War (27 page)

“I hope so.”

“We will.”

MALCOLM

“Malcolm? I woke you didn’t I?”

“It’s alright. Is Jasmine’s okay?”

“No change. But I talked to her father and we think that it isn’t a good idea for her to go to her grandparents’ house. Marlon’s going to need help with the girls and both Jasmine’s dad and I work during the day. Her grandparents will be the only ones who can take the girls since my parents are still on their cruise. So, we’re going to drive her to my sister in New Hampshire. They live in a beach house so she’ll be by the water and my sister’s a retired nurse so Jasmine will be taken care of. My brother-in-law teaches psychology at the University of New Hampshire, so he should be of help.”

“I think it’s a great idea, Dr. Harlow.”

“And maybe, during the time that Jasmine’s gone, Marlon will have a change of heart…I don’t know, I guess I’m hoping for a miracle. I’m not sure what happened between the two of them but I just hope that it’s not bad enough for them to actually divorce.”

“I hope not, either.”

“Regardless of what happened yesterday, Marlon’s a good guy.”

“He is.”

“So we’ll leave this morning. Should Jasmine and I stop by Jacob and Winnie’s condo to grab a key to lock your door? Do they have a spare?”

“No. Just, uh, leave it unlocked. I’ll call Rusty, the security guy.”

“Very well. And thank you
,
Malcolm.”

“No problem…Danielle wants to know the address to your sister’s home. She said she has it somewhere buried in her address book.”

“Sure. I actually think letters would be therapeutic. Let me know when you’re ready…”

MALCOLM

              “Dena.”

              “Hi. Just calling to tell you that I’ve just helped Jasmine get into her mother’s car. She’s not doing too well. Excuse me if I sound stuffy, it’s just that I’ve been crying all morning.”

              “Nat there with you?”

              “Yes, he’s just made me a cup of chamomile tea and the kids have written me sympathy cards. I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

              “I’m glad you have them.”

              “I can only imagine Jasmine feels the same way. She’s devastated, Malcolm. Just devastated. Is there anything, anything
at all
that Nat and you can do?”

              “We’ll try everything we can.”

              “And you’ll talk to Marlon?”

              “We’ll get through to him somehow.”

              “I’m thinking Matt? Perhaps Danielle can talk to Rena and Rena can talk to Matt.”

              “That’s exactly that I was thinking.”

              “Very well. Thank you for calling me last night and I’ll be there in a bit to check on Sunny.”

              “See you when you get here, Dena.”

From the Desk of Zara Harlow

Dear Jasmine,

I’m not going to express worry. I know that’s what you’re waiting for. I’m not going to tell you that all things happen for a reason. That has been said before. I’m going to tell you one thing:

Experience every emotion you’re having.

As a doctor, I realize that many women want labor to be
over
. But the only way to get past the pain is to go
through
it. There is no way around or over it, only through it.

I love you and I’ll write tomorrow,

Mom

From the Desk of Jacob Blair

Winnie,

If I have to beg for the rest of my life, then I’ll do it.

If I have live on my knees until the day I die, then I’ll do it.

If I have to sleep with one eye open…if it’s next to you, then I’ll do it.

If I have move from Boston, renounce everything I’ve established and start from scratch somewhere else…if it’s with you, then I’ll do it.

Whatever you want me to do, whatever I need to do, whatever you think of, I’ll do it.

-J

From the Office of Dr. Zeke Harlow

Jasmine,

Your mother and I don’t know the whole story. Marlon says that he’d prefer you tell us. Dr. Samuels is using patient confidentiality as an excuse. So, I’m not sure why you and Marlon broke up or why you tried to murder him that night but I’m assuming it’s over something serious. I therefore am not adequately informed to give advice. But I’m your father so I will anyway. And this is what I’ll say: If someone walks away from you, let them leave.             

Love,

Dad

From the Desk of Jacob Blair

Winnie,

I was talking to my father over lunch today and he mentioned accountability. I’ve been saying that I’m sorry, I’ve been begging you back, but I have yet to admit to anything. I think that any admission on my part will kill any chance I have with you but my father thinks otherwise. He thinks that if I’m open and honest, you and I can start to build our marriage up, the right way. I realize that he may be right. So, I’m taking a chance here and I’m going to be honest.

Before you and I married, I didn’t want to choose between you or Jasmine. I wanted you both.

When you and I married, after six months, all I wanted was you. I felt guilty about this. I felt like I didn’t deserve to be happy with you after I left Jasmine.

