by Ali Vali
“Just tell me when you’re ready, and I’ll pack and finish up at home.”
Libby followed her down the long hallway to the office at the end. Tully asked, “Want something to drink?”
“Maybe later. For now let me enjoy seeing the inner sanctum for the first time,” Libby said as she turned full circle to take in all of Tully’s office. “This great view encourages me to study.”
“Once you’re finished with law school, I want the first crack at you.”
Libby glanced back from the view to see if Tully was serious and noticed that Tully’s head was down as she reviewed the stack of files on her desk. “Really? Do I give you the impression I’d make a good attorney?”
“You have the potential to be anything you want, and from our talks downstairs about law, I’d say you’re going to be a fabulous lawyer. The added bonus, of course, is that you know how to use the fancy espresso machine we bought for the break room.” Tully looked up after the jibe and winked.
“You’re just hilarious.” Trying to stay out of the way, Libby sat on the sofa. “If you’re busy I can go.”
“Not before you tell me what’s wrong.”
“I asked you first, remember?” She pointed to the other end of the couch. “So sit and tell me what’s bothering you.”
“I remember, but I don’t want to dump my troubles on you, Libby.”
She pointed to the seat again. “But you want me to dump mine on you? That hardly seems fair. Take a seat, Counselor. I asked because I wanted to help.”
“Something happened after I left the coffee shop yesterday.” Tully hesitated, then told the whole story, making Libby jump by smashing her fist into her other hand when she described briefly going home.
When Ralph had asked her if she was angry, Tully hadn’t elaborated, but Libby was smart enough to hear the venom in her voice. Tully wasn’t just angry, she was pissed.
“What happens now?”
“Great question, but I have no idea. I don’t think I can go back after that. Walking in on that scene in our bedroom killed the part of my heart that belonged to Jessica, you know what I mean?”
“After being together all this time, you still loved her a lot, didn’t you?”
Tully leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees so she could rest her chin on her hands. “Corny, I know, but yes.”
Libby put her hand on Tully’s back. “That’s sweet, not corny. I’ve never met your partner, but she’s a fool to have let what you two have go so easily over an affair.”
“Ah, well, enough about my pathetic life. Tell me what’s got you sounding a bit blue today.”
“My roommate’s getting married.”
Tully moved back in her seat to give Libby her full attention. “And you were in love with the guy or something?”
“Oh, God, no. I’m upset about losing the other half of the rent when she moves out. Tracy wasn’t the best roommate I’ve had, but she was quiet and seldom there. Studying at home was great.” Libby raised her hands as if in defeat and smiled. “Oh well, I guess I have time to get another job.”
“Libby, I don’t mean to pry, but won’t your folks help you out?”
“My mom and dad died a few years back, and not to complain, but all they left were a few debts.” She gazed up at the ceiling as if trying to control her emotions. “Sorry, that sounded awful, I know.”
“Don’t worry about how it sounded. Just tell me how I can help you. I don’t know your whole schedule, but how can you squeeze another job and school into your days?”
“I appreciate it, please don’t think that I don’t, but—” The intercom buzzed, interrupting Libby.
“Tully?” Roxanne’s voice came through.
“What’s up?” Tully pressed the button to respond.
“I hate to bother you, but Jessica’s here and is waiting to see you.”
“Keep her in the waiting room for a minute. I have to finish something first.” Tully kept her eyes on Libby.
“There’s nothing to finish, Tully. I’ll go,” Libby said as soon as Tully removed her finger from the intercom.
“You can go if you want, but I’d like for you to stay so we can talk about a few things.” Tully didn’t go back to the sofa, but did walk around the desk and sit on the edge of it.
“I’m not going to take a handout from you.”
“I may only buy coffee from you, but somehow I knew that you wouldn’t just accept money from me. That’s not what I had in mind, so please stay.”
“Okay, but if you want me to go and come back later, that’s all right too. You have enough to worry about without adding me to the list.”
“You’re one of the few people in my life who’s concerned about my stress level, which is refreshing.” Tully picked up Libby’s bag. “Come on, and I’ll put you in the room with the kids. Just don’t let Bailey talk you into writing her paper for her. The computers in there can access a couple of law libraries, so feel free to use one of them.”
Tully suddenly started worrying about Libby and whatever was bothering her, which was better than concentrating on the mess her life was currently in.
Chapter Eight
The door of the office closed, and Jessica sat in the same spot Libby had been occupying. She rolled her eyes when Tully sat behind the desk, transparently trying to get her to jump through her hoops and to make the visit as uncomfortable as possible. If they were going to talk without screaming at each other, Jessica was going to have to move to the chair across from Tully’s desk, which she conceded and did. After all, you didn’t live with someone as long as she had with Tully and not learn just what made them tick and, in this case, what made her such a wonderful attorney.
“What can I do for you?” Tully asked.
“When I went to pick up the kids they weren’t at school today.” Jessica folded her hands on her lap and tried to stay calm. “It’s not smart to give in to their whims, especially Bailey’s.”
