The Carolyn Chronicles, Volume 1

by Derek Ciccone

  Dana stared at him, just as she had that day she came home early from school to find a different secretary waiting on him hand and foot … among other body parts. It was the moment that stole her innocence, although, it turned out to be just a smidgen of her father’s dirty deeds, which she’d found out when she got older.

  And the worst part of it was that she could never tell her mother, thinking it would break her heart. So she carried it around with her. And to keep her silence, her father would grant her any wish she desired. He played it off as she was his favorite, a father doting on his daughter’s every whim—Daddy’s little princess. But the truth was that it was part of a relationship of mutual extortion. The one positive was that he never objected to adopting Beth.

  The Boulangers might have looked like the perfect family to the outside world, but it was built on a cracked foundation and eventually began to crumble. First, Dana’s mother died. And without her to protect Beth, it became open season on her, from both Dana’s father and brothers. They made her life miserable, until she finally left the family. As bad as the betrayal was with the other woman, this was the act that Dana would never forgive him for. Many of their neighbors in Greenwich—the ones who only knew his public image—called it a tragedy when Tom Boulanger suffered his ruptured brain aneurysm. The paramedics were able to revive him, but by that time the oxygen had been cut off to his brain too long, and it left him unable to speak, walk, or take care of himself. But those who knew the truth thought it was proof that karma existed.

  Roxanne stopped her typing and turned to see Dana. She smiled wide. “Oh, Ms. Boulanger, I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “Could my father and I have a moment alone?”

  She got up, but wanted to keep the conversation going, “It’s been some time since you last visited.”

  It was before she’d met Billy, who’d allowed her to think it was possible to let go of the past, and no longer make these painful visits. But she was wrong.

  “I won’t be long,” she said.

  Roxanne got the point. “You two enjoy your time together,” she said with that same smile. Dana could never tell if it was genuine.

  “I’ll go to the library, Mr. Boulanger, and get you one of the books you like. I heard a new one came in today.” Another smile. Her father returned a vacant stare.

  He supposedly liked reading. Crime novels, which Dana found apropos, considering most of his clients in his legal career were on the wrong side of the law. But how could anyone tell if he was actually reading them? Or that he had the ability to read them? Even in his current state she didn’t underestimate his natural instinct to keep up appearances.

  “He’s been in good spirits lately,” were Roxanne’s last words on her way out the door. Dana took it as a reminder to please not change that. She had been told that he had grown agitated after many of her visits. She thought that was a good thing, since it meant that he must have understood what she had told him. Her visits had always been more about getting stuff off her chest.

  She looked down at her father in his wheelchair. He was a shell of his once vibrant self. Most of his once-thick hair was gone, and he couldn’t weigh more than ninety pounds. The glasses were new.

  One thing about being in this place was that he dressed in ways he wouldn’t be caught dead in his previous life. A college sweatshirt—Cornell, a place he never attended—and loose fitting pants that looked like hospital scrubs. When she was growing up, he would only wear suits—expensive, usually Armani—and his idea of dressing down was to put on a pair of tan slacks and a Polo when he would venture out into the yard to admonish the landscapers on their Greenwich property.

  His eyes were always hopeful on these visits, even though she wished to see fear.

  “It’s been a long time, father, a lot has happened.”

  No response. Or any noticeable movement.

  “I came across a letter that Mom had written to Beth. Did you know that she had taken her in to protect her from a group that was attempting to kidnap her? It wasn’t a coincidence that we found her that day at the train station. She wasn’t abandoned—Mom had planned it.”

  He didn’t have any idea, she was sure of it. But she liked the idea that her mother had done things behind his back as well, without his knowing. It was a small victory for Dana.

  “She loved Beth so much. Yet you blamed Beth for her death,” Dana continued.

  Again, nothing.

  “I don’t know if Ross or Aldrich told you that Beth has died. So she will no longer be around for the Boulangers to kick—I just thought you should know. But since she no longer factored into their inheritance, it probably never came up.”

