“If you were scared, why didn’t you say something?” Aaron asked in bewilderment. “I wouldn’t have forced you to do it.”
“Because I was afraid to disappoint you! I didn’t want to let you down or look like a chicken after shooting off my mouth. Marcus was smarter than me. He didn’t want to go up there. Neither did I, once I thought about it. So I faked twisting my ankle to keep from breaking my neck on the big slope. And I spent the rest of our vacation hopping on one foot, faking an injury and having no fun. All because you wouldn’t man up and shut me down big time. Your job was to look out for me, not be my best bud. Don’t you understand that I wanted—no, needed—you to tell me no sometimes?”
Aaron could hardly believe what he was hearing. Had he really been that out of touch where his sons were concerned?
Marcus spoke up. “Sometimes I wondered if you were ashamed of me because I wasn’t like Andy. That you wished I was more like him.”
“I’ve never been ashamed of my boys,” Aaron answered vehemently. “There’s nothing I’d change about either of you. You hear me? I love you exactly as you are.”
Anger and shame warred within him. If Claudia’s pride had taken a hit, so had his. It wasn’t easy hearing his sons’ account of his shortcomings, but at least they had the guts to tell him. What really hurt was learning how clueless he’d been to his boys’ feelings.
Claudia sent him a look of sympathy. If anyone understood how he was feeling, she did. She defended him now, just as he’d spoken up for her earlier. “Your father wanted you to spread your wings. He might have gone too far in that direction, but only because I went too far the other way.”
“We know you both love us, and we love you,” Marcus said. “And we’re not saying this to hurt you or make you feel bad. We just wanted to get it out in the open. You were both right…and wrong. So whatever arguments you have from now on, please don’t involve us. We’re not kids anymore. We’re responsible for ourselves.”
“That’s right,” Andy said. “No one’s to blame for me being here. Not even me. I don’t remember what happened, but I know I wasn’t careless. I wasn’t drinking. Even the cops have said so. It was an accident, that’s all. And I’m getting better every day. I’m going to keep getting better until I’m back where I was before all this happened. So instead of focusing so much on me and Marcus, you guys need to get your own crap worked out. Just admit you love each other already.”
If only it were that easy. Aaron risked a glance at Claudia. Her face was bright red and her eyes refused to meet his. He took a deep breath and said “All right. You two laid it out for us. Now I’m going to lay it out for you. You’re grown and responsible for yourselves. Well, so are your mother and I. Whatever our relationship is, it’s none of your business. As long as we treat each other with respect, the rest is not up for discussion. Is that clear?”
Andy rolled his eyes. “Come on, Dad. It’s pretty obvious you’ve always loved each other. Neither one of you ever married again. Mom came close with that loser Derek, but she got wise to him in time. She never cared about him like she did you. It’s true,” he went on when Claudia tried to shush him. “I heard you tell a friend once that you still had your wedding band and engagement ring. If you’d stopped loving Dad, you’d have gotten rid of them long ago. And Dad, there were plenty of hotties who’d have loved to hook up with a divorced billionaire, but you never gave them the time of day. So if you two want to eff up your lives, knock yourselves out. But don’t play like the feelings aren’t there.”
Andy’s words caught Aaron up short. Claudia had kept her rings? He glanced her way to find her gazing back at him, her expression bemused. The moment his eyes met hers, she looked away again.
Embarrassment came over him, mixed with righteous anger. It was one thing for Andy to tell him where he’d fallen short as a parent. Meddling in his love life was something else entirely. Not even his sons had the right to go there.
Grinding his teeth, Aaron stood. “Like I said, no discussion.”
Claudia, apparently taking her cue from him, got to her feet. “Your father’s right. We’re still your parents and some things are none of your business.”
“Correct.” He offered her his arm. “Shall we?”
Taking it, she answered “Thank you.” Together they marched out of the room as their sons gaped after them. In this moment, at least, they presented a united front.