“After you so kindly threw them out of your car yesterday, I thought a day off wasn’t too much to give in to.”
Jessica jerked her hands up and slammed them on Tully’s desk. “That’s not fair.”
“Honesty isn’t always fair, Jessica, so calm down.”
It irritated Jessica that the more out of control she became, the more relaxed Tully seemed to be.
“The kids are here today catching up on some schoolwork, as well as coming to grips with what’s going on in their lives. If you don’t agree with how I handled the situation, sue me.”
“Is that how you sold it to them?” Jessica almost screamed. She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths but came close to hyperventilating when Tully went on.
“Why are you yelling?” Tully’s voice was quiet. “I’m sure you’ll disagree with me, but I’m the wronged party here.”
“Stop talking to me like an attorney.”
“I am an attorney, but I’ll try and simplify my speech if necessary.” Her voice was low but laced with sarcasm.
If Jessica prided herself on anything it was the level of her IQ, so she tried her best to let the comment go. “What I want is to talk about what happened.”
“How long have you been seeing her?”
“Do you really want to get into that?”
Tully kicked back in her chair and sighed. “Then what else is there to talk about?” She put her hand up again when Jessica’s mouth opened. “Wait, let me guess. You want me to tell you everything’s going to be all right. How I should be okay with what you’ve been doing for probably over a year. That I shouldn’t be upset that you were sharing a bed with me where your girlfriend had serviced you earlier.”
Jessica’s eyes dropped to her lap during the monotone delivery. “This isn’t all my fault, Tully. I wanted you at home, but this office has always held more allure than your family.”
“Stop before you drown in the bullshit you’re spouting. What we need to work out is how to sever our lives with as little fuss as pos
sible.”
“We can do that, sure. I also wanted to thank you for taking the first step toward that peaceful split.”
“Have I?”
“You dropped the charges against Kara. She told me this afternoon before I came over here. Just because we didn’t work out doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
“Jessica, we have children.” Tully held up her index finger. “We are responsible for their welfare.” She raised another finger. “Those are the only things we’ll have to talk about from here on out.”
“Then why the olive branch of dropping the charges?”
“Do you want to see the kids?” Tully asked, ignoring the question. “I can call them in if you do.”
“Tully,” Jessica said again.
“We’re done unless you want to visit the kids.” Tully pressed the intercom for Roxanne. “Could you come show Jessica to the conference room, please.”
“What if I have more to talk about?” Jessica crossed her legs to imply that she wasn’t going anywhere.
“I suggest you call Dr. Nicolas if you’re feeling chatty. I really don’t care.”
Roxanne opened the door and stepped in without knocking. “Dr. Badeaux, are you ready?”
“No, I’m not,” Jessica answered but didn’t move.
“Jessica, you can follow Roxanne out of my office or I can call security and have them carry you out to the sidewalk,” Tully said. “I do hope you go with curtain number two. So much more entertaining, if you ask me.”
“No one’s asking, Tully.” Jessica stood up and walked past Roxanne, heading for the conference room.
“Thanks, Rox. Could you babysit for a second while I go get the kids?”
“Sure, just as long as I’m not expected to be civil by making small talk.”
Tully laughed as she got to her feet. “That would constitute hazard pay, and we can’t afford the rates.”
“Bummer, that’s a crappy thing to have happen to you,” Tully overheard Bailey say from outside the firm’s law library. “I wouldn’t worry about it. My mom will fix it.”
“Why would you think that?” Libby asked her.
“You’re friends, right?”
Libby nodded at Bailey’s question.
“Then Mom’ll fix it.”
“Fix what?” Tully asked.
“Nothing,” Libby said quickly.
“Uh-huh, we’ll see about that later, but right now your mama’s in the conference room, and she’d like to talk to you and Ralph.” Tully put her hands in her pockets and rocked on her feet, an old habit that popped up when she lectured. Some people paced, but she rocked in an effort to stay on point and keep from yelling, a strategy that usually worked.
“What does she want?” Bailey asked.
“I didn’t ask her, but I’m sure she wants to check and see that you’re all right.”
Ralph had clammed up and didn’t let go of the book he’d been reading. When Tully came in she’d noticed him glance up every other word to participate in Libby and Bailey’s conversation. Now he was obviously using his book as a shield.
“Ralph?” Tully called his name in an effort to lift his head. “You want me to go with you?”
“I don’t want to see her.”
“Buddy, she’s your mom. Nothing that happened yesterday changed that.”
“I know that, but I still don’t want to.”
“Okay, what about you, Bailey Bean?”
Bailey sat staring at her brother as if she didn’t realize Tully had asked her something. When she did react, Tully caught a glimpse of the sweet baby girl she remembered hidden in the eyes so much like her own.
“Why are you being so nice to us?”
Tully stopped rocking and jerked her hands out of her pockets and to her sides. “Where did that come from?”
“I want to know.”
“I’m not acting any different toward you, honey, and I’m not setting you up for anything. Why would you think otherwise?”
