The college aged assistant escorted Holly into the fourth floor conference room at Hauser, Smith and Keller. The room was long and narrow. In the center sat an oblong mahogany table with a half a dozen black leather chairs pushed under the polished grain. He pulled one of the chairs out for her as he explained his boss, Noel Keller, was running a bit behind schedule. Absently, Holly thanked him as she settled into the soft chair. She set her purse on the floor and folded her hands on the table top. It was apparent that Hauser, Smith and Keller spared no expense in furnishing their office. From the table to the matching book shelves which housed thousands of legal volumes and publications.
Based on Greg's recommendation, she decided to have the prestigious Washington DC law firm with a reputation for defending senators, congressmen, and lobbyists in compromising situations represent her. Although Greg had not needed their services, he had worked with Noel Keller, a key partner on a few projects for the Human Rights Campaign.
Since the afternoon in the auditorium, Michelle Stanley's accusations continued. The list of charges against Holly grew and included gross sexual imposition of a minor and unlawful sexual conduct. With Mark at her side and a representative from the Jessup, she turned herself in to the Bayview Police department. The county prosecutor wanted blood. He fought hard not to have bail granted by the judge. When Holly questioned the hospital attorney, he shrugged her off as if she had the plague. From his reaction, she knew the hospital was not behind her and she needed to find her own representation. Tired of racking her brain on how the situation with Michelle Stanley had spun out of her control, she needed to let the professionals handle the case. She could only tell the truth. She never touched Michelle Stanley. What happened at the school was a complete misunderstanding and the teenager had some sort of vendetta against her. The key factor in the case was Tracey's statement of how she witnessed Holly and the minor, according to the police report engaged in a passionate kiss.
Over and over, she replayed Tracey's hand smacking her across the face, followed by the hurtful words about her father. Holly shifted uncomfortably in her chair and raised her hands to her face. She scrubbed her hands across her face in frustration. She didn't know what hurt more, the physical sting or the reference to her being like her father. Her life had changed and there was nothing she could do about it. Tracey extricated herself from Holly without as much as a backwards glance. Calls and messages went unanswered or acknowledged. Tracey severed all communication with her. Mel and Mark assured her that Tracey was probably having a tough time with the situation and having to deal with the school and the authorities.
The door of the conference room opened and Holly thought it was going to be the assistant offering a cup of coffee or spring water. Instead, in walked a tall slender raven haired woman with a brief case slung over one shoulder. She offered Holly her hand and a bright smile. "Doctor Graham, I am so sorry." The quick apology soothed Holly's ruffled feathers. "I admit my opposition's cross examination and tone was a bit dry, but the snoring juror offered us a bit of entertainment."
"I'm sure the judge made certain that wouldn't happen again." Holly took her soft hand and gave her a small smile in greeting.
"Judge Donavan's wrath was in full force." Noel set her briefcase down and pulled the chair next to Holly to sit down in. "He's quite a character."
The attorney eyed the defeated looking woman next to her. Holly Graham's shoulders slumped forward, her face looked gaunt and vacant. Noel wondered what the physician's demeanor was prior to the accusations. Her blonde choppy hair fell into her eyes while the rest fell into cropped layers. Brown lifeless eyes slid towards her, but settled on the rows of books behind her. "Tell me how you got here Doctor Graham."
Leaning back in her chair, Holly placed her hands on the arm cushions. Taking a cleansing breath, she recounted the events that brought her to the offices of Hauser, Smith and Keller. Her life was sucked into a vortex, with every aspect of it falling into an abyss. From the incident at the school, she recounted the call from the executive assistant of Jessup's Chief Operating Officer requesting her presence at an emergency board meeting. The hospital's policy regarding ethical behavior carried stringent guidelines. Any violation not reported to Jessup could result in immediate termination of employment. Numbly, she pulled herself together for the meeting. The time she spent in the room was brief and the burden she carried going in seemed to double when she left. The result of the meeting was suspended with pay until an investigation and cooperation with outside agencies could be complete. When hospital's lead counsel asked if her attorney would be joining her at the meeting, Holly was immediately thankful for her foresight in contacting Noel Keller.
Her name was headline news for every local station. The news vans seemed to be parked outside her house 24-7 until the police began to cite them for parking illegally in a residential neighborhood. Mel came over every night and stayed with her for a few hours. Even Tracey's friend, Piper, stopped by with Mel one evening. The police officer asked Holly about her mental and physical health, but refrained from mentioning Tracey, the school, or the student. As awkward as Holly felt at the moment, having Piper at her house still gave her a glimmer of hope, she and Tracey would get past this issue.
"How did you come in contact with this girl?" Noel pulled a Mount Blanc pen and yellow legal pad from her bag. "From the beginning, you don't strike me as the type of person who is hanging out at high schools." When the physician offered a quiet laugh, Noel watched as Holly spoke of the night of the January storm. Noel recalled the horrendous storm which crippled the east coast from Georgia to New England. When Holly spoke of her treatment of Michelle Stanley's broken leg, she had a reserved clinical approach to the patient. Holly's voice constricted when she spoke about meeting Tracey Campbell and explained how through the course of the night she went out of her way for the teacher. She allowed the coach the use of her office, and made an extra effort to make her comfortable.
"Is this standard procedure, for you to offer your office to a stranger, a stranded guardian?"
"No." Holly felt the blush rise to her cheeks.
"Can you explain?" The doctor's fidgeting body language made Noel cringe. If she represented Dr. Graham in a court room, she would have to work on the doctor's body language.
"Can you explain?" The doctor's fidgeting body language made Noel cringle. If she was going to put Dr. Graham on the witness stand or sit with her in the court, she would have to work on reigning in her emotions.
"Looking back at it now, it was instant attraction. I thought Tracey was cute. Frazzled looking, bruised and scared, I wanted to help her."
"Are you a lesbian?"
"Yes."
"Are you out at work?"
"Yes."
"Is she?" Noel was looking at her notes, the time table she established, the dates to review. When Dr. Graham didn't respond, she looked up. "Is Tracey Campbell out at her work?"
"Does that matter?"
"It's going to matter if we go to court to establish the relationship was between you and Miss Campbell not Miss Stanley."
"I never touched that kid." Holly instantly became defensive.
"That is a lie." Noel sat forward in her chair when Holly's face turned red. "You've touched Michelle Stanley when you examined her as a patient."
"I wouldn't call it a sexual."
"That is where you're correct. You had a doctor patient relationship with a young woman. I'm assuming it was not of a sexual nature."
"That girl kissed me. She grabbed hold of my jacket and pulled me into her." Holly ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't realize what was happening until it was too late."
"I have a copy of the police report." Noel slid a manila folder on the table. She pulled out a sheet of paper and read from it. "According to witness Tracey Campbell, teacher, she saw the adult female and minor female engaged in an embrace and kissing." Noel slid the paper across the table. "Your girlfriend?"