Arm in arm they strode down the corridor to the elevator. Once inside, Aaron pushed the button for the parking garage. Staring straight ahead, they descended in silence until he could no longer keep quiet. “Did you really hold on to your rings?”
She hesitated, then replied, “Did you really give none of those hotties the time of day?”
The doors opened when they reached the garage. They signaled their drivers and stepped into their waiting vehicles without another word.
Aaron collapsed into the back seat of the sedan, reeling as if he’d been cold-cocked. He’d put on a good show in front of the boys but now, alone, he felt adrift. It wasn’t easy, hearing his own children call him out on his failings. And they’d been just as tough on their mother, who deserved it far less than he.
Regret and shame for his past mistakes battled with anger and resentment at being blindsided. Even so, his thoughts kept circling back to Claudia. Why had she held on to her wedding band?
Maybe it meant nothing. A silly, sentimental reluctance to let go of a long-ago token of remembrance.
Or maybe it meant something far more. The question being, was he man enough to find out?
Claudia returned home exhausted. The emotional wringer of the past few weeks had caught up with her—not to mention the one-two punch of her sons’ revelations. She wanted to sleep the rest of the day away.
Her phone tinkled, startling her. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was Marcus calling. “Is your brother all right? Because I’m really not ready to talk otherwise, Marcus.”
“It’s not Marcus,” a young woman’s voice answered. “He’s just letting me use his phone. It’s Summer Caruso. I was afraid you wouldn’t pick up if you knew I was calling. Can we please meet? I really need to explain all that junk in the papers. None of it’s true.”
“It’s not necessary, Summer.” In her heart, she hadn’t really believed that Aaron was involved with the girl inappropriately. But now the damage was done, regardless.
“Please.”
The desperation in Summer’s voice made the hairs on Claudia’s arms prickle. This was about more than tabloid gossip, indicating a conversation that shouldn’t be had in public.
“You’re at the hospital now? I’m going to send my driver to pick you up and bring you to my place. Is that all right?”
“Uh, sure, but I don’t want to put you out—”
“It’s quite all right.” Claudia firmed up the logistics and sent Paul on the errand.
When Summer arrived, she entered the apartment hesitantly, glancing nervously around the hallway. Claudia gestured her into the sitting room and a comfy armchair, then nodded to the tray of tea and cookies on the coffee table.
“I thought we’d be more comfortable with something to drink and a little snack. Will you join me?”
Summer blinked, looking a bit overwhelmed. “Uh, sure. Thanks.” Shifting nervously, she added “Thanks for letting me come. I was afraid you’d want to like punch me out or something.”
Claudia gave her a sympathetic smile as she handed the girl a cup decorated with painted yellow and purple pansies. “I promise you the thought never occurred to me.”
“Okay. Good. I mean, I didn’t think you’d really…” she blew out a long breath. “I just wanted to explain all that crap in the tabloids. It’s all lies. Well, I did take a pregnancy test because me and my boyfriend got kind of careless and I was worried, you know? But it had nothing to do with Aaron. Like I told you before, he’s always been good to me, just like a father. All that ‘who’s the daddy’ stuff? The paparazzi jus
t made that up to sell papers. I can’t believe they dug through the trash to find the box. It’s disgusting.”
“They are disgusting. And people only eat it up,” Claudia answered. “Don’t worry, Summer. I believe you.”
“I’m glad.” Summer’s hand shook as she sipped her tea. The saucer rattled when she set the cup down. “Sorry. I’m nervous. I don’t want to break your fancy china. That cup probably costs more than I make in a week.”
“These were my mother’s teacups,” Claudia answered, trying to put her at ease. “Pretty, aren’t they? We’d use them on special occasions. They were fancy to us, but not particularly expensive. I come from a very modest background, Summer. I know how lucky I am to be here, but I haven’t forgotten my roots.”
She set her own cup down on the coffee table. “I know it’s none of my business, but how did your test turn out?”
