Annabelle’s ire had left with the slap. She was breathing hard, “I- I’m sorry Joanie, baby. I’m sorry I haven’t been a good mother.”
She turned and ran to the other side of the suite, and into the bathroom. The door closed.
Joan stood there, a myriad of emotions racing through her. Had she gone too far, accusing her mother of trying to ruin Lissa’s wedding and destroy her life? Was she taking out her frustrations regarding Antonio and her subsequent poor behavior by blaming it all on her mother? What kind of monster had she become?
She went to the door. Inside, her mother’s soft sobs were audible. The knot in Joan’s stomach tightened.
“Mom, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it...” she said through the door.
There was a gasp inside, then a sound as if her mother was grabbing up tissue to wipe her tears. Then water ran.
“Just give me a moment, darling,” her mother said.
Joan decided to do just that.
She went back to the sitting room and poured herself a glass of water.
Her stomach growled. Where was this alleged food her mother had ordered for her?
She thought about using the room phone to call down to the kitchen and check on the order, and maybe add some french fries, when her mother came out of her bathroom. She could hear her shuffle around in her bedroom.
A few minutes later her mother returned to the sitting room and gracefully sat in the stuffed chair. Her shoulders were back, chin up slightly, face composed. Annabelle Edwards had regained her composure. But, even still, Joan noticed, she avoided looking at her youngest daughter and for the longest time they sat there in silence, neither knowing what to say.
Joan didn’t want to belabor her apology, so she said, “Well, I guess I should be getting back to the triplets. I usually start my shift at eight. Lissa is probably pissed enough at me as it is.”
“You’re not going back there today.”
“What?”
“I was over there this morning— “
“When?”
“Uh, while you were sleeping it off, darling...”
“Oh,” Joan said.
“I don’t want to alarm you, but your sister was rather upset—“
Joan’s fingers clutched the edge of her seat. “Lissa knows what I did? Oh, God, mother, did you have to tell her? Why?”
“I didn’t, dearie, she was the one that got the call from the police – she told me. And don’t you remember, Julio was there helping me straighten out things with the constabulary?”
“I don’t remember much about last night,” Joan said, her headache returning. She rubbed a hand over the tight skin on her forehead. “Oh, mommy, what am I going to do? She’s the one that put me in rehab the last time, I’d promised her I wouldn’t let her down. She’ll never forgive me. She’ll never let me near her boys again.”
“Now, now, Joan, stop that. Your sister is a little concerned, understandably, but she’s already said you can watch the boys while she’s on her honeymoon.”
Joan looked up hopefully. “Really?”
“Yes, but there are terms.”
“Terms?”
“Yes, dear. You can watch the boys, provided I’m there to watch them with you.”
“You?” Joan snorted. “She wants you to be the co-nanny?”
“Don’t act so surprised.” Annabelle said, indignantly. “Why is it that everyone thinks I can’t handle a couple of babies?”
Joan tried to grasp the new development. She felt grateful that Lissa hadn’t fired her already, hadn’t had her things sent over to her mother’s hotel, and hadn’t included a one-way ticket back to New York.
She’d messed up by getting drunk – did she just expect her sister to trust her with her babies without some terms?
“But, I thought you were in the middle of filming that documentary. How can you do that and watch the boys? Or, I guess, supervise me watching the boys?”
“I’m sure we can work around my events and still look after the boys. Darling. You need to stop worrying. Mommy’s back, I’ll help you get through this.”
“Well, then I guess I should be thanking you, mom,” Joan said.
“There was another condition,” Annabelle said.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Joan said as she defiantly wiped at an unwanted tear. She should have given her notice two months ago, when the idea had first occurred to her. Then she wouldn’t have to deal with this humiliation, and she’d never have run into Antonio. Her mother was speaking, so she focused in on the words.
“...every day while they’re gone, and I watch the boys with you.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“You have to agree to go to an AA meeting every day and of course, to not drink. That’s the only other condition.”
Joan nodded. She could handle that. In fact, she wanted that.
Her mother came over and awkwardly draped one of her fat-free arms around her. “Are you going to be all right, dear?” she asked.
Joan’s heart squeezed, but at the same time, her body stiffened. She wasn’t sure how to deal with this. First, her dead mother wasn’t dead, and now her cold, manipulative narcissistic mother, was being, well, loving. It was hard to process. Joan wasn’t sure she could trust what was happening. Maybe it was all part of another con. She wouldn’t put it past Annabelle, but at the same time, she wanted to lean on her mother for support. She’d screwed up, again, and she’d need all the support she could get.
“There is one other tiny detail, I haven’t told you,” Annabelle began.
“What?” Joan asked, eyeing her mother warily, wondering, if perhaps this wasn’t the whole reason for her mother’s unlikely kindness. Perhaps, this is where her mother would insist that she sign a release so they could add footage of her screaming at her mother on camera to her portfolio of insane media shots.
“Lissa insisted on cutting the honeymoon from two weeks to one,” she said.
“Oh,” Joan said as her heart sank. Lissa message, loud and clear.
You screwed up, little sister, and I can’t trust you with my boys anymore.
Joan felt a strong urge to call her sister and explain everything, but she couldn’t remember, much after leaving Antonio’s hotel.
“Mom, what exactly happened last night? I mean, how much does Lissa know?”
“You don’t remember? Tell me what you do recall, and I’ll try to help you fill in the blanks.”
Joan thought back. “You mean before waking up in your hotel room?”
“Yes. Do you remember what you did at the Grand Hotel, or getting arrested, or me bailing you out of jail?”
Joan didn’t remember much. She remembered sneaking into the bar and starting a binge drinking session of gin and tonics while in the dark, on the floor. But, after that everything was a blur. She had no memory at all of being arrested. “I remember throwing up on your dress,” she said at last.
Her mother’s face took on a pained expression as she also recalled that unfortunate incident, but then she let the memory go, and went back to speaking to her youngest daughter. “I remember that as well. That was right after Julio and I convinced the Police chief to let you go on your own recognizance.”
“So, I have to appear in court?”
“No, I had a chat with the Police chief, and the two of us are going out today. I’m hoping I can convince him to drop all charges since it’s your first offense – in Spain.”
Picturing her mother going out with a policeman just to get her out of trouble, made her feel both terribly guilty, but also very much loved. That her mother would do that for her... This wasn’t the selfish woman she’d believed her mother to be for so long.
“I’m sorry that I drank. You don’t have to do this, I’ll face the consequences. You shouldn’t have to date some horrible policeman just to protect me.”
“I’m rather attracted to the man, so, please don’t worry about that.”
“Are you sure?” Joan asked, looki
ng at her mother with fresh, tear stained eyes.
“I’m absolutely sure. He’s quite a hunk and, from what I understand, quite wealthy for a man with a badge.”
“Oh, mom, it’s good to know some things about you haven’t changed.”
“Whatever are you talking about?” Annabelle said, but she was smiling.
“So, after you bailed me out, then what happened?”