Tommy
1999, Fort Lauderdale
Tommy just stared at his daughter as she left the den. Then he looked at Ginny.
“She took that better than I thought she would, Gin,” he said quietly. “I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure I agreed with you that we should tell her about our early years with the gang. I think we could’ve kept it to ourselves until she was older. Maybe she never had to know about our past at all.”
They had just returned from the police station, where they’d spent more time waiting to speak to the detective than they’d spent being interviewed. Moe’s remains had been recently unearthed, and after positively identifying her through DNA testing, police had called in Ginny and Tommy for another discussion. It was uneventful and lasted less than an hour. They told the detective the same thing they’d told the authorities so many years ago when Grizz was arrested. Moe died from an overdose.
Tommy reluctantly agreed on the way home that maybe they should tell Mimi a little bit about their past. They didn’t go into details about Ginny’s abduction or her life with Grizz, just that they had been part of an unsavory crowd in their younger days. They wanted to prepare her in the unlikely event it was brought to the attention of the media. So far, nothing had surfaced, but Ginny felt it was time to start filling Mimi in on some of their history. But the teenager hadn’t seemed fazed at all by what her parents told her.
After Mimi’s nonchalant departure from the den, Ginny sat up straighter and faced Tommy.
“Just the fact that they found Moe’s remains has made it obvious to me that we can’t ignore our past.” He started to say something, but she held her hand up to stop him. “Besides, if finding Moe doesn’t bring the reporters out, Grizz’s execution next year certainly will. And we need our children to be prepared. She now knows we were part of it. I’m a little surprised she doesn’t seem to care, but she’s a teenager and completely absorbed in her own life. She has finals next week. She has her piano recital coming up. She wants to learn how to drive, even though she’s not even old enough to have a permit yet. I don’t know, Tommy, you heard her. She thought what little we shared about our past was the coolest thing she’d ever heard. But that’s today. Tomorrow, it’ll be something else. Maybe we aren’t as interesting as we thought we were. I mean, to her, we’re boring old Mom and Dad.”
Tommy sighed. “I guess you’re right. Usually, I’m the one telling you you’re reading too much into her behavior. Maybe we’ve both been wrong. Maybe we’ve built it up in our heads to be this monumental, horrible secret past, and yes, it is horrible, but it is our past. And it’s so far removed from how we live our lives now that it’s almost as if it never existed. And another thing—what about Jason? With Grizz’s execution scheduled for next year, should we tell Jason anything? Do we need to prepare him?”
Ginny had to ponder this for a minute. She was certain the lack of interest Mimi displayed would be the total opposite of how her son, Jason, would react. He was nine years old and curious about everything. And heaven only knew how much he’d want to tell his friends.
“I think I’d like to take a chance on the press leaving this alone,” she said finally. “Finding what was left of Moe hasn’t seemed to have drawn a lot of attention. That gives us a year to decide if we need to tell Jason anything. And you’re right. Grizz is scheduled for death next summer, but he’s received so many stays, there’s no telling how long before he’s actually put to death. This could go on for years.”
She shifted uncomfortably on the sofa and wouldn’t meet Tommy’s eyes. She didn’t like this subject. Never had. Never would.
She stood. The conversation was over.
“I have to get started on my baking for the church cakewalk tomorrow night, and I told Carter I’d stop over later to help her exercise her horses. I was going to bring home takeout for dinner. Do you have a yearning for anything? Chinese? Mexican?”
Before Tommy could answer her, she quickly added, “Why don’t you come with me? It’s Denise’s day to get Jason after school and take him to practice with Max, and she’s taking him along to her mother’s for dinner.” Denise was the mother of Jason’s best friend, Max. “Lindsay is supposed to come over and do homework with Mimi. Come to Carter’s with me. Let’s go now and I’ll make the cakes after we come home later.”
Tommy made a face.
“Oh, c’mon, Tommy. I know you don’t have to go back to work for the rest of the day. Come with me. It’ll be fun.”
