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“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left for Monaco, I just couldn’t stand all the tension,” I try to explain. “But I’m not sorry I went to Tennessee. Mandy needed me,” I tell her while giving Mandy another squeeze.
“Of course she did.” Mom turns her to her, suddenly changing her demeanor. “I’m so sorry about Maggie and I’m also sorry for the way you had to find out about your father and me,” she says, giving her a hug. “And you wonder why I’m drinking and smoking!” She glares at me once again as if she’s in disbelief.
“I’m sorry.” I laugh out loud. “I do understand, Mom. Mandy and I were both plastered by noon the day that Ray confessed that we might be siblings.”
“It shouldn’t have come to that,” Mom says, shaking her head. “I should’ve gone behind Victor’s back years ago and had a paternity test. I don’t know why I hesitated.”
“Because you were afraid of getting the wrong result,” I speculate, reaching out and putting my hand on her shoulder.
“You’re right.” She sighs and lowers her head. “I’m actually kind of surprised that your DNA test turned out the way it did,” she adds. “Victor hadn’t been around much.”
“Okay, I’m going to get some coffee,” Mandy blurts out. “TMI.”
As Mandy excuses herself, I hang back in order to have a word in private with Mom.
“I’m sorry I have a habit of running away whenever I feel stressed.” I look her directly in the eyes. “I’m here for the duration. I’m not going anywhere until Tyler is back on his feet and whoever is behind this is behind bars.”
“Thank you, Trey,” Mom says with tears flooding her eyes. “We all need you right now and that includes Vanessa. She called me last night and had a complete meltdown over the phone. Did you accuse her of being part of this?”
I pause and think back to what I had said the previous night. “I might have said something off the cuff,” I admit. “It was because she admitted to setting him up with that doctor. Did you know Tommy was the one who referred him?” I feel my temperature begin to rise immediately just at the thought of it.
“I understand that she shouldn’t have trusted Tommy, but she thought she was doing the right thing,” Mom explains. “You owe her an apology.”
“But she has been acting just as strange as Tyler ever since I’ve been back,” I reply in my defense. “Sometimes it seems as if she doesn’t even care about Tyler.”
“Bite your tongue,” Mom snaps, looking back at Tyler. “Do you realize her parents have been staying at their home in South Africa this whole time?” she asks with a bewildered look on her face. “She found out she’s pregnant. Tyler has been in a death spiral and her father-in-law who has been their neighbor for almost twenty years is gunned down. And they don’t even bother coming home?” She throws her hands up in the air. “What kind of people would do that?”
“I guess I hadn’t thought about it,” I reply, suddenly feeling remorseful.
“You, Tyler and me were her support system growing up,” she says stirring up old memories. “Do you remember how little her parents were around?”
“Now that you say it, yes, I do.” I shift my feet and begin to feel guilty for how I have been treating her. She was calling and texting because she needed me, and I was only concerned with making sure Mandy didn’t become jealous of her.
“Tyler floundered, I’ve been an emotional wreck and she has been on an island all through this shit storm, as you like to call it,” Mom continues. “I apologized to her last night for being so self-absorbed. I think you need to do the same.”
“I will,” I assure her. “I am going to be here for all of you.”
Mandy
As the conversation between Trey and Silvia comes to an end, I continue down the hall toward the coffee machine. I honestly have been feeling jealous each time Vanessa reached out to Trey. I hadn’t been thinking about the fact that she might just need his support, focusing only on the possibility that she had more devious intentions.
Speak of the devil, I think to myself when Vanessa steps off the elevator. I pause in the middle of the hallway, thinking about what I should say to her.
“Did you spend the night?” Vanessa asks, seeming surprised to see me.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to leave Trey here alone,” I tell her. “I slept a little bit on the couch in the family room.”
