Mercy: Chapter 6

Last night I dreamed I ate a ten-pound marshmallow, and when I woke up the pillow was gone.
- Tommy Cooper

When Rob, Elise and Kylie got back from dinner with everyone, none of them expected what they found on their return to the apartment. Rob and Elise’s mother was standing outside, very clearly, waiting to be invited in.

“Mom?” Elise questioned, not believing she was standing right there.

The woman turned, and her face relaxed into a genuine smile. “Elise. Hi, baby…” she moved to embrace her daughter.

Automatically, Elise backed away, and Rob moved between them.

“Kylie, take her inside.” Rob spoke quietly, indicating Elise.

Immediately, Kylie moved to Elise’s side, and put an arm around her and walked her into the building. Her own heart was pounding, so she couldn’t imagine what Rob and Elise must be feeling.

Elise couldn’t seem to stay facing forward, and kept turning to see what was going on outside the glass doors.

“What’s Robby gonna do?” she asked seriously.

“I don’t know, honey, but come on now. Let’s go upstairs.”

As was habit, Kylie followed Elise up. That was the only way she would go, still convinced that if no one had her back, she would be tripped, pulled, or hit from behind. And all was an after-effect of the beating she’d received at the hands of the man her mother was living with. It was he she chose to stay with, after she took Elise to the hospital, and dropped her off. It was days before it was discovered she had another relative around, and Rob was called. Their mother never showed her face while Elise was recovering. Just as recently as a month prior, their mother had called, upset about his plans to proceed with a court date to get custody of his sister. It was their mother who insisted that all the formality wasn’t necessary because she’d sign Elise over to him willingly. She didn’t want her own daughter.

“Why is she here?” Elise asked, as the door was being closed behind them. “Do you think…she wants me back?”

Kylie closed her eyes. “I don’t know. I hope not.”

Quietly, Elise moved to Kylie’s side, sitting on the couch beside her. “I don’t want her to take me back.” she worried. “You think Robby can stop her if that’s what she wants?”

“I don’t think she has legal right to take you, even if she did want to take you back.” Kylie explained.

“Well, why else would she be here?”

Kylie’s stomach remained unsettled. “I don’t know, ‘Lise.”

“Kylie, can I call someone? I’m scared…” Elise admitted, putting her head down on Kylie’s shoulder.

“Of course, baby. Go call our Beauty,” Kylie allowed, knowing Belle was the only person Elise would call bein’ as scared as she was.

--

“What are you doing here?” Rob asked his mother coldly.

She had his face - his eye color. He remembered being proud of that as a young kid, because he knew how pretty his mom was, and that he would probably grow up to be handsome. Now, though, Rob wished there was no family resemblance.

“What do you mean?” she asked innocently. “Robby, I wanted to see you. Both of you..”

Rob felt his fists clench, and he concealed them in his pants pockets. “That’s a bunch of shit. What’s the real reason? “ his eyes narrowed, realizing something. “Where is he?”

Instantly, her eyes filled with tears. “He’s out--”

“It hasn’t even been a year! What do you mean he’s out?” Rob demanded.

His mother shrugged. “Got lucky, I guess. I don’t know. Good behavior or something. He was only supposed to serve a year and a half or something. Anyway, he came back…to get his stuff. He left a week ago.”

“That’s why you’re calling, and suddenly dropping by? You’re lonely?”

“Robby, it’s the holidays. Families are supposed to be together.” she argued, sounding pitiful.

He looked away from her. “I don’t care. As far as I’m concerned, you made your decision by signing over Elise…and before that by allowing her to get beat by your boyfriend, or whoever the hell he was.” Rob spat.

“We were married,” she protested.

Rob clenched his teeth, knowing the truth all along, and still hating her for it.

“You are not disrupting our lives just so you can fill some pathetic void that you made for yourself.” he maintained.

“We raised you better than this,” she returned, suddenly going maternal in her tone of voice.

“My father raised me.” Rob’s voice had gone cold. “I raised Elise until she was eleven years old. I’m her guardian now. And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let you come in and mess things up for her.”

“She was taken care of! She sure as hell wasn’t living in some piece of crap apartment in the worst part of town. She had a room, she had everything.”

