Everything Fragile✔

Epilogue - My Enemy Is My Friend

   Head fog is so ridiculous. Or maybe time isn't as linear as I thought. Because one minute I'm in the present with dad who scolds me for leaving when he specifically told me not to. He'd hit me if the detective weren't here. He'd cry while doing it too. The last time I left during a storm without his permission was the night my mom died. Beneath his gaze, I finally realize that he hates me for it. He blames me and the trauma of my disobedience lies restlessly inside of him.

   Dad fades away and I'm back at the crime scene; back in Palmieri. I stand at the edge of the road, gazing down at my mom's car crushed and broken at the bottom of the cliff. From up here I can see her lymph body. One half of her figure lies inside the car, restrained by her seatbelt and the other half, her upper half is spiraled against a rock.

   Get in the car, Quince! We have to get out of here! Willow says. Her voice sounds muffled, but ever so urgent.

   Mom lifts herself up from the mess slowly and turns her gaze upward to look at me. The shadows hide the damage the wreck caused her, but it doesn't hide her bent neck and cracked skull. It doesn't hide the blood that gushes from the wound.

   Aren't you going to help me, Quince bear? Aren't you going to help your mother?

   "Quince, do you understand what this means?" A voice asks.

   I blink back into the present moment only to see an unfamiliar woman in a dress suit. She towers over me from across the table in a random room. Dad sits next to me and opposite us is Willow and her mother, Nancy Margret, who glares openly at us.

   I have to rack through my brain to recall how I got here. It takes a moment for the memory to come back to me. We received a letter in the mail this morning. A lawsuit, but for what exactly? I can't remember. What I do remember is dad banging on my door, rushing me to leave the house so we can clear all this nonsense up. Now here we are at a law firm.

   "I'm sorry." I say, massaging my temple. "Can you just repeat that whole thing again?"

   Nancy scoffs, rolling her eyes. "This is absolutely ridiculous."

   Dad slams his fist against the table. "What's ridiculous is you suing a little girl!"

   "Well, I beg to differ. Quince willingly went against my wishes and wrote and published that wretched article. Who's to say how long it's been on the web now? You're lucky we found it when we did or else I would've sued you far more than your pitiful family is worth."

   Dad stands up so quickly his chair tips over behind him. A man I didn't realize before stands by his side, holding him back from doing something stupid.

   "Emotions are obviously high. Why don't we take a break and meet back here in ten?"

   The woman smiles. "Great idea, John."

   Outside of the conference room dad briskly walks off and I suppose it's for the best. Listening to reason isn't really his forte so it's better that he deals with his anger on his own terms. I'd rather him be drunk than unnecessarily physical with someone.

   "Poor man." The lawyer, John, says from beside me. "It's a tough deal he'll be facing. And you too I suppose."

   "What are you talking about?"

   "Well, I mean the article you posted about Willow being the cause of your mother's death isn't going to sit well with the judge in court. You won't get away for underage drinking. You won't get away with anything actually. You should just pay The Margaret's half a million dollars like they asked before things escalate. That way I get to keep my job and get paid and you don't end up in jail." He looks down at me and sighs long and hard at my expression of confusion and disbelief. "Listen, your dad doesn't understand, but this is how things are. You don't have nearly as much money as them to dig yourself out of this, so I suggest you and your dad pack up your pride and choose to live a comfortable life now or be drained of everything you have later."