"Not since this happened." Holly fingered the report and glanced at the formal statement with Tracey's name on it. "I can't comprehend why she did it. I went there to pick up Tracey because her car was broken down. We were supposed to meet in her office but the front office, said she was in the auditorium. Then Michelle Stanley steps up to offer to escort me there....I should have trusted my gut."
"Are you having a sexual relationship with Michelle Stanley, the seventeen year old student in question?"
"Absolutely not." Holly's brown eyes turned towards Noel and burned a hole into the attorney. "I would never touch a child."
"She is a child, you know." Noel stood up and began to walk a path next to the conference table. "The school board will be quick to use that fact against you. What about Miss Campbell, is there anything she knows, or could use to show you would want to have a relationship with one of her students?"
"I...I...oh god. My dad." Holly put her head in her hands and leaned against the table.
"You're going to need to tell me everything if you want me to represent you Dr. Graham." Noel placed her hands on the top of a leather chair and looked towards the woman she was debating about taking on. "Let's put everything out on the table and see where we are at. Dr. Graham, if you are as innocent as you claim to be, we are going to make certain the court sees it that way also." When the doctor lifted her head, Noel could see the brown eye rimming with tears. "How about I get Willie to order us a couple of sandwiches from the deli and we get to know one another a little bit better?" Noel pulled a package of tissues out of her bag and placed them on the table. "I'll be right back. Is turkey acceptable?" Holly's brisk nod sent her in search of her assistant.
Taking a couple of tissues from the small package, Holly wiped at her eyes, tired of crying. What she didn't tell Miss Keller was that if she was found guilty; she would lose her license to practice medicine in the state of Maryland. She wouldn't be able to do the job she loved as a sex offender. She would be relegated to a third world country to continue doing what she loved. She needed to check the laws in Delaware. As part of the life flight crew, she kept an active license in the neighboring state.
Noel Keller seemed nice and appeared to have Holly's best interests at heart. If Holly met her under different circumstances, she probably would make an effort to be friendlier to the raven haired woman. With her life in limbo, Holly just hoped the brash attorney could help bring her life back on track. Clearing her throat and wishing for a bottle of water, Holly jumped a little as Noel entered the room. She gratefully took the bottle of water Noel offered her.
"Thank you." Twisting the top off and pouring the clear liquid into the small glass tumbler.
"Willie will bring lunch in when it gets here. He'll knock three times on the door, it's our code." Noel gestured her head towards the door. "We could go into my office if you want?"
"No, here is fine." Holly set her glass down. "Where do want to start?"
"The beginning is always the best." Noel sat next to Holly, her yellow legal pad at her side. "You mentioned your father, let's start with you, your family."
"You're in for a long day." Holly folded her hands on top of the table.
"That's why I ordered lunch."
Tommy glanced at her and slowed his pace. Spotting a grassy clearing on the Gywnns Falls trail, he motioned towards it. "Want a break?" He called to her and watched as she fell to her butt in the clearing.
"You're trying to kill me." Tracey leaned back in the grass. She was exhausted from the three mile run they just did. Her legs felt like Jell-O. For the first time in days, she could only think of her aching limbs. She lifted her knees to her chest and groaned. Her hand lay against her hot sweaty stomach as she tried to catch her breath and slow her heart rate.
"Feel a little better?" Tommy sat on the grass his legs in front of him stretching his quad muscles.
"I can't feel a thing." Tracey placed a bent elbow over her eyes shading them from the afternoon sun. "Remind me why I went running with you?"
"To get your mind off Holly remember?" Tommy smacked her on the thigh. "Stretch before you tighten up. You're going to feel worse tomorrow."
"You said the H word." Tracey groaned.
"Yes, I did." Tommy glanced at his sister, the Holly turmoil had thrown her for a loop. Last night at her house, he was banned from mentioning the doctor's name. "I think you should talk about it. Forget what the lawyers tell you. Talk to me." Tommy watched as Tracey sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees resting her chin on them. She glanced at him, her eyes the color of silver, a shade they turned when Tracey's intensity rose.
"I saw her with one of my students." Tracey closed her eyes as the flash of Holly kissing Michelle Stanley replayed in her mind.
"Exactly what did you see?"
"Holly was in a lip lock with a student against the stage. Her hands were against the stage and the student was pinned between her arms and her body against the stage." As if a slow motion movie played in her head, she blacked out every thing else but Holly and Michelle against the stage.
"How far away were you from the stage?"
"Tommy, I don't need glasses."
"I'm not saying that. What I am trying to figure out is why if Holly has this secret relationship with this girl, would she make out with her in the middle of the school auditorium." Tommy waited for his sister's reaction. "She signed in. She was looking for you. Why would she take the chance and get caught?"
"She was horny." Tracey felt the sting of tears as the thought of Holly and Michelle sleeping together entered her mind. "You would think I would have known something was going on. Michelle seemed to conveniently show up at the hospital or in my neighborhood."
"Explain." Tracey told him about Michelle's visit to the hospital and her run with the teenager at the store. "Where were you standing when you saw them together?" Tracey rolled her eyes. She had been over the story a thousand times and nothing changed the outcome.
"I was behind them at the center aisle."
"Holly's back was to you?"
"Yes. What is your point?"
"Well, if I was cheating on my significant other and knew they were in the building, the last thing I would do is have my back turned to the entrance. Especially, if I'm screwing around with a minor."
"Good to know you're an expert on cheating and dating minors." Tracey huffed out. She didn't want to have this conversation. The ordeal was eating her up. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep. At night, she lay in her bed thinking about Holly. She went over their time together. How they met, the Valentine's Day they spent together. How Holly tried to make time in her schedule to see Tracey. Maybe she was balancing seeing Tracey and Michelle at the same time. Then there was their weekend at the shore. Even with Maxie showing up, they made the best of their time together. In the midst of all the chaos, Holly finally said she loved her. Tracey wiped away a lone tear that escaped.
"I'm saying remember that bar fight that I had to testify at during college?" Tommy placed a gentle hand on his sister's back and slowly rubbed small circles.
The comforting hand on her back put Tracey at ease. Tommy was trying to help. He wanted to view the situation from a different perspective. He had first hand experience with going against the majority. She recalled the fight on St. Patrick's Day where Tommy's testimony went against six other witnesses.
"That guy was drunk, but he wasn't stupid." Tommy lifted his face to the afternoon sun, looking through the canopy of branches above them. "He walked right up to that other guy at the pool table, his hands at his sides and head butted him. Usually blame goes to the guy who throws the first punch, but because that guy was smart, he had his back to everyone accept for me and the guy he hit. I was the only who saw him head butt the guy first. That's what started the fight. The first punch was thrown by the guy after he was head butted. All the witnesses saw him throw the punch, not get hit first."
"I forgot about that." Tommy's testimony changed the outcome of the trial He cleared an innocent man and shifted the blame to the guilty party.
"Sometimes, we see what others want us to see. That guy in the bar didn't realize I was standing where I could see him hit the guy first." He moved his hand to her shoulder and stood up. "I really can't see Holly doing anything like this."
