Home For The Holidays

“You lousy bastard. You’ve made my life a living hell all this time, lying to me about…” Tessa came storming around the corner of the house and flew at Deidre, claws bared. She was about to hurt my soft, innocent girl, who wouldn’t hurt a fly, or so I thought.

Before I could block her, or more precisely, after I got in the middle of the two of them, Deidre pushed me out of the way and went after Tessa herself. I think I was in shock for the first few seconds, but I have no excuse for the rest of the time that I stood back and allowed it to go on.

I took Krav Maga, so I know the moves, and I know for a fact that Deidre never took classes, so how did she know it so well? Tessa never landed a blow. Instead, Deidre sidestepped them all and parried, landing her own vicious jabs into Tessa’s face before moving onto her body.

I don’t know why I did it, why I just stood there and watched, but I’m sure had the tables been turned, I would’ve put a stop to it. As it was, I felt that every blow Deidre landed was one I wished I could. For all the pain and hurt and the lost time with my wife and kids all because of her vicious lies and, yes, my own stupidity.

She pummeled Tessa to a pulp until dad came running outside and pulled the two of them apart. “Son, what’re you doing?” I snapped out of it and grabbed Deidre, who was still trying to hit Tessa, who dad had pushed behind him. “I recognize those moves, Deidre; my daughter been teaching you, huh.”

“Damn straight, now get out of the way, dad, so I can knock her into oblivion.”

“No, love, you’re not doing that. We have better ways to take out the trash around here. Ways that do not involve getting our hands dirty.” That set Tessa off since it was the first time dad has ever voiced his opinion on what he thought of her and our doomed relationship. Dad barked at her to calm down, and that seemed to settle her down once and for all.

Samantha was there next, with Jared hovering like the protector that he is. She walked over and high-fived my wife. “You saw?” Deidre asked, beaming from ear to ear.

“We saw the whole thing from the window. You did good. My work has not been in vain.” The two of them did some little jig that looked choreographed, and if I didn’t know better, I’d have sworn they planned this.

“What about the girls? Where are they? They didn’t see any of that, did they?”

“Are you kidding me? Have you seen the mountain of gifts their uncle Jared got them? They’ll be in the great room for hours.”

“Tom, I think you need to take care of this.” Dad pointed over his shoulder at Tessa, who was starting to bruise around the eyes.

“I’m calling the cops and have all of you arrested.”

“No, you’re not, or I’ll tell the whole world just what you are.” Jared’s voice sounded like the voice of doom as it dropped into the silence.

“What are you talking about?” Instead of answering her, Jared turned his attention to Deidre and I.

“I’m afraid that this might all be my fault. I didn’t know at the time when your sister came to me. In fact, I only realized yesterday my part in all this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a device. “It’s weird; I have no idea why I held onto this all this time. I used to think it was to be a reminder of the biggest mistake I almost made.”

‘Then I met Samantha, and I didn’t need it any longer. I listened to it for the first time in years a little while ago, and then yesterday, when I met Deidre for the first time and heard her voice, I realized. You be the judge of it.” He pressed play, and Tessa’s voice came through loud and clear, followed by Deidre’s.

“I’d left for class and left her alone in my apartment. She had no idea the place was rigged for sound and video, and since she didn’t live there yet, I didn’t think she needed to know. That day o forgot something and rushed back to the apartment without letting her know and walked into this conversation.”

On the recording, Tessa could be heard talking about her plans to cheat on Jared once they were married. Not because of any lack in him, but because she didn’t believe in monogamy. She wanted the prestige of being married to someone like him, and though the sex was amazing, she just couldn’t tie herself down to one man for life.

Deidre’s voice was heard next, telling her friend that if she couldn’t be faithful, then she shouldn’t get married, while Tessa just laughed her off and changed the subject. Jared turned it off there. “I knew she told you. She was the only one I ever said that to. She destroyed my dreams, so how could I watch her go on to have a beautiful life?”