The Families in Rossford

THE LAW OF LOVE

CONCLUSION

The grocery store was an example of “something she could handle”. The problem was now she was unthawing. The baby’s death had been like ice over all of her. Now she was thinking of a new job, where to live, how long she could stay with Nell and Bill, and she was pulling out of her parking space and avoiding the bad drivers as she turned out of Martin’s.

“Mommy?” Elijah asked her.

“Yes, love?”

“What’s a psycho bitch?”

“Psycho bit!” Cayla chortled.

“Now she talks!” Meredith muttered.

“A psycho—” Meredith began. “Remember those words I said you should forget and remember later?”

“Un huh.”

“Well, that’s one of them,” Meredith told him.

They were whizzing down Dorr Road, and Meredith was feeling something like a twenty-five year old again when she saw a car behind her, flashing its lights.

She didn’t think about it. Random people didn’t just ask you to pull over, and now a hand was waving, and so she slowed down. He came past her and rolled down his window.

“This is your purse,” he said, holding it out.

“Holy shit!”

“Mommy!” Elijah said.

“Hold on,” Meredith said to the man. “Let me pull over.”

They pulled over and Meredith, found herself pushing her hair back as she unbuckled her seat and got out of the car. He was a decent looking man, reminiscent of Sheridan, which was strange because Will didn’t look a damn thing like Sheridan.

“Hi,” he said, breathlessly. “You left your purse on the top of your car and it flew off when you were at the store.”

“I’m so stupid.”

“Probably just preoccupied,” he said, shrugging and grinning as he handed her the purse.

“Once I almost drove off with my son on the trunk.”

“I bet your wife would have been furious.”

“Ex-wife,” he qualified.

“Oh,” Meredith said darkly, then, “I know all about that.”

“Divorced?” And then, “Wow,” he said politely, “that is none of my business.”

“Divorcing. He walked out, I sent him the papers. He’s signed them, they should be here any day.”

“That’s…” he began at a loss.

“Not nearly as tragic as it sounds,” Meredith said, simply. “It never should have happened anyway.

“Well, look,” Meredith said, strapping the purse over her shoulder, “This was really good of you, and if there is any way I can repay you—”

“There is, actually,” the man said.

“Alright?”

“See, I’ve got these tickets to this play, and I got one too many, so… I mean, I really hate being alone. Alone at a play I mean. I can totally be alone. I’m not needy or anything like—”

“Sir,” Meredith said, reassessing this man, “are you asking me out on a date?”

“He is Mommy!” Elijah clapped his hands. “Tell the nice man, yes!”

“Well,” she said, “As long as you’re not a stalker.”

“I never stalk. I’m just your friendly neighborhood weatherman.”

When Meredith looked confused, he said, “You don’t watch TV.”

“I don’t watch much of anything.” Then, “You’re on TV?”

“I’m just the weatherman on Channel 16. I know it’s not important, but I get all hurt when people don’t know me because I’m used to being a star.”

“Well,” Meredith said, taking his hand, “I have been out of town for some time, and I am Meredith Affren. I can meet you at eight.”

“Great,” he said, grinning and taking her hand. “I’m Charlie Palmer.”

 

“So, you’re Jonah Layton!”

“You’ve heard of me?”

“Ah, yes,” said Shelley. “We’ve heard of you.”

They were in her kitchen, and Matty came to the table with a glass of tomato juice.

“Sean called a lot,” he said. “And for a long time you were part of his stories. I mean a big part. And then you were a quieter part.”

“What on earth does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” Sean said.

“It means you’ve been in the background of Sean’s life for years,” Shelley explained, “and I was always happy for him because he was always happy with you. And I don’t remember him having anyone. Anyone that made him happy,” Shelley amended.

“Shelley,” Matty said, “I think we should have a family get together. Your family,” he clarified.

“What’s that?”

“Brian and Chad.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Sean said.

“I think it is,” Jonah said.

“Look, it’s not because my family is your family and I want us to all be together and all of that nonsense,” Jonah clarified.

“Oh, thanks,” Shelley said.

“That,” Jonah lifted a finger, “is not exactly what I meant. I meant,” he turned to Sean, “that it’s not about me. It’s about you. It’s about you and the relationship with your brother.”

“Jonah, I love you,” Sean said.

“I can sense a but in this.”

“But,” Sean said, “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

“Oh,” Jonah said. Then, “Alright.”

“I mean it,” Sean said.

“I know you do,” Jonah told, nodding. “And I won’t bring it up again. I promise.”

Shelley turned away from them, back to cutting carrots for dinner. Because she had been devious for so long she could hear it in Jonah’s voice, and she knew that, though he probably would not bring the matter up again, it was far from over.

“Why do you sound so damn chipper?” Meg Callan said.

“Well, former light of my life, I’m just a chipper kind of man.”

“You are a strange kind of man, Charlie Palmer. When I bring the kids over, are you going to have that smug expression on your face you used to always wear?”

“I have a date if you must know.”

“Really?” Meg said.

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s about time.”

“Thanks, Meg.”

“Seriously, you need to get over me,” Meg said.

Before Charlie could open his mouth to protest this last, she said, “So, should I not bring the kids?”

“No, she knows I have children. She does too. Much younger children.”

“Alright,” Meg seemed to shrug. “Ed’s not going to be wild about having to baby sit tonight, though.”

“I’ll make it up to him. Come around seven. I’m meeting Meredith at eight.”

“Meredith,” Meg sounded the name out. “That is stylish.”

“Yeah, you know me and stylish ladies.”

“When do I get to meet her?”

“Gosh, Meg!”

Charlie laughed a long time until he stopped, looking at his ex wife, whose face had not changed expression the whole time he went on chuckling.

“Meg!”

“You thought I was joking?” Meg Callan said.

“I was totally serious.”

END OF PART TWO