“It’ll be fun for you, maybe,” he said. “Last time I went, I got stuck shoveling the stalls.”
“Well, that’s because you said you didn’t want to ride last time.”
“And I said I didn’t want to ride because the time before that when I did help exercise the horses, I had to come home and put a bag of frozen peas on my balls.”
“You’re just not used to riding. You have to give it some time,” she said with a smile.
“No thanks, Gin. I’ll pass this time. I’m leaving tomorrow for Chicago, and I don’t want to have sore balls. I need to pack, anyway.”
“Chicago? I thought that was next week.”
“No, it’s been on the calendar. I leave tomorrow morning. I have an eleven o’clock flight.”
“But the church dinner. You’re going to miss the church dinner tomorrow night. It’s our biggest night of the year. We’re having the auction and mini-carnival. I invited Alec and Paulina and the kids. We’re all going.”
“Ginny, I can’t help that my biggest client set this meeting up with me six months ago. This is a big deal, and you’ve known about it. It’s been on the calendar forever. Don’t act so surprised. And before I forget, I need to tell you it’ll just be Alec and the boys. Paulina has some big yoga thing she’s doing.”
“Yoga thing? You know what, don’t even tell me. She’s even busier than me with all of her activities.”
“Well, I hadn’t planned on telling you because I don’t know anything other than it’s a yoga thing.”
Ginny stood over him and, bracing both hands on each of his shoulders, she planted a kiss on the top of his head. He looked up at her, and she got very serious.
“I think I’ll leave for Carter’s now, Tommy. Instead of baking. I need to…to…you know.”
She was trying to tell him she needed to escape their earlier conversation. She needed to be on the back of a horse, the wind in her hair, the sound and smell of horse and leather attacking her senses and obliterating her thoughts. She may have sounded brave and tough when she talked about not being able to bury their past, but her insides told a different story.
Sensing his wife’s delayed reaction to the conversation about Grizz, Tommy stood up and hugged her.
“I’ll come with you. I’m not getting on that beast Carter calls Comanche, but maybe I can play with the dogs or something.”
She looked up at him with a grateful expression. “Thank you, Tommy. Thank you for coming with me.”
**********
Later that night, after watching him for a few minutes, Ginny poked her head in Tommy’s office. He was sitting at his desk and hadn’t realized she was there.
“When are you coming to bed?” she asked, yawning. “It’s after midnight.”
He looked up. “Oh, hey, Gin. I just have a few more things, and then I still have to pack. Go to bed. I’ll try not to be too loud when I come up.”
“I know you’re sitting here now because you came to Carter’s with me. You didn’t tell me you had to do some work for your trip.”
“It’s not your fault. The unexpected visit to the police this morning to talk about Moe threw me off schedule.”
She leaned against the doorjamb and cocked her head. “But you’d be finished if you hadn’t come to Carter’s with me. Why didn’t you just tell me you had more work?”
He stood up from his desk then and walked toward her, pulling her close and resting his chin on top of her head.
“Because I knew you were trying to be strong and that talking about what’s supposed to happen next summer was weighing on you. I just wanted to be with you, Ginny. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. To be with you. No matter where you are or what you’re doing. I love you, Gin.”
“I love you too, Tommy.”
She looked up at him then, and he kissed her gently on the mouth.
What started out as a small gesture of affection quickly turned into something more. It wasn’t obvious which one of them deepened the kiss first, but before either one of them knew what was happening, they found themselves naked. Ginny was bent over the leather sofa as Tommy thrust himself inside of her from behind.
He reached around and found the spot that caused a loud moan to escape her lips. He brought her to a quick and powerful orgasm.
The moment he felt her softness clenching him in spasm, he found his own release.
“Oh fuck, Gin. I didn’t expect you to come that quickly. It felt like you had me in a vice.”
“You’re not complaining, are you?” she asked him breathlessly as she started to put her nightshirt back on.
