Page 47 of Sinful Reality

“Well…” She takes a sip of water, her cheeks warming as she swallows and gently wipes her lip with her sleeve. “I might wonder if he met better people in prison. Which is an oxymoron,” she adds with a smile. “I’m certain we can both acknowledge, from our experiences living in rough neighborhoods, that good men end up in bad situations every single day. The system was not created fairly, and it’s certainly not in place to lift these men up. Rather, to stomp them down. My understanding, as I got to know Andy over the years, is that he learned a better way while he was behind bars. Prison helped him break away from the less desirable people in his life, so when he was a free man again, he returned to society with renewed drive and a shifted belief system. He knew hard work and selflessness were the keys to happiness and, ultimately, the path to Heaven.”

“Was he overly religious?” I question. “Did he quote biblical passages or focus on purity or acts of service?”

“Not in the way you mean.” She swallows a little more water beforetwisting again and setting the glass down. “He didn’t preach about service, because his actions spoke for him. He wasn’t about purity, but rather, forgiveness and second chances.” Her cheeks flame bright red. “He forgave me on an occasion or two when, honestly, he didn’t need to.”

“Would you share with me the incidents?” I hold her eyes, but I catch Archer in my peripherals, snagging a pen and paper to take notes. “If you don’t mind, Gloria? Help me understand.”

“Well…” Blushing, she drops her gaze to her lap. “There was one time, in our early years working together, that I struggled to make rent. I had two kids and nowhere else to go, so I was, put plainly, desperate. I hope my actions since then have proven me to be a better person, but back then, one time, one shameful moment, I took from the till with the full intention of repaying him just as soon as I could.”

“He caught you?”

She snickers, nodding and fussing with the hem of a small lap blanket. “Almost immediately. He didn’t get mad, though I’m sure he needed his money as much as I did. His history, certainly, would imply that he would lose his temper and fly into a rage.”

“He didn’t?”

She shakes her head, her eyes glittering as she peeks up at the phone. “No, Doctor. He didn’t. He allowed me to keep it and pay my rent, because my children having a home was, he said, most important. He proposed a more-than-generous repayment schedule, thus holding me accountable and making me earn what I’d taken. And then he explained how disappointed he was that I stole instead of asked.”

On the couch, Aubree grits her teeth. Not theI’m not mad, I’m disappointedtalk!

“And the second time he forgave?”

She sighs. “My son. We met Andy when my kids were still quite small, and I stayed with him all the way until his passing. Lachy…” She pauses and brings her eyes back to mine. “Lachy is my special boy, Doctor. Gentler than a butterfly’s wings on your skin. He was always exceptionally protective of his sister, but there was an incident where Serena, my girl, fell off the swings in the park. She screamed, as children do, and though I could see her, I was busy with a customer and needed just a moment more. Andy heard her, too, and dashed across the park. He picked my baby girl up and patted her off, checking to ensure she was okay. But my sweet Lachy, he saw only what his mind wanted him to see. He heard his sister’s scream, and then he saw Andy holding her. Lachy struggles with emotional regulation, and on this day, his cup was already empty, so to speak. The neighborhood boys had been giving him trouble, and though I encouraged him to stay by me, Lachy preferred—then and now—the quiet comfort of his own company. He made a habit over the years of reading in the park. He’d sit somewhere I could still see him, somewhere he could still see his sister, but also a spot that went mostly unnoticed by the boys who hounded him.”

“He thought Andy had hurt her?” I surmise. “This special little boy felt Andy was a threat?”

She sighs and drops her gaze. “I know what you’re implying, Doctor Mayet. And it just so happens that this one time, you’re correct. That’s what he thought. But Andy was not usually perceived as a threat. Lachy was already so tired and hurt. Those boys had been relentless in the days after Christmas. He heard his sister’s cry for help, threw his book down, and reacted.Poorly. He was still so young, only ten at the time. But he had a running start, which means he ran right through poor Andy, knocking him on his backside, and then he just…” She hesitates, licking her lips while her pulse thunders visibly against her throat. “He hit him. A bunch of times.”

“Did Andy fight back?”

“No, of course not. He was a man, and Lachy was a child. Andy merely covered his face and did what he could to not make the situation worse. I ran from the stall to help. As did others. I got my son to stop, and then I hugged my daughter, because she was still upset. People helped Andy to his feet and checked to ensure he was okay. And then we just…” She drags her gaze up again. “We de-escalated the situation. Andy let me take the kids home, though my shift wasn’t over yet. I took them back... Here.” She looks up, then around her living room until I notice the crisp white walls and the clean kitchen counter over her left shoulder. “I brought them back and settled things down. Lachy needed a moment to realize everything was okay. He was safe, and so was his sister. I sent him to his room to select a different book to read, since he’d lost the other at the park, and I set Serena up in the basement to color. Or play with her dolls. Whatever she wanted to do. We homeschool and have a classroom down there, so the space was safe and I knew it would keep her busy. The bills still came in, Doctor, no matter how stressed I was or how rough my child’s day. So once my children settled in with their respective activities, I locked up and went back to the stall to finish my shift and beg for Andy’s forgiveness.”

“And he forgave you?”

“Yes, of course. As I said, he was kind, forgiving, and exceptionally understanding. He was no worse for wear and even tried to joke that he’d taken far more violent beatings in the past.”

Behind the phone, Archer scribbles something on a fresh sheet of paper, with looping letters and crossed-out mistakes. Then, he spins the sheet for me to read.

Ask her if Andy was on probation.

Frowning, I blink and bring my eyes up again. “Um. Gloria. Was Andy still on probation at the time of this altercation?”

“Yes, but he didn’t get into trouble. I made a statement to his parole officer, as did a handful of others who were there that day. I made certain that everyone understood Andy did not start that altercation. He didn’t participate in it, and he was entirely gracious about it when all I wanted to do was melt into the ground and never see daylight again.”

“You were embarrassed?”

“Humiliated,” she groans. “I was hanging on by a tether, had already attempted to steal from the man, and now my son was trying to beat him up. If I could have died that day, I would have.” She releases a nervous chuckle and sniffles. “Andy was as wonderful as always. He let me finish my shift, but only because I begged to. And then we just… well. Life went on. Which is typically how things go, huh? Time keeps moving, no matter what.”

He sounds like a decent guy…Dammit.

“What about now, Gloria?” I snag fresh tissues from my pocket and press them to my stinging nose. “Detective Gilbert mentioned that you’re struggling with your health.”

“Yeah, well…” She smiles, her cheeks warming with a charming blush. “I’m doing better than I was, I guess.”

“Stage three?” I guess, considering the color of her face and the slight swelling of her hand. “You’re receiving treatment?”

“Stage four,” she counters, her eyes shimmering with grief. “I didn’t even know I was unwell until I got my three-b a few years back. I didn’t rest when I needed to. I pushed through, because that’s what moms do.”

“Of course.” I’m not a mom, and God knows, before meeting Mia, I’m not sure there was a child on this planet I even tolerated. But I would do whatever needed doing to keep her safe. Ihavedone things the law wouldn’t particularly approve of. “Single parenting, working hard, scraping by.”

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