except to visit Mom. I’m not sure I belong here anymore. Or if the others will even like me.”
“Gina, you can always come home,” Tom said. “Just because you moved away to pursue your career and do your own thing doesn’t mean you’re not one of us. You’ll always be one of us.”
I patted Tom’s hand. “Thanks, Tom. You always did have a way of making me feel better.” I laughed. “Remember those unknowns in chemistry?”
Tom smiled and nodded. “Sure do. I saved your ass more than once in that class.”
“You’re so right. I was pathetic when it came to figuring those substances out.”
Tom narrowed his eyes and sighed. He opened his mouth like he was going to talk, only he didn't say anything.
“What is it, Tom? You look like you want to say something.”
“I do but I don’t want to upset you.”
“Upset me. Why would anything you say upset me?”
“Well, I have a question I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time. Something that’s bothered me for twenty years.”
“Ask away.”
“Maybe we could get together before you leave?” he said. “I’m not sure this is the time or the place to have this discussion.”
I looked at Tom. He pushed up on his wire-rim glasses.
“Oh, no. You’re not going to get away with that. Now you have me curious. What question could be that important that you had it for twenty years?”
“I’m not sure tonight’s the night, Gina.”
I slapped my lap. “Yes, tonight is the night. Now I’m way too curious to wait another second. What is it?”
“It’s about that night.”
“What night?”
“The night that Coach Smith did what he did to you.”
My mouth fell open. I couldn’t speak. My heart raced and I could feel my skin warming up. Tears pooled in my eyes
“Don’t worry,” said Tom, taking off his glasses to dab his glassy eyes with the palm of his hand. “I never told anyone. But I wanted to. That bastard deserved to be punished. But I told myself that it was up to you to tell, not me. And if you didn’t want to tell anyone, then I had to respect that. Besides, I didn’t want to make things harder for you.”
I shook my head. “But how…”
“How did I know?”
I nodded.
“That night. The night you were babysitting for Coach Smith and his wife, I was out for a run through the neighborhood. I lived several streets over from them. I turned the corner to see you get into your car and speed away. Then I saw Coach Smith stumble down his driveway waving a pair of pink bikini underwear and mumbling. I stopped running and dragged him into his house. When I realized what he had done to you, I punched him in the face. A couple of times.”
I remember seeing Coach Smith at the gas station days later and his eye was black and blue. “So that’s where the black eye came from?” I asked.
Tom nodded. “He bragged about what he did to you and I told him that if he ever laid a hand on you ever again, I would kill him. And I meant it. When he told me that you wouldn’t say anything because of his threat to do something to Mike, I knew you wouldn’t. I knew you loved Mike too much. It was so hard for me not to say anything, Gina. I wanted to tell Mike. Maybe I should have. But I just kept thinking that it was your secret to tell, not mine. And I was mad for a long time that you hadn’t told anyone. Even after the baseball season was over and the bastard couldn’t hurt Mike anymore you kept quiet.”
“And you never told anyone?” I asked him again.
“No. Like I said, I wanted to lots of times. Whenever I’d run into Coach Smith, I’d stare him down just so the bastard knew that I hadn’t forgotten.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. “So why bring this up now?”
“I don’t know,” Tom said. “Because you’re here and we’re alone and we can talk. And it’s bothered me for a long time, and I’ve always cared about you and want to make sure you’re all right.”
“I’m OK. But it hasn’t been easy. A big reason
“Gina, you can always come home,” Tom said. “Just because you moved away to pursue your career and do your own thing doesn’t mean you’re not one of us. You’ll always be one of us.”
I patted Tom’s hand. “Thanks, Tom. You always did have a way of making me feel better.” I laughed. “Remember those unknowns in chemistry?”
Tom smiled and nodded. “Sure do. I saved your ass more than once in that class.”
“You’re so right. I was pathetic when it came to figuring those substances out.”
Tom narrowed his eyes and sighed. He opened his mouth like he was going to talk, only he didn't say anything.
“What is it, Tom? You look like you want to say something.”
“I do but I don’t want to upset you.”
“Upset me. Why would anything you say upset me?”
“Well, I have a question I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time. Something that’s bothered me for twenty years.”
“Ask away.”
“Maybe we could get together before you leave?” he said. “I’m not sure this is the time or the place to have this discussion.”
I looked at Tom. He pushed up on his wire-rim glasses.
“Oh, no. You’re not going to get away with that. Now you have me curious. What question could be that important that you had it for twenty years?”
“I’m not sure tonight’s the night, Gina.”
I slapped my lap. “Yes, tonight is the night. Now I’m way too curious to wait another second. What is it?”
“It’s about that night.”
“What night?”
“The night that Coach Smith did what he did to you.”
My mouth fell open. I couldn’t speak. My heart raced and I could feel my skin warming up. Tears pooled in my eyes
“Don’t worry,” said Tom, taking off his glasses to dab his glassy eyes with the palm of his hand. “I never told anyone. But I wanted to. That bastard deserved to be punished. But I told myself that it was up to you to tell, not me. And if you didn’t want to tell anyone, then I had to respect that. Besides, I didn’t want to make things harder for you.”
I shook my head. “But how…”
“How did I know?”
I nodded.
“That night. The night you were babysitting for Coach Smith and his wife, I was out for a run through the neighborhood. I lived several streets over from them. I turned the corner to see you get into your car and speed away. Then I saw Coach Smith stumble down his driveway waving a pair of pink bikini underwear and mumbling. I stopped running and dragged him into his house. When I realized what he had done to you, I punched him in the face. A couple of times.”
I remember seeing Coach Smith at the gas station days later and his eye was black and blue. “So that’s where the black eye came from?” I asked.
Tom nodded. “He bragged about what he did to you and I told him that if he ever laid a hand on you ever again, I would kill him. And I meant it. When he told me that you wouldn’t say anything because of his threat to do something to Mike, I knew you wouldn’t. I knew you loved Mike too much. It was so hard for me not to say anything, Gina. I wanted to tell Mike. Maybe I should have. But I just kept thinking that it was your secret to tell, not mine. And I was mad for a long time that you hadn’t told anyone. Even after the baseball season was over and the bastard couldn’t hurt Mike anymore you kept quiet.”
“And you never told anyone?” I asked him again.
“No. Like I said, I wanted to lots of times. Whenever I’d run into Coach Smith, I’d stare him down just so the bastard knew that I hadn’t forgotten.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. “So why bring this up now?”
“I don’t know,” Tom said. “Because you’re here and we’re alone and we can talk. And it’s bothered me for a long time, and I’ve always cared about you and want to make sure you’re all right.”
“I’m OK. But it hasn’t been easy. A big reason
Similar Books
