The House on Sugar Plum Lane

by Judy Duarte

  As the boy slipped into a pensive mood, Eddie dropped the subject, hoping his words would sink in.

  But Danny slowly crossed the lawn to where Eddie stood. “There’s something else.”

  “What’s that?”

  The boy sighed and shifted his weight to one foot. “The other day, my friend Jason was kind of messing with this older guy, a sixth grader named Doug. Jason didn’t mean anything by it, you know how it is. But Doug flipped out and hit him in the nose. And it bled. When a teacher asked him about it, Jason said he sometimes gets nosebleeds. That it was no big deal. He didn’t tell on Doug because…Well, you know how it is. He didn’t want to be called a snitch.”

  Eddie understood, although he didn’t think it was wrong to tell on someone for hitting.

  “Then the next day, Jason didn’t even do anything. He was just walking to the cafeteria when Doug stopped him and told him he’d better watch his back. That one day, on the way home, he was going to kick his butt.”

  Scary stuff for an eleven-year-old, Eddie thought. “So then what happened?”

  “At first, Jason didn’t tell anyone ’cause he didn’t want to be called a wimp or a sissy or anything. But then he went home and told his dad.” Danny shrugged. “Well, it wasn’t exactly his dad. It was his stepfather. But the guy is a cop. And he called the school, and the next thing you know, Doug quit picking on Jason.”

  “So, from what you’re telling me, you think a dad comes in handy sometimes,” Eddie said. “Even if he’s only a stepfather.”

  “Yeah. But who am I supposed to call if something like that happens to me? My mom?” Danny shook his head. “She’s just a girl. And she’s big on saying sorry and turning the other cheek and that sort of thing. So if someone picks on me, I’m gonna have to fight ’em myself. Either that or get my butt kicked.”

  Eddie placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You’re right, Danny. It’s tough when you don’t have a dad. But sometimes a male friend, like a coach or a teacher or someone like that, can step in and be the man you need.”

  “Well, I don’t even have one of those. My teacher is Mrs. Dobbins, and she’s almost as old as Ellie. What’s she gonna do?” Danny slowly shook his head. “It really sucks.”

  “I can understand that. But you seem to be lashing out at everyone. And that doesn’t seem fair. Who are you really mad at?”

  Danny shrugged and clucked his tongue. “Heck, I’m not sure. My dad, I guess. My mom, too. And maybe I’m even mad at God. Isn’t He supposed to fix things like this?”

  “Maybe things aren’t really broken. And maybe you don’t need to be mad at anyone. Why don’t you just take one day at a time? And if you ever have a problem with a bully, you give me a call. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  “Really?”

  Eddie wasn’t sure what he was promising or why it felt like the right thing to do, but he nodded. “Yeah. Really. I’ll give you my telephone number. You can call me anytime.”

  “Cool.”

  They continued to play catch for another ten minutes or so—more time than Eddie really had to spare. But he liked Maria’s oldest son, and he wanted to help.

  “I’m going to have to get back to work,” Eddie finally said. “Maybe we can play catch later this afternoon. If you’re going to join the team, it won’t hurt to get some practice in.”

  “I appreciate you helping me and all,” Danny said. “Especially since you’re supposed to be working. I sure wouldn’t want to see you get fired for being nice.”

  “Don’t worry about it. If I was getting paid by the hour, it wouldn’t be right, but I’m getting paid by the job. So it just means that I’ll need to stay late today.” Eddie handed over the ball, then pulled out his business card and handed it to the boy. “My cell phone number is on this. Call me anytime, even if you just want someone to talk to.”

  “Thanks, Eddie. This is really cool.”

  “Why don’t you go and put the baseball gear away before your mom has to tell you to do it? That way, you’ll show her that you’re a responsible member of the team. And it also lets her know that you can be trusted to do the right things, even when she’s not around to watch you. Trust and freedom go hand in hand.”

  “Okay. I’ll do that. Thanks.”