“She has everything now. And right now, I’m going inside, to be with my family. If you come near us again, I’m taking action against you.”

“You act like I’m the one who beat my child!” she shouted.

Rob turned. “You’re worse than that. Because you allowed a man to beat your child. And you did nothing but justify it by staying with him and abandoning her. Stay away from us.” Rob warned, turning and walking in the apartment, grateful that the door locked automatically behind him.

--

“Belle?” Elise questioned, when she finally heard someone pick up.

“This is Belle. Hey, you, what’s up?”

“Not much,” Elise hedged. She sat in the middle of Robby’s bed, with the door closed and locked. It was the only room she really felt safe in.

“…I’m scared.” Elise admitted, her voice breaking.

Belle was quiet on the other end of the call, momentarily stunned by Elise’s level of honesty. “What’s going on?” Belle asked, feeling wary now.

“My mom’s here,” Elise managed, through deep breaths. She was doing her best not to lose it now. If she did, no one would be able to get in and help her. “And I don’t want her to take me.”

“You think she’s here to take you away?” Belle asked, incredulous.

Elise sniffed. “I don’t know. But I don’t want to leave. I want to stay with Robby.”

“Honey,” Belle said gently, already getting in her car. “I don’t think she would be there for that.”

“I just don’t want to see her,” Elise was defeated, crying silently.

“Well, what’s going on now? Where’s Rob?”

“Outside talking to her. He made Kylie go inside with me.”

Belle smiled, already driving down the road toward their apartment complex. She knew it would take her over a half an hour to get there, but hoped that Elise would stay on the phone with her for as long.

“Elise, your brother’s not gonna let anything happen to you. He’ll take care of this mess and everything will be okay.” Belle reassured, hoping her words weren’t falling on deaf ears.

“But why else…would she be here?” Elise demanded, feeling the tension in her grow, and knowing that if she didn’t get a grip, her voice would be gone.

Without pause or explanation, Belle started singing, with the hope of distracting Elise and biding her time to get there with Elise still in one piece.

“I know you’re scared to let me know you. Oh, I know you’ve got a heavy kind of soul. And I know it’s harder to believe in love when you’re feelin’ all alone. They’re taking bets on who the lover of your soul and your heart is gonna be. They’re taking on all the things that get you down and out the moment you believe…”

“I--I believe in You! Yes I-- Yes I-- Yes I do! I’m sayin’ I believe in You! Uh-huh!”

Elise was silent for a moment, taken off guard by the sudden serenade. “What are you doing?”

“Hold on, this is the instrumental break,” Belle stalled. “Yes, I believe!” she shouted.

Startled, Elise yanked the phone away from her ear, and stared at it. “Stop it,” she complained, giggling a little.

“Okay, okay…I was just relaxing you.” Belle informed her cutely.

“So what did you do today?” Elise asked, liking the idea of distraction, however silly a form it came in.

“Well…” Belle began, perkiness emanating off her in waves. “After dying a slow painful death of boredom in algebra. I sang in choir. And then I did some other classes and came home.”

“How’s Miss Sherry?” Elise asked, not ever able to call any woman just by their name now that Kylie was such a strong influence on her. Not to mention Belle’s Southern manner rubbing off, and introducing her mother just that way to Elise.

“She’s fine. Working.” Belle answered shortly.

“Does she know you’re having a hard time?” Elise wondered. “Did you tell her what Julia said and how it upset you?”

“To be honest , I don’t talk to her about very much going on in my life. She doesn’t have the time to hear it. The most we do talk is if she’s stressed out from her job or something. Then I’m just a sounding board and stuff.”

“That’s not fair,” Elise complained. “She should be concerned for you.”

“She has no reason to be. I don’t show her much of any reason to be concerned.”

“Kylie’s concerned for me all the time. When I get mad about it, she just tells me that she don’t need a reason to mother me. She does stuff like that because she cares.”

“No, I know. So, are you feeling better?” Belle wondered, wanting more than anything for the attention to shift off of her and back to Elise. That was where it was supposed to be anyway. Elise had called her. It wasn’t the other way around.