He watched as she retrieved her panties and started to slip into them. If he wasn’t mistaken, she was avoiding eye contact.
“Ginny, look at me.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
He smiled at her. “Honey, I think you’re blushing.”
“I am not blushing, Tommy. For goodness’ sake, we’ve done that a million times. Why would I be blushing?”
“I don’t know, but your face is all red,” he said grinning even more.
“Well, maybe all the blood went to it because of how I was hanging over the back of your couch with my butt up in the air.”
He started laughing then and told her she’d just drained him of his last ounce of energy.
“I’m almost finished here. I’ll be up soon, and I’ll just pack in the morning.”
“You don’t have to get up early. I already packed for you. Goodnight, Tommy.”
**********
The next morning, he was awakened by the sound of stomping in the hallway. The bedroom door flung open, and Jason and Mimi stood there looking at him in bed.
“Mom told us to make sure you were awake before we left for the bus stop,” Mimi told him from the doorway.
Jason had moved past his sister and ran to the edge of the bed where Tommy had started to sit up.
“Where’s your mother?”
Jason wrapped his arms around his father. “Dexter had another seizure and Mrs. Winkle was too upset to drive him to the vet, so Mom drove them.”
Dexter was their neighbor’s dog. Mrs. Winkle was an elderly widow who lived across the street. She’d lost her husband in the Korean War and never had children or remarried. She was completely alone except for her dog, Dexter. This wasn’t the first time Ginny had driven Mrs. Winkle and Dexter to the vet.
Tommy nodded in understanding.
“Have a nice trip, Dad,” Jason said. “Will you be back in time for my game Sunday night?”
“Sorry, buddy, my flight doesn’t get in until Monday afternoon, but you call me as soon as it’s over. I’ll want to know all about it.”
He ruffled Jason’s hair and looked up to say goodbye to Mimi, but she’d already left.
“Mom said to tell you the coffee is fresh, and there are some buns or something in the warming oven,” Jason called over his shoulder as he chased his sister down the stairs.
Tommy looked at the clock on the nightstand and realized it was only 6:55 a.m. He had plenty of time before he had to leave for the airport.
Soon he found himself sitting at the kitchen table sipping on his coffee and reading the newspaper. There was nothing about Moe in the local newspaper. Good.
The recent unearthing of Moe’s remains and the technology used to positively identify her had been on his mind. He thought about his past and what he’d found out after Grizz’s trial—and all the research he’d done on the woman he suspected was his mother, Candy. Everything pointed to him being Grizz’s son, but he’d never confirmed it with DNA testing.
He took a big sip of coffee and remembered how he’d tried a long time ago to see if he was related to Grizz. It was back when they all still lived at the motel, years before Grizz’s arrest and trial. Long before Tommy had even heard the name Candy. At that time, Tommy had suspected Grizz was his older brother, not Blue. Grizz had come home with a gunshot wound, and Tommy used the opportunity to sneak a blood-soaked bandage to a friend at the school’s science lab. The test confirmed he and Grizz shared a rare blood type.
It wasn’t a DNA test, but it was the closest you could get back then. That had been back in the late seventies when tests could only determine blood type since DNA profiling was still years away. He’d confirmed in his mind that Grizz was indeed his older brother, not Blue. But now, he wondered whether it was possible to get a DNA sample from Grizz to compare to his own. He supposed he could just visit Grizz in prison and ask him for one, but he wouldn’t do that. Grizz didn’t know Tommy had found his original birth certificate listing Jason William Talbot as his father. As far as Grizz was concerned, Tommy was still living under the ruse that he was Blue’s younger brother.
Then it occurred to him. Mimi was his half-sister. There was no doubt in Tommy’s mind that Mimi was Grizz’s biological daughter. If Tommy was Grizz’s biological son, then he and Mimi would share similar DNA patterns.
