“Weren’t you sober long enough to look at the paperwork you signed?” Abby asked.
He shook his head. “Nah, I was messed up. Sometimes I was in worse shape in treatment than when I was using and playing guitar. But—I’d been out of the last treatment center a couple of months when the letter came from Ms. Valenzuela saying you’d paid off the credit-card debt and didn’t want any more alimony. My brain was working pretty well by then, so I called your lawyer here. I was finally cleaned up enough to look into it. Abby, I’m sorry—I would never have asked you to pay any of my bills. I wouldn’t have stuck you with her bills, for sure. Your lawyer shouldn’t have allowed it.”
She scooted forward as much as she could. “Ross, I had one lawyer, the best one I could afford after I took all the equity money out of my town house and cashed in my 401k, but you had four lawyers. Four, Ross. By the end of it, I felt lucky to get out of the whole mess as cheaply as I did.”
“Aw, Abby, those were just back-up thugs from his office—I didn’t hire ’em. Man, you must hate me so much.”
“Yeah, that’s the bottom line,” she said, folding her hands over her belly.
He grinned at her. “I’m sorry—this is not funny. But you look so cute. Really big. You ready to give birth or something?”
“You have no idea,” she said. “Are we done here?”
“Almost. Okay, so the woman, the assistant manager, her name was Autumn, she got fired a long time ago. The boys picked out a new treatment center and said that was it—if I committed for six months of treatment and stayed clean for a year, they’d consider giving me another chance in the band. Otherwise, that was it for me. They told Autumn to hit the road, and I went into treatment for the third time.” He shook his head. “I wish I could find someone to blame for the drugs, but the truth is, it was all me. I thought I was such hot shit when the band picked me up and the first time I saw that white powder, I plowed into it so fast…. And man, I loved the stuff. I’ve been mostly high for over ten years. I hate what it did to my life, but I did love the stuff. Made me feel invincible…. Until it didn’t anymore…. I’m learning to like being level and not so destructive. But sometimes it’s powerful hard.”
Abby struggled a little bit to get to a standing position, Cam at her side giving assist. “Well, I hope you make it this time, Ross. When you’re straight, you’re not a bad guy. Too bad it’s so scary to count on you staying straight.”
Ross stood. “Abby, you never asked for anything in the settlement, you should have gotten out of the whole thing without a problem, without it costing you a cent. You shouldn’t have needed a lawyer at all. And, you were supposed to be getting some support while we were separated. Close as we can figure, that went in Autumn’s purse, too. Staying crocked all the time is real expensive all around.”
“Can we just close the door on it now?” Abby asked. “I really need to get on with my life.”
“You sure do,” he said with a smile.
She winced and leaned over her stomach slightly.
“You all right, babe?” Cameron asked softly, bracing her from behind.
“Oh, you know,” she said. “I just can’t grow anymore.”
“We have to be going, Mr. Crawford,” Cameron said. “Abby needs her rest. She’s uncomfortable.”
“Sure, I’ll hurry this up,” he said. “I fired the lawyer. I’m using Greg’s firm now. The lead singer—remember him? He’s straight as an arrow and has some good people on retainer. I gave them the job of figuring out what my shyster set you back and I want to make restitution….”
“Forget it,” Abby said. “The credit-card bills were paid off with your alimony and I don’t want your money. I want it over, once and for all.”
“Oh, you’ll get that. I promise, I’ll never bother you again after—”
“Haven’t you spent enough money on drugs, treatment, lawyers and bad managers who robbed you blind?”
“Yeah, I lost a ton of money on stupidity. There’s a little left. It feels kind of good to spend some responsibly for a change. Let’s see, there was forty-seven thousand in Autumn’s credit-card bills, your 401k wasn’t that big—just twenty-two. Six years in that town house only earned you about thirty in equity—should’ve been more, but—”
“Ross! Forget it! I defied your prenup!” Her hand covered her mouth suddenly and her eyes darted between Brie to her left and Cameron behind to her right. “Shit,” she said.
But Ross grinned. “Really? You mean while I was sleeping with Autumn—as she robbed me blind—you were having a relationship with this doctor dude?”
“Not until the weekend before I signed the papers. So keep your money and just let me go.”
Ross shook his head almost sadly. “You were alone for nine months? Aw, Abby, I agreed to that prenup safeguard when it was suggested, but I never would’ve held you to it when I was stepping out on you at the same time. I mean, I’m a lot of things, but I’m not pure evil.” He shrugged. “I guess it could happen that a woman you’ve been married to a few months takes you for millions,” he said. “I thought I should guard against that, but hey, I’ve made more than one mistake, obviously. I’m just happy that you found a good person and you’re having a family, like you always wanted. And I’m jealous—I wish I could have that life. It’s going to be a long time before I’m sane enough for a relationship with anyone besides a sponsor.” He pulled an envelope from his back pocket. It was folded in half.
