For Better or For Worse (21 page)

She threw the pots and pans
back on the stove. “Where are we really going with this Grant? What
is our relationship?” I didn’t understand what she was saying. “We
are together. We love each other.” I responded. She glared at me
and folded her arms across her chest. “That is it we are just
together.” “Yeah haven’t we been together for years. Do we have a
problem now? What more do you want?” “What I want is to know where
we are going with this? Do you really see yourself with me for the
rest of your life? Can you honestly say I’m the one you want to be
with?” I didn’t want to think about all these questions she was
asking me, I never liked to plan for the future. All I had was
today. I had been that way since I was a youngster. Tomorrow was of
no importance, all I had was today. I went over and put my hands
around her waist. “Baby I love you, I do. But marriage isn’t in the
plans right now.” She twisted her face up at me. “But it was in the
plans when you were bragging to my father. You couldn’t stop
talking about it then.” I sighed knowing I had put myself in this
situation. I dropped my head and tried to comfort her. “I want to
marry you babe…eventually.” Lucy shook her head and pulled away
from me. “I can’t do this.” Now I was getting pissed, I was damn
tired of her spoiled ass attitude, I was doing more than enough for
her and if that wasn’t good enough I didn’t know what to tell
her.

“
You can’t do what? Now
since I don’t want to walk down the aisle right now you want out?”
I looked into her face and couldn’t read her expression. She wasn’t
angry or sad her face appeared blank and it caused me to worry even
more. “I want to know that when you say you love me you mean it. I
want to know that I mean something to you...” “Woman are you out of
your damn mind?” I looked at her like she was plum crazy. “I
brought you here all the way to New York, I take care of you, hell
I put up with that dumb nut of a Father you have and you want me to
prove I love you?” I had enough of this, everything I did wasn’t
good enough, now she was trying to force me down the aisle, this
was crazy. I didn’t need this shit. I walked into our bedroom and
plopped on the bed. Lucy followed me and stood in the door way.
“Grant!” She yelled to get my attention. I turned my head to look
at her and was alarmed when I saw tears filling her
eyes.

“
I dropped everything to
come to New York with you, I walked out on my own father, I have
been turning myself inside out trying to please you, and what is my
consolation prize? A hope, a dream that one day you’ll marry me?
C’mon man I need more than that.” I rubbed the back of my head
wishing I could rip out my skull. “Lucy you are so spoiled and
ungrateful. I could marry you tonight, hell I could give you the
moon and you still wouldn’t be satisfied.” “That is not true.” She
pleaded but I didn’t want to hear it. “Yes it is, I do so much for
you and you don’t even acknowledge it, all you see is what I’m not
doing. I am so sick of trying to make you happy. Obviously that’s
an impossible mission.” I began to walk to the door; she stood in
front of me eyes full of tears begging me not to go. I soon
realized the familiar look that was in her face earlier, it was the
same look I had when I was out on the street all alone. Lucy and
her father hadn’t spoken since the dinner, he was the only family
she had and she had left him to be with me, she was scared because
for the first time like I was she was all alone…but she wasn’t
because I was here. I sighed and took her face into my
hands.

“
Baby I can’t promise you
forever right now, all I can do is let you know that we are going
to get there. Just cause I don’t move when you want me to move
doesn’t mean were standing still, you got to work with me baby.”
She seemed to calm down the more I talked to her. “Do you remember
the night I told you I love you?” She nodded sobbing. “Do you know
I have never said those words to anyone before in my life, not even
my own family?” And that was the truth I never let anyone get close
enough to me that I trusted expressing to them how I felt. She was
the only one I kept in my heart like that. Lucy began to wipe tears
away from her eyes. I placed kisses on her cheeks. “One thing you
don’t need to ever do is question my love for you. You got to give
me some time…You got to give us some time.” I kissed her lips
reassuring her I loved her and I wanted to make this work. “I’m
sorry I just don’t want to lose you.” She cried into my chest. I
held on to her for the longest time wishing I could give her
everything she needed. “I’m not going anywhere
woman…nowhere.”

