Casey stretched luxuriously, revelling in the relaxed feeling as she did so, watching Robbie eye her appreciatively. His expression changed from a tiny smile to a grin as he stood up and pulled her close for a kiss and a tight hug.
“Casey” said Sarah, “Robbie’s right, you know, you should visit your parents, if only to say good bye. No-one here will think any the less of you for it; in fact, it’s the right thing to do. If you really do mean to end that part of your life, that’s the way to do it. I don’t mean to tell you what to do, heaven forbid, but I do want you to do what’s right.”
Casey smiled wanly at her. “You’re right, Mrs. Anderson, and you shouldn’t have to remind me of that; I’m sorry, of course I’ll go and see them, and let them know what’s happened, and say my goodbyes; I owe them that, at least.”
Robbie patted her flank encouragingly. “That’s my girl!” he smiled, and Casey smiled back her eyes dancing over his. “That’s right; I am your girl, now and always, Robert Anderson!”
Neither one of them noticed the late-model graphite Buick Regal prowling past and disappearing into the distance, or the figure inside, head turning to stare at them as it purred past the house.
“Don’t forget, our flights are at 11 o’clock tomorrow, so why don’t you do it now and get it over with? We don’t really have time in the morning, and they won’t be there together anyway; isn’t Tuesday morning your mother’s Book Club or something?” asked Robbie, and Casey looked curiously at him.
“How on earth did you remember that, baby?” she asked, and Robbie grinned. “I have perfect recall, plus, she always used to kick me out on Tuesdays if I was home in case I embarrassed her in front of her friends!”
Casey grinned, but she couldn’t quite suppress a sudden wash of guilt as she remembered being sent to tell Robbie on those days to clear off, mom had guests and she didn’t want him around. The expression on his face right now told her he knew exactly what was going through her mind, but he pulled her close and gently tweaked her nose
“Hey, all forgotten, remember? It’s all new from now on, OK, Case? This is our new beginning; all that old stuff, we’ve brushed it away, let it stay gone!”
Casey pulled his head down and kissed him, wondering at the ease with which he’d dismissed all the hurt of the past, and feeling him smile against her lips then kiss her back quickly and tug her back to the lounger.
“I need to spend an hour with Joey at seven o’clock, then we’re going out to dinner,” he said, “So you’ve got a couple of hours to do your thing. Joey and I’ll come with you, just in case Steve tries to get funny with you or anything, sound good to you?”
Casey looked at him in wonder.
“You’d really come back to that place? After all we did to you there?”
Robbie grinned. “Yeah, ‘course, anything for you, babe!”
Robbie, Joey, and Casey had just finished working out what she was going to tell her parents when suddenly there was no need. A screech of tires and the slam of car doors brought their attention to the front of the house, to see Steve and Angie stalking up the sidewalk toward the house, Steve with a furious expression on his face.
“Casey, get the hell down here right now!” bawled Steve as he saw her with her arm around Robbie and reddened when she looked calmly back at him, and slowly shook her head.
“God damn it, Casey, get your ass down here now, that’s an order!” he screamed, walking up to the porch. Robbie stepped forward and pushed Casey behind him.
“That’s far enough, Steve!” he said, and Steve stopped dead, hearing the resolve and implied threat in his voice. His anger made him reckless, though, and he couldn’t keep quiet.
“So you came back, you spineless little bastard, you finally managed to slink back into town. Where you been, dummy? Or have you been hiding here with these losers all this time?”
Joey stirred at that but Robbie motioned him back.
“Talk’s cheap, Steve, and that’s all you’ve got. You said your piece, Casey’s staying with me, and you’re not wanted here. Go home.”
Steve swelled up. “She’s your sister, you fucking pervert! Are you so starved for some ass you got to tap your sister? It makes me want to puke! I swear to God, I’ll kill you for this, you fucking degenerate!”
Robbie slowly looked him up and down, and said again, so soft it was barely audible; “I asked you once, Steve, now I’m telling you; go away, you’re done here, and we’re busy.”
Steve stared, and then flushed. He’d been dismissed, by his own son, and that rankled. He switched his gaze to Casey.
