Page 2 of The Monster I Loved
I wrapped an arm around Thaddeus’ shoulder, pressing a gentle kiss to his enflamed cheek. “You have nothing to be sorry for. They’ll stop soon.”
But the argument didn’t end quickly. Thoughts of how lousy an example of marriage it was plagued my mind. Thad and I wouldn’t be like that. I toyed with the ring on my finger, the one he’d placed there earlier that afternoon. Soon, we’d be Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald, and our relationship would be nothing like our namesakes. The proposal caught me off guard. Yes, we’d been dating since high school and ensured we’d attended the same college, Syracuse University, but until the moment he slipped the ring on my finger, I’d never let myself get swept up in planning a life with Thad. In the brief time since then, there had been no stopping me. I wanted three kids, an expensive house on the hill, and nothing more than to raise our family in Tarrytown.
Now, this could all be a reality soon.
The screaming stopped, and a door slammed shut.
“Glad that’s fucking over.” Thad exhaled.
I massaged his shoulders. “Gina will cool down and come back.”
“Why does she put up with this? They should’ve never gotten married,” Thad said. “Our marriage will be nothing like that.”
I snuggled into his side and held him close, placing my head on his chest.
Later that night,as Thaddeus was speaking to his father in the kitchen, the doorbell rang.
“Summer, can you get that?” John Fitzgerald called to me.
A sense of happiness washed over me; his request made me feel like a member of the Fitzgerald family already. I’d never dreamed of being part of such a prominent household. The Fitzgeralds originally immigrated from Ireland. Thad was incredibly proud of his Irish roots, especially when he was drinking everyone under the table at the local bar. What he didn’t talk about was his family’s status. Their architecture put the Fitzgerald name on the map. Thad’s grandfather started a small business in the 1940s, and it became incredibly successful. Today, the Fitzgeralds had more money and status than they could ever use. Many questioned why they stayed in Tarrytown, but not me. I understood what it was like to love a place so much you never wanted to leave.
As soon as I opened the door, my excitement and happiness disappeared. A police officer stood before me. His lips turned downward.
“Is Mr. John Fitzgerald here?” he asked.
Before I could answer, Thad and his father appeared behind me.
“How can I help you, Officer?” John asked.
Thad pulled me aside. “Is something wrong?” he directed to the police officer.
The officer took in a breath and met our eyes. “Mr. Fitzgerald, I am sorry to inform you, but your wife has been in an accident.”
He closed his eyes briefly. “It was a hit and run. She did not make it.”
The news hit me like a grenade.Thad’s mother? Dead?It couldn’t be. She’d just been here less than two hours ago, screaming at her husband, larger than life.
I blinked rapidly, trying to absorb the information as the police officer spoke. Some heartless monster had hit her car. The crash had been terrible, and instead of checking on Thad’s mother like any decent human being who wasn’t a psychopath would, the other driver fled the scene.
Had the person stayed and called the cops, they probably could’ve gotten Gina life-saving medical attention.
I choked up, collapsing against Thad. The cruelty of people never failed to shock me. I couldn’t imagine being all alone, gasping in pain, while the world faded away. We couldn’t even tell ourselves it was an instant death, or that she didn’t see it coming. She spent her last moments bleeding out in darkness, all alone.
Thad sobbed. I’d never heard a wail like that come out of another person. He fell to his knees. That night was the first time, after all the years I’d known him, I saw him cry.
“I should’ve gone after her,” he cried out.
Each day after the tragedy,my heart broke into smaller and smaller pieces. I didn’t think it was possible to sink so deeply into grief, but watching Thad struggle to come to terms with his new reality was agonizing. All I could do was be there for him, but it didn’t feel like enough. It wasn’t like I could bring his mom back to life, and if I couldn’t do that, then what was I really giving him? I just wanted to be there for him, to try and talksense into him when he blamed himself. Eventually, he accepted he wasn’t to blame for his mom’s death.
The driver who got away was.
Finding the killer became Thad’s obsession. Law enforcement also shared Thad’s tenacity. I couldn’t help but think if it had happened to a family without the Fitzgeralds’ influence, the police wouldn’t have been quite so proactive (but I kept those thoughts inside). News briefings ran continually, updating the public and asking anyone with information to come forward.
During one of those press conferences, my world shattered.
“We’re looking for a maroon truck. Nearby cameras captured the vehicle being driven erratically, and we believe the driver may have been intoxicated.”
As I sat on my couch next to my best friend, Daisy, who was skimming through a wedding magazine trying desperately to distract me from the news, my eyes remained glued to the screen.