I had an affair three years into our marriage. Why? I thought I wanted Jasmine. She reminded me of Jasmine.

I had another affair. The girl reminded me of Jasmine. But she went nuts. I stopped seeing her. She wanted me to leave you. There was no way in
hell
that I was leaving you.

I had another affair. Another nut job. She reminded me of Jasmine. It happened once.

I had the last affair. It was with Jasmine…there, I said it. Marlon has every right to want me dead. He has every right to want to destroy my marriage. The affair lasted two weeks. That was it. When she came to our place, I thought ‘no more’. I was done. Something clicked in me. Three psychos in a row is a warning. The fourth one, I’d likely end up dead.

There. I told you all of it. I didn’t love them. It was nothing. Nothing but me chasing after Jasmine’s ghost.

You’ll probably never come back to me now.

-J

(But please come back to me.)

St. Michael’s Parish, Father Luke Harper

My Dearest Jasmine,

If you’re looking for a Bible verse, this won’t be the letter to offer you one. The Bible is full of verses, so if you’re looking for one, I’m sure you can find it. I don’t want to bore you with words that were written so long ago, when there was no such thing as Acute Stress Syndrome. You need something that is relevant for what you’re going through now.

I christened you when I was just twenty-seven years old so I’ve known you before you officially knew yourself. I will, in that case, give advice based on that. My advice is the following: It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves. You have the power within you to be better. Please remember that during this time. For there is only one thing that we humans have complete control over and that is ourselves.

With Love,

Father Luke R. Harper

From the Desk of Lola Blair

Winnie,

I’ve talked to Cadence and he’s told me what’s going on. I tried to call you but your cell keeps going to voicemail. Must be off or something. I thought I’d write to offer you a bit of advice. Please keep in mind that this is coming from a woman whose husband cheated on her with multiple women and her own sister. So, I know you and I don’t speak often, but when it comes to cheating ass husbands, I win.

When I was thinking about a divorce, Angie dragged me to her priest. Of course, I didn’t want to go. Why would I? I didn’t need help, Cadence did. I wasn’t in the mood for some sixty-year-old virgin to tell me that I wasn’t fucking my husband enough or that I wasn’t making his favorite Sunday meals according to the instructions on the package. I almost didn’t go but Angie practically begged me. She
is
obsessed with those boys of hers, isn’t she? (Don’t tell her I said that.) So I went and Cadence went with me…Angie came as well. And guess what? Cadence and Angie’s priest had another couple in the room. They were the priest’s parents! Weird, to say the least.

We all sat down on couches in Father Bianchi’s office and had wine, cheese and communion crackers. Then the story began: Father Bianchi’s parents had been through what Cadence and I went through
,
only it was his MOTHER who was the cheater, with her own brother-in-law. Her infidelity was now her testimony. Cadence, Angie and I were stunned.

The story was brief and to the point. Mrs. Bianchi cheated repeatedly, Mr. Bianchi would lash out and then forgive her repeatedly and so the cycle continued. Then one day, Mr. Bianchi left. He just left. With no warning
.
His reason: he finally realized why she kept cheating. He kept letting her.
I asked him why and he told me it was because she was a good mother.
A good friend. A good nurse. She
made
him
laugh. They enjoyed each other’s company. She made a great pan of bolognese. They had a vacation home in New Hampshire
where they had great memories. She initiated romance half the time, he the other. He wasn’t willing to throw it all away over another man…or two…that was, until he did.

Come to find out, Mrs. Bianchi was a cheater because she had
permission
to be one. Once her husband said ‘no more’ and
meant
it, she stopped.

I asked Mr. Bianchi what he would have done had she not stopped. And you know what he said?
“Well, then I guess I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you right now.”

Towards the end of the three-hour session, Mrs. Bianchi said something to Cadence that I will never forget. It was a quote from Sigmund Freud:
How bold one gets when one is sure of being loved.

Lola

From the Desk of Danielle Rouge

“A liberated woman is one who has sex before marriage and a job after.” ~Gloria Steinem

Dear Jazz,

You are what we Creoles call ‘crazy as a bed bug.’ But I love you anyway. You are what the old folks talk about when they say that someone doesn’t have the sense God gave them. But I’ve been called crazy before and so one of these days, you may laugh at your stay in The Bin. (Out of respect, I will not call your aunt’s home The Loony Bin, I’ll just call it The Bin.)

