Maybe This Life (6 page)

Vince bolted through the Giordano’s front door, crashing it into the bottom step of the staircase. “Lena,” he bellowed.

Jules came running to the door, Christopher following. Lena stood in the kitchen doorway, afraid to move forward.

“What’s your problem, Vince? You don’t bust in our house like that,” fifteen-year-old Christopher warned.

“Christopher.” Jules put her hand on his shoulder. “Now, Vince. What’s got you so upset that you need to crash through our front door without knocking?”

“Lena’s avoiding me. I wanna know why,” he commanded.

“Vince. She’s been sick. Today was her first day out, and I asked her to stay here for the night.”

“What’d she tell you?” Vince once again demanded an answer. Lena peered out from behind the half-wall that blocked her from Vince’s sight.

“Lena,” he howled. “What’d you tell ‘em?”

“Nothing, Vince,” Lena said quietly, wishing he would just go away. “Nothing. I…I.”

Jules put her hand up to stop Lena from finishing her sentence. “Vince, come in the kitchen, now. C’mon. I’ll get you a cup of coffee. We’ll sit,” Jules turned to Christopher, “Go get your father. He’s upstairs."

Christopher two-stepped the staircase. Vince followed Jules and Lena into the kitchen.

Fortunately, when Frank came home earlier, Lena had informed her father of her decision to break up with Vince. Frank’s only apprehension was his concern for the Battaglias. He knew in a large, estimable family like theirs, a broken engagement would definitely be public fodder, and he would never want to discredit their reputation. But in the end, it was Frank’s daughter’s well-being that mattered above all else. He gave his support and promised to help her through it.

Lena’s father Frank entered the room as he entered every room, commanding respect by his mere presence – a  man of short stature yet great power, the effect of holding world powerlifting records for the past two decades.

Aggravated and tense already, Vince sat rigid when the older man sat down across from him. His chest stuck out like a cave man ready for a fight.

Frank sat calm and easy, sipping the coffee his wife offered. “Now Vince.” Frank’s even tone was meant to not offend an already edgy Vince. “Lena came to me tonight with a request.”

Lena’s trembles were apparent to everyone, as her bouncing foot actually caused the table to shake. The locket around her neck was in its usual place, enveloped in her palm and close to her heart. Disappointed in herself for not breaking up with Vince herself, she closed her eyes and hung her head low. He scared her. If she had tried to tell him herself, the words would have never come out.

“And what request would that be, sir?” Vince's question held disdain.

“She’s decided she’s not ready to get married.”

Slamming his hands on the table and jumping to his feet, Vince snarled, “No. She does not get to make that decision.”

Never ashamed of standing almost a head shorter than most men, Frank also stood and advanced closer to Vince. “Yes, Vince, I’m afraid she does have the right, as would you, if you felt that way.”

The wrath behind Vince’s eyes, though fearful, caused a swell of sympathy in Lena’s heart. She felt terrible about hurting Vince’s feelings. Despite his gruff and barbarous ways, Lena had a soft spot for Vince, realizing that he really believed he was entitled to his ill-mannered ways. His parents had always been so tied up in business and society events that Vince had always been an afterthought. Lena couldn’t help but empathize with him. Though her childhood had been full of her parents’ attention, something deep inside of her felt the pain of neglect.

But then Vince’s piercing glare, now directed at her, had punctured that soft spot for him, bringing her back to the real reason she couldn’t marry Vince. His grueling brutality could eventually get her killed…literally. Lena averted her eyes from his stare but managed a timid, “I’m sorry.”

Without glancing at him, his glower still held enough rage that she could almost imagine the heat of his blood boiling beneath his skin. Thankfully, in the next instant she heard his footsteps striding through the house, followed by the front door slamming behind him.

Lena collapsed to the floor.

“Oh my goodness! Frank,” Jules cried.

Frank kneeled next to his daughter. “Call 911,” he directed to Christopher. “Jules, go get my smelling salts from my first aid case. It’s in my wrestling bag.”

Jules hastily searched Frank's black duffel bag and retrieved the smelling salts. “Here.” She handed it to Frank.

“Open it first, Jul.” Frank had one hand under Lena’s head, leaving only one free hand. He took the open package from Jules and held it beneath Lena’s nose.

"Uggh, ewww." Lena groaned but then closed her eyes again.

Frank kept waving the salts under her nose. "C'mon, Leen. Get up," Frank pleaded.

"Eww.  Uggh." Lena shook her head. "Hmmm," she mumbled. The room was hazy, but soon her father came into focus. After a couple of seconds, Lena became wide-eyed, not liking the smell of the salts at all.

“Lena, what happened?” Jules asked.

“I don’t know…I…I got lightheaded.”

Christopher walked in just then with the paramedics, who took Lena’s vitals, fed her some Coke with added table sugar, and told her not to drive for at least two hours. The paramedics were in and out within twenty minutes time and chalked it up to a fainting spell. Then they suggested she see a doctor to determine its cause.