"I can't either. Tommy, it's a big nightmare." Tracey got to her feet. "I saw her." She pounded her fist against her chest. "I'm the one who made the accusation." Again, her fist hit her chest. "I brought it to the board and to the police. Me!"
"That girl has a part in this also. Remember that. It's not just your statement. She seems like trouble all around. How long has she been at the school?"
"Junior and senior year, she transferred from Bryn Mawr, the prep school in Baltimore. Her father is some big shot with the county." Tracey recalled Geoff Stanley and the offer he whispered in her ear at the restaurant. She shuddered at his suggestion of a threesome. She remembered how she made an excuse about her date being late. She didn't want Geoff Stanley to know she was a lesbian. It was bad enough he asked about the threesome, she didn't want to give him further fantasies of she and Holly together.
"Why would she transfer from a private prep school to Bayview?" Tommy questioned.
"I didn't ask." Tracey said. She never thought about the reasons for Michelle's transfer to Bayview. Tracey was ecstatic when the tall basketball player came to Bayview. She needed height on the team and Michelle Stanley had height. She had quirks. She didn't have a student who didn't. She never thought she'd be in this situation, on administrative leave from her job, in the middle of a criminal case against her girlfriend and not sure if she really wanted to know the truth once the investigation was complete.
"Maybe you should tell your lawyer." Tommy watched as a wince flashed across his sister's face. "Everything that you know, you need to tell him. Even if you think its going to hurt Holly, you need to put everything out on the table."
"Her father," Tracey lowered her head and hid her face in her hands. "Her father had an affair with a student. She told me just before Easter. She had such a shitty childhood. She has no one."
"She has you and she has us. If you love her, believe in her." He watched as his words penetrated her stubborn façade. "Come on, we need to run back." He checked his watch and began to run the back along the park pathway.
Taking a cleansing breath, Tracey started back the path they had run. She let Tommy run ahead, not even attempting to catch her younger brother. Her feet pounded against the dirt path that was used by bikers and hikers. She used to run the trail three times a week when she lived at home. Running was therapeutic for her. It allowed her to free her thoughts and get closer to nature. She pondered over her brother's wisdom. She wanted to call Holly, but Lee Christian told her to have no contact with Holly or the school. Although the attorney assured her she had done nothing wrong, Tracey wondered what the school board had up their sleeve. She questioned if Geoff Stanley could influence the school with funding. Principal Holmes seemed concerned when he found out what student was involved. Her career at Bayview was over. Officially, she didn't know this, but in her heart she knew the administration blamed her for the situation. The black mark around Holly would follow her for the rest of her career at Bayview. The students and staff never forgot. Instead, stories became embellished into classical works of fiction. By September, she was sure the story would be she was having an affair with Michelle Stanley.
Maybe this was the time to let go of teaching and follow her dream of teaching and coaching at the college level. After almost seven years of teaching at Bayview, it was the administration's choice to decide her fate. She hoped everything would be over with soon. Maybe then her life would get back to some semblance of normalcy. As her feet moved against the earth, she felt her muscle beginning to strain. Tomorrow, she would complain about her muscles. At least it would keep her mind off Holly and Michelle Stanley for a period of time.
~
Hours later, Holly sat physically exhausted and emotionally drained in the back booth of Johnny's Diner. Patsy poured her decaf coffee, mumbling something about sleeping. The owner kissed Holly on the cheek when she walked in the empty restaurant. Grateful for the quietness, Holly slid into the booth she spent so much time in as a student. Leaving Bethesda, she headed home, but aborted her journey when she saw the news vans parked along her street and a reporter knocking on her front door. The Roses had a news crew on their front porch also. Holly circled the neighborhood for a few minutes then decided to go to the diner. Patsy's greeting almost caused tears to fall again. She wanted her life back. She wanted to go home, crawl into bed and Tracey's arms and fall asleep. She sipped the hot coffee and went over the conversation she had with Noel Keller. They went over her childhood, her struggles once her parents were out of the picture. Noel became intrigued when Holly spoke of Jordan Norwood, the attorney who helped her as a teenager. Noel asked Holly's permission to contact the Ohio attorney regarding her earlier case, stating she didn't want any surprises. Holly gave her consent, but was nagged by a feeling of uncertainty.
Patsy brought her food she didn't want, but picked at anyways. Johnny's usually attracted the late night drunks wanting some grease in their bellies before they attempted to drive home. She wanted to get out of the place before the crowd came in. She checked her watch and wondered how much longer the press would be hanging out at her house and bothering her neighbors. Ever since the release of her name, she rarely had a moment's peace. She kept a wardrobe of clothing in her car. Trying to avoid the press and sneaking into her house tried her patience, most of her nights she stayed at Mel's or Greg's house. At least Mel's sister Michelle's room would be vacant since her wedding was Saturday. Holly needed a day where she could spend a few hours with friends celebrating. There was no way she was going to drink. The amount of alcohol she consumed at the start of this ordeal still made her stomach roll. She didn't even want to think about drinking.
Gathering her bag and hugging Patsy good night, Holly stopped as the door opened. In the entrance stood Tracey, the disheveled looking teacher stared at her until Maxie, who was hot on her heels, slammed into her from behind. The two women stood staring at each other.
"Well, fucking look who's here the pedophile!" Maxie yelled so everyone in the restaurant could hear her. "Out looking for your next victim?"
Holly felt as if a knife had been sunk into her gut and twisted with every word spewing from Maxie's mouth. Standing out of the way so they could pass, Holly avoided eye contact with either of them. Maxie stalked up to her and stood toe to toe. The brunette spat in her face. Holly blinked a few times shocked that Maxie had the audacity to do something like that in public.
"None of that in here!" Patsy called from behind the counter coming to Holly's rescue. Maxie balled her hands into fists at her sides, when Piper walked in.
"What the hell!" Piper grabbed Maxie by the arms and pulled her away from Holly. "Are you insane?" Maxie began to struggle against the cop's strength.
"Don't even tell me you believe she's innocent!" Maxie scolded, outraged someone would prevent her from decking Holly.
"Maxie, go sit down." Piper pushed the banker towards a table at the rear of the restaurant and then looked at Tracey for the first time since arriving. Her face was coated with a fine sheen of sweat and paled as Piper touched her arm. "Tracey, you can't talk to her." Vonnie's words penetrated the trance like state that held Tracey immobile. "Go sit down. I'll handle every thing." Piper placed a little pressure on Tracey's arm, gesturing towards the table Maxie sat at stewing.
"Come on Doc, I'll walk you out." Vonnie held the door open for Holly, who stared at Tracey. "She's can't talk to you and you can't talk to her. You know that. The investigation will be screwed."
"I just..." Holly glanced at Vonnie then back at Tracey. She swore she could see tears in her eyes. "I'll go." Holly passed through the door.