He stared at the sticky bun that sat untouched on the plate in front of him. He downed the rest of his coffee in one healthy swig. He looked at the clock on the stove. He still had time before his flight.
Less than twenty minutes later, he stood in the bathroom that Jason and Mimi shared and stared at the bathroom counter. A cup held a green toothbrush. That was most likely Jason’s. Where was Mimi’s? He quickly spotted it. A bright pink toothbrush off to the side, almost hidden completely by a carelessly tossed hand towel. He carefully placed it in the clear plastic bag and promptly headed downstairs and out to his car.
Less than thirty minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store. He spotted his friend, Dale, standing next to an SUV with a surfboard strapped to the roof.
“Hey, man, long time no see. How’ve you been, Tom?” Dale asked as Tommy got out of the car.
Tommy smiled at his old friend and gave him a quick man hug with the obligatory slap on the back.
“It’s been too long, Dale. Things have been good. How ’bout you?”
Dale was the youngest son of one of Tommy’s first clients when he’d started out at the Monaco, Lay & Associates architecture firm all those years ago. They were close in age and had hit it off immediately. They didn’t really stay in touch, but Tommy knew Dale was someone who could be trusted. Not because he’d shared secrets with Dale. No, Dale could be trusted because he basically didn’t give a shit. Besides, he was too busy chasing waves and women to care about anybody else’s business.
“I’m good. I’m busy,” Dale answered with a sheepish grin. “Still a lab rat. Haven’t felt the desire or inclination to move up the corporate ladder. Happy to do my nine-to-five in my sanitary cubicle and hit the waves on weekends.”
“So not much has changed since you graduated college?” Tommy gave him a grin.
“Nope, and I don’t want it to. I know you said you were in a hurry. You have the stuff?”
Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out two plastic bags. One held a pink toothbrush. The other held a cotton swab, which he’d used to swipe the inside of his own cheek. He handed them to Dale.
“I just need a simple DNA test. I need to know if these two items contain DNA from biological relatives. That’s all.”
“Yeah, man, I get it.” Dale held up the bag with the pink toothbrush. “You want to know if this is your love child. You’re not the first guy to ask for this test, man.”
“No,” Tommy snapped. “Listen, I know for certain I’m not this child’s biological father. I just want to know if we’re related. It’s that simple. Will you be able to tell me that?”
“Yeah, sure, that’s easy enough. I’ll call you.”
“Don’t call me, Dale. I’ll call you. Is a week enough time?”
“Yeah, a week should be good, Tom.”
“I really appreciate this, Dale.” Tommy reached for his door handle. “I have to catch a plane. And thanks, man. I owe you.”
Tommy watched as Dale climbed back into his car. He turned the key to start his, and headed for the airport.
**********
Seven days later, Tommy sat in his office and dialed a number. Just when Dale picked up, Tommy saw his next client waltz into the office and approach Eileen’s desk. Shit, he’s early.
Dale picked up on the first ring.
“Hey, Dale, it’s Tom. Wondering if you got those lab results?” he whispered.
“I did, my man, and I have your answer,” Dale said.
“Well?”
“Yes. The two samples you gave me share the same DNA. You are most definitely related,” Dale said. “And I think you should—”
“You’re sure. No doubt?” Tommy asked, his voice low but urgent as his client, obviously ignoring Eileen who was following him, approached the office door.
“No doubt at all, man. As a matter of fact—”
Disappointment weighed heavily. Mimi was his half-sister. He didn’t have time to dwell on it.
“I owe you, Dale. I’m sorry, man, gotta run. Thanks, though. Like I said, I owe you,” Tommy replied, hanging up before Dale could comment.
On the other side of town, Dale sat in his cubicle and reviewed the test results for the second time. He’d wanted to double check because he distinctly remembered Tom telling him, “I know for certain I’m not this child’s biological father.”
“Well, my friend,” Dale said to no one as he shook his head. “I know for certain that you are this child’s biological father, but you probably already guessed that.”