pushed you over the edge, isn't it, Eric? The more I listen to you, the more serious this sounds."
"The woman needs counseling, but try convincing her of that! She's convinced that God is on her side. She's been going to some redneck church down there, taking the kids. I don't want my kids growing up prejudiced like that, Harv. Can you imagine what it's like suddenly finding out you and your wife have such fundamental differences? We never fought, we hardly ever disagreed, and now I find myself wanting to grab her by the shoulders and shake her over a political issue."
"You're thinking of divorce, aren't you? Isn't that forcing her to choose between the house and a husband? She'd choose you, but she'd resent it."
Eric realized then that, while he was speaking, somewhere along the line his list of grievances had turned into a plea for sympathy. "It's not between me and the house," he explained; "it's between our marriage and her insane compulsion to show the world she hates gays."
"Eric, be reasonable. Do you expect anybody to believe that disagreeing on the subject of homosexuality is an irreconcilable difference?"
"You don't understand, Harv. I never said I was pro-gay. It's a question of the hate, not who she's directing it at. Look, I never had much sympathy for gays, but I'm not about to go beating up on them either. It's more 'You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone.' But we don't leave them alone, do we? I mean as a society. The way Liv's reacted kind of opened my eyes, and frankly I can't live with such irrational, all-consuming hatred. And I don't want her influencing my kids."
"Then you should get yourself a lawyer."
"I already have."
Brindell, Worthy, Fripp & Thurston
Other people besides Eric considered Liv's pursuit of the house an obsession. Christian Worthy had complained about her several times to his senior partner, Lewis Brindell.
"That Redding woman is driving me crazy. She calls about the Enslik estate nearly every day. She thinks I'm stalling."
"Are you?"
"To tell the truth, I wouldn't mind doing that, Lew, but it's not necessary. You know how slowly these things move."
"It's natural she's impatient. Even when there's not much money involved, there's a huge emotional investment mixed up in a parent's will."
"It's a lot more than that. She's obsessive. I hate to think what it'll be like when she loses."
"And you're sure she'll lose."
"No question about it. It's clear the old woman knew what she was doing, and now we know why."
"You don't want to win this one, do you, Chris?"
"Would you? It's a good cause."
"Helping gays?"
"Getting kids off the streets, keeping them safe. It won't make the firm look good, fighting that."
"The liberal press would go to town on us. But don't forget this is the South. Taking the other side wouldn't help our image much either."
"The case is toxic, a lose-lose proposition for everyone except the other side," Worthy exclaimed. "No one in his right mind would touch it with a ten-foot pole. They're saying even Harris Cole may recuse himself. A probate judge recusing himself! Have you ever heard of that happening before?"
"Can't say I have. On what grounds?"
"The woman's been living at his court reporter's house while she's in Macon."
"With the Heymers? Cole's isn't the only courtroom Jessie works in. If all the judges try that tack, we'll need a change of venue."
"Well, it hasn't happened yet, and it won't. More than one of them would jump at the chance to rule against her. Then there'd be an appeal, and before you knew it the politicos would start jumping in. Terri Schiavo all over again."
"I don't think that's a likely scenario. This isn't a matter of life and death. Nobody's going to stick his neck out over something as trivial as a will."
"I wonder."
"Look, would you rather someone else handled it?"
"Who? I don't suppose you'd want to take it on?" Brindell brushed the idea aside with a wave of his hand. "See what I mean?"
"There's
"The woman needs counseling, but try convincing her of that! She's convinced that God is on her side. She's been going to some redneck church down there, taking the kids. I don't want my kids growing up prejudiced like that, Harv. Can you imagine what it's like suddenly finding out you and your wife have such fundamental differences? We never fought, we hardly ever disagreed, and now I find myself wanting to grab her by the shoulders and shake her over a political issue."
"You're thinking of divorce, aren't you? Isn't that forcing her to choose between the house and a husband? She'd choose you, but she'd resent it."
Eric realized then that, while he was speaking, somewhere along the line his list of grievances had turned into a plea for sympathy. "It's not between me and the house," he explained; "it's between our marriage and her insane compulsion to show the world she hates gays."
"Eric, be reasonable. Do you expect anybody to believe that disagreeing on the subject of homosexuality is an irreconcilable difference?"
"You don't understand, Harv. I never said I was pro-gay. It's a question of the hate, not who she's directing it at. Look, I never had much sympathy for gays, but I'm not about to go beating up on them either. It's more 'You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone.' But we don't leave them alone, do we? I mean as a society. The way Liv's reacted kind of opened my eyes, and frankly I can't live with such irrational, all-consuming hatred. And I don't want her influencing my kids."
"Then you should get yourself a lawyer."
"I already have."
Brindell, Worthy, Fripp & Thurston
Other people besides Eric considered Liv's pursuit of the house an obsession. Christian Worthy had complained about her several times to his senior partner, Lewis Brindell.
"That Redding woman is driving me crazy. She calls about the Enslik estate nearly every day. She thinks I'm stalling."
"Are you?"
"To tell the truth, I wouldn't mind doing that, Lew, but it's not necessary. You know how slowly these things move."
"It's natural she's impatient. Even when there's not much money involved, there's a huge emotional investment mixed up in a parent's will."
"It's a lot more than that. She's obsessive. I hate to think what it'll be like when she loses."
"And you're sure she'll lose."
"No question about it. It's clear the old woman knew what she was doing, and now we know why."
"You don't want to win this one, do you, Chris?"
"Would you? It's a good cause."
"Helping gays?"
"Getting kids off the streets, keeping them safe. It won't make the firm look good, fighting that."
"The liberal press would go to town on us. But don't forget this is the South. Taking the other side wouldn't help our image much either."
"The case is toxic, a lose-lose proposition for everyone except the other side," Worthy exclaimed. "No one in his right mind would touch it with a ten-foot pole. They're saying even Harris Cole may recuse himself. A probate judge recusing himself! Have you ever heard of that happening before?"
"Can't say I have. On what grounds?"
"The woman's been living at his court reporter's house while she's in Macon."
"With the Heymers? Cole's isn't the only courtroom Jessie works in. If all the judges try that tack, we'll need a change of venue."
"Well, it hasn't happened yet, and it won't. More than one of them would jump at the chance to rule against her. Then there'd be an appeal, and before you knew it the politicos would start jumping in. Terri Schiavo all over again."
"I don't think that's a likely scenario. This isn't a matter of life and death. Nobody's going to stick his neck out over something as trivial as a will."
"I wonder."
"Look, would you rather someone else handled it?"
"Who? I don't suppose you'd want to take it on?" Brindell brushed the idea aside with a wave of his hand. "See what I mean?"
"There's
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