Family Ties (Rewritten)

The News

Emily:

There was nothing sweeter for a teacher than having a break from the classroom, and thanks to the Pilgrims and Native Americans who shared a meal together, I had a whole week off.  My first order of business was to treat myself to a spa day while James spent the day with Cora.  Lying on a massage table and having my muscles kneaded in to by a large man named Hansel gave me time to think about the wonderful life I had with James.

He was always good to me; from the tear filled nights he spent comforting me, to the way he stepped in and helped me raise Cora. I couldn't have asked for a better man to help me recover from the hell I was put through seven years ago.

My parents adored having him in the family.  They said he was the best thing that happened to me, other than giving birth to Cora.  And as far as Cora was concerned, James was her father.  She would never know the truth about her conception.

"Can I get another mimosa?" Hope slurred from the massage table next to me, holding her empty glass in the air until a shirtless man retrieved it.

She was the one who paid for our spa day, insisting that we deserved one.  I agreed wholeheartedly.

The shirtless man brought her another drink, handing it to her with a wink. He was one of many men who I've seen hit on her.

After we graduated from college, Hope opened a successful gym. She taught seven classes a day and was in excellent shape. I often joked that she could beat up anyone she came into contact with.

She told me one day that the reason she was so into fitness was because of what Vincent had done to her. She refused to be victimized again.

"You wanna grab a bite after this?" She asked, drinking her mimosa with one chug. "I could go for a big ass pepperoni pizza."

"How the hell do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How do you eat pizza and drink booze, yet manage to have a perfect body? I'm so damn jealous."

"Join my program. I'll have that pregnancy weight off of you in two months."

"Pregnancy weight? Cora is seven years old. Are you saying I've been fat this whole time?"

"Girl, you're not fat. But you do have the mommy pouch going on. I'll help you get rid of that."

"You're a real doll."

She winked at me. "I know."

We finished our day with the large pepperoni pizza that Hope wanted. She drove me back home, where we saw an extra car in the driveway.

Martin and Amy were sitting on our porch swing, rising as soon as they saw us.  My breath caught in my throat when I saw the looks on their faces. 

Something was wrong.

I climbed out of the car and walked over to them, my arms folded over my chest. "Hey, Emily," Martin said, his eyes darting past me. "Where's Cora?"

"She and James are spending the day together at the amusement park." I pulled my keys from my purse and unlocked the door. "Is everything okay?"

The officers glanced at each other.

"Mind if we come in for a minute?" Amy asked.

"Of course not." I opened the door and escorted them into the living room. "Would you guys like a drink? I have lemonade, or I can put on some tea."