“What do you do for work?”
That was the one question she dreaded. She didn’t want to be judged for doing something she loved, even though it was in a way she despised.
“I’m, uhh, the headliner at a strip club.” She refused to bow her head in shame.
Carolyn was caught off-guard by her answer. “Oh, so you’re a stripper?” Before Evelyn could answer, Casey and Porter made their way inside, apparently catching the end of our conversation.
“She’s a stripper?” Porter asked his son. While Carolyn had asked, there was no repugnance in her voice, only genuine curiosity. Porter’s question, however, was full of revolt.
“Yeah, she is,” Casey told him coldly, coming to stand behind her. “She’s well sought after because of her unique choreography.” Pride swelled in Casey’s voice. She wouldn’t say her routines were well-choreographed, but bringing her ballet to the show was certainly an eye-catcher for many.
“Well, I guess it’s fitting then,” Porter mumbled.
As Casey was about to defend her again, she shook her head and responded, “I dance because it gives me freedom. I’m a whore’s daughter that cared more about drugs than about educating me. So when Case told me how nasty the pair of you were to him when he came home to heal, when he came to you a war hero, and you turned him away, I’d never been so confused in my life.” Taking a breath, she continued with her pent up frustration. “I couldn’t understand how good Christian folk such as you, people who worshipped a man that was all about forgiveness and second chances, would tell Casey that he was no longer their son because he gave a huge part of himself for his country. You see, even though my mother was a hooker and a drug addict, and I will never know the man that spawned me, she at least did the best thing she could for me; she left me to the DCFS.”
Waiting for that to sink in, she needed for them all to know how they fucked up with raising her incredible man. “Some foster homes absolutely sucked. They were horrible and never should have known the love of a child. But every once in a while, there was always a caring couple, and I was lucky enough to find one. They loved me with their whole heart. The mother, she loved ballet and would dance with me hours on end. Taught me everything I know in a few short months before she was taken from us. I was sent to another home after that, and it flat-out sucked.”
“Evelyn.” Casey could obviously tell she was getting emotional.
“I’m fine,” she said with a wobbly smile. “You’re graced with one of the most selfless men I’ve met, and yet, you’ve tossed him aside like he’s nothing.” Carolyn began crying, and she could see some emotion seep into Porter’s eyes. Good. What she was saying was finally sinking in. “My point is; some people would kill to have your children. Please don’t treat Casey like he’s replaceable. I will tell you this one time only; he is my man. Nothing will change that. I will protect him from harm with everything in me, be it emotional or physical. That includes from you.”
Emotionally drained, she stood to leave when Porter shocked them all by grabbing her hand. “Please,” he begged, “Don’t go. You’re absolutely right. We weren’t the best we could be. We devoted ourselves to the wrong cause. God didn’t need everything we had, our children did. Do. It’s why
we’re here.”
Casey had sat in Ev’s chair when Porter began to speak, so she was sure he dragged her onto his lap and held tight so she didn’t try to leave again.
“Not gonna lie, this is weird as shit,” Casey said to them. “So why are you here?”
Case was so fucking proud of his girl. The way she not only defended him but herself as well. She listed all her faults. Well, what she thought were faults, anyway. And left no guessing as to where she came from and made his parents feel like shit.
Admittedly, he found that to be a little funnier than it should be. Does it make him immature? Probably. Except they needed to have things put into perspective on how other people lived. On how others fucked up and still managed to do at least one thing right by their child. And she’d proven that while her mother was a piece of shit, she’d at least finally given Ev the freedom to be better than she could be.
His mother cleared her throat before speaking. Twisting her hands together. “Four months ago, I had an episode.”
“What kind of episode?” Caution rang through his words.
“Well, I had a heart attack.” He hadn’t been expecting to hear that. “I’m fine now. With a diet change and some medication, I’ll be just fine,” she was quick to reassure.
To say he was surprised would be accurate, but he still wasn’t sure what that had to do with them being there. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he responded slowly. “But I’m still not understanding what that has to do with you being here now.”
“An epiphany of sorts, I suppose,” his father responded. “Being in that hospital with no family for support, no children praying for a quick recovery. We realized we’d pushed you all away in an effort to make you believe in what we did.”
“Okay.” He still wasn’t sure how to respond. He could tell Ev was a bit confused and speechless as well.
Carolyn continued. “We want to have a relationship with you, Casey. With Evelyn, also. We want to be around when you have babies. We are asking for your forgiveness. I know that we did you wrong. We pushed you away when you needed to be held close, and I will live with that regret for the rest of my life.”
Case had always considered himself a good judge of character. His mother’s words and actions seemed sincere. He believed she’d seen the light so to speak.
The only question left was; could he forgive them for the harsh way he was treated? For the way they’d tossed him out like trash? Was he prepared for Ev to be treated in that same manner?
“I would like to,” he told them. Smiles lit their faces. “But I won’t put Ev in the position to be hurt.” Their smiles disappeared just as quickly.
“We understand, son. I can’t promise we’ll be perfect. Lord knows we aren’t. What I can promise, though, is that we only want the best for you, and Evelyn seems to be best.” His mother sounded far removed from the woman he’d been raised by.
“We can take this in slow increments,” Casey told them. At their nod, he continued. “You have a lot to make up for. You have to know I won’t put my trust in you until you earn it.”
“Fair enough, son.” Porter sounded almost relieved.