Broken Home

12 | The Adults Are Talking

Charles knocks on his mother's bedroom door. "Mom," He grabs her attention. "Dad called."

"Oh."

"He's taking a trip to Toledo. Gladys's folks want to meet Jellybean and see Jughead."

"He's going out of town?"

"He said it would only be a couple of days. A week maybe. But he said if we need anything while he's gone to just call."

Alice nods. "Thank you for letting me know."

Charles steps away and heads back to his room. She looks over at her phone. A part of her wishes he had called her too.

+

Charles opens the front door when he hears the sheriff knock.

"Hi, Charles. I just came to talk to you and your mother if that's alright," Tom states.

"Mom, Sheriff Keller is here!"

"I'll be right down!" Alice yells from upstairs.

"Is this about Hal?" Charles asks.

"Partially, yes."

"Hello, Tom." Alice greets the man.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course, come on in." Alice welcomes him in.

"I've spoken to other authorities in regards to your husband."

"Soon to be ex husband." Alice closes the door. "Mary is helping me with that."

"Hal will be looking at a year max at the county jail but he'll be serving a couple of months at the bare minimum."

"Daddy was a bad guy?" Polly pops into the room.

"Where's daddy?" Betty comes behind her. The two girls overhear everything. They have missed having him around and no one will tell them where he is.

"Girls, let's go watch tv while Sheriff Keller talks to your brother."

"Why?" Betty questions. If she's anything like her mother, she's full of questions she wants answered.

Tom kneels down. "How about this?" He thinks he knows a way to keep the girls preoccupied. "Would you like me to get Kevin from home so you can play?"

"Okay."

"I'll call his mother to bring him right over."

After the kids were settled, in the backyard playing, Tom discusses a few things with Alice after a conversation with Charles. Once Mary swung by, Charles was excused but that didn't mean he wasn't listening in on the adults for afar.

"This will take some time," Mary places the divorce petition back into the folder. "These things can take months, but I assure you that I can squeeze you in."

"I don't want him anywhere near my kids," Alice has made it very clear. "He's dead to me."

"Have your girls mentioned anything about him?" Tom wonders what else they didn't know. "They don't seem any different to me."

"They love Hal. I couldn't picture him hurting them. When FP told me that Hal was hurting our son...I felt like my whole world was spiraling out of control. He has been doing this behind my back. I was a clueless mother letting my poor boy suffer," Alice flutters her eyes to hold in the tears. Mary scoots closer to hug her friend. "He didn't want to say anything because he thought I was happy. He would much rather suffer than take away my happiness. He's such a good son and I don't know what I did to deserve him. I didn't protect him. I should have been a better mother for him."

Charles listens to every single word. He wants to go tell her she's wrong. He wants her to know she's the best mother anyone could ask for.

"You are an amazing mother, Alice." Mary assures her. "Who's the one that has sacrificed so much since high school to provide for their son? Who's the one that went to school all day and worked all night while raising a baby? Who's the woman who has done nothing but make sure her kids are happy?"

A smile peers on the corner of Alice's lips. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Mary smiles. "Don't look down on everything you've done for your son. You have done great things."

"I couldn't have done it without FP. We've raised a good son together. I just wish things were different."

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?" Tom asks.

Alice sheepishly nods.

"Let's not talk about that right now," Mary jumps in to the rescue. "Let's focus on the divorce and the kids. Alice, Hal has nothing against you. This will be easy. I promise you we will make him pay."

"I hope things work out for him and his family. That's all I can say," Alice says. Though she means it, she still wishes it was her.

Charles frowns. He isn't Gladys's biggest fan either. He doesn't despise her like he does Hal, but he didn't feel anything meaningful towards her. As a little boy he always hoped his parents would get back together one day, but as he grew older he knew it wasn't that simple. His mother was married to Hal and FP had found something long term with Gladys. It's not as simple as a fairytale.