  No response. She wasn’t expecting one.

  “I’ve met a great man named Billy. We’re planning on getting married.”

  This time she noticed a slight eye-movement.

  “I thought I could give myself to him. He helped open my heart after so many years of it being closed off since that day in your office, when I learned that all opening my heart will do is lead to pain.

  “But now I sense myself pushing him away. I can feel it. I am losing my trust in happiness that I fought so hard to regain. And the worst part is, I sense there’s nothing I can do to stop it. As if you injected a poison inside me that day.” She stared right through him and was annoyed that she wasn’t getting anything back. “It’s all because of you!”

  She composed herself, and was surprised that Roxanne didn’t dash into the room to save him. “I told myself that I was done coming here—done dealing with this. That Billy had changed that. So I came here today to let you know that I won’t let you steal my happiness again.” She got as close as she could to his face without touching him. “Do you understand?”

  He gave no indication one way or another. But she had delivered her message—she would fight for Billy, and all they could be. Swim as hard as she could against the tide that was carrying her out to sea.

  She left, walking right past Roxanne without a word, and all the way to the Cherokee. Once inside, she broke into tears.

  Chapter 24

  Billy and Chuck arrived back at the cabin to the sounds of Lindsey’s desperate shouts, “Carolyn! Open up!” as she pounded on the door of the cabin.

  Here we go again, Billy thought, the memories of their last visit resurfacing.

  Chuck ran to Lindsey, who explained that Carolyn had gone inside to use the bathroom. But ten minutes went by with no response, and Lindsey grew concerned. When she went to check on her, she found the cabin door locked, and Carolyn wasn’t responding.

  Chuck took over the pounding. “Carolyn—open up this door right now! Or you’re in big trouble.”

  No answer.

  Chuck kept pounding, and Billy was certain he was about to put his fist right through the door, when it creaked open.

  He looked down to see Carolyn. Her hair was a bushy mess, no longer in the double ponytails, and she rubbed her eyes, looking dazed and confused.

  “Why didn’t you answer?” he asked sternly.

  She shrugged, yawned, and rubbed her eyes again. “I’m sorry, Daddy, I fell asleep. You were right—I shoulda taken a nap on the way up.”

  He wasn’t falling for that. “What did I tell you about locking the door?”

  She acted surprised. “I didn’t mean to lock it—I guess I did it by accident. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re really going to be sorry. Like you’ve never been sorry before.”

  Her face reddened. “I said I’m sorry … I don’t know what else you want from me.”

  Chuck looked to Lindsey. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m just glad she’s alright.” She smiled at Carolyn. “You had me worried there. But I probably just overreacted.”

  Carolyn looked away.

  Their attention was momentarily taken away by the rat-a-tat-tat sound of Billy’s Jeep Cherokee coming to a stop in front of the cabin. When Dana stepped out, Carolyn, in desperate need of an ally, r
an to her. “Welcome back, Aunt Dana.”

  Dana looked horrified. “That hair.”

  “I got some serious bedhead going.”

  “That’s going to be the least of your problems, if you ever pull a stunt like that again,” Chuck was still heated.

  “What do you say we go inside and fix that rat’s nest?” Dana said, bringing calm to the storm, and handed a shopping bag to the girl. “And we can see if your new clothes fit.”

  Carolyn looked inside the bag and her face lit up. “You got me riding pants and boots, Aunt Dana!”

  “There was this cute little equestrian boutique in Saratoga, I couldn’t resist.”

  Dana took her hand and led her back toward to cabin. As they passed Billy, she whispered, “The cake’s in the car, it’s ice cream so it needs to get out of this heat ASAP. When I have her distracted in the bedroom, you put it in the freezer.”

  Billy nodded—feeling like they were on the same team for the first time all day … and likely much longer.

  As Dana and Carolyn made their way into the cabin, hand in hand, Carolyn asked, “Do you think I’ll be able to take riding lessons on a horsee?”

