by Emily Nealis
“I can promise you that. Anyone who thinks they’re going to control my life and interfere with my career is going to lose. So, you do what you have to do, and you feel good about it.”
After I responded to Adam that morning, the tone of the conversation changed immediately. He was no longer threatening. Instead, he claimed he only wanted to talk to me and work things out. At first, I was astounded. I didn’t anticipate it would be that easy to bring Adam Hunt to his knees. All I had to do was stop caring about him and he transformed into an emotional catastrophe.
It was the same story for the next seven days; apologies and reasoning, all of which fell on deaf ears. Ignoring Adam Hunt and leaving him behind, in the dark, was his worst nightmare. Each day, I came to expect the pleading, the justifying, and the rationalizing that eventually digressed back into pleading. On the third day, he spoke of a religious experience, an epiphany of sorts, in which I was supposed to remain an important person in his life. Apparently, God spoke to him. I wondered if he had a nervous breakdown, too, and also asked God to give him a sign.
As I said, God didn’t speak to me that day. I very much doubt he spoke to Adam, either. This absurd declaration also fell on deaf ears, as any married man who goes to church with his wife and children to pray for reconciliation with his ex-girlfriend is a fool—a delusional and dangerous fool.
Have you ever felt like you’re just waiting for something to happen; the calm before the storm, so to speak? Phil Collins sang about it once, except he was talking about watching someone drowning.
My brief relationship with Adam Hunt lasted six months, spinning up like a twister and ending with the splintering of a house picked up and finally dropped by the wind in a pile of dust and rubble. In only six months, I felt like I’d aged 10 years. I felt wiser—exhausted, but at the same time more awake than I’d ever been. As tumultuous as the past few months had been, I was not experiencing anything that dramatic. However, I did feel that something was about to happen. The text messages and phone calls from Adam gradually ceased with each passing day. But this was not to be the end of Adam Hunt. I had a feeling he would not go quietly into the night, of his own accord or otherwise.
When my phone vibrated that Friday evening, I expected it to be Anna, Sam, or possibly Adam in a desperate, dwindling effort to make contact. However, when I picked up the phone and looked at the screen, I was not prepared for who was on the other end of the line.
Haley Hunt.
In those crucial seconds, I rapidly considered my options. I considered not answering, letting it go to voicemail, avoiding any potentially uncomfortable situation. But would it be an uncomfortable situation? Adam was the most tedious person I’d ever met; he conducted his life with military accuracy and precision. But how precise could someone be when they were leading a double life? Still, Adam would rather die than lose control of any situation. But, then again, why would Haley be calling me? We had not spoken to one another since Travis and Carolyn’s wedding. What would she need to speak to me about? Why now? After all this speculating, she could be calling me about something completely benign and I could be freaking out over nothing.
I answered the phone.
“Hi, Diana, this is Haley. This might seem completely random, but Carolyn said you might have my vacuum cleaner?”
Relief swept over me.
Followed by confusion. Haley’s vacuum cleaner? I glanced at the vacuum sitting next to the TV stand in my living room. I’d borrowed a vacuum cleaner from Anna because mine stopped working a month ago. Due to my recent career development, I’d been in the process of cleaning up the townhouse in preparation for my departure. Anna said she borrowed Carolyn’s vacuum because it had nice attachments, so she would ask if I could use it, which of course Carolyn approved. Carolyn, however, had failed to mention to anyone that the vacuum actually belonged to the Hunts.
Of course she failed to mention this.
On the bright side, it was a first-class vacuum cleaner and I was confident I’d get my security deposit back. I ran my fingers over my forehead and through my hair, collapsing back into the couch.
“I do. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was yours. My vacuum died and I’ve been meaning to get another one, but I needed one immediately and Anna said she had Carolyn’s—” I paused, realizing how ridiculous the situation had become, “—Which is obviously yours.” Haley chuckled on the other end of the line.
“It’s OK, I really don’t mind. But I actually need it tonight, it’s kind of an emergency.”
She was in a bind. Haley had just received a phone call from her mother-in-law. During the conversation, Haley realized Adam hadn’t given her the message that plans had changed and his parents were coming to visit tomorrow rather than the following day. Haley was rushing to get the house ready.
It’s almost like Adam has something else on his mind…
“I know it’s short notice,” Haley continued, “But are you available to bring it over. I know it’s a long way. Or I could meet you somewhere if that’s easier.”
What if it was a trap? What if this was a ruse and she was planning to murder me? What if I arrived and she bludgeoned me, knocked me out, and threw me into a pit in her basement to torture as revenge for having an affair with her husband? But, as evident from Travis and Carolyn’s wedding, Haley’s a spectacular baker and makes wonderful cakes. Maybe she would feed me cake as torture—like the Trunchbull from Matilda. If I could subsist on her cake, maybe being held captive in her basement wouldn’t be so terrible. It was wonderful cake, moist with chocolate ganache.