Monday morning, Rick felt the need to talk with Lena before going to his office. After thinking about her all weekend, he had decided to pursue her friendship more aggressively. No longer able to accept the sadness that lurked behind her eyes, his intention was to replace her sorrowful heart with a heart filled with joy, if it were the last thing on Earth he would ever do.

She was busy writing at her desk when Rick stopped cold in his tracks. There she was, sitting behind the glass cubicle. Beautiful…vulnerable…sad. It may not have been apparent to most, but to Rick...it was as clear as the blue sky on a tragic day. Lena’s beauty was overwhelmed by the wounds that ran deep inside her. She could not hide that from him.

But Rick had a reason for being here. To mend those wounds.

He lifted his feet from the floor and approached the fair maiden in distress.

“Lena.” She looked up from her writing pad and smiled. “How are you, Miss?”

Lena giggled. “Hi, Rick.”

He sauntered nearer to her desk and stopped, fumbling with the keys in his coat pocket. “Lena.” Rick paused to collect his thoughts, even though he’d gone over it at least a hundred times. “There’s this park down the road. Sunnybank. I go there sometimes to think. Well...” He wanted to ask her to join him there for lunch, but he was sure she would object to driving there together. “Um, could you meet me there today? About one?” He noticed her eyes widen, but he continued his spiel anyway. “I packed a picnic lunch in the hopes that you would join me,” he questioned, bracing himself for another rejection.

“Okay.”

“Wait. What?” Did he hear her correctly?

Lena smiled. “I said okay.”

Left speechless, Rick wanted to walk up to her and hug her...then thank her for agreeing to see him today.

She continued to smile at him while he stood stunned.

“Um. Great. Do you know where it is, or would you like me to drive?”

Lena grabbed at her locket.. “Uh, no, I can drive, in case, well, in case I need to get back…before you do.”

“That’s fine. You know where Sunnybank is?”

“On Terhune, right? I pass it when I go to the CVS.”

“Right. Terhune. Great. I’ll see you there. One?” He continued jiggling his keys.

“One.” She grinned.

Rick turned to go back to his office.
She said yes
. Now he had to go buy a picnic lunch somewhere. And a basket? Nah. Maybe a bagged lunch would suffice? No. Not for Lena. Rick locked up his office and told Betty he’d be out until after lunch. Rick headed to K-Mart to buy a picnic basket and, maybe, a red and white gingham tablecloth.

After snapping the blanket down on the lawn, Rick took one last look inside the basket. Two sandwiches, one turkey, one roast beef, not sure of which Lena would prefer. A can of Coke, a can of Diet Coke, two waters and two black and white cookies. He hankered for a cigarette, but he didn’t want to have smoker’s breath. Nor did he want to conjure up Angie, as smoking usually triggered, because he needed to have his attention, and his heart, solely on Lena. Today was about
her.
Not about his past.

Lena stood at the top of the hill overlooking Sunnybank when Rick caught a glimpse of her. He found it difficult to stand on his own two feet. He hadn’t remembered ever feeling so weak in the knees. He wanted to run. Race by her side and walk her down the hill, hand in hand. But all he could do was stare.
She said yes, she'd have lunch with him at Sunnybank, and here she was.
His stomach burned with excitement.

He needed to slow the rapid breathing that took over as he watched her. Approaching him like an angel drifting in the wind, Lena showed him her wide, bright smile. He never wanted to let go this vision that now stood before him.

“Hi,” she sang.

“Hi.”

They stood in silence for a moment. Rick, captivated by her presence, was unable to form a coherent thought.

“It looks nice.” Lena motioned to the picnic, her voice strained with nervous anticipation.

He collected himself and came back to reality. “Oh. The picnic? Yeah, well, I’m a dork.” He sighed, able to bring his breathing back to normal.

She let out a gentle laugh and seemed to relax as well.

“Sit down,” he requested, taking her hand as they sat down on the tablecloth. “I have turkey or roast beef.” He held one up in each of his hands.

“Turkey, please,” she answered, taking the sandwich.

He placed the drinks on the blanket. He took a water, she, the Diet Coke.

“I’m glad you came today,” Rick started. “To be honest, I’m surprised.”

Lena shrugged and responded quietly. “I’m surprised I agreed.”

“Did you not want to?”

“Oh, I very much wanted to…but…I wasn’t sure that I should,” she said, twisting her mouth and fiddling with her fingers.

“I only intend to be a friend, Lena. Please, don't worry about that. Vince has no need to worry.” Rick attempted a straight face as he said her fiancé’s name.

“Oh.”

Looking down at her lap, disappointment washed across her face. “Lena. What’s the matter?”

“What? Nothing, why?"

“I know I’ve only known you just a short time,” he lied, “but I feel I can read you fairly well. Something’s wrong.”

She shook her head. “No. Really. Nothing’s wrong. It’s better, actually,” she offered willingly.

