“You’re gonna leave me? After I just got out of jail today?”
Sam tried to stay calm and reasonable. “Look, Val, sweetie. I would stay if I could. But…”
Valerie interrupted, pushing Sam down on the bed. “But what? You have a job you have to go to in the morning. Like I don’t have a job?”
This made no sense at all to Sam; what did her job have to do with whether or not Valerie had a job? And Sam knew, if she were honest about it, her job as a marketing professional for a major healthcare corporation was not anything like working in a grocery deli. She felt a pang of guilt in thinking this, but she knew she had a point. And she knew everyone in her family, including the usually open-minded Barry, would see this point clearly.
Sam tried again to get away smoothly. “Sweetie, I’ll be back. I just have to leave now or I won’t get home before dark. You know I hate to drive on a dark highway.”
This gave Valerie a moment’s pause. Sam took advantage of this moment to slip out the door with her bag. The instant she got outside, she realized she had forgotten her phone. She went back in and hunted for it, ignoring Valerie as best she could. In fact, she forgot about the other woman long enough for Valerie to stalk out the door and over to Sam’s car in the parking lot. When Sam realized this, she looked out the window with apprehension. Sure enough, Valerie was standing next to Sam’s car, moving her right arm in loops and swirls.
She was keying a message on the car.
Sam found her phone on the kitchen counter and rushed outside to her car. Valerie laughed nastily and turned to go back inside. On her way, she hurled back over her shoulder, “There you go, Samantha. See how hubby likes that!”
Sam barely heard the words, focused entirely on the side of her car. The white lines made with Valerie’s key read: HEY, BITCH! FUCK YOU!
Sam’s stomach did a flip. Shit! Barry will see this, and the kids will, too! And everyone at work…
What a disaster. For once, Sam was actually glad to be leaving Valerie’s place and going to her own hometown, her own house. As soon as she got on the interstate, Sam turned the music up and tried to focus on the road ahead. After about half an hour, her phone rang.
“Sam?” It was Barry. He sounded flustered.
“Yeah. What’s going on?”
“Don’t worry—it’s under control. Dax took a tumble at the skate park. We’re at the kids’ ER. Looks like he broke his wrist. And he has a huge scrape down one thigh. Don’t freak out, Sam. I got this.”
“I thought he was at Nic’s.”
“Nah, I picked him up earlier today. He had this plan with some friends to check out the new skate park. It seemed okay, I stayed and watched. He wasn’t doing anything foolish, Sam—just took a tumble. Come on home, but don’t rush. Be safe!”
“Yeah, okay. I’m on the way. How’s Dax holding up?
“Good. You’d be proud of the guy. Michelle said she couldn’t believe how brave he was when they set his wrist.”
“Michelle? She’s there?”
“She has an early meeting tomorrow, so she came on this afternoon. Want to talk to her?”
“No—no, that’s okay. Tell her I’ll see her in a bit. And, Barry—thanks for being there for Dax.”
“Of course, lady. He’s my kid. And you’re my wife. Still.”
Chapter 28: The Last Straw
By the time Sam got back to town, Dax was finished at the ER and home, watching a movie with Chelsea and Emily. Michelle met her at the door and took her bag, setting it by the staircase.
“Hey, Michelle, so glad to see you,” Sam said to her friend. “Where’s the stuntman?”
Michelle chuckled. “Dax is fine—they’re watching a movie in Emily’s room. He found it a bit hard to play video games with his wrist in a cast…”
“Barry?” Sam called. Barry appeared in the kitchen archway, smiling all over his face. “Glad you’re back, lady. The kid was a champ! But he did want his mom.”
Sam felt a pang of guilt but hid it with a grin. “I’ll go up.” She went up to Emily’s room and popped her head around the doorjamb.
“Hey, kiddos! You had a little adventure at the skate park I heard.”
All three looked at her with smiles, and Dax jumped up to hug her. “Mom, I’m so sorry. It was a stupid move I tried. What a hassle for everybody.”
Sam hugged her son. “No worries. We all do crazy stuff sometimes. I’m just glad it wasn’t more serious.”
Emily added, “Mom, he was really brave getting his wound cleaned out. It looked so gross!”
Dax immediately pulled up the leg of his shorts to show off his wound. As Sam was inspecting his badge of skate park courage, her phone rang. She didn’t answer. Better to wait until later.
Emily followed her downstairs, apparently having something private to say to her mom.
“What is it, Em?”
“Mom, I’m worried about you. You look tired. And you always seem worried when you get home from—your friend’s place. Are you and Barry splitting up?”
Sam noticed the fearful look on her daughter’s face. Of course, Emily wouldn’t want to lose what they had here with their carefully blended family.
“No, sweetheart. We’re fine. Really. Please don’t worry, okay?”
“Okay, Mom. I just…want us all to stay together.”
“We will, Em.” But Sam stopped before she said “I promise.” She couldn’t lie to Emily and she wasn’t totally sure.
Her daughter seemed at least slightly relieved and headed back to her room. Sam went to find Barry and Michelle.