I realized I was still on the phone with Haley. My imagination was getting out of hand. I knew Haley was not going to murder me or imprison me in her home. I had the woman’s vacuum cleaner, unbeknownst to me, of course. But I wasn’t so selfish that I would refuse to return her property because Carolyn thought it was appropriate to pass Haley’s household appliances around town.
“No, it’s totally fine, I can bring it to you. I can be there in about an hour.”
Haley
The evening was quiet—more quiet than usual. I noticed it as soon as I drove up the gravel drive and stepped out of my vehicle. The house felt sleepy, devoid of sound except for the morning doves singing in the twilight. They would be gone before long, as soon as the first frost hit. Before I left the vehicle, I scanned the backseat. I probably should have done that before leaving Ryan and Leslie’s house. Fortunately, the girls hadn’t left anything behind. The following day, which was a Friday, was also a school records day, which meant no school for the girls. I was grateful that Leslie called and said the cousins wanted to have a sleepover, giving me a chance to relax before Adam’s parents arrived on Saturday to stay the night.
Before I walked into the garage, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye at the bottom of the hill. Adam was walking away from the house, probably from the workshop on the bottom floor or the basement door that led to the back driveway. He was heading toward the shed at the back of the property, the familiar silhouette of his Carhartt jacket signaling the beginning of crisp, fall evenings and earlier nights as the days got shorter. He’d been spending more and more time outside, working on the “winter projects” inside the shed, which included various machinery that needed repair. Personally, I think it was a convenient excuse to keep a safe distance. I can’t say that I necessarily minded.
Minutes later, I was alone in the kitchen, spun up in a meditation of self-preservation. Maybe I could freeze time, hold on to this moment so I wouldn’t have to deal with the coming minutes, days, or weeks. Impossibilities aside, it was a nice thought. My thoughts were interrupted by a buzzing coming from across the kitchen. I looked at the countertop next to the stove and realized Adam’s work phone was ringing, vibrating across the Formica. He wasn’t on call tonight, so I had no idea who might be calling him. He was usually very adamant that no one from work call him after hours unless it was an emergency. I approached the countertop and peered over the screen.<
br />
Lisa Hunt’s phone number flashed across the screen. She probably tried calling Adam’s personal phone but didn’t get through, and now she was trying this number. I normally would have let it go to voicemail, but there was always the nagging thought that it was an emergency, especially if anyone was calling a number they didn’t usually use. There’s something about an unexpected phone call, from an unexpected number, at an unexpected time, that can send your heart into your throat in a matter of seconds.
“Hey, this is Haley.” I answered the phone, sweeping a damp paper towel over the counter top where the phone had been laying. Lisa began asking if they should bring food for barbecuing and what time they should arrive tomorrow. I stopped listening for a moment, wondering whether I’d completely lost track of the days. Adam’s parents weren’t coming until Saturday. Tomorrow was Friday, wasn’t it?
“I’m sorry,” I cut Lisa off mid-sentence, “Are you coming tomorrow or Saturday?”
Apparently, Lisa called Adam yesterday and asked if they could come a day early. A fact that Adam conveniently forgot to mention. It wasn’t like him to forget things. Or did he forget? The tension between us had been thick for the past few weeks. These were the mind games he played; trying to show me he was in charge, that he was the one running the show. I blew a puff of air from my nostrils. Lisa sounded concerned and asked if it was still alright if they came a day early.
Why not? It’s not like he’s the one who’s inconvenienced.
I quelled Lisa’s worries and told her of course it was alright, and ended the call as quickly as I could. I tossed Adam’s phone across the counter, furious. It bounced across the laminate, slamming into the tile backsplash. My temples were throbbing and it felt as though steam was rising out of my cheeks. I was sick and tired of feeling crazy. I was sick and tired of him making me feel like I was crazy. I didn’t care whether Adam had failed to mention the phone call on purpose, I was livid. It sounded like something he would do, though. I wasn’t crazy. I wasn’t crazy.
The house was a wreck. It was a complete mess, and now I only had one night to clean up and get everything in order. The evening had quickly turned into a complete disaster. My only saving grace was that the girls were at Ryan and Leslie’s for the night, which gave me the opportunity to move in a clean sweep through the house, uninterrupted. However, opening the closet door to retrieve the vacuum cleaner, I was met with another disappointment. The vacuum was gone. I stood for a moment, staring at the empty space where the vacuum cleaner usually sat, trying to remember whether I’d used it recently. After about a minute, I realized where it was.
I’d lent it to Carolyn weeks ago. I couldn’t blame her for wanting to use it; it was a nice vacuum with all the bells and whistles. Well, as many bells and whistles as a vacuum cleaner could have. I couldn’t decide whether it was more distressing that I was missing it now or that I hadn’t used it recently enough to know it was gone. In any event, the carpets were a mess from weeks of normal wear and tear, plus two little girls tracking who-knows-what in from the outside. The fact remained that I’d lent the vacuum to Carolyn and she hadn’t returned it yet. At that moment, Carolyn was the absolute last person I wanted to speak to. The thought of contacting her filled me with rage and dread.
