years.
“Well, don’t expect me to do anything for her,” Luisa said in a fury.
“I expect you to be civil to her, and make her as comfortable as we can.”
“Is her mother coming to see her?” Luisa sounded suspicious.
“Probably. I haven’t talked to her about it yet. I’ve only known about this for half an hour. She got another threatening letter about Savannah last night.”
“Just keep her away from me, Tom. And I mean it. Keep her out of my sight.” He loathed everything Luisa was and stood for. His punishment for what he had done to Alexa was living with Luisa now. It had been a long, hard ten years. But he didn’t have the energy, or the guts, to get divorced again. So he had made his peace with it. At a very, very high price.
He and Savannah left the hotel in Vermont a few minutes later, and Savannah was silent and looked sadly out the window for most of the drive down. He tried to tell her how much she would like Charleston and how happy he was that she’d be there with him, but Savannah clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk, and after a while he stopped talking and left her to her own thoughts. She was already homesick for New York, her mother, and her friends.
Alexa spent most of the day packing. She packed all the clothes Savannah liked best, everything she’d need for school and on the weekends. She gave her all the things Savannah coveted from her own wardrobe. She packed her schoolbooks, her favorite music, and two teddy bears she hadn’t even looked at since she was a child, but Alexa thought they might comfort her now. And if she could have, Alexa would have packed herself in the suitcase. She hated to see her leave, but they had no other choice.
Alexa called her mother and told her what had happened, and that Tom had been decent about it. Whatever she thought of him, she had to give him credit for that.
She barely had time to dress and leave for the airport. She had three good-sized valises with her and got there at four o’clock. Half an hour later Tom called her on her cell phone. He was ten minutes away, and as soon as he drove up, Savannah jumped out of the car and flew into her mother’s arms. She was sobbing, and it took her most of the time they had together to calm down. Alexa gently smoothed her hair that looked so much like her own, she held her and comforted her, and promised her she’d come to Charleston in no time, and before Savannah knew it she’d be home. Alexa barely had time to talk to Tom. He watched them unhappily, and walked away discreetly, so they could be alone. And then it was time to go. He had bought Savannah’s ticket, and Alexa insisted on paying for the excess baggage, and they both cried when Alexa had to leave. Alexa couldn’t walk them to the gate since she didn’t have a ticket herself.
“I love you,” she said over and over, and Savannah clung to her like a child. Tom finally put an arm around his daughter, and gently led her away from her mother as both women cried.
“Take care of yourself,” he said over Savannah’s head to Alexa. “I’ll take good care of her, I promise. Just see that you stay safe.” Alexa nodded and thanked him, and then they were gone, through security and heading for the gate, and Alexa couldn’t see them anymore.
She was still crying when she hailed a cab to take her back to the city, and she was exhausted when she walked into the apartment and called her mother. The plainclothesman Jack had promised was posted outside her door.
“How did it go?” Muriel asked her. She sounded worried and had thought about them all afternoon.
“It was awful. But Tom was very nice. I’m going to try and go down there next week,” Alexa said sadly. She couldn’t even imagine her life without Savannah for the next few months. And in the fall she was leaving for college. Life as they had known it was about to end, or just had.
“I’ll call her tonight,” Muriel said somberly. She hated what was happening to them, and
“Well, don’t expect me to do anything for her,” Luisa said in a fury.
“I expect you to be civil to her, and make her as comfortable as we can.”
“Is her mother coming to see her?” Luisa sounded suspicious.
“Probably. I haven’t talked to her about it yet. I’ve only known about this for half an hour. She got another threatening letter about Savannah last night.”
“Just keep her away from me, Tom. And I mean it. Keep her out of my sight.” He loathed everything Luisa was and stood for. His punishment for what he had done to Alexa was living with Luisa now. It had been a long, hard ten years. But he didn’t have the energy, or the guts, to get divorced again. So he had made his peace with it. At a very, very high price.
He and Savannah left the hotel in Vermont a few minutes later, and Savannah was silent and looked sadly out the window for most of the drive down. He tried to tell her how much she would like Charleston and how happy he was that she’d be there with him, but Savannah clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk, and after a while he stopped talking and left her to her own thoughts. She was already homesick for New York, her mother, and her friends.
Alexa spent most of the day packing. She packed all the clothes Savannah liked best, everything she’d need for school and on the weekends. She gave her all the things Savannah coveted from her own wardrobe. She packed her schoolbooks, her favorite music, and two teddy bears she hadn’t even looked at since she was a child, but Alexa thought they might comfort her now. And if she could have, Alexa would have packed herself in the suitcase. She hated to see her leave, but they had no other choice.
Alexa called her mother and told her what had happened, and that Tom had been decent about it. Whatever she thought of him, she had to give him credit for that.
She barely had time to dress and leave for the airport. She had three good-sized valises with her and got there at four o’clock. Half an hour later Tom called her on her cell phone. He was ten minutes away, and as soon as he drove up, Savannah jumped out of the car and flew into her mother’s arms. She was sobbing, and it took her most of the time they had together to calm down. Alexa gently smoothed her hair that looked so much like her own, she held her and comforted her, and promised her she’d come to Charleston in no time, and before Savannah knew it she’d be home. Alexa barely had time to talk to Tom. He watched them unhappily, and walked away discreetly, so they could be alone. And then it was time to go. He had bought Savannah’s ticket, and Alexa insisted on paying for the excess baggage, and they both cried when Alexa had to leave. Alexa couldn’t walk them to the gate since she didn’t have a ticket herself.
“I love you,” she said over and over, and Savannah clung to her like a child. Tom finally put an arm around his daughter, and gently led her away from her mother as both women cried.
“Take care of yourself,” he said over Savannah’s head to Alexa. “I’ll take good care of her, I promise. Just see that you stay safe.” Alexa nodded and thanked him, and then they were gone, through security and heading for the gate, and Alexa couldn’t see them anymore.
She was still crying when she hailed a cab to take her back to the city, and she was exhausted when she walked into the apartment and called her mother. The plainclothesman Jack had promised was posted outside her door.
“How did it go?” Muriel asked her. She sounded worried and had thought about them all afternoon.
“It was awful. But Tom was very nice. I’m going to try and go down there next week,” Alexa said sadly. She couldn’t even imagine her life without Savannah for the next few months. And in the fall she was leaving for college. Life as they had known it was about to end, or just had.
“I’ll call her tonight,” Muriel said somberly. She hated what was happening to them, and
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