“Don’t turn this around. I wanna know how you’re doing.” Elise insisted, feeling calmer just knowing that she might be able to help someone else. “How do you feel about your mom needing a reason to care about you?” Elise asked, feeling shocked that she had the ability to say so much at once, and thanking God for it in her mind.

“It hurts,” Belle revealed quietly, trying to focus on the road signs and keeping her car on the road as emotions swelled within her.

“It’s hard, huh?” Elise commented, knowing just how hard such a thing was.

Belle sniffed, trying to keep herself together. “Okay, we’re gonna have to put this conversation on hold for a bit. I need to drive.” she told Elise seriously.

“Drive? Where are you going?” Elise asked, lying back on the covers, and getting comfortable.

Belle shook her head, grinning to herself. “You didn’t think I was gonna let you be scared by yourself, did you?” she asked.

“If you’re coming, be careful. I don’t know where my mom will be. And I don’t think Robby would want her to come in.”

Belle sighed, trying to hide her exasperation. “Elise, I promise you, I wont hold the door for anyone.”

“Okay.” She sounded relieved.

--

Kylie was still waiting in the living room when Rob came in.

“She leave?” Kylie asked warily.

Rob nodded shortly. He looked around briefly for his sister, knowing how upsetting it was when he lost his temper at all in front of her.

“She’s talkin’ to Belle. I think she’s in your room. She was scared her mama was gonna take her.” Kylie divulged, not sure how Rob would take this news.

His eyes darkened, but he didn’t speak.

“What she want?” Kylie asked carefully.

“Spend the holidays with family…” Rob mumbled. “He’s out now, and he left her. And now she’s lonely and wants to be around us…or so she says.” Rob paced, not able to stay in one place, or raise his voice. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt sadness rising in him, rather than the anger he was so comfortable with.

“Jesus,” Kylie prayed. Then, looking to Rob again, “She leave?”

He nodded. “I told her if she came near us again I was gonna do something about it. Take action or something. But I don’t even know if that’s possible. Technically she’s not a threat, and to the courts she hasn’t done anything really wrong, other than not protecting her daughter. And that’s not as big an offense as being the abuser.”

“Hopefully she won’t realize that, and she’ll take you at your word.” Kylie comforted, getting up, and giving him a hug.

“I should go talk to Elise,” Rob decided, though he looked reluctant.
Walking up to his bedroom door, he turned the handle and found it locked.

“Elise, open the door.” he spoke gently, not wanting to make anything worse.

Surprisingly, the door was almost immediately opened. Elise was still on the phone, and was talking to Belle as Rob came in and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Tell Belle you’ll call her back,” Rob said quietly.

Elise looked up. “She’s coming over. Is that okay?”

“That’s fine, but I need you to hang up right now. I wanna talk to you.”

“Belle?” Elise asked. “Can I let you go?”

“That’s fine.” she answered. “I’ll be there in a few minutes, and I can visit with Kylie if you’re still busy.”

“Okay, thanks.” Elise finished, hanging up.

Scooting closer to Rob, Elise leaned against him, feeling sure that he wouldn’t be back up at all if their mom hadn’t left.

“I’m sorry about that,” he apologized, not knowing where else to begin. He felt like he’d failed her. Never even imagining that something like that could happen.

“You didn’t do anything.” she said, wanting to absolve him.

“You’ll never have to go with her, and I would never let her take you.” Rob told her.

Elise nodded. “I would never wanna go with her.”

“I know,” Rob agreed, kissing her head tenderly.

Turning concerned eyes to search his, Elise spoke quietly. “So she’s gone?”

He nodded firmly.

“What if she comes back?” Elise asked, worried now.

“I told her she wasn’t allowed back.” Rob explained simply.

Elise’s brow crinkled. “Do you really have the authority to say something like that? I mean, just because you’re in charge of me, doesn’t mean you’re in charge of her.” Elise pointed out.

“Hopefully, she knows I meant business. But to be on the safe side, I don’t want you to answer the door, until we’re sure this is cleared up.” he told her seriously.

“What if it’s Kylie?” Elise asked. “Or someone I know?”

Rob sent her a look, which silenced her. “I don’t want you answering the door no matter who it is. That’ll be my responsibility or Kylie’s. The same as the phone.”

