JUST THE TEARS

JUST THE TEARS- CHAPTER TWO

Lee had eaten little in the past few days, so the pills began to kick in fairly quickly. But she didn't sleep, or even doze. She just sat there staring like someone in a trance. Mary figured that had a lot to do with the way the local DFCS---Department of Family and Children's Services---had swooped in within minutes of Lee seeing her son's body being carried out of her home in a body bag, and taken 'temporary' custody of her remaining three children 'til this all gets sorted out'. That very same social worker who'd picked up her children had seen fit to attend her son's wake, and seen fit to inform Lee's mother, during said wake, that Lee would NEVER regain custody of her other three children. Tacky funeral etiquette to say the least, Mary thought. But no tackier than the bright red floral-print culottes the woman had chosen to wear to the wake. Now, for the whole drive home, Lee had been like a living, breathing statue. No emotion crossed her face; she'd spoken not a word since they'd left the cemetery. Her breathing was shallow and quiet. She seemed to have withdrawn into another world, a world where nothing could touch her.





Perhaps that's best, Mary mused. The events of the past week were too horrible to seem real to any of them. It must be impossible for Lee, she thought. God knows, the woman's been to Hell and back in a very short time! Having her husband taken into custody for the murder of her son when they all thought he'd died in his sleep. Lee had been at an engagement dinner/going away party for friends an hour away, who were getting married and moving away within the week, when her son had been killed. She hadn't planned on going, but her husband had insisted that he would babysit, that she needed to get out of the house for a change. That she'd regret not going later on. So she'd gone.





According to the coroner, her son had been dead within thirty minutes of her leaving the house. Yet, when she'd called to make sure the kids weren't driving him crazy, her husband said he and the kids were fine; no problems at all. That was over an hour later. There'd been nothing in his voice to tip her off that something was wrong. He'd lied easily. Mary knew that for a fact; she'd been right there with Lee next to the phone and heard it all. And that hadn't been the worst of it.





When Lee had arrived home late that evening, she spoke briefly to her husband before starting to head down the hall to check on the children like usual before going to bed, only to be stopped by her husband, who insisted the kids were fine and she'd just wake them up. Taking him at his word, she'd gotten ready for bed and climbed in beside him. When she again made a move to go check on the kids just to set her mind at ease, Justin Young had stopped her again, this time by making love to her. What kind of monster could do that? Mary couldn't imagine Lee's pain.





Mary knew that if anything like this ever happened to her son, Koby, she'd die. Well, she'd want to anyway. Still, she loved Lee. And she'd loved that child like her own. Mary's eyes scanned her friend's pale face for some flicker of life. Nothing. A line of worry tightened her mouth, narrowed her brown eyes to slits. Sheer hatred shot throught her, hatred for the man who'd turned a person who'd once been so incredibly vibrant and alive into this pathetic creature. And HE'S still breathing! She seethed inwardly, cursing under her breath. Some things make no sense at all! Mary knew if it were her, she'd be in an asylum right now. She cursed again.





From the backseat, Taylor heard her. He cllimbed out of the car to help her with Lee, who sat as unmoving as granite, looking neither left nor right. She simply sat there, her unfocused gaze before her, lost in the past. Mary gave a heavy sigh, and he reached out to pat her on the shoulder. "Ease up, girl, she'll come round," he said reassuringly. As always, his tone was sure and steady, doubting that any pain could last forever. He shrugged things off like water off a duck's back. At Mary's answering glare, he added, "Really,...I promise."





Mary snorted. "Sweetheart, if I had a dollar for every promise you've made to women, I'd be rich!" She looked him up and down. "Hell! If I had a dollar for every promise you've kept to women, I'd be truly broke!" She punched him playfully in the shoulder, trying to muster a smile. "Now, be useful; help me get her inside."





Lee heard it all, but it didn't really touch her.