You can count on my letters at least four times a week. In them you will hear me mention how Malcolm and Sunday are extremely annoying. If they’re not listening to the
Cinderella
soundtrack, they’re blasting
Beauty and the Beast
. Nicky chooses to sing along. (sigh) Rusty, our security guard, has been up to our condo twice as reports of a loud and seemingly strange party was going on. (Malcolm thinks Jon’s reporting us.)

By the way, Sunny’s fine. I would ask you to be her godmother but how fair is it to have me as a mother and you as a godmother? Oh, what the hell, you’ve got the job.

I wanted to give you something to think about, though. It’s another quote by Gloria Steinem:
Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry.

Love You,

Danielle

p.s.

I’m not sure if you were aware but Nicky has been asked to resurrect his role as Jesus for the Easter play. Of course Father Harper wanted to name the play with a typical misogynistic title: ‘Our Lamb of God, He Has Risen.’ I don’t think so. So the play is called ‘Mary, Don’t Weep’ and will feature Nicky singing his rendition of
Mary Had a Little Lamb
.  I do hope you’re sane by then.

From the Desk of Jacob Blair

Winnie

I WILL NEVER CHEAT AGAIN.             

Jacob

From the Office of Serena Beauvais

Jasmine,

Girl, what the hell is your problem? You
would
go and get put in The Bin (that’s what Danielle is making me call it) when Georgie’s birthday party is coming up—the one that you were supposed to cater! Write me back if you know any good alternatives.

Also, I’ve been driving by Marlon’s new loft and watching him through his office window. (I probably shouldn’t have written that.) Lucky for us, he bought a place that faces the street. Not much activity going on, just him working at all hours of the night. That nanny of yours, Gertrude, has been there with the kids; I’ve seen them through the living room window. I’ve been getting the girls and bringing them to Danielle’s condo so that all the kids can play there. Don’t be mad, but they’ve been playing with Winnie’s kids, too. But don’t get mad at that because this issue is between adults, not the children.

Okay, so write me back.

Love You,

Rena

p.s.

Matt and I have decided to move from Roxbury. I know, so sad. But our firm and most of our life is in Beacon Hill. So, Marlon is in the process of selling us a two-story loft in that new building of his. I thought you’d be mad that we’re letting Marlon close the deal but I figure there will be more cash for you in the divorce settlement. I’m what you call a good friend. Always thinking ahead. xo

The St. James Technology Group

From the Desk of Jon St. James, certified: PMP, OCP, OCA, MCDA, PMI

Jasmine,

Get well soon.

-Jon

From the Desk of Senator Demetrius Westlake

Gwyneth,

The return address on the envelope has your brother’s address because I knew you’d burn this if you saw mine. I also hear that you’re taking your mail at the Mayor’s Mansion in Cambridge. Not sure what that’s all about but I’ve got a feeling my name is written all over it.

I haven’t called you out of respect for you and Jacob’s marriage. However, I know you well enough to know that you’re either thinking of a way to castrate or kill me for what you thought I was trying to do to your marriage.

But it isn’t true.

I had no intention of seducing you. I was there as counsel for a friend. That’s all. What you and I have I would never pervert. Never. You are my first love, though many times over, you’ve assured me that I am not yours. I have a feeling I know who is.

I hope this address change is not because of me. But if it is, let me say this: Jacob was
not
having an affair with Jasmine. The proof is clear. Jasmine is obsessed with him. I’m not saying he’s perfect, but of all the things you could leave him for, don’t leave him for this. I also have to say, you should have seen him in the chief’s office. The fight he staged, the arrests…everything was for you. The man is scared to death of losing you and he threw everybody—and I do mean
everybody
—under the bus in that office. Marlon, Jon, me, and Jasmine. He told us to fuck off. Leave you alone. Get the hell out of here. And take Jasmine with us.

So, like I said, there are tons of reasons for you to leave Jacob. Just don’t leave him for this.

Love you baby,

D. West

From the Desk of Blythe and Adam Harlow

Jasmine,

This is your grandfather. You
’r
e grandmother’s sitting right here and wants me to tell you that you’ve got a lot of nerve turning crazy after we put you through college to get that food degree. But you being crazy isn’t my problem. My problem is your daughter: the licking one.

Every time I turn around she’s licking my belongings. I had to outright tell her yesterday that I like my recliner
dry
. What’s wrong with that girl? Your grandmother says the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

So do me a favor. Write Tiffany and ask her if she wants me to come over to
your
home and lick
your
recliner. Ask her how she would feel if I did.

Alright now, we’ll write you tomorrow.

Love You Sweet Cakes,

Grandma and Gramps