Andi smiles at me sheepishly, “It’s nice, isn’t it?”
I smile and start towards her but Brandon beats me to it. He wraps his arm around her shoulder and presses the side of his head against the side of hers. “It’s beautiful, Andi. Just like you. Mom and Dad love it, sweetheart.”
I push him away and give him thedon’t-fucking-touch-my-girlfriendlook, which he completely ignores. I put my arm around her and pull her close to me, “How many times can I say it? You areamazing, Andi.”
Her beautiful smile lights up her face as she says, “Luke, you did such a great job at the youth center with the landscaping and directing the boys. Think you can take over here and make sure it gets done the way your parents want?”
I start to answer but my dad answers for me, “That’s a great idea, Andi. Linda – why don’t you and the boys here,” gesturing to me, Brandon and Greg, “divide it up. I have some work I need to finish inside.”
Mom is more than happy to push us to various parts of the yard to start working on her dream yard. Andi announces she’ll get drinks and snacks together and my father follows her into the house. Mom is absolutely thrilled with everything. Even though she keeps saying over and over that she can’t accept all this from Andi, she hasn’t slowed down in giving orders ofexactlyhow she wants every single piece installed or where it should be placed.
The thing is, I know Andi will never miss the money that she’s spent for my mom’s little slice of heaven here. Everything is top of the line and spare-no-expense kind of nice, but Andi doesn’t even consider the money when she buys something for someone else. She only considers that person. I’ve never even seen her look at a price tag. If it’s something she knows one of us needs or wants, she gives it without question.
I felt like a total asshole, but after I started training with Mack, she bought me all new boxing gear. And I don’t mean the cheap, knock-off stuff. I mean top of the line, best name brand, everything I could ever possibly think of needing – gloves, headgear, mouth guards, speed bag, shorts, tanks, boxing shoes, running shoes.
Most things went into a huge gym bag she bought and it was all just in my apartment one day. She never said a word about it and she was literally offended when I tried to pay her back. I’ve found other ways of thanking her and doing little things for her. But I’ve realized she genuinely likes to help others – just like she does at the youth center.
So her generosity today doesn’t really shock me. I just had no idea she ordered all this and I’m a little confused as to why she didn’t tell me. But then I think I may know why – she doesn’t do this for praise or attention. She wouldn’t have wanted me to make a big deal of it or tell my mom and ruin her surprise. Andi really amazes me with how loving and giving she is after all she’s been through. Where most people would become cold and couldn’t care less about others, Andi’s childhood problems made her want to be a better person.
My dad has been distant again today. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him man to man to ask what’s wrong. Right now, there’s no way I could get any information out of my mom because she’s too excited over her yard project. And if I walk away from the “crew” she assigned me, I know I will be in a lot of trouble. Mom is scary when she’s mad – even to a grown man – and I don’t want to be the one to catch the brunt of all that is Mom’s fury.
Just ask the poor guys who are in her “crew” right now. They’re looking longingly at my crew and Brandon’s crew, wondering how they drew the short straws in this game of chance. My guys are chuckling to themselves as they listen to Mom chastise her crew for putting the pavers down wrong side up. She won’t listen when they try to explain that there is no wrong side up with pavers – she’s determined to have the perfect patio, down to the very last concrete block.
After two hours, I realize I am really thirsty and wonder where Andi is with those drinks she was making us. I look around but I don’t see her anywhere outside and no one else has a drink. I am instantly glad because for a second there I thought she forgot about me. But now I’m worried because this isn’t like her at all. She loves doing things for others and I know she wouldn’t have left us to do all the work anyway. I make my way to Brandon and with each step that foreboding feeling gets worse.
“Hey, have you seen Andi lately?” I ask Brandon.
He thinks for a second before replying, “No, I haven’t actually. That is strange,” he says absently as he looks around the yard. “Hey – where’s Mom?”
Now that he said that, I realize I haven’t heard Mom fighting with her crew for a while. “Maybe they’re both in the kitchen making us something to eat.” I say the words but even I don’t believe them.
Brandon obviously doesn’t either because he gives me the look that saysyeah, right. “You think Mom would leave all this to go inside and cook for us? Ah, no, I don’t think so.”
We tell our crews to take a break and we both head for the back door. When I step inside the kitchen, I know something is very wrong in the house of the Woods. There are empty cups sitting on a tray – the ones I’m sure Andi said she’s make us a couple of hours ago. There’s no food being prepared. There’s no one in the kitchen. Brandon and I look around and then back at each other. Then I hear muted voices coming from the formal dining room.
I slowly push open the swinging door to the dining room and hear Andi sniffling.She’s crying?I can see my dad sitting at the head of the table but I can’t see Andi. I move through the doorway and Brandon and I both freeze in our tracks at the sight in front of me.What. The. Hell?
Dad has a manila folder on the table in front of him with Andi’s name written in black marker on the front. He’s looking at her like she’s some sort of insect to be stepped on and scraped off his shoe. Mom is sitting to the right of Dad and she has tears streaming down her face, but she’s completely silent. Andi is at the other end of the table that is directly opposite Dad, with tears streaming down her face and holding what appears to be photos in her hand.
“You could’ve just told me you needed it. I would’ve just given it to you.” Andi’s voice is barely above a whisper but I hear so much pain in it that I feel my own heart break. She is staring at the pictures as she says it, but I know she’s talking to my dad. Even though I have no idea what this is about. She continues whispering, “Sam, you don’t know what this could do to you. Please don’t do this.”
“What the hell is going on in here?” I bellow. I feel like I could take someone’s head off right now.
Dad stands and his words just about knock me to floor, “Luke, did you know Andi was committed to a mental institution for trying to kill one of her foster parents? She’s unstable, son. You can’t trust her and it’s best if you stay away from her. For your own good.”
“No! That’s not true. Luke, you have to believe me,” she pleads with me, crying and looking terrified. I look back and forth between my father and my lover, not knowing what to do. My loyalty to each of them is being tested right now and I have no idea why.
Dad walks over and rips the photos from her hands and thrusts them through the air at me. “Here, see for yourself.” I take them from him and stare in disbelief at the pictures of a very young Andi in a mental hospital wearing a hospital gown and fighting with orderlies and nurses. Dad gives me the court documents to read.
Fifteen year-old female attacked her foster parents, attempting to murder the foster father and harming the foster mother in the process. The court recommends defendant be reprimanded to juvenile detention center until she reaches the age of 21; however, after compelling testimony from the foster parents, the court agrees to reprimand AndiMorgan to the juvenile mental facility, to be released no earlier than her 16thbirthday.
“Luke,please. It’s not what you think. It’s not what it looks like – honestly! Please let me explain,” she’s begging me, I hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes.
How can this be? How can I not know the person I’ve fallen in love with? How could my little vixen betray me into thinking she’s someone she’s not? So many things are running through my mind and I keep coming back to the same thing.She’s been playing me. She’s been lying to me all this time. And I’m getting really pissed off about it.
“Not what I think? Thereare pictures here, Andi! I’m looking at the damn court documents! How could you keep something like this from me? You were in a fucking mental hospital! You tried to kill a man!” My voice is harsh and accusing. My eyes cutting her to shreds. I’m pacing the room like a caged lion and I’m ready to start breaking shit.
“Luke. Youpromisedme. Remember? You promised to believe me -me. I need you to keep that promise to me right now – right this very second. Please, Luke. Please,” tears are running unchecked down her cheeks, soaking her face and her neck. She’s not even wiping them away now.