“Ross, I mean it—your money is just going to mess me up. Cameron and I, together, we’ve cleared all this up so we have a fresh start, and—”
“It’s not really for you,” he said, handing her the envelope. “It’s for me. It’s very important to me that at the end of the day I made it right with one of the nicest people I know. After about ten years of screwing up people’s lives, you gave me a chance, Abby. You believed in me when you shouldn’t have, and all the thanks you got was getting screwed because I cared more about drugs than I did about you, or me, for that matter. If you don’t want it, donate it to charity. Start a college fund for the kid there. Do whatever you want. It’s real important to me—it’s helping me get well.”
She took the envelope gingerly. She peeked inside and screamed. “Eyyyyyyeeee!” She scrunched the envelope in her fist.
“Don’t hurt it, Abby,” Ross said, taking a nervous step toward her.
“Ross, you’ve lost your mind! It’s for a hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars!”
“I know. It’s a little short. It should be bigger, figuring for nine months of support you never got before the divorce was final. I swear I told her to send you money. I’m sorry I didn’t know about all this sooner. Right about the time our divorce was final, I entered treatment for six months. I was out of pocket, just got out a couple of months ago.”
“Ross, I can’t. I can’t.”
“Like I said, do something good with it. Feed the hungry. Educate poor children. But, Abby, it’s a cashier’s check and it’s money you were swindled out of. If you burn it, it’s like burning cash, so don’t go nuts. Doc? Maybe you could talk some sense into her. I mean, I appreciate how honorable she is, but it’s her money. It’s not a donation—it’s just what it cost her to get screwed around by my business manager and lawyer. And me. I guess first off it was me. Abby was robbed.”
“We’ll talk about it,” Cameron said, taking the squashed envelope out of her hands. “It won’t be burned.”
“Works for me, but hell—try to use it on yourselves. It was her retirement and condo, for God’s sake. She worked hard for that. Abby, I’m glad you’re happy. I really am.” Then he smiled sadly.
Abby turned around to face Cameron. She had tears in her eyes. “Are we done now?” she asked Cam.
“I think so, honey. You okay?”
“No. I’m in labor.”
“Aw, Jesus, why didn’t you say so?”
“I wasn’t sure. Now? I’m sure.”
“Okay, sit back down here,” he said, tossing the envelope on the side table and easing her down onto the couch. “Let’s take a minute to see what we’ve got before we activate Mel and John.”
“We’ve got one right after another,” she said. “Hard. Long. Getting stronger. Pretty soon I’m going to have to start deep breathing.”
Brie got right over there. “Any idea how far apart?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I was listening to Ross. But close and getting closer. This has been going on since you called, but I saw a chance to have this over with him before the babies came and I— Cameron?” she asked, turning her frightened face to his. “I’m nervous. Is it okay? It’s over thirty-six weeks, right? We’ll be okay, right?”
“We’re going to be fine, baby. And they’ll be fine.”
“Will they come too fast?”
“We’ll have Mel pick us up in the Hummer just in case. Brie? Call Mel?”
“Sure,” she said, heading for the phone. When she turned to pick it up, she saw Ross backing toward the door, his eyes on Cameron and Abby.
Abby had her hands on Cam’s face. “I love you so much,” she said. “I wish we’d just gotten married when you first suggested it. I want them to have a father.”
“They have a father, baby. We’ll get it done as soon as you’re recovered a little.”
“We’ll put your name on the birth certificates.”
“We’ll do anything you want. Right now it looks like we’re going to deliver.” He smiled and gave her a kiss. “You didn’t want to wait for the Pitocin, I guess.”
“I made it long enough for them to be healthy,” she said, leaning against him. “Didn’t I? Please tell me I—”
“They’re going to be perfect, Ab. Trust me, honey.”
Brie watched Ross. He had a melancholy look on his face as he lifted a hand to her to wave goodbye. For a second she was frozen, then she lifted her hand in return. No time for farewells between Abby and Ross, which was probably for the best. She made a mental note to retrieve and protect the check that lay on the table.
She dialed as the door closed behind Ross. How must it feel, she wondered, to know that you’ve squandered your life? To see all you lost?
“Mel? Hey, Cam and Abby are here and she’s in labor. Contractions very close together and she says they’re strong and long. Cameron asked if you’d bring the Hummer to take her to the hospital, just to be safe. Very good—I’ll tell them.” She disconnected and said, “As soon as she can leave the kids with Jack, she’s on her way.” Brie grinned. “So—what an exciting day this turned out to be. So much for boring paperwork!”
When Mel arrived at Brie’s office, she took a couple of minutes to talk with Abby about her contractions. “Get in back with her, Cam, and I’ll drive. Her water hasn’t broken and I think we have time. Tell me if I have to pull over and trade places with you.”
While Mel drove, she listened to Cameron trying to coach Abby through her breathing, trying to soothe her, rubbing her back. But when they arrived at Valley Hospital forty-five minutes later, she heard Abby snap, “Of course I’m doing fine. Can you stop touching me so much?”
Mel smiled to herself, but then she hurried. She put the Hummer in park at the hospital’s emergency entrance, ran around to the back and lifted the hatch. “I want you to stay on the gurney, Abby,” she said. “Cam, give me a hand here.”