“Goddamnit!” I screamed, my voice echoing through the empty hallways. The vacuum cleaner was gone. I couldn’t even vacuum my own goddamn house when I wanted. I slammed the closet door and stomped back into the kitchen, searching for my own phone, which was laying on the dining table. I snatched it up and began texting furiously, asking Carolyn to bring back my vacuum. I waited anxiously for a response, running around the living room, folding throw blankets and tossing shoes back into the bin next to the front door.
Twenty minutes later, my phone buzzed. I stared at the screen in disbelief. I could have thrown the phone through the window.
“I let Anna use it, and when I called her, she said she lent it to Diana Sanderson. Do you want me to see if I can get it back this weekend?”
I was so stunned, only one word came to mind.
Idiot.
But I didn’t have time to ask for an explanation as to why my vacuum cleaner had traveled from Carolyn’s house to those of two completely different people without my knowledge. It didn’t matter, I had more important things to do. Besides that, in my fury, I suddenly remembered I had Diana’s phone number from the night of Travis and Carolyn’s wedding. I could take care of this myself, without Carolyn’s incompetence. Clearly, I was the only one involved in this bizarre situation who had enough nerve to take care of this entire mess.
“I’ll just call her.”
11
October 4 8:42PM– HALEY AND DIANA
When Diana stepped through the threshold into Haley’s house, she felt like she truly stepped into Adam’s life for the first time. There was a living room with a sectional sofa, scattered with throw blankets, surrounded by sage green walls of family photos and wooden signs painted with flowing script about love and family. Across the hardwood floor, beyond the living room, was a dining table with an oak top, whitewashed legs, and matching chairs. This was a home for a family—Adam’s family—complete with small boots and sandals piled next to the door and baby photos sitting on the mantle. This was a place where Diana did not belong. It was a place she wanted to vacate as soon as she set foot inside the door. However, she was there and she would endure it with the utmost grace, treating Haley and their home with courtesy and respect.
Depositing the vacuum cleaner next to the front door, Haley led Diana through the living room and into the kitchen. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone had been in the house besides one of their family members; a fact that didn’t seem odd until that very moment. Next to the dining table was a kitchen with counters piled with fresh produce. Fruits and vegetables were strewn across the countertop in piles; bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, peas, beans, even a medium-sized watermelon.
“Wow,” Diana surveyed the countertop, admiring both the variety and quantity, “Bumper crop this year?” To her relief, there was no knife in sight. She knew Haley wasn’t going to try to murder her. Even so, Diana left nothing to chance and stepped toward the side of the counter perpendicular to the dining room wall. She still wasn’t going to turn her back on the woman whose husband she’d just ended a relationship with. Haley smiled back at her.
“Not bad. I was getting worried a couple of months ago—I wasn’t sure some of them would survive. The pests have been really bad this year.” Haley wrinkled her nose, eying the produce, recalling the frustration of finding pale, sage colored doilies that should have been full, thick zucchini leaves, “I ended up replanting a few mid-way through the summer, so I’m hoping to get as much as I can out of them before the temperature actually drops. But, for some reason, the peppers have done terrible this year and I have no idea why.”
Diana raised her eyebrows and tapped the countertop with the palm of her hand.
“You’re never going to believe this—but one of my coworkers told me she actually put raw fish at the bottom of her plants, just beneath the seeds, and she got some of the best vegetables ever!”
Haley stared at Diana, half shocked that the two of them were discussing fish carcass as a benefit to organic gardening and half shocked that fish carcass was the secret to quality vegetables. Across the counter, Diana wasn’t sure whether Haley was impressed or thought she was crazy. Either way, it distracted them both from the drama of their lives outside of that kitchen. Even stranger than the topic of their conversation was that both women were beginning to relax and enjoy themselves.
“Thank you so much for running that over. It saves me a lot of trouble.” Haley motioned to the vacuum sitting next to the front door and began scooting produce further down the counter, clearing the space between her and Diana, “How have you been? I haven’t seen you since—when—Travis’s wedding?” she laughed, either forgetting or unaware that Diana had been to her home
once before during the party on the farm, “What’s new with you?”
“Now that you mention it—a lot.” Diana wasn’t going to draw it out. If Haley was planning on confronting Diana, murdering her, or all of the above, Diana decided she was going to offer as much consolation as she could ahead of time. Maybe the fact that Diana would be hundreds of miles away by the end of next month would deter Haley from violence.
“It’s a good thing you called me when you did. In another week or so, I might have been gone already.” Haley cocked her head, becoming more intrigued as Diana spoke. Diana continued, “I’ve accepted a job in Florida, so I’ll be moving in the next few weeks.”
Haley’s jaw dropped.
“Wow,” She smiled, appearing genuinely excited, “That’s amazing!”
I probably would be, too, if the woman I suspected was having an affair with my husband was leaving town permanently, Diana thought. She nodded her head and motioned to the vacuum cleaner sitting next to the front door.
“I completely forgot I even had that. If I’d known it wasn’t even Carolyn’s, I would have returned it to her a lot sooner. I haven’t talked to her in a while, though. How are she and Travis doing?”