CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Peyton
It’s hard to explain how we feel about our sister now. Maybe going through something this big, this significant and shitty, brought out our protective sides. God knows, Pax and I have never exactly been caring guys before, we were more “one and done” types when it came to girls.
But Stacey’s won us over with her resilience, her ability to survive, seeking productive outlets for her rage, finding the silver lining in a tough time.
I’m not saying the situation’s great because the truth is that it can never be “good” per se. What happened to her is a clear breach of privacy and it’ll be a long time before she’s able to lose that wall of defensiveness, stop looking over her shoulder, flinching whenever someone takes her picture unexpectedly.
But Stacey’s back on the job reporting at NFL games, and we see her from the field, her blonde ponytail peppy, staring down the camera fiercely.
And our hearts go out to her, Pax and me both. Our sister is incredible with what she’s overcome, and we make sure she knows it.
“You were amazing today,” I complimented once we were all back at the house. Our travel schedules are insane, so we look forward to the times when we’re home, able to relax and enjoy each other’s company.
“You think?” she asked coyly. “I thought you looked a little jealous when I interviewed McBrown Knight.”
Oh yeah, McBrown, the hottest thing to hit the NFL since sliced bread. The rookie was so big in the head, he needed to get knocked around a little stet.
But what made us really happy was her saucy demeanor, the way she looked at us with spark in her voice, her face open, smiling, her shoulders straight, her frame with a little more weight on it now.
“McBrown making you jealous?” she teased, slinging a leg over my own.
And I growled at the sight of that slim thigh on top of my massive one. Both Pax and I are heavily built … everywhere, and it was time to show the girl who was in charge.
“Stacey,” I said with a note of warning in my voice. “Be careful,” I said, my stare hungry.
“I wasn’t flirting with him,” she tossed-off, winking at me. “McBrown is just soooo cute, you know? Maybe I should invite him to the Donkey.”
And that made us laugh because McBrown was actually perfect for the club. He was an oaf, seven feet tall, about three hundred pounds with straw-like hair and a gigantic stomach. But hey, overgrown farm boys find the Donkey just like home, he’d fit right in.
“You still dancing at the Donkey?” my brother asked casually.
“Yeah, sometimes,” she admitted. “It’s the place where I get release, you know? Where I’m someone else for a little while, I can let loose and let my wild side show.”
“Well honey, you’re a public figure now,” I said carefully. “If you weren’t already before, then you really are now with the trial and the recall. You sure people aren’t recognizing you up on stage?” I was worried. Ever since the decision came down, and there were pictures of our sister in the regular news, not just the sports channels.
But the girl smiled at us.
“I hear you, I get it,” she replied. “Don’t worry, I’m not that silly. I’ve been using a mask to cover my face recently, it’s a net with a hole for my mouth. I call myself ‘Enchantress Inga.’ You like?” she teased.
And I have to admit, we were titillated. The thought of our girl going up there, dancing nude with only her ruby red lips showing was a turn-on, we wanted to see that show, oh yeah.
But we were serious.
“Stacey, we’re concerned about you,” growled Pax. “Are you sure no one knows that you’re Enchantress Inga? Because we’re fighting the good fight, Henry’s close to getting enough signatures to get Judge Martin recalled and we don’t want it to go to waste.”
And that made the blonde sit up, look somber.
“That’s the thing,” she said slowly. “I’ve been thinking, is it too late to stop this recall stuff?”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “Henry’s already gotten over fifty thousand signatures, there’s a lot of outrage over the sentence.”
“I know,” she replied seriously. “It’s just that it seems really harsh for a judge to lose his job over something like this.”
I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
“Really?” I asked, eyebrow arched. “But aren’t you pissed about the sentence?” Pax looked just as confused. What was going on?
Our sister nodded.
“I’ve been reading and studying,” she replied. “State court judges, like all judges, need judicial independence. That means that they have to be able to examine the facts without fear of losing their job.”
“Well Martin effed up,” Pax grunted. “He’s not doing his job because the defendants got peanuts for punishment.”
“I know what you’re saying,” replied Stacey. “I want Lester to pay more than anyone. But it’s a question of process. Judges need to be able to judge without worrying about a popularity contest. It’s why many judgeships are life-time appointments. They shouldn’t lose their job because of unpopular decisions in specific cases.”
This made us pause. We’ve always known that our sister had the smarts but had no idea that she was this sharp. All this stuff about judicial independence and recalls, it made my head hurt, I’d simply been going with my gut, enraged about the situation.
But she continued, sharp as tacks.
“From what I’ve gathered, the judge did his job,” she said slowly. “He didn’t abuse his legal authority, he reviewed the facts of the case and the recommendation from the probation authority. Taking those into account, he used his discretion. Given all that, I don’t want to upend the judicial system. Not on my behalf.”
“Sister, you know what you’re saying right?” I said seriously. “You’re saying you’re okay with the sentence?”
“It’s not that I’m okay with it,” she replied slowly. “It’s that there’s a wider world beyond just me. There’s an entire system at issue, and I guess I’m not ready to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”
My brother and I looked at each other. This girl was amazing. She wasn’t hung up on herself at all, even as the victim of a heinous crime. Instead, she was able to look beyond herself, think about the future, about others, how her actions could seriously weaken the status quo.
We were astonished, elated, and more than a little in awe. Because behind the bouncy blonde exterior, behind the sports-girl persona, there was also a woman with empathy for others – even ones who had hurt her. She was able to look objectively at a situation and understand that sometimes there’s a bigger goal to achieve. Stacey was balanced, process-driven, with incredible compassion for others.
“Sister,” I said seriously. “If you want to call off the recall, I’ll let Henry know immediately.”
“Let me think about it some more,” she said slowly. “Just give me another week.”
And I nodded. It was bad to jump into anything at this point.
“I have an idea,” suggested Pax. “Henry’s still nowhere near the number of signatures needed for a successful recall. Why don’t we let it ride for another week or two and see what happens? Maybe it won’t even be an issue.”
That was true, and I nodded. Sometimes the best action is to wait and see, don’t rock the boat any more than you have to on already turbulent waters.
“Okay,” said Stacey, her mind made up, her chin firm. “Let’s go with that then.”
And we looked on with wonder. Our sister, the victim, who more than anyone should have been screaming with rage, beating her chest, tearing her hair out, instead was proving to be a smart cookie. More than that, a cool cat, someone who handled pressure well, who’d fought off her demons and was back on the beat, which made us love her even more.
I looked at my twin and he nodded. We were in the same boat. We wanted this girl … for keeps.