NaNoWriMo: Damaged --Post 3

Curtis instructed Leslie to hold all his calls, including the detective. "Tell him I'm out for the afternoon and can't be reached, and ask him to call tomorrow morning, he said in a voice she knew better than to argue with. He had some dark moods, and after 3 years as his assistant, she knew them all too well.

Curtis locked his door and opened the desk drawer he always kept locked. Inside were newspaper clippings, police reports, and forensic reports almost a decade old. He didn't have to ask why a police detective wanted to speak to him. He remembered the name of the young cop who'd interrupted his football practice with the news. He just didn't know why the detective would be calling after all this time, but he feared the news would be upsetting. Had they found the weapon? That seemed the most likely answer. As his eyes drifted over the pile of clippings with their lurid headlines scattered over his desk, his attention caught on a grainy picture of his mother with wild vacant eyes, her shirt covered in what was probably blood…his father's blood. The black and white newsprint made the details slightly less gory, but no less disturbing. Curtis wondered what they would discover if they recovered the knife. Shivering, he swept the papers back into the desk drawer and slammed it shut. He didn't think he wanted to find out.

Curtis glanced out into the street, reliving the events that followed his father's murder. For a few seconds he didn't realize that his mother stood on the sidewalk across the street, munching an apple as she stared intently at the building. Grabbing his coat, he rushed out of the office and took the stairs two at a time to the street, leaving a startled Leslie to gather the papers he'd knocked off her desk in his flight.

Curtis stopped short before he hit the front doors. Bursting out might cause her to panic. Instead, he shrugged into his coat and opened the door slowly, to allow her time to adjust to someone walking out of the building. When the door was fully open, he took a deep breath and walked out, allowing it to close behind him before starting cautiously across the street. His mother watched him come with wary eyes, but she did not run or scream. Her face resolved into a warm, welcoming smile and she held out her arms to envelop him in a hug. Curtis held her tightly, breathing in the scent of her favorite perfume, often included in the packages he left for her to find, over the nauseating stench of long-unwashed skin and some unknown putrefaction. He wanted to gag, but he was so happy that she recognized him he fought the impulse, blinking back tears. Finally, she pulled back, taking his face in her hands in a familiar gesture from his childhood. "Look at you," she sighed happily, "such a handsome man. I remembered that this is your building, but I was not sure which office, so I'm so glad you happened to come out just now. I look so raggedy that I thought it might embarrass you if I came in and knocked on doors".

Curtis shook his head, tears running down his face and over her filthy hands. "You look beautiful mom. I'm so happy to see you. Please, would you come with me to see Jilly? She misses you so much. I have a van big enough to hold all your stuff so we can take it with us. And guess what? I saved your clothes, mom, all your things. They are at Jilly's place, in a spare bedroom. You can shower and change and put on something bright and pretty. You always said that wearing bright colors made you happy. Remember the wraparound dress with the purple flowers you loved so much?"

Eileen beamed at her son. "That sounds just lovely. I can't wait to see Jilly. Lead the way." Curtis pushed the cart into the parking garage attached to his office building and hefted it into the back of his Suburban. He didn't need such a huge vehicle, and usually drove the tiny Miata parked in the next spot, but he'd kept it on the hope that something exactly like this might happen. He had rehearsed over and over what he would say if his mother ever resurfaced from her private hell.

He helped her into the car and buckled her in, the got into the driver's side and started the engine, praying she wouldn't start screaming before they got to Jilly's. The doctor had told them that her mental condition would allow her times of lucidity, but in the last few years she'd degenerated so badly that every attempt to contact her directly had ended in disaster. He debated calling Jilly to warn her, but was afraid that anything unusual might set his mother off. He watched her surreptitiously out of the corner of his eye. She sat comfortably in her seat without the slouch she'd picked up in the street, looking bright and alert. He didn't realize how tense he was until she patted his arm and pointed to the church they used to attend. "Oh, I wonder how Pastor Mike is doing…remember him? Such a nice man."

"He's great, Mom, Jilly and I saw him just last Sunday. We still go every week and have lunch after, like we used to, back when…" he let his voice trail off and searched for a less dangerous subject. "How about coming with us this Sunday? Pastor Mike asks about you all the time. He'd love to see you again."

She laughed then, a silvery young giggle that tore his heart out of his chest with its familiarity. "I'll check my social calendar". She winked. "I'm pretty sure I can make it." Her tone turned serious. "About Jilly, how's she doing? Is she being taken care of?"

"No worries there, Mom. Between the insurance settlement and social security, she's got a round-the-clock companion trained to take care of all her needs, plus a nurse that visits every other day. She's actually becoming quite the web celebrity chef. She built a website and uploads cooking videos almost every day, and she's got thousands of subscribers. She's making a pretty good living off the ad revenue from her sponsors. She hopes to actually get on TV with her show one day, and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if she did." Eileen didn't answer and Curtis could see that she was fighting emotion. "Mom? Are you ok?" He prepared himself for a sudden outburst that would end this idyllic visit. But Eileen only choked a bit as she answered softly "I gave her that. I taught her to cook after the…after the accident. I never dreamed it would become her passion." She reached over and gripped his hand. "Maybe I didn't completely screw you both up after all."

Curtis turned into Jilly's apartment complex. "No, Mom", he answered gently. "Stuff happens. You couldn't control what happened, none of it. But we are strong because of you. We are ok." He handed her a tissue. "Enough of that. Wipe your tears, your daughter's waiting."