“Negative, thank goodness. I went to the women’s center to confirm it. I’m not ready to be a mom. I’m working, going to school…it’s not the right time.” She bit her lip and looked down at her lap. “And my boyfriend and I have been fighting a lot. Eddie’s been out of work a long time and that’s why he’s on edge. And somehow I always seem to push his buttons. That’s why Aaron’s been letting me stay at his place. He thinks I should break up with Eddie.”
“And what do you think?” It wouldn’t do to push. Summer had to come to her own decision about her relationship. Claudia could only give her a gentle nudge.
“I gave Aaron a hard time about it. But this time away from Eddie…it’s been nice. Peaceful. And I’ve been thinking maybe Aaron’s right.” She frowned. “But Eddie’s not going to make it easy.”
“He’s never been physical with you, has he?”
“No…not really…”
Claudia’s sixth sense tingled. She was familiar with the embarrassment of victims of domestic violence and their roundabout excuses for their partners and insistence that “things aren’t really so bad.” She waited patiently while Summer wrestled with the truth.
“Well, he did push me and lock me out of our apartment. But I was mouthing off to him and—”
“There’s never any reason for a man to push or shove you. You say Eddie’s not working. Who’s supporting the two of you?”
“Well…I am.”
“Is he looking for work or contributing in any way?”
“Well, it’s hard. He doesn’t want to settle for just anything. And he gets discouraged and doesn’t want to face more rejection. I try to be supportive, you know?” Her mouth twisted. “Aaron says he’s a mooch, but it’s not that simple.”
It was never simple to walk away from abuse. Or even to recognize it sometimes. “Are you familiar with the term financial abuse?”
“Huh?”
“It’s when one partner tries to control the other by controlling their access to money. Making them feel trapped,” Claudia said. “And sometimes it means one person is doing all the heavy lifting financially while the other takes advantage of them.”
“But some couples decide that one of them will go out and work while the other stays home to take care of the house or kids or whatever. That’s not taking advantage.”
“That’s different. That’s when partners mutually agree. It’s not one person making the decision and the other being forced to live with it.” Claudia gave her a long look. “Let me ask you one thing, Summer. Are you happy with the way things are between you and Eddie?”
The girl’s mouth turned downward and she shook her head. “No. But you know, it’s not all bad. He can be so sweet sometimes…”
“Of course,” Claudia answered. “That’s why it can be so hard to leave. When they’re not hurting us or making us feel bad, these men can be very sweet and charming. Believe me, I understand where you’re coming from. Because I had a charming man in my life.”
Summer goggled. “You did?”
“Yes. He never hurt me physically, but he did a lot of emotional damage. He made me question myself to the point where I didn’t know what was true and what wasn’t. Had me so confused I couldn’t even trust my own thoughts.”
“Really?” Summer stared at her, then glanced around the room at the plush carpeting and high-end furnishings and original artwork on the walls. “But you’re so smart and put-together and—”
“And rich? None of that makes a difference when it comes to abuse. Anyone can be a victim regardless of her age or race or social standing. Hold on a minute.” Claudia pulled a card from her purse. “I want to give you this. It’s for My Sister’s House. If you decide you want to leave Eddie, or if you just want to talk more, we can help you. We provide counseling on site or you can call the 800 number there. We have an emergency shelter and a safe house if you ever need one. And this—” she jotted her own number on the card “—is how you can reach me. It’s my private number. I hope you’ll call me if you ever want to talk again.”
“Wow.” Looking stunned, Summer took the card. “I appreciate it. Aaron’s been such a good friend to me. And now you…thanks a lot, Ms.—”
“Claudia. I’m your friend, too.”
“Thanks.” She gave Claudia a shamefaced look. “I bet you think I’m stupid to put up with it, huh?”
