Chapter 51
“Hello?”
“Hi Grace, it’s Cory.”
“Cory, Hon, so nice to hear you. It’s late, are you okay?”
“To be honest, Ma’ am, I’m in a bit of a hurry, and was hoping I might speak to Daniel.”
“He’s just comin’ in. Paw, kick off yer boots n’ grab the phone!”
In the background, I could hear him grumble, “Keep yer blouse on, lady. Who is it? Oh, well, why didn’t ya just say so?” I heard him pick up the receiver. “Yeah?”
“Daniel, I need your help.”
“Hey, Cory, nice to talk to ya, too,” he said a little sarcastically. Then kinder, “Yeh don’t sound so good.”
“I’m in the shit, Daniel.”
“Slow down an’ take a breath, boy. What’s gotcha all riled up now?”
“I couldn’t take it anymore and I told Jessie.”
“Goddammit, kid, whatcha hafta goin’ do that for?”
“Wait, listen... She feels the same way as me.”
“And that’s a news flash to you?”
“Actually, yes, it was. It was to Dad, too.”
“What’d ya do? Go and blab to him, too?”
“Yeah, I guess. Together.”
“Well... I figgered he knew about you, but... So, he’s pretty stewed, ain’t he?”
“Yeah, he’s...”
“Cory!” thundered the deep baritone, “What are you doing?”
“I’m talking to Daniel – just a sec, Dad. Daniel? Tell me about Israel versus Allen.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“Just answer the question – I don’t have time.”
“Yeah. It was here in Colorado. Supreme Court case back in seventy-eight...”
“Adopted siblings?”
“Yeah…”
“They won, didn’t they?”
“Who told you about this?”
“It doesn’t matter. There’s a precedent, right?”
“Well, yeah, but hold on there...”
“What’s the minimum marriage age there?”
“Are you nuts, boy?”
“Just tell me.”
“Eighteen, same as most places, sixteen with parental consent, but you ain’t gonna get no...”
“Can you get me a hearing?”
“Now just wait a minnit. You ain’t draggin’ me inta this. You’re gonna have to work it out with yer dad.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do! Look, Daniel forget that...”
“Aw, kid, why you gotta do this now? Why not wait for a couple years? I know it seems a long time at yer age...”
“It’s not that, Daniel. A case of incest is on the front page here. We think our friends will know, and suspect more, just like you did. At least if we were married it’d be legal.”
“I don’t think that would fix anythin’. But Cory, I’ve gotta know... Is there any chance that Jessica is pregnant?”
“Short of divine intervention? No.”
“Does this have anything to do with money?”
“What? No! Aren’t you listening?”
“You haven’t been promised anything of value – any money or property?”
“Um, gee, we aren’t registered anywhere if that’s what you mean. That’d be a bit premature.”
“Cory!”
“I’ll be right there, Dad.”
He appeared at the door.
“Give me that! Go to your room and stay there. You too, Juliet.”
Though I promised myself not to be intimidated, I rationalized that Daniel might be a better foil for Dad. Jess and I sat on my bed and heard everything anyway.
“Judge? I suppose he’s been... Yes, exactly! Okay, okay, I know. Okay... I’m breathing, dammit.” I heard him pacing in the next room.
“Do you know that that little shit...? Yeah right to my face! Completely! I had no idea that she’d... Right! What do you mean? And you suspected? Well I didn’t.
“No! I don’t understand, Judge! What? What’s that got to do with...? Oh! So you want to shove that in my face, too? No, that was completely diff... We were older and more mat... Well, sure, but... but...”
He stopped yelling and listened for a few minutes.
I turned to Jessie and whispered, “I need to know: Would you really marry me?”
“We can’t.”
“But if we could...”
“Yes, of course.”
“You’re sure? For real now.”
“Cory, yes, but...”
“Okay, okay, Judge, you have a point. Yeah, but look what happened to us... Our families... No, they didn’t understand, and now I see why.
“What?! Well she’d better not be or I’ll kill him... Huh? Just today, why? Oh, yeah, I guess not. Are you trying to give me a heart attack? No! Of course not! That’d void the terms...”
He exhaled loudly and we could hear the bed squeak as he sat down... Her chair wasn’t usable.
“Yeah, I know they’re good kids and... Yeah, the best I could. You’re right. This is different. Yes, he is. No, no, I didn’t, he came to me... I taught him that... No, I couldn’t; my old man was... Shit, Judge, and now I’ve gone and acted like... Okay, yeah, I get it. What do you mean?”
I could hear the wooden headboard groan as he leaned his weight on it. There was a long silence. “So, what am I supposed to do now? What do you mean? Okay, I’m listening... No, not much time now. No, no word... Her? No, way, especially not with this mess – you either for that matter. Well, yeah, when they had to, but... That won’t work anymore, this screws up everything.”
Jessie and I looked at each other.
“You’re missing the point, Judge. I have a situation here. I can’t be worried about all that, not when... Oh I do? Why? I see. Okay, yeah, well… Okay. Okay, I’ll call you back. Thanks, Judge.”
We heard him hang up and walk slowly to the kitchen. Then there was the sound of a chair moving.