  “I’m just your personal shopper and clothing designer, you’re going to have to ask your dad about that.” She looked back at Chuck, who was still livid. “But between you and me, this might not be the best time to ask.”

  As nightfall started to set in, Carolyn returned in her riding pants, her hair had been returned to its original formation. But despite the makeover, she still didn’t look happy.

  Chuck had set up a picnic table and chairs down near the water, next to a campfire. As the sun began to set, the warm temperatures started to plummet, which was the norm for Upstate New York this time of year.

  “I’m sorry for accidentally locking the door, Daddy,” she tried to make peace.

  “That was no accident.”

  “Yes it was.”

  “Just don’t let it happen again. And Lindsey is the one you need to apologize to, not me.”

  “But she’s not here.”

  She was in the cabin’s kitchen, cooking the corn-on-the-cob, while Billy barbecued the chicken.

  “Why don’t you make yourself useful and help Billy ‘paint the chicken’. You always like to do that.” Her pet name for brushing the barbecue sauce on the meat while it grilled.

  “That’s for little kids—I’m too old for that.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since now.”

  Billy tried to break tension between father and daughter. He pointed at the water. “Carolyn look … in the lake … I think I saw the Loch Ness Monster.”

  She just shook her head at him, as if she pitied the attempt. “Everybody knows that the Loch Ness Monster lives in Scotland. Not Lake George.” Her face scrunched, and added, “Why would Nessie ever want to come here? It’s so boring.”

  “So how is Ryan doing?” Dana asked her.

  She shrugged. “Good, I guess. But he’s still in the hospital, so that kinda stinks.”

  “I hear he might get to go home soon,” Billy said.

  “That’s what they keep telling him, but sometimes grown-ups don’t tell the truth.”

  Chuck looked like he wanted to respond, but thought better of it. “Keep the Peace Weekend” was not off to a promising start.

  Carolyn continued, “I think Ryan’s jealous that Owen got to go home, and he didn’t.” She let out a theatrical sigh. “I wish I could go home too, and sleep in my own bed tonight.”

  “We have three more days here, so don’t start,” Chuck said.

  “You love it up here. You’re always bugging us to bring you,” Dana added.

  “During the day I do, but at night I have bad dreams.”

  They could all relate. Billy recalled Carolyn taking a group photo of them, in almost this very spot. It seemed innocent, until they spotted the dark figure in the background of the photo. Each time Billy heard a rustle in the woods, his heart dropped, waiting for someone to leap out. And he could tell he wasn’t the only one.

  But if something bad was to occur tonight, at least it wouldn’t happen on an empty stomach. Lindsey brought a bucket of steaming corn-on-the-cob to join Billy’s barbecued chicken. Along with one of Carolyn’s favorites, tater-tots. It was a feast fit for Memorial Day Weekend.

  Carolyn finally spoke to Lindsey, but it wasn’t an apology. “Hey—that’s my dad’s sweatshirt.”

  It was a bulky, blue hooded sweatshirt with the logo of the Albany River Rats on it—one of Chuck’s many stopovers during his long minor league hockey career.

  “It’s getting cold, and I needed something warmer to wear. I guess I didn’t pack very smart,” she answered pleasantly.

  “Stealing isn’t very nice,” Carolyn countered.

  Chuck had heard enough. “Carolyn!”

  “I was just saying that …”

  “I heard exactly what you said. Nobody’s stealing anything—I gave it to her. Now how about more eating, and less talking?”

  She went into “statue mode.” And Billy knew what that meant—this wasn’t going to end well tonight.

  They gobbled down the meal. At least most of them did—the normally bottomless pit, Carolyn, barely touched hers. This, despite the fact that her biggest obstacle in eating corn on the cob had been removed … actually added … in that she now had two front teeth.

  After dinner they moved to chairs surrounding the campfire.

  “Billy—you never mentioned that you were an expert fisherman,” Lindsey said, holding up her phone to display the triumphant photo of their catch.