Elise sighed. “All right.” she conceded, though she hated living like a victim even in her own home. “Can I go and see if Belle’s here?” she asked, hoping like crazy that the serious moment was behind them, and she could get back to normal.

“Yeah, get out of here,” Rob told her good-naturedly.

As Elise left the room, Kylie made her way in. “You gonna ask Belle if she minds bein’ here on Saturday while we work? I work this Saturday.” she reminded.

“That’s right,” Rob remembered, knowing that Kylie couldn’t ask for the time off without risking her job. And she needed the money as bad as he and Elise needed what they lived on.

There was a knock at the door then, and they heard Elise’s bored voice.

“Can somebody come let Belle in please?”

Kylie sent Rob a questioning look, as they left the room.

“I asked her not to answer the door until we have this whole thing with Mom straightened out.”

“Ah,” Kylie agreed, getting there first and pulling the door open.

“Kylie,” Belle greeted warmly. “It’s been too long.”

“Yeah, it’s been what? A couple days?” Kylie teased.

Belle came in, and greeted Rob and Elise. “I hope it’s not trouble that I’m here,” she apologized. “I just sort of invited myself.”

“You’re always welcome.” Rob told her sincerely. “You know that.”

“Well, thank you.” Belle said happily, loving how at home Rob made her feel, regardless of what was going on.

“Actually, I wanted to ask if you think you could stay over Friday night to Saturday, and hang out with Elise that day, since Kylie and I work.”

“Yep, that’s no problem at all.” Belle told him. “We haven’t hung out enough.”

Elise walked around Rob, and put her arms around her friend. “Thank you for coming.” she spoke quietly, hoping Kylie and Rob were far enough away now that they wouldn’t overhear.

“No problem. It’ll be awesome to have so much time together. I’ve missed you.” Belle told her sincerely.

--

As promised, Belle and Elise spent time together when Belle dropped in on them. Mostly, they just spent hours in the bathroom, trying on make up and different shades of nail polish, until Elise developed a headache from the smell.

Days later, they spent Friday night watching a comedy on Belle’s portable DVD player, eating popcorn, and keeping Rob up much later than he should have been. He told them he didn’t mind. Elise suspected he would have been up anyway, unable to sleep because of their mom’s surprise visit.

When they finally did decide to sleep, Belle made herself comfortable on the pull-out, and slept half sitting up while Elise curled up with her head in Belle’s lap. As Belle had hoped this sleeping arrangement worked wonders, and Elise only stirred, and started a couple of times. Having someone so nearby calmed her immensely, and Elise was able to get rest.

Rob woke up hours later to prepare for work, and found both girls still sleeping. He found Belle still somewhat upright, sleeping with her head tilted at an undoubtedly uncomfortable angle.

“Hey,” he said softly, trying to rouse Belle from sleep.

Slowly, she opened bleary eyes and stared at him, uncomprehending. Elise remained entwined somehow in the blankets and Belle, sound asleep.

“Move her off you,” Rob instructed kindly. “She’ll be fine as long as you’re next to her.”

Obediently, Belle moved a tired Elise over to her own tiny half of the bed.

“Scoot down,” Rob encouraged, hoping Belle would willingly lie down, and didn’t feel compelled to keep watch over Elise.

Without further prompting, she did as he asked, and Rob pulled the blankets up over her. “I’m on my way out, okay?”

“Mm-hmm” Belle mumbled.

“See you later,” he told her, before ducking out the door, and locking it behind him.

--

It was noon before either Elise or Belle stirred.

Once they did, Belle walked tiredly to the shower, leaving Elise in the kitchen to warm up her Ramen noodles.

Belle wasn’t too hyper when it came to little things around the house, and felt no shame about utilizing their bathroom - even though Elise’s entire wardrobe was kept in there. She had asked beforehand if Elise wanted to get dressed or shower quite yet and Elise said she didn’t. So, Belle figured she’d take the opportunity.

She cut her usual half-hour of bathroom and primping time in half, knowing that she should go and eat with Elise, rather than taking undue time with her appearance. Haphazardly, Belle threw her hair back in a ponytail while it was still wet, and made her way down the hall.

She never made it to the kitchen. Because she found Elise standing in the living room looking uncertain, with a woman Belle assumed was her mother.