  As the boy headed for the house, the old man, who’d apparently woken up from his nap, got up from the rocker and started down the steps. Eddie was about to turn away and go back to work when he realized Captain was heading toward him.

  “Thanks for playing ball with the boy. If I got around better these days, I’d do it myself.”

  So Captain wasn’t always going to advocate taking a don’t-spare-the-rod approach and regular trips to the woodshed? That was good to know.

  Eddie wasn’t against an occasional spanking, but he considered it to be a last resort. “Danny’s a good kid.”

  “You’re right. He’s one of the best. But he’s got a man-sized chip on his shoulders these days, and he’s adding a lot of extra stress to his mother’s full days.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Do you fancy Maria?” the old man asked.

  The question came at Eddie from out of the blue, and he found himself trying to backpedal. “No. Not really. I mean, she’s a pretty girl and all.”

  “She certainly is. And she’s also got a heart of gold. That’s why Ellie is staying here and not parked in some convalescent home for the rest of her days.”

  Eddie didn’t know what to say. He’d come to that same conclusion himself, but he didn’t want to show his hand to Captain. Not when he wasn’t sure how to even approach Maria and actually ask her out.

  “I just want to make sure your intentions are honorable,” Captain continued. “She’s been through a lot, and she doesn’t need any more headaches.”

  “Adding to her trouble is the last thing I want to do. But to be honest, I would like to get to know her better.”

  “I can’t blame you for that.”

  Eddie’s hopes rose as he realized he’d gotten the old man’s blessing. At least, it sure felt that way.

  Captain straightened, as if he was going to head back to the porch and let the whole thing drop.

  But he didn’t.

  Instead, he asked, “You ever been in trouble? Served any time?”

  Hope dropped into the pit of Eddie’s stomach like a load of bricks.

  What should he admit? That he wasn’t a bad guy? That he’d made a stupid mistake when he was a teenager? That he’d been responsible for someone’s death and had been incarcerated?

  “Why?” he asked instead.

  “Don’t know. Just a gut feeling, I guess. I used to work at a halfway house for years and saw a lot of guys come in and out.”

  Had Captain spotted something in Eddie’s demeanor? Maybe the way he checked out his surroundings and watched his back?

  Eddie tried to tell himself that what he’d done to end up in prison hadn’t been as bad as what Maria’s ex-husband had done, but he’d caused someone’s death just the same. Still, he’d paid his debt to society.

  “Danny told me you used to be involved with the Salvation Army,” Eddie said.

  “Yep. For more than twenty years.”

  “Then you ought to be familiar with concepts like forgiveness and second chances.”

  The old man nodded. “I certainly am.”

  “Well, good. Because I’m not the kid I used to be. And no matter what happens between Maria and me, I’ll never intentionally hurt her or break her trust.”

  “Fair enough,” Captain said.

  Eddie hoped so, because life wasn’t always fair.

  He’d found that out the hard way.

  Back inside the house, Maria put away the last of the breakfast dishes, then reached for the dishcloth in the sink and wrung it out. As she was wiping down the kitchen table, she realized she’d just dumped the mail on the counter and left it. So she separated it once again. After carrying the ads and junk mail to the recycling bin
s, she tossed them out, only to see an envelope flutter out.

  It was a letter from Ray, and she’d almost thrown it away. To be honest, that’s what she’d like to do with all of his correspondence—trash it or recycle it, which seemed especially fitting, since she rarely responded to him anyway.

  But while she had a few minutes to herself, she pulled out a chair, took a seat at the table, and read what he had to say this time.

  Dear Maria,

  I hope you and the kids are doing okay. Danny hasn’t written back to me yet. Will you please remind him? I know it’s kind of a long drive for you, but it would be great if you could bring the kids for a visit again. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them.

  You have no idea how lonely it gets here. On the bright side, it’s given me a lot of time to think about the mistakes I’ve made.

  By the way, my first parole hearing is on the 7th of September. There’s a good chance they’ll let me out if I can show them that I’ve got a family that needs me and kids to support. My uncle is going to tell them that he’ll guarantee me work. And I figured a letter from you would help, too.

