A Perfect Mistake, page 20
Matt hesitated. “Good.”
My mother’s words knocked the wind out of me. I never knew her to be this coldhearted. The last remaining fibers of family connection disintegrated. She was a woman who had messed with my life for the last time. “Listen to me carefully, Mother. I never want to talk to you again. Here I am trying to save the job of the woman I love, the woman I will marry one day, and I have to fight against a stupid letter you wrote? Have a nice life.”
I grabbed the phone and disconnected the call. It rang two seconds later. My mother’s name popped up on the screen. Matt reached for it but I clicked ignore. A minute later it rang again. Her number. I powered the phone off. Hands fisted in my hair, I faced the wall. My mother started this mess. The woman who was supposed to be there for me no matter what, who was supposed to always have my back. Who was supposed to love me.
No, there was a different woman who had claimed and proved she was there for me. I closed my eyes. Grandma, what are we going to do?
My words came back to haunt me, wrong thing to sign in mixed company. A familiar hand grasped mine. I turned. Nica. Her eyes were large with that same fear she often displayed at the intensity of our relationship. She tugged me into her arms. I clung to her, planting a kiss on the top of her head before releasing her.
“I guess it’s my turn to say you didn’t see that,” I said, unable to stop the corners of my mouth from turning.
She managed a slight smile. “I guess you’re right.”
I gazed into her eyes, knowing she was worth the fight, seeing all that warmth coming from her, in contrast to the cold woman who gave birth to me. I kissed her temple.
“Just when I thought Rhonda couldn’t get any worse,” Ashley spoke and signed.
“I think this surpasses her bitchiest moments to date,” I said.
“I don’t want to come between you and your family.” Nica brushed my hair off my face.
“You’re not. She is. You did nothing wrong.”
“We need to brainstorm a list of options to save Nica’s job,” Matt said.
“Number one, hire a hitman from Jersey directed at Rhonda,” I said.
“Finally,” Grant dramatized.
Matt collected the paper and pen and wrote it down.
Ashley tapped a finger to her lips. “So it took one letter to get Nica in trouble. We need a way to counteract that letter.”
“… bonfire,” Lexie said.
Grant eyed Lexie up and down, a wolf on the prowl. “You’re definitely my kind of woman.”
“Careful… throw you… fire.”
Grant’s smile grew.
I let my eyes travel around the room as I contemplated the different ways to make Mom’s letter have less of an impact. I leaned forward and Nica rubbed my back.
“What will it take to knock down that letter? I will certainly state, in writing or in person, that you kept things professional in face of the situation.” The wheels turned, a thought clicked into place. “That’s what we need. More letters. I’ll talk with my family, find out who’s on our side. If they are, they will write in support.”
I turned to Nica. “We know your Deaf clients approve and love you. Have them write letters. What about your other clients?”
Nica turned white. “I keep my private life private.” She glanced around the room. “Normally. That’s why I’m V-E-R-O-N-I-C-A at work when no one in my personal life calls me V-E-R-O-N-I-C-A.”
“Veronica, don’t… silly,” Lexie teased.
Nica rolled her eyes.
I refused to back down. “This could save your job. I know how much Grandma loved you. And I know her neighbors will come to your rescue. I’m talking to my family. It’s a large enough family, I should be able to get some support.” I hoped.
“And if it doesn’t work?”
“Then you’re not seeing them again professionally anyways.”
Nica rubbed her knees. “I’m liking the hitman from Jersey idea more and more.”
I laughed and brushed her curls back. I would save her job. My mother had manipulated my life for the last time.
Chapter 22
Cam
I tapped my fingers on my work desk—attempting to dispel the nervous energy coursing through me—while I waited for Dan to appear on my cell screen. I glanced to the whiteboard now hanging between my desk and Matt’s. A chart had been set up, with the names of my family members down one side. Two columns waited to be filled in, either in support or against. A minute later Dan appeared.
“What’s up?”
“Mom’s on the warpath again. Do you have any problems with Nica?”
Matt turned around from his desk to watch. He grabbed the filled popcorn bowl, leaned back, crossed his ankles, and settled in to watch the show.
Dan grinned. “Is this a trick question? Or have you wised up and decided you were wrong to be so upset? Or…wait. Mom?”
I nodded.
“Mom hasn’t had anything to obsess over in a while. Ben and I were taking bets on what the next crisis was going to be. Figured the funeral would give her some ammo. Then you show up with a new girlfriend, walked right into that one, brother. I don’t have a problem with Nica. What did Mom do?”
“Nica lost her Deaf clients and may lose her job because Mom wrote a letter complaining about our relationship.”
Dan blinked. “Did not see that coming. That’s low, even for Mom. Wow.”
“I need your help, will you write a letter in our support?”
“Yes, sure. Tell me what to write.”
“Whatever you think about Nica dating me in regards to Grandma.”
“You want me to write I feel bad for Nica being swept up with you?”
I rolled my eyes. “In regards to Grandma, you got a problem with that?”
“No. Just picking on you.”
“Write a letter and send it my way.”
“Will do.”