Rick waited, like a schoolboy expecting his first kiss, for her to continue.

“Vince and I broke up.”

This
was
good news. Though he didn’t want to show too much enthusiasm and risk coming across as insensitive. “Oh,” he said, attempting to keep his mouth from curling up into a smile.

But then she shut down.

“Lena? Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

“Did he break it off with you?”

“No.” Her eyes began to swell. “I broke up with him.”

“Do you regret it?”

Her tears found their way out and streamed down her cheeks. “No.”

This time, though, Rick waited, aware that she wanted to say something, in her own time. So he sat and waited, then wiped her cheek with a napkin.

After a thoughtful couple of minutes, her tears slowed and she spoke.

“I shouldn’t have let it get this far.” Her head shook in regret. “It should have been over so, so long ago.” She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. “He was terrible, Rick. You don’t know. And I couldn’t tell anyone. I wanted to, but…I thought he’d get better. And then…” She closed her eyes, recalling a bad memory, maybe? To gather courage? “Then…it was too late.” Her eyes were still closed and she began to tremble.

Rick inched closer, but with Lena’s eyes still closed and her arms still wrapped tight around her knees, she held up a hand. A gesture to inform him to please stay where he was, he thought. “I never wanted to…I wasn’t ready…he didn’t care." She swallowed hard. "He didn’t even believe I was still a virgin.”

Oh hell. “Lena, did he rape you?” Rick fumed, unable this time to calm his pounding heart. He wanted to throw up.

Lena’s eyes flew open, once again filling with tears. But she kept them wide, like she was trying hard to keep the tears from escaping again.

“Oh, Lena.” Rick’s spirit deflated. “Couldn’t you report him? Tell your parents? Something?”

She bit her bottom lip and leaned her head on her own shoulder, still hugging her knees, still attempting to comfort herself.

The hell with staying where he was. Lena needed to be held. He moved in closer alongside her and took her in his arms, freeing her tears.

“Lena?” Rick whispered. “Does he always force himself on you?”

Rick felt the nod on his shoulder.

“Still?”

Another nod.

“Oh, honey. I am so sorry I didn’t find you sooner.” Rick had his eyes closed now.

Lena lifted her head. “Found me sooner?”

"Uh, yes, I wish I had met you before he did.”

She put her head back down on him. “Oh, yeah. Me too.”

“Lena,” Rick said almost tentatively. “That night I came over, is that what had happened? Vince, I mean?”

He felt another nod on his shoulder. This time, though, it was accompanied by a small whimper.

“Oh, sweetie. Why haven’t you reported him?”

She raised her head and twisted to look at him, her tears threatening to escape again. Lena seemed determined to remain in control. “Who would believe me, Rick? I mean besides my family.” Her voice got stronger as she continued. “Besides, if my father and brothers knew, they’d kill him. Then we’d have a murder on our hands. That would be worse.”

Rick nodded. “It seems that’d be what he deserved though.” He tried his best not to let the smoldering rage inside him explode. Lena needed him more than he needed to punch the living daylights out of Vince..

“No. No, he doesn’t. Nobody deserves that.”

“How could you say that, Lena? He’s a monster.” Rick could barely contain his anger any longer. “And he
raped
you.” That word alone, used in conjunction with Lena, made him nauseous.

But with a compassionate sigh, she whispered, “He’s sick, Rick. I truly believe he may be bi-polar.”

Rick harrumphed. “That may be, but you can’t tell me that just because he may be mentally ill, that it is okay for him to rape you and god-dammit, Lena, that is exactly what he did.” Rick lost it. “Just because he is your fiancé…
was
your fiancé, doesn’t mean he can
have
you any time he damn well pleases,” he cried. “He is wretched…and I could kill him. I really could…”

“Hold on there, Rick,” Lena interrupted, withdrawing herself from Rick’s side. Standing, she continued. “Listen,” she shook her head, “no, he should not have done what he had, but he wasn’t
all
bad. He really had a soft side. I may be tolerant of a lot and I may put up with things he shouldn’t do, but it wasn’t ‘cause I was so weak I couldn’t pull away. It was…I guess, I felt sorry for him.” She turned her back to Rick, but didn’t walk away, thank God. Rick stood but didn’t move closer. “He didn’t know any better, Rick. He had the richest parents in town, but they'd barely paid any attention to him. He grew up with one nanny after another, no one ever really showing him any love...he couldn’t help how he was.”

“Lena.” Rick proceeded cautiously, knowing he was on thin ice. “Everybody has a past to get over. There is
never
an excuse to hurt another human being.” Rick realized the irony of his statement after recalling previously wanting to kill Vince.

Lena shuddered, slumping her shoulders forward. “No. I know you’re right…I just don’t want to believe he could be deliberately malicious.”

Rick went ahead and moved toward her, placing his hand on her shoulder as she stood still looking toward the lake.

“At least it’s over, Lena. At least it’s over.”