  She showed Dana, who looked almost disbelieving. Then Carolyn, who wasn’t talking at the moment, but if she was, he thought she’d have gone with her patented, “Seriously, bro? That’s cuh-razy.”

  Billy paused for dramatics, then spoke, “The sea was angry that day my friends—like an old man trying to send back soup at a deli.”

  They all had a laugh, as he quoted the classic Seinfeld episode. Humor wasn’t usually his forte, but it broke the tension hanging over them, so he continued, “I got to about fifty feet and suddenly the great beast appeared before me … as if sensing my presence, he let out a great bellow. I said, easy, big fella.”

  More laughter.

  Lindsey turned to Dana. “Was your day as exciting?”

  “Obviously not, but you haven’t seen a true battle to the death until you see two women fight over a wedding dress,” she said with a laugh.

  “Did you find what you’re looking for? Although, you look great in anything. Pretty sure you’d look stunning if they wrapped you in tin foil.”

  “I don’t know about that, but thanks. Nothing really stood out for me. I’ve decided to go with Lana Lu in the city.”

  “The same Lana Lu who dresses the stars for the Academy Awards?”

  “I know a friend of hers, and she was able to get me in.”

  “Sounds like a good person to know.”

  “And it gets better—I just heard from her on my way to Saratoga, and she also has a contact who owes her a favor at the Chateau d’Aundrade, where Billy and I want to have our wedding. There’s usually a two year waiting list, but she might be able to fast-track us.”

  It seemed that Billy and Dana also had a different definition of “want.” But he was tired of fighting a losing battle, and didn’t respond.

  “A friend of mine from college got married there—I was in the wedding,” Lindsey said.

  “What did you think of it?”

  “It was beautiful, no doubt, but it just wasn’t for me. I’ve always thought a wedding should be at a place that’s special to the couple, not the most elaborate or expensive.”

  Billy saw an ally here, and his interest piqued.

  “When Eric and I were going to get married, we thought about doing it at our favorite ski resort—ironic now, with what happened, I know—or maybe in my nursery school class, so all my students could be there.”

 
Billy was always struck by how easily she talked about her former fiancé, who had died under tragic circumstances. He found it a very healthy way to deal with a tragedy, if there was such a thing. At least it beat keeping things inside, until they build up to the point where they …

  Carolyn was done with the wedding talk. Without warning, she got up and began walking back toward the cabin. “Where are you going?” Chuck asked sternly.

  “I need to feed Puck.”

  “Puck’s just fine … now sit back down.”

  She kept walking, and Chuck looked like he was going to burst a pipe. “Carolyn—get back here!”

  “Let her go,” Dana said softly, and Chuck relented. But the scowl remained on his face.

  A few minutes later Carolyn returned, wearing a dark wetsuit and scuba mask, flippers on her feet, which she struggled to walk in.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Chuck asked, now more bewildered than mad.

  She held up a long plastic tube. “You said we could go snorkeling.”

  “I meant sometime this weekend—not now. You can’t snorkel in the dark.”

  “But you promised.”

  “I said you could go snorkeling this weekend, and we will. Now go change back into your clothes.”

  She defied him once again, taking a seat between Dana and Lindsey. She bit down on her bottom lip, indicating she wasn’t going anywhere. Billy just hoped this wasn’t a prelude to another Dracula incident.

  She noticed one of the many fireflies that were lighting up the dark night. “Every time I see a firefly, it makes me think if it’s Calvin.” She turned to Lindsey. “Calvin is a firefly, ya know.”

  She’d once again brought them back to that horrible night. Billy could still see Calvin falling to his knees, almost in a praying position, as he burned himself to death, sacrificing himself for them. But never feeling it, due to his CIPA. It would be an image he’d never fully get out of his mind.

  “He is? It sounds like it would be fun to be a firefly,” Lindsey played along. She knew more than most about what happened with Operation Anesthesia, but not all the gory details. And who would believe them about Calvin, anyway?