I disconnected. Matt wiped his hands on his beige dress pants, then placed the popcorn back on my desk, and marked a check in the positive column of the whiteboard. “That’s one. How many family members do you think you’ll be able to collect?”
I set down my phone. “I’m hoping on most. I’ll settle for half. I’m about to find out what they really think of the sole remaining Deaf family member.” Ten children were born between my grandparents and me. All hearing. Twelve born after me, also hearing. I was the black sheep. The mistake. At least according to my mother. How many others agreed with her?
“You sure this girl’s worth all this trouble?” Matt asked, his back to the rest of the office.
“Yes.” I glanced over at Ashley on the phone. “You going to get your ass in gear soon with Ashley?”
Matt leaned back and grinned. “You racing?”
“Nica won’t even admit she loves me.” I knew she did, I felt it. How was it possible to feel another person’s emotions? Not that my own behavior wasn’t anything short of obvious.
A wistful expression crossed Matt’s face. “Ahh, the indifference stage, I miss that.”
I came back from my own wayward thoughts and eyed my friend. Matt sat with the same nonchalance he always did.
“You’re not answering me now.”
Matt turned around, which was all but admittance in itself. I was going to need to bump up production schedules. The last office engagement set us back half a week.
I grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it at Matt. “Warn me before the interoffice scream fest starts.”
Matt didn’t respond, and I tapped my phone, connecting to my other brother.
“What’s wrong?” Leave it to Ben to jump straight to the point. He never wasted time with formalities.
“Mom’s on the warpath. What do you think of Nica?”
“Damn, I owe Dan fifty bucks. Next time let me know about the new girl first.”
There wasn’t going to be a next time, but I didn’t dare mention that. Ben could be as single-minded as our mother. And what was with people betting on my love life? “You can argue with Dan later, focus. Nica, what do you think?”
“Oh, I’ll be arguing with him later.”
“Focus.”
“On what?”
“Nica.”
“Nica? We like her. You kiss and make up?”
I ignored the last comment. “Any problem with her being Grandma’s social worker?”
“Why would there be a problem?”
I paused, giving Ben a minute. I knew it wouldn’t take long.
“What did Mom do?” And my brother didn’t disappoint.
“She wrote a letter complaining about our relationship, Nica might lose her job.”
“Shit. Zoey knew there must be a reason Mom was being nice to her. Mom’s all sweet, we were worried she was sick.”
“Not sick, lost one son.” My jaw tightened to an uncomfortable degree.
“That bad? Wow. She’ll come around.”
“I won’t.”
Ben opened his mouth to respond, then caught my expression and nodded. “I’d say never say never, but she’s not giving you many options here.”
I was willing to stake my life on it, but now wasn’t the time. “Will you write a letter supporting Nica?”
“Of course.”
I fielded a few more remarks and disconnected. Matt put a second mark in the positive column.
“Looking good.”
“I still need to go up a generation.” I pushed my cell aside. Break time was over.
*****
Nica
I stopped by Tess’s office after a client visit and was waved in. With the door closed behind me, Tess removed her glasses.
“How are you holding up?”
I shrugged, stuffing my turmoil inside. “I’m keeping busy.”
Tess frowned. “We have a meeting set up for next Wednesday. You’ll get an e-mail about it. Let me know how Cameron wants to participate.”
The internal turmoil morphed into a dull ache. I didn’t want this meeting to become a reality. The stress would eat me up, but what was social work without a little stress? I could handle the stress if this situation went nowhere. Cam being involved in a meeting that put my job on the line was a chilly reminder of my dabble with mixing personal and professional. “This is not my idea of a fun meeting.”
Tess gave me a sympathetic smile. Of all the people to lend me support, I wasn’t sure I deserved it from my supervisor. “We’ll get through this.”
I accepted the comfort, for a brief moment, and forced myself back to work. I shuffled to my desk, trying to hold my head high. Instead of wallowing in pity I contemplated what to bake when I arrived home. Thankfully the stress had killed most of my appetite, so I wasn’t in danger of gaining too much weight.
Rebecca waved me over before I could reach my desk. “Hey,” she began in a low voice, “tell me what you think of this.”
Rebecca moved her laptop to show me an e-mail, from June, stating that she “Need see case manager. Important emergency.”
I laughed. “Not an emergency. See if she’ll respond to you via e-mail.”
“I did, she insisted I come visit. Said you could interpret.”
I sighed and leaned on Rebecca’s desk. “I doubt Sharon would like that. You can always see her and find out what she wants, the building isn’t too far away.”
Rebecca began typing. “You better get your clients back, they’re a hassle.”
“Tell Sharon. They are more work than hearing clients. I have to do all my phone calls in person.”
“Want me to mention the letter-writing campaign?”
I tapped a finger to the desk. “Want? No. Should you? Probably.”
Rebecca handed me a piece of paper and a pen. “Write me a note in ASL grammar. I’ll play secret messenger.”
*****
I was all set to go to the grocery store on my way home, but the stress had me drained. The gooey, chocolaty warmth couldn’t compete with the need to curl up in bed. After snuggling with Oreo for ten minutes I forced myself up. The enthusiasm to bake left me before I could crack open my first egg.
