Page 62 of A Twist of Faith
The distraction worked. The woman wiped her face on an old handkerchief and turned pale blue eyes on him. She blinked, as if seeing him for the first time, and stared down at his proffered hand. Maybe once, Dee held some resemblance to her mother, but the years and perhaps her choices, stole health from Mrs. Roseland’s skin and eyes. After a pause and a few sniffles, she took his hand.
“Marion Roseland.”
“It’s real nice to meet you.” Reese checked on Dee from his periphery. She stared at him with a look of pure shock, and maybe a little fear. Well, if he overstepped his bounds, he’d stepallthe way over. “Where you from?”
“I … I drove in from Johnson City last night.” She shot Dee another accusing stare. “Once I finally got in touch with someone at UVA who knew where my girl was.”
“You talked to someone at UVA?” Dee’s hushed tones rose a little. “What are you trying to do? Ruin my career like you ruined everything else?”
Mrs. Roseland burst into another bout of loud sobs. This wasn’t getting anyone anywhere. Maybe having two bossy sisters taught him something about solving conflict. High emotions and the same room mixed as well as oil and vinegar.
“Woowee, Mrs. Roseland, Johnson City is a good two-hour drive. I bet you’re tired. Here’s a real good idea.” Reese stepped between Dee and her mother, keeping a calm voice and a gentle smile, or at least he hoped. “You can’t get much talking done with Dee right here in the middle of a hallway. It’s her job and she has people counting on her to do things the right way. I’m sure you don’t want to make things look bad for her, do you?”
Mrs. Roseland’s lips quivered, and she had the good sense to shake her head.
“Well, my mama’s house ain’t too far from here. She’d be glad for your company. You could stay with her until lunch.” He gave Dee a pointed look. “Then Dee will come by the house and have a visit with you. How is that?”
Mrs. Roseland gave Dee a doubtful expression but turned back to Reese. “I don’t want to cause any trouble. I just want to talk to my daughter.”
“That’s exactly what you’ll get to do at lunch. Ain’t that right, Dee?”
Dee glared at him as if she might chop his head right off. “Yes.”
“Alright then.” He offered his arm to Mrs. Roseland. “Let me walk you to the truck.”
He glanced back at Dee and the hard look in her eyes softened. Tears blinked at the corners and his heart quickened with the pain from it. He wasn’t the brightest bulb in the fixture, but based on the current clues, Adelina Roseland’s story cut a deep hurt—and he was bound to find out about it today.
Mrs. Roseland wept almost the entire way to Reese’s mama’s house. In between the awful sobs, she murmuredthank yousandI’m sorrysand quite a few other things that opened up Dee’s story a little more. All Reese knew for certain was the water under this bridge waved in torrents, and a good dose of Ma Mitchell might do this woman a great deal of good.
Dee’s carpulled into the driveway of his grandfather’s house about a quarter after twelve. Reese stood on the steps of his mama’s porch and waited for Dee to take the footpath up to him, but she didn’t even look his way. She walked inside the house and closed the door. He folded his arms across his chest and nearly prayed for heat vision to burn a hole in the side of his grandfather’s house, but didn’t have the heart to lose such a pretty homestead.
What was she doing?
Blasted woman. He’d lost an entire morning taking care of her mama and there was no way she’d get out of it by hiding away. If he had to suffer through an entire truck ride with a weeping woman, Dee owed him an appearance, if nothing else.
He poked his head inside his mama’s house. “I’ll be back. Going to go and get something right quick.”
Mama looked up from her conversation with Marion Roseland and nodded. Reese stepped off the porch and marched down the hillside, annoyance growing with each step. Stubborn woman. She needed a good spankin’. Nope. He shook his head. She needed a good shakin’.Right.Much better.
Dee stepped out on the porch before he even made it to the first step.
“I was coming.”
“When?” He rammed his hands on his hips to show just how mad he was. “Tomorrow?”
“You don’t understand.” She ran a palm over her eyes and sighed. “This is not easy for me.”
“I might not be the smartest man in the world, Dee, but I figured that one out on my own.”
Dee’s hands jammed on her hips, matching him, narrowed eyes and all. “You think you understand a lot about me, but you don’t. You can’t. Look what you’ve had.” She gestured toward his mother’s house on the hill. “A loving family? A happy home? You haven’t any idea what I’ve been through, so don’t patronize me and pretend you do.”
“It ain’t a wonder you’ve been hurt, Dee. Having a parent with a drinking problem isn’t easy, but ignoring someone who’s come to seek your forgiveness ain’t right either. She’s your mama.”
“My forgiveness?” She responded with a humorless laugh. “She doesn’t want my forgiveness. She wants money. That’s all she ever wants.” She stomped her foot against the porch. “Andain’tMr. Mitchell, is not a word.”
“Listen, I don’t know what all’s happened with the two of you, but Idosee the pain you’re carryin’ because of unforgiveness. Even if she doesn’t want it, you need to give it—for your own sake. Your anger is tearing you apart on the inside, darlin’.”
“That woman doesn’t deserve it.” She pointed up toward his mama’s house, eyes wide and red-rimmed. “You want to know why? She’s the reason I don’t have a father. Did you know that? Did you know she killed my father?”