“Are you gonna stand there and tell me you’d rather live with that… that degenerate piece of shit than come home and live like real people? He’s a fucking loser, is that what you want, a life with a loser?”
Casey spoke up. “He’s not a loser, and I don’t care what you say, or think; I’m staying with Robbie. I love him, and he’s what I need, not you, never again. You should go now, Dad, really.”
Steve stood, silently mouthing, and Angie decided to say something. “Casey, this is wrong, what you’re doing is wrong, and sick; he’s your brother, for God’s sake!”
Casey looked back steadily, and once again, slowly shook her head.
“I don’t care. He loves me, and he makes me happy, and I want him. We’re going away again, and you can wish us well, or hate me forever, but I’m still going with him. I know you’ve never cared about Robbie, both of you gave him nothing, not your love, not your time, nothing his entire life, and you made me just like you. But not anymore. I’ve changed, and now you have a chance to change too, dad. I know why you’re here, but I’m with Robbie now, and you’ll never be able to do that to me again, I won’t let you. I love you, mom, and I guess I even love you too, dad, but I love Robbie more. Look at him, Mom, he’s a wonderful man, he’s your son, why won’t you just accept him? I had to lose him to find him, but he’s here now, you won’t have to look for him, he came back. Try, Mom, for once in your life, just… try and love your son.”
Casey looked at Robbie, then walked down to take her mother’s hands in hers. “Try it mom, try to see Robbie, for once in his life; he’s your son, not some nobody, try and be his mom, and let him know it’s OK. Can you do that? For me?”
Angie looked at her, then at Robbie, wavering, impressed by her daughter’s eloquence, and her obvious feelings for Robbie, but her feeling that this was wrong still swelled strong within her.
As she wavered, Steve decided things for her by grabbing Casey’s arm to yank her away from Angie and shake her like a terrier with a rat.
Suddenly, Robbie was there, to pull Steve’s hand off Casey and effortlessly shove him staggering backwards, his arms flailing to keep his balance. Robbie turned to ask Casey if she was OK, and Steve closed in again, his fist cocked and intent to hurt Robbie writ large on his face.
“Dad, no!” screamed Casey, and Steve’s hand lashed out, backhanding her, and sending her flying. Robbie spun, there was a meaty, butcher-shop sound, and Steve was flying across the sidewalk to collide heavily with the car and slide limply to the ground. Joey came running down to pick up a stunned Casey, and hand her back to Robbie, who gently inspected the reddening mark on her cheekbone where Steve had struck her.
Joey walked over to Steve, who was stirring groggily, blood pouring from his nose and split lip, and nudged him with his foot.
“Get up, you piece of shit,” he said almost conversationally, “you hit my sister. That means I get to tear you a new one, so get on your feet, Daddy!”
Angie’s head snapped round to stare at Joey. “What did you say?” she demanded, and Joey grinned mirthlessly, dislike showing on his handsome face and curling his lip.
“I called him Daddy. He knows why, he knows who I am, he always has, isn’t that right, Daddy?”
Steve looked groggily at Angie. “He’s lying, how can you listen to this… shit from this fucking nobody? They’re a pack of liars and fucking losers, all of them. Just get in the car!”
Angie stayed where she was, trying to process what had just happened. She looked at Joey again.
“Is it true, really, you’re his… son?”
Joey cocked an eye at her. “Why do you think mom had me look out for Robbie all his life? Because he was my kid brother, and none of you ow-life’s ever did a damn thing for him! And before you ask, I’m not gonna start calling him daddy or asking him for his love and be all vying for his attention; no, when this lying little sack of shit stands up, I’m gonna beat the crap out of him for attacking my family and threatening my brother. Nobody comes to my mom’s house and tries to fuck with my family, you hear me… daddy?”
Angie sat down on the porch stair, her head spinning, and Sarah, who’d been a silent witness while this whole episode unfolded around her, suddenly felt a rush of sympathy for her, but not enough that she felt compelled to go down there and offer her some comfort. Angie Dolan had been a willing participant in this, had been one of the prime causes of it way back; she would have to see it through by herself.