"Fucking rapist!" Maxine hollered at her back. Holly knew she stiffened and would have turned around if it wasn't for Piper's hand on her back.
"Just keep walking Doc. I'll take care of big mouth." Piper stepped around the corner with Holly into the alley and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. "Want one?"
"Sure.." Holly said as she watched Piper cup her hand and light the smoke.
"Your premiums will go up." Piper tried to tease and she offered one to Holly. Taking her lighter, she lit the end with the small flame.
"I don't have any premiums any more." Holly leaned against the building and lifted the cigarette to her lips. She reflected on the last time she leaned against Johnny's wall. Tracey pushed her up against the hard brick and kissed her senseless. At least the barbs being thrown at her were from Maxie, not Tracey. "Aren't you going to get in trouble associating with the enemy?"
"Are you the enemy Doc?" Piper asked as she mirrored Holly's position on the wall. Holly shook her head. "I think we need the justice system to do its job and see where the chips fall."
"Look after her will you?" Holly heard her voice crack. She couldn't even say Tracey's name. "I'm putting my house up for sale. I don't have anything here anymore. Everything is ruined."
"You've got Mel, Greg and Mark."
Piper heard Holly quietly agree with her. "It hurts too much to be here. I lost the girl, my job, and my integrity." Holly pushed off the wall. "Thanks for the smoke Vonnie. I'll see you at the wedding?"
"I'll be there. Holly, take care of yourself." The cop's words echoed off the alley walls as Holly walked into the darkness. Vonnie walked back to the entrance, crushing her smoke out on the sidewalk under her shoe.
"How the hell can you have a conversation with that woman?" Maxine was at the door waiting for Piper.
"Why don't you chill out?" Piper brushed past her and sat across from Tracey. Patsy brought over a pot a coffee and filled Vonnie's cup. "Thank you Patsy." Vonnie lifted her eyes to the stormy gray irises across the table. Usually Tracey radiated with electricity, but the woman across the table seemed like a ship lost at sea. "You okay?"
"No....no, I'm not." Tracey wiped at her face. "I'm tired of crying. I'm tired of feeling like I did something wrong when I didn't." The momentum she had gained during her run disappeared. One look at Holly sent her reeling into an emotional roller coaster.
"Things will settle down. When they do, you'll be stronger for going through it." Piper reached for her hand.
"I don't want to be stronger. I want my life back. I want to run out the door and tell Holly it was all a big mistake." She thought about the conversation with Tommy earlier. She needed to really think about what she saw. She did contact Lee about Michelle Stanley's transfer to Bayview two years earlier. Also commented about how she felt Geoff Stanley's position with county could influence any decision the board made.
"It wasn't a mistake." Maxie argued as sat down next to Tracey. "You saw her with your student. Nothing can change that."
"Maybe I didn't see what I thought I saw." Tracey pulled her hand away from Vonnie. "I want to wake up next to Holly and have this whole thing be a bad dream." Tracey lifted her eyes to the owner, Patsy. The woman nodded and turned away.
"What hold does she have on you?" Maxie leaned back in her chair studying Tracey.
"It's called love Maxie. I love her. No matter what and that's what hurts the most. I love her and she is supposedly sleeping with one of my students." Tracey looked towards the window wishing Holly to return to the diner. She wanted her to walk through the door and ask her to go for a walk so they could talk.
"She's sleeping with her. I have no doubt."
"Well, I have doubts and I'm the one that matters." Tracey stood up and walked out of Johnny's.
Looking up at the night sky, Tracey knew it was a bad idea to come to Johnny's. There were too many memories in the restaurant to sit there and try not to think of Holly. She didn't care what Maxie said. Holly would never take advantage of anyone. She had been through too much in her life to jeopardize her career. Deep down inside, she wanted to forget what she saw and have Holly be innocent. She'd take Tommy's advice and tell Lee about her suspicions surrounding the Stanleys and how Michelle was the key to the entire puzzle. The truth would come out eventually. Like Piper advised, let the justice system run it course and see where the chips landed.
When she left the diner, Tracey didn't realize she had set a course for Holly's house, but as she rounded the familiar corner she saw the house. A news van passed her on its way back into town. There wasn't a light on in Holly's house, but in the light from her neighbor's house, she saw the real estate sign in the front yard. Stopping in her tracks, Tracey heard a gasp escape from her lips. Holly was leaving. Was the situation so bad Holly had to sell the one place she called home? Tracey had thought of Holly's home as their home. She turned away quickly and ran back the way she came. She didn't stop until she got to her car. Sitting in her SUV, her legs and lungs screamed at her. Tears streamed down her face and she let out a savage cry of pain. She was losing everything she found. Holly's home was their home. Selling the house meant the doctor was leaving. The one thing Holly said she was scared that Tracey would do. Scared Tracey would leave her. Instead, Holly was leaving and Tracey let circumstances come between them. Piper and the attorneys told her she couldn't talk to Holly, to cut all ties or the investigation would be compromised. Like Tommy said, if she believed in Holly, she would know what the truth was.
Tracey thought she believed in Holly, but knew she let the doctor down. The words Tracey threw in Holly's face made her sick. She used information to hurt Holly. She was just another person who failed Holly, just like her parents had. Wiping the tears from her face, Tracey wished she could go back in time and ask Holly not to pick her up from school. Instead, she basked in the memory of dancing with Holly in the living room.
Pulling herself together, she pulled her truck out of the parking lot and headed back towards Holly's house. Stopping in front of the house, Tracey wrote down the number from the sign. She let her gaze travel to the upstairs bedroom, there was a small light showing through the window, the only sign of life coming from the house. Fighting the urge to walk up to the front door and beg Holly for forgiveness, she silently prayed that in time, they could find a way to come back to each other. She loved Holly and knew Holly would never betray her.
Chapter 19
Years... the adverb rolled around Holly's head. It had been years since she set foot in her home town. She came searching for a Mecca, a place to absolve her of any wrong doing. She knew she was innocent. What she didn't know was if her father had been unjustly accused. The nagging question of whether or not her father was innocent plagued her. Noel Keller contacted Jordan Norwood, the attorney who represented her after her father's death. Her current attorney gave no indication of her opinion on her father's case, which irritated Holly. She didn't know if Noel probed her father's case or not. When she questioned Noel about her conversation with the Ohio attorney, the partner stated she didn't have the answers to the physician's questions. She wanted to know what happened with her father, and Jordan Norwood knew more than she did.
Holly drove to Ohio to her home town to look for answers regarding her father's case, to find if the charges against Donald Graham were similar to her own. She knew she was innocent, and was relying on Noel Keller to prove that fact to the court. If she wanted to get to the bottom of her father's charges, she needed to go home and find out exactly what happened with her father.
Believing it was her right to know the facts behind her father's case, Holly asked Noel to petition the court to leave the state. After numerous conversations, Noel grew tired of Holly pestering her about Jordan and her father's case. In an effort to contain her sanity, the attorney petitioned the court's permission to allow Holly the ability to travel to Ohio to settle a family matter. The judge allowed it, as long as Holly was in constant contact with her attorney and reachable at any time.
