Chapter 10 — New Normal

When Ethan and Emma started back to school they were being bullied constantly about their dad being sent to prison for murdering his mistress. It got so bad that I had to go to Ethan’s school because he had gotten into a fight with the bully. Luckily Emma’s friends had helped her stand up to her bullies that they backed off. Unfortunately for Ethan that didn’t work. His girlfriend's parents caught wind off what had happened to his father and made her break it off with him. When the bullies caught wind of the break up they started a rumor that Ethan had tried to beat her. Even though she had told everyone that he hadn’t they didn’t believe her.

It did get any better for me either. I kept getting mail and phone calls from Kirt in prison. The first phone call I got from him I actually accepted the charges but the voice that came over the speaker wasn’t the man I had been married to. “Hello, Melissa, I just wanted to let you know that I will see you soon. You won’t know when, so if I were you, I would be looking over my shoulder because I am coming for you, you bitch.” Click. The phone hung up before I could say anything in response to his threat.

Friday night my second date with Detective Braylon. He looked like he showed up straight from work with his suit and tie on. “Did you drive here straight from work?” I ask as I glance at a duffel bag in his hand. "I did,” He admits. “I didn’t want to be late. You mind if I use your restroom, He blushes holding up his duffel for me to see. I nod as I open the door wider for him to enter. He tells the kids “Hi” as he walks by them sitting on the couch as he heads to the bathroom. Ethan looks over at me and mouths “Did you tell him?” I shake my head no. Ethan is the only one who knows about the phone and the mail I’ve been getting from Kirt. It’s not like I actually told him he walked in when I had answered the phone and he overheard his dad threatening me. He thinks that I should tell Braylon but I don’t think I should worry him with it. I mean come on it’s not like he could actually escape prison.

Braylon surprises me by taking me for burgers and fries and then to a drive in movie he had arranged just for tonight. “So how was your week?” He asks as we get settled. “It was good,” I say. Except the kids are having some problems at school, well Emma was but her friends stepped in and helped her, but Ethan is having a harder time. His girlfriend's parents made her break up with him after they heard about Kirt then the bullies at his school started a rumor saying that he beat her, I don’t know how to help him,” I groan exasperated. “Don’t worry, it will all work out,” Braylon replies with a soft look upon his face.

He was right weeks go by and everything did end up working themselves out. Ethan and his girlfriend got back together with the blessing of her parents. I can’t prove it but I know that Braylon had something to do with it. The girls poor parents actually looked scared when they showed up to apologize for telling their daughter to break up with Ethan. They stayed long enough to say they were sorry then literally ran out the door to their car.

I wonder if Braylon says something to them for them to be so scared. I'll wait until tomorrow to confront him about my suspicions, so for now I'll just savor this moment and watch my son being happy for the first time in weeks.

I sat and waited all day the next day waiting for Braylon's call but he never did so later that evening I decided to call him. The voice on the other line clearly wasn't his because it was a woman's voice saying "Hello," I hang up so fast I end up dropping my phone onto the floor. I stand there in my living room dumbfounded still hearing the woman’s voice on the other end of the phone saying “Hello, Hello is anyone there? Hello,” Then I hear the click of the phone where the woman finally gave up and hung up the phone.

I went to bed with many more questions floating through my head. Is he married and didn’t tell me, or maybe he has an adult daughter? Maybe I’m overreacting. I never actually say anything. Maybe I should call back and see if she answers again and find out who she is. Nah that might not be the smartest thing right. Ugh! This is going to drive me crazy until I find out who she is. Without even thinking I reach over to my bedside table and grab my phone then call Braylon again hoping that the woman would answer again. On the third ring, I hear the familiar voice of the same woman saying, "Hello." I take a deep breath and squeak out a "Hello." I shake my head, trying to gather all my strength, then repeat, "Hello, is Braylon there?" The woman's voice answers "I'm sorry my husband is in bed. If you give me your name I'll have him call you in the morning," I gasped and immediately hung up the phone. I can't believe he didn't tell me he was married. He isn't no better than Kirt the only difference is that I'm the other woman. I'm the mistress. That does not work for me, I refuse be the mistress.

After I get the kids off to school the next morning I head to Wyoming to confront Braylon and end this charade of a relationship. On the way I practice what I'm going to say to him when I see him. I think we should break up, I think we shouldn't see each other anymore, We should see other people. I'm still deciding when I pull up to the police station where Braylon works. I see him outside talking to some other guys he works with. They look over at me when I shut the car door. "Melissa!" He yelled as he trotted over to me. "What are you doing here?" He asks, giving me a hug. Gathering up all my courage I tell him "Well you never called yesterday so I tried to call and see if you were ok but you never answered so I decided to come here and check on you," He looked at me with a guilty look on his face. "You called my phone?" He questions me. "Yes, because I was worried about you," I quipped hotly. Getting annoyed at him for continuing to lie to me about being married. But for now I'm going to go along with it. If he wants to play this game, so can I. "I'm sorry, Mel, I should have told you that I have a four-year-old boy. I share custody with my ex-wife," Braylon explains as he sits on the police station steps. I sit down beside him and take his hands in mine. "No I'm sorry I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Will you forgive me please," I beg giving him my best pouty face. He gives me a giant hug and whispers "You know I do," into my ear. I gave him a kiss goodbye so he could get back to work but not until we made plans to get together this weekend.

