Page 57 of Might as Well

He laughs. That’s the only lucky thing about today. We lose five to three. Later, when we’re leaving the hotel room, I check my phone and see a few texts from Violet.

I watched the game. I’ve never seen you so…testy.

The fight was hot.

When will you be home again?

I chuckle to myself and type out a response.

Be home in two days, babe. I’ll let you know when I’m on the way so you can be ready and waiting for me.

Can’t wait. Love you.

I can’t believe this is my life. Finally,finally, I have that special someone in my life and we’re having a baby. What more could I ask for?

I’ve been itching to get home ever since Violet let me know she got hot and bothered during my game the other day. When my phone rings with a call from Violet, I grin. Guess she can’t wait for me to get home either.

“Hey, babe,” I answer. “I’ll—” Violet’s sobbing halts anything I planned to say. “Violet, what’s wrong?”

“They took it.”

“Took what?” I ask softly, hoping if I remain calm, then she’ll get there too. What in the world has happened?

“My jewelry box,” she wails. “They broke in and stole everything. My jewelry box, oh god.”

Wait. Someone broke in? “I’ll buy you new jewelry,” I find myself dumbly saying. “Areyouokay?”

“You don’t understand!” she cries. “It was full of my grandma’s jewelry. It’s irreplaceable. They could have cleaned out my entire house for all I care, but that? Why did they have to take that?”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’ll be home in a few minutes. Are you okay?” I repeat.

“Fine,” she says with a sniffle. “I came home and found the place nearly empty. I’m waiting on the police now.”

I make her stay on with me until someone is there with her. The police make it before I do, but once I see the inside of the house, I’m pissed.

Most of her furniture isgone. Some of her appliances, too. Most anything of value was taken. But what’s worse is as I set her on the bed—the only place I could put her to sit—and step into the kitchen to take over talking to the police for her, I discover who did this.

A note with scrappy handwriting is on the counter.

We can’t believe you would treat us like this after all these years. You can have the jewelry back for $100k. We know you have it.

It has to be her parents. What fucking assholes. With a deep breath, I leave the note untouched and check the recordings from the camera. Sure enough, there they are. I hand the footage over to the police and explain who they are. Eventually,the police leave. I have to face my wife and tell her who’s responsible. She’ll figure it out anyway if she checks the app. She was probably so thrown off by what she found when she came home that she didn’t even think to check the footage.

Violet lies in bed, curled into a ball, with tears still streaking down her face. It’s clear the jewelry box full of her grandma’s things being gone is what upsets her the most.

“Babe,” I start softly. I have to tell her. How could I not?

“What?” she asks, sitting up and wiping the tears away with the back of her hands.

“It was your parents,” I say as gently as possible.

Her brows pull together and she frowns. “What?” she repeats.

“There’s a note in the kitchen saying they’ll return it for a hundred grand. Just the jewelry. And the cameras caught them.”

Her shoulders slump. If there was anything I could do to take this weight off her, I would. “A hundred grand? That would barely leave me with anything.”

“Jesus, Violet, you are not giving it to them,” I interrupt with a harsh tone that has her sitting up straight. I gentle my tone before speaking again. “I know you’re upset and you lost something that I can’t replace for you, but you are absolutely not giving them any money.” I could, but I won’t. I can’t stand the idea of giving them money after what they’ve done to her. Even if it would get the jewelry back.

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