Rolling to a stop at the main intersection in town, Holly was amazed by how much the small farming town had grown. What once was a town of fields of beans, corn, and vineyards with only one red light, matured into a large shopping metropolis with every chain store under the sun congregated in the town's shopping center. The rows of grapes she raced through as a young girl were gone, replaced by strip malls, coffee shops and home improvement stores. Waiting for one of the six red lights, Holly wondered what type of relationship her father had with his student. Did they even have a relationship? Did he have to deal with a confused teenager?
The scandal she found herself in the middle of seemed to mirror the situation her father went through close to twenty years earlier. Having a major déjà vu moment, Holly pulled her silver Honda through the intersection as memories of her childhood flooded her thoughts. The woods she explored and played in as a child were replaced by residential developments. Across the street from her home sat a cemetery, but even that had changed. A large mausoleum sat where a rose garden had once been, the drive way had been relocated to the perimeters of the property and a large archway announced Rest Haven Cemetery. She drove on to the cemetery property. Her father had been buried here, across the street from her childhood home. Gathering her bearings, she realized her father's headstone was no longer close to the driveway. With the change, Holly got out of her car and found her father's headstone five rows away from the pavement.
Taking a moment, Holly stared down at her father's name. The shame she felt twenty years ago melted away. She missed her father. She never gave herself the time to actually mourn the man who had brought her into this world, encouraged her studies and had the confidence in her to become a doctor.
"I did it daddy." Holly brushed the cut grass from the headstone. She sat down on the grass next to the heavily carved stone and stared at. She wondered who actually purchased the marker. She didn't remember much from her father's death, other than her life seemed to be over. She'd ask Jordan Norwood when they were scheduled to meet. "I'm sorry I've never been here before. I just was so lost for such a long time." She wiped the lone tear that fell on to her cheek. Holly pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.
For an hour, she sat at the grave talking with her dad. Telling him about all the things that had happened to her over the years, she was quiet for a while when she got to the part in her life when she met Tracey. "I met someone. Her name is Tracey." She felt a heavy pressure filled her chest. Tracey. Would they ever get back what they had? She wanted Tracey in her life. Somehow she hoped the teacher would see through the manipulation and lies. "I love her. She's a teacher like you." Holly wiped at her eyes. "She's beautiful dad. I think you would approve. I just need to get through this. Once I get through this, I plan on spending the rest of my life with her."
Holly could only hope that she and Tracey would come to some type of reconciliation. She didn't want to be angry with the teacher, but she was. How could Tracey think she would ever cheat on her? Holly barely had any free time to spend with Tracey, let alone have some type of secret affair with a teenager. Holly's anger was centered on Tracey's choice to believe the worse, instead of trusting her or believing her.
Getting to her feet, she didn't have time to think about Tracey. She was here to find out the truth about her father. Wiping the rear of her jeans off, she walked to her car and drove to the one place in town she used to spend a lot of time at. The beat up Honda pulled into the library parking lot. As she got out, she heard the roar of the crowd at the city baseball field which sat next to the library. The noise of the spectators drew her attention. She grasped the door handle for a moment. Changing her mind, she strolled towards the ball field. The rusted chain link fence stood at the four foot mark. She thought it was much taller as a child. The low chants of 'hey... batter... batter' brought a smile to her face as she thought back to such an innocent time in her life, a time when she trusted the world and loved freely. Leaning her elbows on the rusty chain link fence along right center field, she watched the game progress. The game moved slower than she could remember and she found herself wondering if the pitcher was ever going to throw a strike. Just as the thought registered in her brain, the batter swung and hit a line drive right back at the pitcher. In the fifty to sixty feet between the hitter and pitcher, the young boy did not have time to react.
Thump! The sound echoed through the air as the young boy fell backwards, propelled by the velocity of the impact. Screams from the stands and parents on their feet began the all out chaos. "Jesus!" Holly grabbed the fence and jumped over, running through the grass covered outfield towards the fallen player. Stopping at the edge of the crowd, she was unable to penetrate the circle formed around the mound when someone pushed her back.
"I'm a doctor." She said, loud enough for the crowd in the immediate area to hear. A path opened like the Red Sea. She crossed to the dirt covered hump in the center of the field. An umpire and coach were at the boy's side.
One of the coaches looked at her and said. "I can't find a heartbeat."
"Call 911." Holly calmly stated as she knelt down next to the boy. She felt for a pulse at his at his carotid artery. Placing her ear on his chest, she heard no heartbeat. Her adrenalin began to pump. She may have been out of the ER for a couple of weeks, but she was still a doctor. Her instincts took over as she placed the heel of her hand on the boy's sternum and began CPR compressions. Her brown eyes caught and held the coach's scared baby blues. "I need you to breathe for him." Holly instructed. The man nodded. She was counting out loud but didn't realize it until she heard the sirens in the distance. "Is there a defibrillator here?" She said between compressions. A simple piece of equipment could activate the boy's heart. She looked at his bluish face and saw how young he was.
"Sammy..." Someone called from behind her. She could hear the voice of a parent, a mother... the pain she had heard many times in the ER.
"Breathe..." The coach pinched Sammy's nose and filled the lungs beneath her hands with air.
"How long?" The EMT asked as he cleared the crowd. "His heart is stopped. Start charging." Holly directed as she continued compressions. Sweat was running down her forehead and her back between her shoulder blades. The dark haired EMT's head snapped up at the direction given by the woman working on the boy's chest.
"It's been five minutes since he went down. Started CPR instantly."
"Miss, let me take over." Another EMT tapped Holly's shoulder and took her place.
"Doctor Graham." Holly sat back on her haunches as the EMT sliced open Sammy's uniform shirt, revealing a large bruising mass covering the chest.
"Clear!" The dark hair EMT called out and all hands went up. The punch of the electric charge hit the young body, calling awake the strong beat of his heart. Relief coursed through Holly's body, her hands shaking and her heart rate elevated. She wondered how what had once been a daily event in her life felt so foreign. Her arms quivered as the unused muscles began to relax. Her reflexes were still intact and she knew what to do, but it was so personal now. She looked at the young boy's face and wondered if he would make it.
Where had her life gone? Her soul searching journey to find the truth had brought her home. Brought her to this ball field where a young boy needed her. She watched as the monitor heartbeat blipped stronger and stronger with each beat. Her eyes went to the coach who watched the monitor intently.
"You did well." Holly touched his shoulder.
"Thank God you were here." The gravity of the situation began to hit the balding thirty something man. Tears formed at the corner of his eyes as he looked at Holly. "Sean Hill." He wiped at his eyes with his hand and than extended it to Holly.