Oden

A week had passed by and I
felt I had done a good job of keeping Grant away. All I had to do
was threaten to take him to court and file a protective order…I
knew nothing scared him more than going back into lockup. I
couldn’t really do that because he was not charged with anything in
my daughter’s accident but I knew he was too stupid to figure that
out, so the plan worked. I didn’t see it as a hard task it’s not
like Lucy really missed him but little Greg did, but he would soon
realize I was doing what was best for him…for both of them. Today
she was being released from the hospital into home care, which I
planned to do until she was well, and that also meant keeping her
worthless soon to be ex-husband away.

I made my way into the
hospital and turned left to her room, but boy was I in for a
surprise. The room was completely empty and there was not a trace
that anyone had been there. “What the…” I exclaimed. I ran to the
front desk and pulled one of the nurses aside. “Excuse me, what
happened to the patient in room 114?” The older plump lady seemed
frazzled by my aggressive attitude but she in turn looked up the
files on her computer. “That patient was released early this
morning sir.” I shook my head knowing I wasn’t hearing her right.
“That’s impossible; I’m here to sign her out being her caregiver.”
“No sir, she was released to the care of her husband.” “What!” I
roared panicking the old woman. “How could you do this? They are
separated, they are not even together how could you release her to
him?” The old nurse regained her composure and spoke softly. “Well
sir he gave us this...” she handed me some documents. “We had to
release her into his care.”

I read through the papers.
“I Natalia Lucy Dodson here by name Grant Gregory Smith my asset
recipient and primary care taker if need be.”
Damn,
I thought.
The bastard out smarted me
. “And she
just went with him?” The nurse nodded. “Well… she was sedated….she
had been experiencing some pain the night before…but we figured it
would be fine since Mr. Smith was her husband right?” “Like hell he
is...” I shouted then quickly calmed down realizing there was
nothing more I could do. I walked back to the parking lot and sat
in my car wondering where the hell he could have taken her. Oh
Lord, now that she was with him…Lord only knows what was going to
happen now.

Chapter 22

Take me
home

Lucy

Although I was still sleepy
from the pain medicine, I could feel the comfort of a soft mattress
and not a hard hospital bed against my body. I figured dad must
have somehow taken me home, I could feel the sun beaming down on my
face as I awakened. When I opened my eyes I took in the
unfamiliarity of the room, this was not my apartment nor was it the
house that Grant and I once shared. The room was pale green with
brown mahogany dressers and doors. It had a balcony where you could
peer out unto a garden of some sort not far from the house. The
room was beautiful but it didn’t belong to me. “Dad….Dad...” I
heard footsteps coming up the stairs and braced myself as the
mystery person entered the room. “Good morning mama!” Little Greg
said as he burst into the room. You don’t know how relieved I was
to see my baby walk through the door. “Hey baby, come here.” He
leaped into my arms and looked as cute as ever in some old Levi
overalls. This put me somewhat at ease.

“
Did you sleep well mama?”
he asked sweetly. “Of course I did….Hey um where is grandpa.” I
inquired. Little Greg shrugged. “I don’t know… back home I guess.”
I chuckled a little because I must have misheard him. “What do you
mean back home sweetie?” “He is not here mommy.” The panic started
to set in but I it drew back not wanting to alert my son. “Angel,
honey, where are we and how did we get here?” A big smile swept
across my face to mask my fear. “I don’t know where we are, but I
know how we got here.” He spoke so cheerfully. I pulled my hair
back and gulped in fear of what I thought I already knew. “How?”
“Dad brought us here.” And with that my already hesitant smile
faded completely. “What?” I said agitatedly just as Grant walked
into the room carrying a delicious tray of food. “Rise and shine
Woman.” He said with a big kool-aide smile on his stupid ass face.
“You have got to be kidding me.” Was all I could muster up to say
as I dropped my head into my hands. “No he is not kidding mama.”
Little Greg said innocently. Grant laid down the tray on the
nearest dresser and came toward us. “Hey kid, go down stairs and
play while me and moms have a talk ok.”