I would wait for Cam. His presence would surely get me into baking mode. Or at least, batter-creating mode. Which, my girly parts admitted, was better than eating cookies. And top notch for stress relief. So I waited. Curled up with my romance novel, the words couldn’t hold my attention. Every paragraph I glanced up and checked the time. Not even the heart-pounding climatic scenes could help when the time trickled past Cam’s promised arrival time.
Late nights, limited time off. That was Cam.
I set the book on the couch and scratched a happy Oreo. Cam’s work needed him; he was probably still catching up from the time he took off for the funeral. And who was I to make demands, we’d barely dated. I resumed reading and stopped checking the clock when Cam buzzed from the lobby. He had one foot into the apartment before I said, “You’re late.”
He kissed me. “I know, I’m sorry. I spent a decent amount of time calling family and felt I needed to catch up on some work. The good news is both my brothers and my Aunt Kat are writing letters so far.”
I wanted to call him on not telling me he’d be late, but thought better of it. All I wanted was to curl up with him and forget everything. I leaned into his sturdy frame, aching for comfort.
“Your grandma’s neighbors have been harassing Rebecca. They want to help save my job, but I can’t have any further involvement with them. You’ll have to handle it.”
He wrapped an arm around me. “I’ll do that.”
“Thanks.” I snuggled in, not feeling as content as I should.
“What can I do to make you feel better?” He rubbed a hand up and down my arm, a slow, soothing motion that still caused goose bumps.
Text me when you’re running late, I thought but decided against it. Instead I shrugged. Emotions bubbled up inside me, pushing against my throat like bile. Yet no words would come.
I turned my head and gazed into his eyes. I saw love there. I saw the concern. But for a moment I wondered if he was worth risking everything for. Then he leaned down, his firm lips kissing me with all the passion he had. And I forgot my jumbled emotions, forgot my concerns, forgot even my name in his embrace.
At two in the morning I was wide awake, Cam and Oreo sleeping peacefully beside me. All my torments back in full force. How was I going to survive another week waiting to find out if I’d lost my job? I listened to Cam’s soft breathing. I didn’t know, I just didn’t know.
*****
Cam
Hands behind my neck, feet propped on my desk, I stared at the letters-of-support chart. My guilty conscience had me pushing my job aside to work on saving Nica’s. There was nothing I could do about missing dinner the previous night except make it up to her. The empty squares on the board mocked me. I hadn’t had the balls to contact anyone else. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to find out what my non-signing family really thought of me.
Coward.
Instead I moved my feet to the floor and checked my personal e-mail. I scrolled down the list and found letters of support from both my brothers and my aunt. I printed them, and set them up in a folder. About to shut down I noticed an e-mail from my cousin, Grace.
Hi Cam,
Mom told me what your mother did. I am so sorry. Grandma always had nice things to say about Veronica. To the point that, well, let’s just say it’s bittersweet to see the two of you together now. She’d wanted that for years. We knew the two of you were making sure Grandma got the services she deserved. Maybe that was our mistake, never asking you to make sure that was the truth. If so, I’m sorry. I can’t change that if I’m wrong, but I can help make sure Veronica doesn’t lose her job over whatever your mother wrote.
I’m attaching a letter of support. If you need me to mail it to Veronica’s work please let me know. And let us know how it goes. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
Love,
Grace.
I rubbed my eyes, blinked several times and reread the letter. I hadn’t realized Grandma spoke about Nica and me to anyone else. I thought it was just me who had to listen to the pleas. I downloaded Grace’s letter and printed it out as well.
Back in my inbox I noticed two more letters from my family, both with positive words of support. Even my conservative cousin who never spoke to me was on my side. My family was talking. Support was coming in without me making any calls. Support for Nica. Support for me. Maybe I wasn’t the black sheep I thought.
I made three more checks in the support column and stepped back. A sense of familial pride welled within, a sense of connection to a family where I was now the only Deaf person. I’d need to find out who my brothers and aunt had contacted. Time to man up and contact the rest.
Ashley waved for my attention. “Three more checks?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
“Good job.”
I laughed and explained it wasn’t my doing.
“Still. That’s wonderful. What about you?”
“We’re still figuring out the details. Not enough time to get an interpreter. It might be best for me to write my own letter. I worry it won’t be enough.”
Ashley turned to her boyfriend. “See, Matt, he’ll do anything for Nica.”
“Young love, it won’t last.”
Ashley shook her head and left the area. Matt watched her the whole way. My interest was piqued. This wasn’t normal Matt behavior. Then again the fake appointment he had earlier that morning wasn’t normal either. When Ashley was gone Matt reached into his pocket and dropped a small black box on my desk.
“For me? Really? You shouldn’t have.”
Matt leaned over the partial wall. “Scream fest coming soon, you’ve been warned.”
I opened up the box to see three diamonds nestled together on a white gold band. The light hit the ring and I was almost blinded.
“How did I do?”
“I’m predicting screams I might hear.” I gave the ring back to Matt. “Congrats. When does the screaming start?”