"Holly Graham." She shook it gently. The calluses on his fingers scraped her palm. Mr. Hill was a laborer, his broad shoulders and sturdy frame a testimony to his career choice. "Thank you for helping." Holly sat on the grass, pulling her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. She watched as Sammy was placed on the stretcher and rolled off the field. His mother walked by his side, crying as she held on to his hand. The crowd dispersed as teammates hugged their parents and whispered fears for Sammy. Holly got to her feet and brushed the grass off her backside. She heard clapping but didn't realize it was for her until she looked at the backstop. Parents, coaches, umpires and spectators gave her a standing ovation.
"Thank you..." She said softly as she felt the blush rising up her chest to her face. "What at about Coach Hill?" She deflected the attention to the wide eyed man at her side. Sean lifted his hat in salute to the crowd as the cheers continued.
"Dr. Graham." Sean walked next to her as they exited the fenced off diamond. "Can I buy you a beer?"
"You know Coach Hill... that's the best invitation I've had in quite a while." Holly smile widened as Sean's face flamed red.
"Do you know where ZZ's is at?"
"Same as twenty years ago?" She asked. Sean nodded. "Good, then I won't get lost." She walked past the stands and back towards the library. Whispers and murmurs were hushed as she walked past. Her eyes caught a tall auburn haired woman with a familiar look to her. Most everyone she had grown up were part of generations of family that raised family in the once quiet farm community.
In her car she took a deep breath. Her heart was racing. Placing her hands on the steering wheel she caught her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were wide and scared, she felt like her first day on the floor at the hospital. She had been young and innocent, trying to save everyone no matter how hopeless the situation appeared. Too many what ifs running through her brain. She needed to calm down, relax... have a beer with a guy who looked scared shitless.
ZZ's bar sat on the corner of one of the main streets. She pulled into the parking lot of the familiar yellow two story free standing building. A traffic light was proof of the town's expansion, hung at the intersection marking the parking lot entrance of the tavern. Gravel crunched under the Honda's tires as it dodged the large indentations left by some heavy vehicle during the last rain storm. The outer door had changed, a makeshift wooden structure protected the interior from the direct impact of the environment. Holly passed through the four foot by six foot structure and into the bar. Darkness engulfed her. A moment later her eyes adjusted as her nose twitched at the smell of stale beer and cigarettes. She felt all eyes fall on her as she stood getting her bearings for a moment.
"Hey honey! I got a seat for you!" A cat call from the bar along the back wall came. Holly searched the faces for Sean. He stood up and waved her towards the open stool. At his side was the auburn haired woman from the stands.
"Dr. Graham, my wife Krista." Sean signaled to the bartender to get a beverage for Holly. "What would you like?"
"Beer's good. Miller Lite."
"So what brings you to our town and the ball field?"
"Strange as it is, I grew up here. I haven't been back in almost twenty years."
"Holly Graham..." The auburn woman said meeting Holly's gaze. "I'm Kristy MacGregor. I was a couple years behind you, but I remember you." The woman's face showed no distance, in fact more of an understanding of the pain that Holly went through. "No one knew what happened to you. You just disappeared out of town like your mother."
"Not the best of memories." Holly said as she took a sip of her beer. She racked her memory of the woman sitting a stool down from her. A bright red-haired girl with massive amounts of freckles across her face and down her arms crossed a reference point in her brain. "You're Red!"
"It's been a while since I've heard that, but yes. Red was the beautiful name the boys and bullies gave me."
"Sorry." Holly felt the surge of guilt for called the acquired looking child names just for her features. "You look great."
"Doesn't she?" Sean smiled brushing a soft kiss on his wife lips. "We met in college."
"So what happen out there with Sammy?" Krista absently rubbed circles on her husband's back. The tension was still held in his shoulders.
"I've seen it once or twice in the ER. Commotion Cordis. When a ball strikes the chest cavity at the right time, it can cause the heart to short circuit. It's rare, but if the impact happens at the right time during the heartbeat cycle it can be serious. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
"Why are you in town?" Sean asked as his wife nudged him. At that moment Holly knew only a few people knew the story and maybe it was good to find out the truth.
"I got caught up in a situation and I found myself in the same position that my father was in years ago." Holly leaned forward to keep Krista in her line of sight. "I know the truth of my situation and I hope the courts will see that. There was always such a mystery of what went on with my dad and he's not here to answer the questions. So I came back looking for information or a person who can tell me."
"She's here and still a royal bitch. I feel bad for Wendy." Krista said with a sigh and took a drink of her beer.
"Wendy Richmond?" Sean asked. Stopping abruptly he studied Holly, taking in the high cheekbones and the soft brown eyes. The visitor was definitely an attractive woman. He knew he had never met her before, but yet he thought she looked so familiar. "Jesus, I can see it." Sean gasped out loud.
"Louise Richmond is who I'm referring to. I was on my way into the library to see if I could look up her or the family." Holly said. She knew the Richmond family was one of the predominant families in town. "The ballgame distracted me. So, Louise still lives in town."
"Actually in the same house, her parents retired to Florida and stay there for most of the year. Are you going to call? Set-up a meeting?"
"Most people are honest when you catch them off guard, so probably not. I waited all these years, I'm not gonna wait for her to clear her schedule. What's the worst that can come of it? My dad's gone. Any hurt she caused me has been buried for so long, I can't recall why I didn't like her."
"If you want I can ride along with you. Maybe make it a little more comfortable for you."
"Are you sure? It could get ugly. Although it's been a long time, we were never the best of friends. After what happened with my dad, I doubt we ever would be." Holly wondered why Krista would want to place herself in the middle. She had already voiced her opinion of Louise, so maybe it was for moral support. It would be good to have someone by her side. For a while, she wouldn't be alone. "I'm not here looking for friends. I want answers about what happened with my dad. Louise Richmond is the one person who can do that."
"Are you sure this is something you're ready for?" Krista pulled her lower lip between her teeth.
"I've been waiting twenty years. I'm ready for anything. Louise doesn't scare me. I'm not a teenager she can bully around."
After a few beers, Holly wanted to head to her hotel. She made arrangements for Krista to pick her up at there. Saying goodnight to the couple, Holly waved as she headed out the door.
An hour later, Sean opened the door for his wife and slipped into his side of the truck. He settled in the seat and looked at Krista. "Is Wendy her sister?"
"There was always a rumor." Krista confessed. "Louise went away for a year or so and when she came back the Richmond's adopted a 'cousin' from out of state. No one really knew for sure. Mr. Graham killed himself before the trial. He was a math teacher at the high school. I was younger, but Jessie said he was a great teacher." Krista said as she placed her forehead on the cool glass of the window. "He was charged with raping a minor."
"Are you sure you want to be there tomorrow? This woman shows up looking for the truth about her dad. She doesn't know about Wendy. Jesus, just by looking at them you can see the resemblance."
"I want to be there for Wendy. She doesn't deserve this. She's a good kid. She can't help the adults in her life aren't the best examples." His wife's explanation resonated with him. He liked the college student and knew Krista's presence would make her feel safe. He just hoped that Holly Graham was ready to meet Wendy Richmond.