I make it back home just in time to pick up Emma from school. "How was your day?" I ask as she climbs in. She rolls her eyes and starts telling me about how one of her friends started dating another one of her friends and how she hopes they don't break up because she wouldn't be able to choose who to stay friends with because she likes them both.

You gotta love her attitude about the whole thing. “Well, hunny, at least you have some time to decide because it is junior high,” I advise her. The horrid look upon her face makes me have to stifle a giggle. “What on earth are you saying mom,” She whines. “That any relationship we get into right now will never last,” Oh my goodness I forgot my daughter is the biggest drama queen when it comes to boys. “So how much homework do you have to do tonight,” I ask desperately trying to change the subject. “Thankfully not much since I have to text all my friends and tell them that it doesn’t matter who we date right now because my MOTHER said it wouldn’t last anyway,” I take a deep cleansing breath as I mutter yep big drama queen. We sat quietly the rest of the way home.

When we pull up I see Ethan’s car is dented on the back end. I jump out of my car leaving it running and running inside. “Ethan,” I yell once as I throw open the front door. He sits up on the couch where I receive another shock to my soul. My son’s face is black and blue. He has a piece of toilet paper hanging from his bloodied nose. “Oh my god, what the hell happened Ethan?!”

“A bunch of guys jumped me on my way to my car after school."

“Get up, we're going to the hospital.”

“No, Mom. Trust me, I’m fine.”

“Nonsense get your ass up you're going to get checked out."

With his head down he follows my orders and heads for my car followed by Emma who offers him a comforting hand. I fly down the street like a crazy woman which at the moment I kind of was. Thankfully the emergency room wasn’t full so when we finished checking in they took Ethan straight back to a room where they started checking his vitals. “Your blood pressure is a little elevated,” A nurse whose name tag says “Sara” on it says. “Don’t worry I’ll come back and recheck it, it's probably nothing,” Emma and I sit in his room while they wheel him back to take X-rays to make sure that nothing was broken. As we wait another nurse ushers in a police officer to Ethan’s room where we are waiting for him to return. “Mrs. Michaels I’m Officer Carter I’m here because of what happened to your son,” He says offering his hand as I stand up.

“You're here to see if Ethan wants to file a complaint about the boys who jumped him at school,” I catechize.

“Actually ma’am."

“Don’t call me ma’am my name is Melissa."

“Pardon me, Melissa,” Officer Carter says. “Your son can’t file a complaint against the people who did this to him since he is a minor, but you can file for him since you are his mother."

“Fine let’s do it then because they could have killed my son."

“Okay but first I need to talk to your son about everything that happened leading up to and after the attack,” He says. “Here’s my card, have him call me when he feels up to talking."

“Thank you,” I replied, taking the card from him. “I’ll make sure he calls."

Emma and I sit quietly waiting for Sara to wheel Ethan back into the room. Emma not one for silence quips “Officer Carter was really cute, don’t you think, Mom?”

“Yes dear he was, but I think he is a little too old for you my dear,” I laugh fully aware of where my daughter was going with the conversation. Emma looks over at me and sticks her tongue out in response to my reply. It’s her go to look for smart ass remarks made towards her. “You know what I mean mom,” She hints. “Yes Emma I know what you mean,” I let out an exasperated breath. “You know that I am dating Braylon,” She rolls her eyes in response to Braylon’s name. Emma never really trusted him after he was supposed to go with her to her father daughter dance at her school and he never showed up to take her. I can’t really blame her. He never called to tell her that he couldn’t make it or anything. She would really hate him if I told her what I had found out about him being married.

After about an hour the nurse named Sara wheeled Ethan into the room looking like he was in more pain than when they wheeled him out. Sara helped him back onto the bed as she tells us that the Dr will be in to see us soon. I go to his bedside and hold his hand trying to comfort him as best as I can.

The Dr that was on duty comes in carrying Ethan’s X-rays. He grabs one and holds it up to the light as he introduces himself. “I’m Dr. Fitz and you must be Ethan Michaels,” Ethan just lays there without answering. “Well, Ethan it looks like you have a couple of broken ribs along with a broken wrist,” Dr Fitz explains as he goes back and forth between the two X-rays. “So he is going to be okay,” I exclaim, breathing out a loud sigh. “Yes he’s going to be alright, no internal bleeding or anything. He is just going to be in some pain due to the three broken ribs and the broken wrist. Instead of moving him again I’ll have the nurse come in here and we will put a cast on his wrist, unfortunately all we can do for his ribs is wrap them tightly,” Dr. Fitz says sympathetically. “Plus we will prescribe him some pain pills for the pain."

I did remember to get a note from the Dr excusing Ethan from school until his ribs healed up enough for him to return. Right now he is in so much pain that he almost faints every time he takes a breath.