. Running to Federal Court, the NLRB, and Congress? I’m really tired of the government putting its thumb so heavily on the scale.” “Well, we’re not going to resolve that problem today,” Elyse said. “Jackie and Jeremiah want to come over.” I chuckled, “Why am I not surprised? I bet you anything he had a rough sketch done ten minutes after they hung up the phone.” “They want to discuss options. Kimmy felt...
July 1983, Milford, Ohio My drive to Ohio was filled with wild swings of emotion. After quickly driving Anala home I had set out for Milford, driving as fast as I thought I could get away with, slowing only when warned to do so by my radar detector. I’d told Nancy that I’d come straight to her house and asked her to call my dad and let him know so that Stephanie wasn’t worried. I pulled into the Blanchards’ driveway at 3:30pm, having managed to avoid any run-ins with the Indiana State Police...