Finally the last hour of the University of Maryland Youth Basketball camp was coming to a close. Tracey wiped her brow as she watched the young girls chattering in the circle at the center of the court. This week the eight to twelve year olds girls invaded the basketball field house at the university. Tracey had always enjoyed teaching the kids the basic skills of a sport she loved. This year's camp stressed her out. She knew most of her stress came from the Michelle Stanley situation.
Four weeks since she walked in to the auditorium and found Holly kissing Michelle. A month had passed and still nothing was settled. The Board of Education placed her on paid administrative leave immediately, for conduct unbecoming a teacher. She consulted her attorney earlier in the week, but Lee didn't have any update, they were maintaining status quo. She didn't want to be surrounded by unknowns. She wanted her life back. Instead, she felt as if a black hole had sucked up everything she cared about except her family. Her teaching position at Bayview was in serious jeopardy. The school had a history of placing teachers on leave and cutting their positions due to budget constraints. Then there was Holly. She thought long and hard about what Tommy said. She knew what she saw. The question that still plagued her was why? Why would Holly want to kiss Michelle? The spoiled teenager demanded her peers cater to her every whim. She suspected Michelle followed in her mother's footsteps. Although Tracey never interacted with Mrs. Geoff Stanley, she suspected the teen learned how to be a royal bitch from her mother. Tracey had a bad taste in her mouth any time she thought about the Stanley family. There just seemed to be something off about the family. Tracey couldn't place her finger on it. She had a feeling if Lee Christian did a little digging into the Stanley's background, the attorney would find a few anomalies.
Seeing Holly at Johnny's last week opened a flood gate of emotions. The initial shock of seeing the doctor made her aware of how much she missed her. She loved Holly. She didn't want to believe Holly would toss her aside for a fling with a teenager. As Tracey looked over the heads of the campers, she realized how ridiculous the thought of Holly being with Michelle really was. Holly was a professional, a well respected physician, a busy doctor who barely took time away from work. Holly did make time to have a relationship with her. They started slow and got to know each other. Tracey thought back to the conversations they had about family and trust. She felt a sharp pain pierce her chest. She didn't believe Holly was innocent. She didn't trust Holly enough to think beyond what she had seen. Tommy's words flooded her brain again. Was she seeing what Michelle wanted her to see? Not what actually was happening? Holly's expression seemed confused. Tracey thought it was because she was caught. Maybe it was because she was confused. Holly had come to the school to pick up Tracey. She didn't plan on meeting Michelle. Tracey felt the pick of tears in her eyes. She had gone over and over the scene. She didn't want to think about it any more.
"Coach Campbell!" Renee Gates, the University of Maryland Women's team assistant coach and Tracey's former college teammate called from across the field house and pointed to her watch. The kids finished the drill Tracey had them running. Taking the whistle from the center of her chest, Tracey put in her mouth and blew. The high pitched sound grabbed the girl's attention.
"Okay ladies!" Tracey called. "Huddle up!" She was greeted with mostly wide eyed stares as the young girls gathered around her. "Congratulations ladies! You have successfully completed the University of Maryland's basketball camp!" Tracey began to clap and the girls joined in. "Before you head home, make sure you pick up your certificate at the door along with some pretty cool stuff." Tracey had seen the treats packed inside the camp bags. Everything from a University of Maryland t-shirt, a MP-3 player, towels, Nike water bottle, and additional small stuff sponsors gave the camp. "Remember what I said about your grades?"
As if on cue, the girls recited, "Grades first, basketball second!" The chorus of voices filled the air.
"You got it! Have a great summer ladies. Dismissed." Tracey smiled as she watched the youngsters race towards the exit.
"Are you ready for a beer?" Renee quietly asked as she approached her former college teammate.
"God yes!" Tracey smiled as Renee tried to hold her laugh in.
"Tell me how you feel. Don't hold anything back." Renee teased.
"Is it me, or was this year really trying?" Tracey wondered if the kids had always been difficult. She noticed it more this year because of her stress levels. "I mean, I was ready to quit on Tuesday."
"It's always like this. Leslie always goes out of her way to make sure everything is taken care of at the house because I'm such a bear during camp." Renee smiled as she said her partner of six year's name.
"I never noticed before."
"You never wanted to be anywhere else but here." Renee commented. Tracey looked at her for a moment. Renee was right. Tracey lived for her job, basketball and the kids she taught. Being with Holly she had a glimpse of what it was like to have someone substantial in her life.
"You're right." Tracey eyed the tall ebony skinned woman with the short tight hair style. Renee broke eye contact and laughed. "Jerk." Tracey smacked her in the stomach.
"So, where do you want to go?"
"Is Leslie going to meet us?"
"If you want? I thought you might want to talk."
"Renee, I am so talked out. I just want to have a couple beers with good friends and rehash how I used to kick your ass in the paint."
"In other words, you want to get drunk and make things up. Because you're delusional if you think you ever got past me in the paint!" Renee placed her large hands on her hips and challenged Tracey to correct her.
"I want to get drunk!" Tracey laughed. "Maybe it was the wing where I kicked your ass."
"Want to try it. I'm still in shape. Let's go Navy!" Renee began to remove her sweatshirt and wind pants. When Renee called her by her college nickname, Tracey went over to the ball rack and grabbed a ball.
"To eleven. Have to win by two. My ball." Tracey dribbled the ball between her legs as she moved towards one of the smaller half court baskets.
"No way. My ball." Renee challenged.
"Your court, I'm the visitor. My ball." Tracey readied her approach. She knew the former center would be waiting for Tracey to take the shot from behind the line. Instead, she did a quick step, driving the ball to her left, blowing past Renee and putting the ball in the hoop.
Renee grabbed the ball and said, "So that's how we're going to play. You're in trouble, Navy." And Tracey was. A thorough trouncing by Renee had Tracey gasping for breath. They showered and dressed at the school. Beers became dinner and Leslie was more than happy to join the friends for a night out.
Tracey sat on the bar stool at Cocoa's. She took a pull of her beer as another shot was placed in front of her. She eyed the bartender, knowing she didn't order the clear liquid in the shot glass.
"Hey what can I say, you're a popular lady tonight." The large woman said as she moved away to wait on another customer. Tracey looked around to see who had sent over the shot. She didn't notice anyone taking credit. She lifted the glass and smelled apples. Lifting the glass to her lips, she let the liquid run down her throat, smooth nice vodka apple taste. When she set the glass down and looked at the mirror behind the bar, she saw her and knew who had sent the shot.
"It's called an Apple Fucker." Pam Farmer lifted Tracey's discarded glass and sniffed. "Did you like it?"
"What do you want?"
"How about a thank you?" Pam slid on to the empty stool next to Tracey. She leaned forward into Tracey's personal space. "Or a kiss would do." Pam leaned towards her and placed a hand on Tracey's denim covered thigh. Pam's audacity shocked Tracey. Sitting facing the arrogant EMT, Tracey slapped her hand away. She was just about to stand up when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Hi! Are we interrupting?" Piper's hand squeezed her shoulder. As soon as Tracey heard her friend's voice she relaxed. Vonnie's presence always reassured her.