He nodded and hopped off
the bed. “Ok dad I will play with sparks.” My head shot up. “What?
Sparks?” I asked not knowing what he was talking about. “Yeah
mommy, dad got a dog. You’re really going to like him.” And with
that little Greg rushed down stairs. My head fell back against the
head board and I repeated. “You have got to be kidding me.” Grant
tried to intervene. “Look Lucy I know you may be a bit overwhelmed
right now, but that should soon past. We are just outside of the
city in a cottage house in New Paltz. I figured it would be a
perfect place for you to get better, for us to get better.” He
stepped closer to me. “That’s why I brought you out here…I want us
to be a family again, spend some time together away from
everything….. And everyone.” Particularly my father was what he
meant. My intense silenced must have bothered him because he looked
at me puzzled. “Are you ok?” I rubbed my head and chuckled. “Am I
ok? I’m great…I’m just fine…because you’re going to take me now.” I
turned to face him to make sure I had his full attention. “Or I’m
going to burn this house down with you in it.” I put on the best
fake smile I had. He exhaled at my resistance. “I can’t do that.” I
looked at him confusingly. “What do you mean you can’t?” “Oh I’m
sorry, I meant I won’t do that?” He said sternly. I glared at him
not in the mood for any of his games in my current state. “Take me
home now!” Grant leaned against the bed post and had the nerve to
chuckle at me. “You’re not going anywhere.” I scoffed at him. “Look
I know you are not familiar with this term but I’m an adult and
that means you don’t tell me what to do…..and you damn sure don’t
hold me hostage against my will.” He laughed, bastard he actually
found amusement in my frustration.

“
Well-being that we are
out in the middle of nowhere, with no phone, or computer insight
and you can’t move to well….yes I can.” I chuckled trying to hide
my panic. “My dad will come looking for me.” Grant shrugged. “And
what if he does, you named me your primary care taker remember,
there’s nothing much he can do but blow hot air as usual.” I
gripped the back of my head trying not to rip my hair out then I
thought of a better tactic. “So what are you going to do Grant?”
“What do you mean?” He seemed taken aback by my question. I smiled
at him wickedly. “Well what are your plans? Are you going to feed
me to the wolves? Leave me for dead? Or come up with something new,
more inventive? You do plan on finishing the job don’t you?” His
smile faded but mines didn’t. He looked into my eyes trying to find
some softness there but there was none. “Well, your dad sure did a
good job of turning you against me huh?” I shook my head. “Oh no
honey you did that all on your own.” He leaned into the bed and
stared into my face I pretended not to be uneasy by his movement
closer to me. “You know I didn’t hurt you?” I faced him excepting
his challenge.

“
Do I? I don’t know
anything about you anymore.” He nodded and stood up. “Well I hope
that is not true because we are going to be here for a long time.”
He walked to the door knowing he had the upper hand over me. “See
you in a few.” He slammed the door on his way out. I was in utter
disbelief I couldn’t belief he had done this, did he honestly think
he could make us get back together. My rage was overpowering my
better judgment due to the fact my pain medication was wearing off.
“I’m not staying here!” I put one hand on the dresser and the other
on the bed post and struggled to stand. I was breathing heavy, my
body was still sore and injured. I swallowed the pain and continued
to move.

Grant

“
Dad can me and sparks
play outside?” Greg asked making his way into the kitchen... Sparks
was the recently purchased cocker spaniel that I brought home for
little Greg. I figured he won’t get too lonely with him around and
that would give me enough time to work on my relationship with
Lucy. “Ok kid just let me make sure mom is situated.” “Yaaay.” He
screamed while sparks continually barked. “I’ll go get my ball.
C’mon sparks.” They both raced to the TV room. I smiled as they ran
off, I enjoyed being able to spend as much time with my son as I
wanted too. He deserved to have a family and I was going to get it
for him. I thought Oden had me for a moment there threatening to go
to the courts but hey I wasn’t charged with any wrong doing and I
should have the right to see my wife whenever I wanted to…So I took
a bit of legal action myself and came across some old documents
Lucy and I filled out around the time we got married.