“You’re not stupid. The man I told you about? I felt stupid for believing him. Because I’ve worked with victims of abuse for years. I should have seen the signs. But I didn’t see them when it was happening to me. I felt embarrassed and ashamed for a long time…” Her voice trailed off as even now those feelings haunted her.
“Oh, don’t.” In a blink, Summer was beside her, her hand on Claudia’s shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. You trusted him. It’s not your fault.”
Claudia couldn’t help but smile at how their positions were suddenly reversed, with Summer now doing the counseling. “Yes.”
She knew that. But why was the truth so much easier to believe when it came from someone else?
Before having her driver take Summer home, Claudia reminded her about the card and urged her to call if she ever needed to talk again. She only hoped the girl would take her up on the offer.
Once alone, Claudia headed to her bedroom. Though her bed looked cozy and inviting, she instead wandered over to the dresser and opened her jewelry box. There were her wedding band and engagement ring, in the same spot she’d placed them years ago. It had taken months to get used to not wearing them. Her hand had felt naked.
She picked up her wedding band and read the inscription engraved inside, though she knew it by heart: Here’s to the adventure of a lifetime. Enclosing both rings in her palm, Andy’s voice reverberated in her mind. “If you’d stopped loving Dad, you’d have gotten rid of them long ago.”
Her son was right. She’d never really stopped loving Aaron. Losing him a second time hurt no less than the first.
But she should have realized they had too much unfinished business. And she had ghosts of her own. Derek’s mind games had messed with her and poisoned her faith in herself.
“It’s not your fault,” Summer had said.
No. It wasn’t. But she couldn’t live in the past and let fear win.
Time to start trusting herself again. To trust in the possibility of love and happy endings.
Chapter 17
The evening of the gala fundraiser for My Sister’s House, Claudia stood at the podium on the dais. As she looked out upon the scattered tables where guests sat, her gaze fell on her family. Love welled in her chest. Marcus and Trent watched her, pride shining in their faces. Marcus directed his phone at her to live-stream her after-dinner speech so Andy could see it in his hospital room.
Only one thing—or rather, person—was missing. Though he hadn’t responded to her invitation, she’d glanced around the ballroom all evening, hoping he’d show up just the same.
But no time to dwell on that now. Conversations stilled. Muted coughs and the tinkling of cutlery were all she heard as she took a breath before beginning. “Beloved family, friends,
and honored guests. Thanks so much for being here this evening. Your presence means everything to those of us serving My Sister’s House. Please know that your generosity will help save lives by offering a safe place for women, men and children in need.
“I’m humbled by the tremendous honor the Board of Directors has bestowed on me tonight. I’ve been involved with My Sister’s House for twenty years, first as an employee and later as a volunteer and board member. I’ve always believed in our mission and the help we offer survivors of domestic abuse, both adults and children. Over the years the people I’ve come to know, as co-workers or clients, have been like family to me.”
Her gaze drifted from her loved ones to scan the crowd. As she did, the door to the ballroom opened quietly and a figure slipped in. Claudia’s heart thudded. Though his features were hidden as he stood in the shadows at the back of the room, she’d have recognized him anywhere. It was Aaron. He’d come after all.
She momentarily went silent as surprise robbed her of words. Perspiration beaded at her hairline as she glanced down at the speech she’d crafted so carefully, the type blurring into a smudge before her eyes.
He stepped forward, out of the shadows, pinning her with his gaze. His expression said I’m here for you. Confidence filled her and she no longer needed her notes. Her next words came not from memory, but from her heart.
“I’ve been thinking a great deal about family lately. You may be aware that my son was in a serious accident recently and for a while we were afraid we’d lose him. Thankfully, he’s now recovering and I’m so grateful to the doctors, nurses and all the hospital staff who cared for and are still caring for him.
“What I’ve learned is, it’s so easy for us to get caught up in our day-to-day routines and lose sight of what’s really important. When a catastrophe strikes, we’re forced to face the fact that only one thing matters—family. Whether that’s family of origin or family of choice. The people we love who love us in return.
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