Willow

 

I sit back and start to relay what happened yesterday, fear for my son has never been so high for me as it is at what I discovered.

“I was cleaning the house as I do every day. Eric doesn’t like to come home to a dirty house after working a tireless shift. He gets very angry if he comes home to ‘filth’,” I say using quotation marks with my hands when I say the word filth to emphasize it. I’ve never kept a dirty house, his version of filthy is much different than mine, but after he’s taken his hands to me on more than one occasion, I learned what his standard of cleanliness is. “I was gathering all of the trash, so I went in to grab his trash can, so I could empty it. The room was a mess, so I began cleaning it. There was an envelope on the floor under his desk, I remember thinking he must have missed the trash can, so I picked it up. I’m not sure what caused me to open it up and look, but I didn’t want to throw away anything important.” I stop and shiver at the things I saw inside of that envelope.

“Willow, would you like something to drink?” the man called Tic asks me.

“Yes please,” I say watching him get into a mini fridge and pull out a bottle of water. “Thank you,” I tell him remembering my manners.

“No problem, Willow, continue,” he says to me. Taking a large drink and putting it on the desk, I carry on—knowing I need to share this information with them.

“What were the contents in the envelope, Willow?” the man called Wasp asks. I’m glad they have names embroidered on their vests, I’ve never been great with names. This makes it much easier to remember who they are.

“When I opened it up, picture after picture fell out. I picked them up and they were all of Dillon, his wife…”

“Ariel,” Dillon says cutting me off.

“Ariel,” I pick up giving him a look of apology. I’m so flustered I didn’t even think of using her given name. “I started going through the photos, they were of her tattoo parlor, her house, Dillon’s apartment. Some of them had them in the pictures and some did not. I saw pictures of them going to the doctor, there were ones of them out to eat with others. I could see the inside of his patrol car in one of them and knew he was stalking them. Being curious, I dug into the envelope and dug out receipts for purchases of roses, he never gives me flowers, so I knew they weren’t bought for me. With them being in the envelope with everything else it didn’t take much to put two and two together.” I break out in a sob and place my hand over my mouth to help control it.

“Do you need a minute Mom?” Dillon asks me.

“No I’ll be alright,” I manage to get out.

“Take your time darlin’.”

“Thank you, I’m fine.” I tell them, ready to get this out and be done with it. “There were also photocopies of notes, they were odd. All started out with Roses are red, it caused chills to break out on my skin at the time. I had a very bad feeling, so I took the envelope, put the contents back inside of it and placed it in my spare purse. I knew I had to confront him about it, but I still had a few hours before he’d make it home. So I finished cleaning the house and came up with a plan. I knew, no matter what I had to get to my son and tell him about what I had found.”

“I appreciate that, Mom, but you should’ve never confronted him. What happened when you did?”

“Oh Dillon, you don’t need to hear all of that,” I say swinging my hand in front of me trying to dismiss the topic.

“I need to know, Mom, please,” he says practically begging me. I’m ashamed and really don’t want him to hear all the dirty details.

“Please don’t make me say it Dillon,” I’ll get down on my hands and knees and beg if I have to. He’s seen so much already that he doesn’t need more in his head.

“Willow,” Tic says leaning down on his knees right in front of me putting him eye level with me. “We really need to know what we’re dealing with here, we need to know all of it. I know this is a lot to deal with, but we need all the pieces together so we can solve the situation.

“You can’t solve this,” I implore with him.

“We can keep you safe, we just need you to trust us.” I sigh, knowing there is no getting out of this. “Please darlin’, help us keep you safe.”

“I feel so ashamed,” I tell them.

“You’ve done nothing wrong other than staying with him, Mom.”

“I stayed because I didn’t have a choice, Dillon. He threatened to take you away from me since the day you were born. He held my love for you over my head, I had to keep you safe the only way I knew how. I stayed for you, not because of me being weak and selfish. I did what I had to do!”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Dillon says taking my hand in his.

“Willow, we’re going to help you, tell us the rest.” I clutch Dillon’s hand tightly with mine. I take a big gulp of oxygen in my lungs and continue.

“I was in the kitchen cooking dinner when he entered the house from the garage. I still hadn’t figured out the best way to confront him, so I got him a beer from the fridge and he took it and went to the bathroom for his nightly shower. Before he’d gotten home, I’d taken my spare purse and hid it in the bushes in the backyard. I knew he’d search for it and didn’t want him to find it. I knew I would need that information for proof, and I also knew I’d need an ace in my pocket to keep me alive. After dinner, I did the dishes and walked into the living room where he was watching a ball game. I sat on the couch across from him, he eyed me over the rim of his beer can, and I knew he was already upset that I entered his sanctum and interrupted his precious ball game. I know better, but I knew it was then or never.” I get lost in the memory of the prior night’s confrontation.

 

“I went in and cleaned your office today,” I tell my husband.

“And? That’s your job, you clean up this pigsty of a house. I keep a roof over your head and food in your fat ass.” He always calls me fat, I’m not, I barely fit into a size five without it falling off of me. Ignoring his hateful words, I continue on with what I have to say.

“While I was cleaning, I found an envelope under your desk.” He stills at my words and turns, an angry look marring his face.

“And let me guess, you went snooping around in something that doesn’t concern you!” he roars lunching out of his chair and coming after me. “Where is it?” he spits in my face as the words leave his mouth.

“I-I threw it away! What have you done?”

“What? Are you worried about your precious little boy? One who left as fast as he could and never looked back? He abandoned you and you still give a fuck about him?”

“Of course I do, he’s our son!” The first punch lands on the side of my cheek causing my head to whip around. I look back at him, and for the first time in years I know my defiance is shown.

“I’m still here! I’ve never left you, and yet you’d still choose him over me?”

“Yes!” I scream out, I will always chose Dillon first. No matter what I have to suffer through to keep him safe. He’s my boy, he’s my every reason for existing.

“You stupid cow!” he says grabbing my neck and squeezing as hard as he can. I see black and white dots lining my vision and know I’m close to passing out.

“Oh no you don’t!” he says letting up the pressure from around my neck. “You’re going to be awake and present for the beat down you’ve earned.” He lifts me up by my armpits and begins whaling on me. I can’t keep up with the amount of hits he lands on me, but I know it’s enough to cause some major damage.

“Stop! Please stop,” I beg him.

“Where. Is. The. Envelope?”

“It’s gone, the trash people picked it up on their route this afternoon,” I lie to him, knowing that it’s really safe and sound and hidden well.

“Fuck!” he screams out and the beating continues until I pass out cold from the pain he’s inflicting on me. When I woke this morning, he was sitting on the couch looking down on my body. “You go to him, or anyone and tell them about this, I’ll kill your son, his wife and their child. You’re not to go anywhere today, you understand what I’m saying to you?” I nod my head back and forth letting him know I do. My throat hurts and I know talking will just inflame it more than it already is. “I want dinner on the table tonight at six sharp,” he says getting up and walking out of the house.

 

I find myself wrapped in Dillon’s arms by the time I finish telling them about my tragic night at the hands of his father.