“I asked you a question first.” Bailey was getting angry.
“Take a chance, Bailey, and just tell me.” Tully put her hands on the table and leaned forward. “I’m not asking to punish you with the answer, but because I want us to be honest with each other. It’s the only way we can move forward, and I won’t let you down if you tell me what’s bothering you.”
“What do you care?” Bailey stood so fast her chair flew back. “When have you ever cared about me?”
“From the minute you were conceived. I know I haven’t done a bang-up job of listening lately, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.” She knew her soft response sounded tired.
“You let Mama take us to that school because it was a status symbol,” started Bailey. “You let her make me go to parties because you knew the kids’ parents, not because anyone wanted me around. They wouldn’t have invited me otherwise. You never opened your mouth to take up for me, and now you’re just lying again.”
Tully was stunned at the river of words that had finally poured out of Bailey and how much baggage the kid was carrying. “What do you think I’m lying about?”
“You buttered us up today just so you could dump us the first chance you got.”
“I don’t understand, sweetheart. Why would you think that?”
Bailey pointed to Ralph. “He said he didn’t want to go, and I don’t either, but you’re going to make us so she’ll take us away.”
“Okay,” Tully said, stretching out the word. “If I leave for, like, five minutes, do you both promise not to go anywhere?”
Both kids nodded.
Tully walked out, leaving a thick tension behind her, then endured the screaming that erupted in the conference room. Jessica made numerous threats before she slammed out of the front door.
When Tully stepped back in, both kids opened their mouths to speak but she beat them to it. “I want everyone to be quiet. I have a few things to say.” She handed them and Libby her business card. “For the rest of today I don’t want you to think of me as Mom or coffee buyer, but as your attorney.”
“Why?” Ralph asked.
“When you have a problem, it’s good to talk to someone like me. You lay out your grievances and it’s my job to fix them. So, who wants to go first?”
No one volunteered, so Tully took Bailey by the hand and escorted her out, waving good-bye to everyone else.
When they were back in her office, Tully dropped onto the sofa. “I’m sorry, Bailey.”
“For what?”
“For letting you down in every way possible and for not doing anything about it sooner.” Taking a legal pad from the coffee table, she found her pen and wrote a few lines. “We need to agree on some things, okay? Okay?” she asked again when Bailey just stood there with her arms crossed.
“Okay.”
“First, your mama and I are probably going to have a lot more of those screaming matches you just heard, but at no time should you think that any of what’s going on has to do with you.”
“What does it have to do with, then? You keep saying it has nothing to do with us, but you don’t say what it does have to do with.”
“My relationship with your mother ended yesterday afternoon. I know you want the gory details, but as a favor to me and my ego, could you just let me stop there for now?”
Bailey nodded and Tully took a deep breath and kept going. “I plan to keep you and Ralph with me no matter what your mama decides to do in the future. It’s not always going to be easy, and I’m sure we’ll disagree on more things than we agree on, but I’m not ever giving up when it comes to you and your brother.”
“More dialogue would be good here. The lawyer-speak is lame, so spell it out for me.”
“I love you, Bailey, and I want you in my house, in my life, and in my heart. So promise me that from now on when someone tells you something, and I don’t care who tells you otherwise, you come ask me before you take it for the truth.” Tully waited for Bailey’s tension-filled body to relax,
but she showed no sign of calming down. “The next thing we have to talk about is this—you have to be in school.”
Bailey threw her hands up and yelled, “Weren’t you listening to a damn word I said?”
“I think we can manage this discussion without cursing at each other, so listening before attacking would be helpful. I said you have to be in school, not necessarily the one you attend now. All right?”
“Do I get to pick?”
“We’ll get to that, but I want to talk to you about something else.” She patted the cushion next to her. “I look at you and see a beautiful young woman who’s smart and kind. Why don’t you have any friends?”
“Because of Liza Williams.”
“Victor and Joyce’s kid?” Tully scrunched her brows together. “What does she have to do with it?”
“She’s the one who made sure everyone in school knows Ralph and I are the kids of the gay couple. If anyone’s our friend it means they’re gay too, so we don’t have a lot of those.”
Tully snapped the pencil she was holding. “Did you tell your mother all this?”
“I did a couple of times, but she told me it’d get better and to not fight back.”
She snapped the piece of pencil that remained in her hand. “Why not fight back?”
“Because it gives you a bad reputation,” Bailey said, doing a good imitation of Jessica.
“I want you to give me a day, okay?” Tully dropped the splintered pencil and stood up.
“For what?”
Tully put her hands on Bailey’s shoulders and squeezed gently. “I have an idea, and I need a day to set it up. All I ask is for you to consider what I’m thinking and not just blow it off because you’re mad at me.”
“What about Mama?”
“Leave your mother to me. You just worry about you and I’ll take care of the rest.” She didn’t let go of Bailey, just pressed her closer. “I’m sorry I’ve been too self-involved to do something about this sooner. I’ll do better, but if I’m falling down on the job, let me know, okay?”
“What about Mama?”
“What about her?”