  I know that I’ve hurt you a lot in the past. So I don’t blame you for not wanting to help me. But could you please do it for the kids? You have no idea how bad it is to be locked away. I’ve learned my lesson, and when I get out, I plan to be the best father in the world.

  Don’t forget to tell Danny to write. Is he still mad at me? The last time you brought him for a visit, he let me know that I’d really let him down. I apologized, but there’s not much I can do about making it up to him while I’m stuck in here. So that leads me back to the question I asked in the first place. Will you write a letter to the parole board on my behalf?

  Ray

  Maria had been on the receiving end of her ex-husband’s song-and-dance routine too many times to fall for it again. But she truly wanted to believe him this time—at least, for the kids’ sake.

  She studied the familiar handwriting as if she were some kind of forensic expert and it might somehow reveal any significant changes in the man’s character, but she couldn’t see any difference. Maybe it wasn’t so bold, so brusque. But then again, maybe that was a result of the pen he’d used or the desktop at which he’d sat.

  A part of her, the part that had been lied to and betrayed, didn’t care if Ray ever got out of prison. There were nights when she’d wake up in the wee hours of the morning, having dreamed they were having an angry confrontation. In each one of them, she’d screamed and railed at him until he’d bent his head in remorse. She’d wanted to hurt him as badly as he’d hurt her and the kids.

  Even in her sleep, she’d remembered the embarrassment he’d rained down on them, the articles splattered across the front page of the newspaper, the television journalists and cameramen who’d followed her out of the courtroom when she’d testified for the prosecution.

  Sara might have been too young to recall any of it, but Danny hadn’t been. He’d heard the whispers, the clicking tongues, felt the humiliation and shame.

  Yet Maria’s maternal side hoped that Ray had really made a big change, that he’d stopped being so self-centered.

  Before their last separation, when he’d lived at home, he’d been a good father. But there was more to being a dad than taking the kids to the movies and buying them an occasional candy bar. A man needed to be a good role model, too, which was a level Ray might never be able to rise up to.

  So how could she write a letter to the parole board for him, telling them that they should release him so he could be a part of his kids’ lives?

  Sometimes, when facing a difficult problem, she would go to Ellie and they’d talk about it over tea. Ellie had always known the right thing to say. And whenever they’d prayed together, Ellie’s voice had resonated with peace and assurance.

  But talking to Ellie wasn’t going to help today.

  She could go to Captain, though. He seemed to have a parental type of wisdom. So she took the letter out to the front porch, where both Captain and Ellie rested in the shade.

  But Ellie’s eyes held that all too familiar haze of a woman who wasn’t interested in the world around her, and Captain was snoozing.

  A noise sounded—metal upon metal—and she spotted Eddie, placing the lawn edger into the back of his pickup.

  She couldn’t talk to him, of course. Yet as their eyes met, as whatever drew her to him before pulled especially strong, she stepped off the porch and walked toward his truck. She’d mentioned Danny’s father to him before. And he’d seemed to understand the effect a parent’s incarceration had on a kid.

  If the depths of her problems and situation frightened him off, then so be it. Better now than later.

  “Do you mind if I ask you a question?” she asked.

  “Not at all.” He glanced at the letter she held, clearly unsure of what she was getting at.

  “I told you that my ex-husband is in prison.” When he nodded, she shared what Ray had written, what he’d asked of her.

  “Maybe he’s sincere about making a change. There’s a lot of time for thinking and reflecting when a man is behind bars.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you’re right. And as far as the kids are concerned, I’d like to believe that he’s a new man. But right before his arrest, he stopped by the house, bringing flowers for me and presents for the kids.

  “He apologized wholeheartedly, making all kinds of promises. I believed him and let him move back in with us, thinking we would be able to make a new start. But when the police arrived, he asked me to lie and to provide a false alibi for him. I refused to do it, but you can see what kind of man he is.”