Belle knew instinctively that she shouldn’t have allowed this. Even though she didn’t know there was even a remote possibility of this woman coming back into the picture.

Coming up beside Elise, Belle put an arm around her. Belle could feel her shaking, and wished she had been more diligent.

“I wasn’t supposed to answer the door…but I didn’t even think about it.” Elise apologized in Belle’s ear.

Squeezing her shoulder, Belle approached the woman, praying that Elise would decide to go in the kitchen - or anywhere else in the apartment.

“I’m sorry, you’ll have to leave.” Belle said, trying with everything in her to stay in control. Prior to this, she had never met Elise’s mother, but knew that if she ever did, they wouldn’t have pleasant words.

The mother narrowed her eyes, looking so much like Rob in that moment that Belle had to blink. It left her feeling sure that Elise must have been a spitting image of her father, or some other distant relative, because there was no doubt who Rob looked like in the family.

“And who are you?” she asked, there was an edge of something in her voice, but it was mostly hidden by false politeness.

Belle gritted her teeth. “I think Rob asked you to keep your distance.” she spoke with certainty, remembering the brief conversation she’d had with Elise about what had happened.

“Elise, honey, who’s your friend?” her mom’s tone changed as she addressed her daughter, to an affection Elise rarely recalled.

“You need to leave,” Belle repeated, losing patience. She had no idea how this woman even made it this far into the apartment. Then, she remembered how easy it had been for her to simply ask someone leaving to hold the main doors. She felt sick.

“Look, I don’t know what you’ve been told about me, but I guarantee you that none of it’s true. I just wanted to see my kids.”

“Come with me,” Belle spoke lowly, and with an authority she didn’t feel.

Elise wasn’t moving, and she had to get this woman out of the apartment.

Maybe it was her carefully crafted all-business demeanor - the one that she used while walking up the tough streets to Elise’s apartment the first time, but she was listened to. Elise’s mom followed Belle outside the door.

Belle was tempted to dart around her and slam the door in the woman’s face, but she didn’t do that.

“I don’t think now is a very good time,” Belle told her tersely. “If you wanted to stop by again, I would definitely call first.”

She refrained from telling the woman that Rob was at work, and she was alone with Elise, even though, presumably, she knew as much already, which would explain her boldness in getting all the way inside the apartment in the first place.

“Fine,” she relented, realizing that whoever this friend of her daughter’s was, she wasn’t stupid.

She used a loud and direct enough voice to alert neighbors, that they had an unwelcome visitor.

Belle waited until she turned the corner to walk down the stairs, before she pushed open the apartment door, which she had left cracked With Elise feeling so much guilt over letting her mother in, Belle doubted she was going to be let back in.

She found Elise on the couch holding her head in her hands. She had a crushing headache, which she knew had nothing to do with her injuries, and everything to do with this part of her past reemerging into Elise’s present.

Belle did her best to help. But it didn’t improve, and when Rob called on his lunch break, Belle told him he’d better come home.

--

“What happened?” Rob asked quietly, just inside the door. From where he stood, he could see Elise in the living room. Her face looked drawn, and gave away the fact that she was in pain, despite her lack of tears.

“Your mother was here,” Belle admitted, lowering her gaze to the floor.

Rob’s eyes widened. “She was here? What do you mean she was here?” he demanded.

“She was here in the apartment,” Belle elaborated, feeling so much shame she still couldn’t look Rob in the face.

“How did she get in the apartment?” he exclaimed softly.

“Elise let her in. I was in the shower.” Tears had sprung to her eyes, and blurred her vision as she owned up to her neglect.

“Didn’t you see the note on the counter?” he challenged, unbelieving.

She shook her head silently, feeling tension build inside her, and her heartbeat quicken.

“I should have known better than to trust a kid…I knew it,” he muttered angrily. “You can go.” he dismissed her, not noticing that Belle had backed away from him, or that she hadn’t once looked him in the eye.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, not knowing what else to say.

But Rob had already moved onto Elise, still seething over the fact that things had gone so incredibly wrong, and that he hadn’t been there to stop it.

Just like before.

He couldn’t protect her.

It felt just as horrible as before.