Chapter 56

Evie sat in front of her computer typing anything and everything that came to mind for the case she was working on. She looked down at the clock realizing that she had only been typing for 2 minutes.Shit. My head is not in the right place. I just don’t even know what to do. She shook her head

”Eve?” Craig walked into the office seeing her drifting away from her thoughts.

”I think I need to go home…” she told him..

”Just make sure that all of this is done by tomorrow morning..I know you won’t be here on Friday.” he told her.

”I will. I’ll get it done.” she answered. After Craig left she grabbed her phone scrolling through it. ”Harry..I need to talk to you.” she said into the phone. ”I know. I’ll give you some money….okay. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

She got in her car not sure exactly where she was going driving through some more dangerous looking parts of the city. Well shit. It’s a good thing I didn’t take Bruno’s car today..she thought to herself turning into a small coffee shop. She saw her 29 year old brother sitting outside. He had long brown hair, was unshaven and wore a beaten up t-shirt, jeans and flip-flops. He stood up to hug her. She returned the hug pulling away. ”Harry…you smell. I thought you quit.” she asked.

”I did. I’m not drinking all the time. I’m gonna have some coffee…” he told her walking into the coffee shop sitting down. ”So what’s going on? You talk to me less than mom and dad…and they never talk to me…”

”Well….” she paused trying to figure out what to say. ”Do you remember Sean?”

”Yeah. He was a cool dude. How is Lucy? I haven’t seen her since she was like…itty bitty…” he smiled.

”Harry..I need to talk to you because you’ll be me an unbiased opinion on this whole thing….”

”What is going on?” he asked rubbing his chin. ”It must be big if you’re coming to me..”

”So….Sean got in this horrible accident. Remember that?” she asked.

”Oh yeah. He’s better though, right?” he asked her.

”Yeah..to an extent…so…he hasn’t been the same since then. At all. He’s been horrible. Like so bad that he might get his rights terminated like mom.” she told him.

”Evie! I’ll kick his ass…..why didn’t you tell me? Jesus fucking Christ…” he started to get out of the chair.

”Stop..sit down…” she told him.

”If he hurt you or Lucy then he deserves to lose his rights. I don’t care what the hell happened. Isn’t that the law? That’s why it happened to mom…”

”But Harry…you remember better than anyone else…you were closest to mom…I don’t want to put Lucy through all that. All I can remember is white walls and the picture…and the presents she gave us…I don’t want Lucy to do that. I don’t want her to never see Michelle or Stacey…”

”Do you really want Lucy to have to go through all of that? You remember like everything. You remember the days when Mom was there and then she wasn’t and she was sick and throwing up and Sammie was holding her hair or putting band aides on her arms…Evie…you don’t want your daughter to go through that. She hasn’t has she?” Harry asked her point blank. ”She hasn’t seen you hurt….has she?”

”Ummmm….ummm…well…I mean not like mom….” she stuttered.

”Geneva…serious. Has she seen you hurt?” Harry asked.

”He broke my nose and then hit me a few weeks ago. That’s what contributed to all of this.” she told him.

”And your arms too?” he asked looking at her arms.

”Yeah.”

”And what are you asking me?” Harry asked.

”Am I doing the right thing by having his rights terminated? Like….I see glimpses of the good Sean, the Sean you remember….but the new one hurts me….”

”Do you remember the time when we were with mom? When she was a secretary and we saw New Kids on the Block? It was so much fun, Evie…but then two days later we were with Katie and Albert?”

”Yeah…” she answered wondering where he was going.

”Do you know how mom got those tickets? They were really good…” Harry asked her.

”No..I was 4…” Evie answered.

”She went to Skidrow and sold herself. Even though she was doing well, it wasn’t enough money, Evie. She left after you and Carly went to sleep….” Harry told her.

”I….she did that?” she asked.

”She was working for some guy the whole time…and then he slipped her something and set her off.” Harry told his younger naïve sister. ”Do you want that to happen to Lucy? Have everything perfect and then have it all ripped away? Have it all there and then it all taken away? And then have her wonder where the good Sean went? And then hope he comes back? Evie…he’s not coming back, sissy. He’s not. And neither was mom. No matter how hard she tried.” Harry told her. ”Do the right thing. I know I’m not the best role model..but Geneva…please. Don’t have her go through this like we did.”

”You’re right. She doesn’t need to see him. She’ll have the good memories…not the bad ones…” Evie said. ”Thank you Harry…how much do you need?” she asked pulling out her wallet.

”Probably like 200..it will get me through today…” he told her.

”Please be safe….make sure it’s 100 percent.” she said handing him the money that she was sure he was going to use for drugs. She stood up, hugged him and started walking away.

”Don’t be a stranger, Evie. Tell everyone I’m okay.” he told her.

”I will.” she said leaving the coffee shop.