"As a matter of fact." Pam began, then noticed Mel Watkins standing next to the muscular blonde.
"Still up to your old tricks Farmer?" Mel said as she wrapped an arm around Vonnie's waist. "Is she bothering you Tracey?"
"I just bought her a drink and..."
"And was leaving." Tracey finished Pam's sentence. The EMT scrambled to her feet and left the bar in a hurry. Mel sat in the newly vacated seat. Tracey looked from Mel to Vonnie and back again. "What's up?"
"Renee called and said she left you here. She was a little concerned about you getting home. Are you doing okay?"
"I'm pretty drunk so I was going to cab it home." Tracey said as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt the room tilt - too much alcohol in her system. "What's up with you two? When did this happen?"
"Ahh..." Piper started then looked at Mel. "The party at Holly's, we exchanged numbers. From there we started talking." Mel felt Piper's hand on her back. "We didn't hide it from our friends. We just didn't want to make a big deal out of anything in case..."
"We fizzled." Vonnie ordered two beers from the bartender. "Besides, you have a lot going on. I didn't want you to feel awkward."
"Awkward, does Holly know?"
"Yes, but..."
"Great." Tracey stood up and looked at the couple. "Just great. Am I the last to know about everything? Did you know she was cheating on me?"
"Holly never cheated on you." Mel got to her feet yelling. "I can't believe you have the nerve to say that, to even think it."
"Why is this happening?" Tracey crumbled. She folded her face in her hands and began to cry. "Let's call a truce here and get you home."
"Take me to Holly's." Tracey said. She stood up and stared at Mel daring the smaller woman to fight her. "Piper, I want to see her."
"Tracey... the case."
"Fuck it! I miss her. I want to see her."
"She's not home." Piper said holding Tracey's eyes so the teacher knew she wasn't blowing smoke.
"Where is she?"
"Ohio."
"Why would..." The realization dawned on her that Holly went home. "By herself?" Tracey asked. When the women nodded, Tracey looked down at her feet. "Can you please take me home? Or I can get a cab."
"Sit down, both of you." Vonnie settled on a stool emptied by an annoyed patron. "I just ordered beers and you need to chill." Mel sat down first and took her beer from Vonnie. Tracey stood debating whether or not to sit. She felt her cell phone in her pocket. She wanted to call Holly, but she didn't know if Holly would talk to her. Instead, she slid back on to the barstool and finished her beer.
"I miss her." Tracey whispered. "I hope she's okay."
"She'll be home in a couple days." Mel informed her. "Maybe you should talk to your attorney. See if it's okay to talk with her."
"I already did. I can't until this is all over. What if I loose her? What if she finds someone else?"
"If she's found guilty, I guess we will know for sure if she found someone else." Vonnie commented. In her heart, Tracey knew Holly wasn't with anyone else.
"She loves me." The truth finally hit sunk in. Holly was in love with her and would never even look at anyone else certainly not Michelle Stanley.
The morning sun reflected off the black hood of the car as the two occupants sat. Adjusting her position in her seat, Holly looked at the large Tudor home in front of her. She had passed it hundreds of times in her younger days, but now she was here to find out the truth. What truth was she looking for? That she wasn't like her father. Or the truth that she had fallen prey to the manipulation of a teenager. She glanced at Krista, the auburn haired woman sat behind the wheel. This was another step in her journey to get her life back. Maybe she would find the answers she was searching for and finally let the past go.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Krista asked.
"No, thank you, this is my quest." The tall blonde got out of the car and slowly walked up the cement sidewalk to the front door. A steady gait hid the tremors coursing through her nervous system. Eighteen years was a long time, but hopefully she never had to think about Louise Richmond again.
Holly rang the doorbell and waited on the front stoup. She could hear steps approaching from inside. As the mahogany door opened to the foyer, a slightly older and rounder Louise Richmond stood there. The look on her face went from a pleasant greeting to one of contempt. For many years, Holly wondered what happened between her father and Louise. The expression on the woman's face revealed Holly's presence was not welcomed.
"What do you want?" Louise's words were clipped as her gaze shifted past the doctor to the car parked in front of the house.
"Answers." Holly stated. She looked Louise up and down. The years had not been kind. "I want to know what happened between you and my father."
"Ha... as if half the town doesn't want to know that." Louise stepped out of the house, leaning a hand against the side lights of the door. "Why are you here?"
"Closure. I loved my dad. He was my world. My family was ripped apart by you and your accusations. I never got answers from my parents. My dad committed suicide and my mom took off. All the rumors centered on you." Holly took a step closer. Louise retreated until her back pressed against the doorframe. It was as if she feared Holly's presence.
In the background, a small chime could be heard repeatedly. Louise remained silent. Footsteps fell across the foyer floor on the opposite side of the door from the interior of the house. When the door opened, Louise jumped. She hadn't expected the door to be opened. Holly didn't bother to look at the door. Her focus was on the woman clearly avoiding her questions.
"Lou!" A young woman's voice penetrated Holly's concentration. "You're leaning on the bell!" Louise's eyes flickered from the doorway to Holly's face. The anger quite visible earlier was replaced by fear.
"Sorry." It was a whisper of response Holly could barely hear. The doctor took a look towards the person at the door. Holly's breath was sucked out of her lungs. She stared at the teenager and backed away. Her steps faltered and she couldn't catch her breath.
"I'm okay. Go back in the house." Louise ordered the girl at the door. Holly placed her hands on her knees and looked at the teenager again. She took in the lean frame and the long blonde hair, the big doe like brown eyes and the down turned firm set facial expression. She knew this person. The recognition hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Shit." She straightened her frame and ran her hands through her hair and holding them there for a moment as she caught her breath. "Shit... shit... shit." Holly mumbled. The answer she searched for stood in the doorway. Louise and her father did have a relationship and a child, a teenager standing ten feet away from her.
"Lady, are you okay?" The teen asked. "Louise, what's going on?" The girl took a step out of the house and towards the stranger standing on the cement apron trying to catch her breath.
"In the house now!" Her voice screeched at the teenager.
"Jesus, you're a piece of work. Did he know? Did you tell him?" Holly went into a crouch. The reality of the situation came to the front. "Does she know?" Louise looked as if she was about to break. She avoided looking into Holly's eyes.
"Go away Holly. You're not wanted here." The cold voice spoke as Louise raised her head. Her blue eyes met Holly's stare.
"Funny, I don't seem to be wanted anywhere." Holly laughed at her own words, knowing how true they were. "I feel for you kid." Gaining her composure and straightening her posture, Holly turned and walked back the car.
"Who was that Lou?" The young woman asked as she watched the black sedan pull away from the curb.
"Damn it Wendy! Get in the fucking house!" Louise screamed at the top of her lungs.