  “And you think writing a letter on his behalf would be the wrong thing to do?”

  “I’ve been used before, Eddie. And I can’t help thinking that if he gets out early, he’ll just go back to being a liar and a cheat.”

  “Do you still love him?” Eddie’s gaze peered deep into her soul, not just seeking the truth, but demanding it.

  “No. I stopped loving him right after Sara was born, and even when I decided to reconcile the last time, it was only for the sake of the kids.”

  He seemed to think on that for a moment. “So you wouldn’t ever want to take him back?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  Their gazes remained locked, and she could sense herself falling head over heels…. No. Whatever she was feeling couldn’t be love; she barely knew him.

  “Are you seeing anyone else?” he asked.

  Uh-oh. Where was he going with that? What was he really asking?

  She ought to clarify things right now, let him know that she didn’t plan to ever get involved with another man again. Yet it sounded so…cold. So angry and bitter. And while she might have been at that place once, she’d moved through it.

  So she answered honestly. “No, I’m not.”

  “This probably isn’t the right time, but I was wondering if you’d go out to dinner with me some night.”

  A sympathy date?

  Or the real thing?

  Her senses reeled, her head spun, and her heart melted to the point where she might have to start dog-paddling to stay afloat.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, raking her fingers through her hair.

  The intensity in his eyes wasn’t letting up. “Why not?”

  Because it was the smartest thing to say, the safest choice to make, but that wasn’t an answer she could share.

  “I really don’t know,” she admitted. “I guess it’s because I’ve resigned myself to never getting involved with another man again. I’ve been through too much to risk doing so again.”

  Eddie lifted his hand and softly ran his knuckles along her cheek, sending her pulse ripping through her veins. “I’m sorry to hear that, Maria. You deserve a lot more than what you had with Ray.”

  Did she?

  With Eddie looking at her like that, she felt herself waffling, giving in. And it was too scary.

>   “I need to think about it,” she said.

  “Take all the time you need.” His hand lowered, then dropped to his side.

  She forced herself to break eye contact. Yet she still felt a connection to him and found it hard to turn away. To go back into the house where she belonged.

  “I…uh…found someone to sit with Ellie and the younger kids on Saturday,” she added.

  “Good.” A grin lit his face and sparked a gleam in his eyes. “I’ll come by for you and Danny at nine-thirty so we can get to the ball fields before anyone else shows up. That’ll give him and me a chance to warm up.”

  By the way he was beaming and her heart was soaring, you’d think that she’d agreed to the date she’d been unable to commit to just moments ago.

  “We’ll be ready,” she said, knowing they’d be dressed appropriately and prepared to spend an hour or two at the park.

  But she wasn’t sure that she’d be ready in any other sense of the word.

  Chapter 12

  As Barbara strode across the parking lot toward the entrance of Pacifica General Hospital, her heels crunched on the pavement grit.

  Overhead, the sun shined bright and birds chattered in the treetops, suggesting that all was right in the world. She sure hoped so. After nearly two weeks of worry, she was ready for some peace of mind.

  As she glanced toward the water fountain that gurgled near the entrance of the lobby, she spotted her daughter-in-law coming toward her.

  Cynthia, a petite blonde in her mid-forties, waved as she approached.

  If Barbara had been able to handpick a wife for her son, she would have chosen someone more vibrant, more stylish. In fact, nearly twenty years ago, when the two were dating and things appeared to be getting serious, Barbara had tried to talk Joey out of marrying the soft-spoken, unassuming young woman, thinking he could do better. But Joey had refused to listen and had gone on with the wedding.

  Barbara had never expected the marriage to last, but she’d been wrong.

  In the early days, she’d found several things to criticize about her daughter-in-law’s habits: Cynthia’s inability to keep a clean house and her refusal to hire someone to do it for her; a lack of style when it came to dressing or in decorating her home. But when Barbara had taken Joey aside to chat with him about her concerns, he’d said, “I won’t allow you to talk about my wife like that, Mom.”