* * * *
Sitting on the porch with them, Sam checked her phone messages. She wasn’t surprised to find a message from Valerie. Feeling the familiar pull of her obsession, she listened to the voice mail.
Samantha. You can’t get away from me, no matter what you think or do. I know how to find you.
She sat in silence, realizing the other two were looking at her strangely. Michelle came over and sat beside Sam, taking her hand.
“What is it, Sam? You want to talk about it?”
Sam shook her head no, but then found herself blurting out, “She’s mad. Really angry. She keyed my car.”
Barry jumped up, obviously wanting to see the damage.
“No, please! Don’t look right now. It’ll just make it worse.”
For once, Barry seemed to recognize Sam was on the edge of panic. He sat back down, a concerned look on his face.
“Sam, I love you. What are we gonna do about this crazy woman?”
Sam didn’t know. But she was beginning to see what she felt wasn’t healthy, or positive. Valerie didn’t add to her life.
“She threatened me. In the phone message. I’m scared of what she’ll do. I mean, I can’t just leave the kids, or my job—or you, Barry. Why can’t she see that?”
“Sam, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” offered Michelle. “Barry loves you. And…you’re my friend. I wish it was more…but this isn’t the time. Right now we need to make sure you’re safe.”
Sam nodded. The phone rang again.
She listened in silence.
Samantha? I want you to leave that man and come back here where you belong.
“I can’t do that—you know I can’t. What about the kids?!”
Bring them with you. They’re your kids, aren’t they?
“Yes, but—I can’t do that!” Sam repeated.
You can do whatever you fuckin’ want to do. If you ever want to see me again, pack your stuff and get back in your goddamn car!”
Sam started to cry. Barry motioned to her to give him the phone, but she held it away from him. When Michelle made the same motion, Sam handed the phone to her trusted friend.
Michelle went out in the yard so neither Sam nor Barry could hear the conversation. When she came back in, she looked a bit pale and quite worried.
“You guys, this is serious business. I never saw it before, but this woman is truly a nut case.
Paranoid. Maybe bipolar. Definitely dangerous. How have you tolerated this all these months, Sam?”
Sam said through her tears, “I have no answer. I guess it’s not really love. Infatuation? Lust? Stupidity?” And she gave a desperate sort of laugh.
Michelle put her arms around Sam and stroked the back of her head. “It’s okay, Sam. We all do stupid stuff over love, or even just sex. We’re here for you.”
Barry rubbed her back gently.
“Of course I’m not going. What will she do?”
Barry answered, “Well, I’ll tell you what she won’t do. That’s disrupt our family and our home. If you want to, we’ll go tomorrow morning and get a restraining order. I think you can make a case for that with the threats and the car issue.”
At that moment, Sam saw her shaky dream crumble into a pile of dust. Valerie could not be the woman she had longed for. Sam had to protect her kids, and Barry’s kids. She had a life apart from Valerie, and she wanted to keep it intact.
Barry had trouble seeing the reality of it for Sam, but Michelle got it. At least, that’s how it seemed to Sam as she sat on the sofa contemplating her mistakes and her future.
Michelle came over and sat next to her.
“Sam, please don’t feel like you’ve failed because you couldn’t make it work with her. I know how much you wanted it. I do understand.”
“Michelle—I feel so foolish. Barry didn’t deserve the way I’ve treated him. And the kids…what a terrible mother I am.”
Michelle put a comforting arm around her friend. “You’re not terrible. You just got…carried away. I think you must have felt Valerie was your one chance for a female romance.”
Sam impulsively threw her arms around Michelle’s neck. “You get it. That’s exactly how I felt. Like I just couldn’t give it up or I would never have it again.”
Michelle looked at Sam with a serious expression. “But you do know that’s not true, right? There are lots of women out there, including one sitting right here beside you.”
All of a sudden, Sam really saw her friend for the first time. She was beautiful, inside and out. Sam leaned in and kissed Michelle. And this was just the beginning.
Epilogue
One year later, Sam could hardly remember the trauma involved in being with Valerie. It all seemed like a neurotic dream, or a suspense movie she had watched and vaguely recalled.
She settled back into life with Barry, and the kids were all doing well. Michelle was a lovely addition to their domestic life, satisfying Sam’s need for a female lover and fitting easily into the household at least a couple times a week.
Valerie called once, a few months after the restraining order was lifted. For just an instant, Sam felt the old familiar pull in her gut when she heard Valerie’s voice. Luckily, Dax happened to be right there in the kitchen when Sam answered the phone. He didn’t have to say anything; just seeing her son and how safe and carefree he now was made Sam realize she shouldn’t talk to Valerie at all.
“Yeah, well, I’m glad you’re okay. I gotta go,” was all Sam offered. There was no going back, and she didn’t even want to. Not when things were just looking up.
THE END
ABOUT ARDEN FORREST
Arden Forrest is an educator and author with a background in gender studies and mythlore. She loves to travel and discover new cultures and experiences. She is also a mixed media artist with works exhibited in Europe and here at home.
ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC
JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!
In All the Wrong Places Page 13