“Cory, get in here.” I dragged Jessie with me and we sat down at the table.
“Dad, I’m really sorry...”
He waved me off. “You kids did exactly what I’ve always asked of you. You came to me as soon as you knew there was a problem you couldn’t handle.”
“We trust you, Daddy.”
“Thanks, Bug. That’s what the Judge said I had to do; trust you guys, too.” He smiled weakly. “So, he thinks you can help me figure out what to do with you.”
“Urn... maybe,” I ventured, “But I don’t think you’re going to like it.”
“Give it a shot.”
“You let Jessie and me get married.”
“What?! You know that’s not going to happen. Seriously, do you have a real suggestion?”
“I’m serious, Dad. Adopted siblings can get married in Colorado.”
“You’re joking.”
“No, really! Daniel told me so.”
“He did, did he? Remind me to thank him. You’re way too young to even be thinking about that stuff. And God bless your crazy mother, but that’ll happen over my dead body.”
“Wait, Dad, listen... With your permission we could do it at sixteen. We can still be the same as we are, but we wouldn’t have to worry if people suspected stuff that wasn’t even going on.” I felt like I was tripping over my words.
“Even if you could, and even if I allowed it – you said it yourself – nobody will accept it.” His brow furrowed again. “It’s not going to happen. Just drop it, Son.”
“I will not drop it, any more than you would’ve with your Dad.” His eyes flickered. I decided to try a different track.
“Dad, remember what I said about the other kids knowing? Maybe not this week, maybe not even next week, but, geez! It’ll be so obvious! This isn’t Detroit; everybody knows everybody’s business here. You tell us how we’re supposed to keep our feelings a secret, Dad, and we’ll do it.”
??
?So, Cory, let me get this straight. You and your sister think you’re in love with each other, and your solution is that I quit my job, we sell the house, we move to Colorado and I let you marry your sister at age sixteen? Do I have that right?”
I felt kind of stupid hearing it that way, but I admitted, “I guess, yeah. What’s your plan?”
“I don’t know, but it sure as hell isn’t that.”
“Dad?” He looked me in the eyes. “You know we’re going to do it anyway. Two months or two years, either way it’s going to happen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“As soon as we’re eighteen we’re going to do this. We’ve already decided.”
His forehead gathered like a thundercloud, but I pressed on.
“So it’s not a question of if, just when.” I could hear Jessie breathing harder beside me. “Now would be better, because there’s no way we can hide this for another two years.” I didn’t want to, but I held his glare as bravely as I could. “Now is not convenient. Now is not reasonable. But you know as well as anyone that love isn’t always reasonable or convenient.”
His glare wore me down and I had to look away. I was exhausted, and wanted to quit while I still held what I sensed was the upper hand.
“Look, Dad, it’s late, we’re all tired, and we just dumped all this on you. Can we talk more tomorrow?”
At last he shook his head and sighed. “Kids, I don’t know what to do with you. Yeah, we’ll have to figure it out tomorrow.”
He looked at us critically.
“I can tell you this much – you’re not to go to school in the morning. I don’t know how I didn’t see it in you, Jessie. Probably just didn’t want to.”
He stood up and held out his arms.
“I’m tired and I’m going to get some rest now. I think I’m going to need it. I love you two,” he said, wrapping us in a family hug. “Now go to bed and get some sleep. You might need it, too.”
“Okay, g’night, Dad.”
“We love you Daddy.”
He closed his door softly behind him.
In the hallway she whispered, “That was amazing, Cory. I’ve never seen you like that.”
“Sorry it took so long.”
“Were you serious about Colorado? Are we really going to do that?”
“Sooner or later, Jess, as long as you still want to.” Her kiss was all the answer needed.
I followed Jessie to her doorway. I held out my arms as Dad had done. She stepped toward me, and wrapped her arms around my neck. Pressing herself against me, she put her lips on mine. I hugged her lightly and returned her kiss.
She held my hand and led me across the debris to her bed, where we lay down and held each other for about twenty minutes.
“Look, Sis, I’m tired. This’s really nice but I need to get some rest.”
“Oh, well, okay. I was thinking you might stay with me tonight?” That sounded tempting.
“Um, I don’t know, Jess. Dad – let’s warn him, rather than have him just wake up and see us like that. I don’t want to give him a real heart attack.”
“Oh, okay. If you’re sure… But Cory, I think it’d be okay. Do you really think he’d mind?”
“Yeah, he’d mind a lot. Especially if we’re all sweaty and naked and the lamps are knocked over.”
“Oh! Uh, yeah, if you’re thinking, yeah, if that’s a concern, I mean, not yet. Maybe you’re right.”
“Look, it’s going to be hard enough for either of us to function tomorrow.”
“I know. You’re right because I could really easily... I just don’t want you to go. This sucks.” She sat up beside me and leaned on my arm.
I put my arm around her slender shoulder and kissed her head. “We can talk to Dad in the morning about it.”
“Do you think?”
“Yeah, but I should go while my resolve holds up.”
“Okay. G’night, Cory. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Jess,” I whispered, just like I used to every night, and slipped into the hallway.