Page 13 of Diamonds in the Dark
“Did they take him to jail?” I whisper.
“They damned well better have,” bellows my dad.
“Yeah, they did. I am not sure of all charges, but public intoxication, sexual assault, battery, and DUI I am quite sure of. When the police officers and ambulances pulled up, he had just got away from me and was trying to pull out of the driveway. They blocked him in and jerked him out of his car,” Tommy responds.
Becca sighs, gets up and starts pacing the room. “Gwen, I am so sorry. I want to say I cannot believe this, but we are talking about Edward here and I have learned from his antics in the past that he is capable of anything when he isn’t getting his way.”
“I know. It does surprise me, but at the same time it doesn't surprise me as much as it should. He needs help.” I whisper. I can’t put much sound behind my voice. It feels like my throat is an inferno.
After sitting in silence for a few more minutes, everyone lost in their own thoughts, Tommy stands up and looks at Becca. “Baby, I know this is not the ideal time or place for something like this, but I showed up here tonight because I wanted to show Gwen something special…and thank God I chose tonight to come here. I don’t want to make you wait any longer. You are going to be the mother of our child and I want you to be my wife. I feel that this might sound old-timey, but I want to make you my wife before this little peanut gets here. I love you so much and I should have asked you a lot sooner.”
He drops down on one knee and pulls a box out of his pocket. When he opens it, I think every one of our mouths fall wide open. Inside is the most beautiful engagement ring I have ever seen. Becca looks dumbfounded and stands there staring at Tommy. I give a little laugh and whisper… “Say yes.”
She jumps up and down and grabs Tommy around the neck and screams, “YES!!!! OF COURSE!!!!” She is laughing and crying. I am happy crying. I am so glad they have finally gotten to this point. It makes this hell of a night seem a whole lot better. Me and Dad join them in the hugging and say our congratulations. What a perfect ending to a nightmare of a night.
After all the excitement dies down, I start feeling the full weight of everything that's happened. I look around the room at everyone and my heart swells with love. This is my family; these are the people who love me. I start to cry again, and exhaustion takes over me. I tell them I think I want to go to bed and rest. Becca stands up and says she is sleeping with me; Tommy says he’s got the couch and Dad claims the guest room. I stare at them all, feeling aghast. “You all know you don’t have to stay? Right?” They all say yes, but they are staying anyway, whether I like it or not. Secretly, I am pleased.
Becca tells me to go upstairs and get ready for bed, that she will get Tommy and Dad settled in and that she knows where everything is. Of course, she does. I pull myself up the stairs at a snail’s pace. Instead of going straight to bed, I elect to take a quick shower. I feel nasty from Edwards hands being all over me. I turn the water on and undress. I turn around and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Horrified, I walk slowly over to the full-length mirror that hangs on the back of the bathroom door to get a good look at myself. Not only does my face look like a wreck but the bruises showing up on my neck are hideous. My entire neck is black, blue, and purple. There are even bruises on my thighs, arms, and stomach. I stand there just staring at my reflection, tears streaming down my face, wondering how I could have ever loved a man like Edward. At that moment, if I still had any feelings left for him, they vanished and were replaced with pure, raw hatred.
Becca knocks lightly and walks into the bathroom. We just stand there looking at each other. I start crying harder. She comes over and pulls me to her, wrapping me in her arms. “Gwen, I am sorry that he did this to you.” She gently walks me over to the shower, opens the sliding door, and helps me in. She pulls the sprayer head down off the wall, wets my hair, and starts washing it. I let her without complaint. I have nothing left in me. I feel numb and almost dead inside. When I get out, Becca helps me dry off, being extra careful near my neck and the other bruises that are covering my body. She then helps me into clean pajamas and puts me to bed like I am a child. After she takes a quick shower, she grabs some of my pajamas to wear and slides into bed with me. “Becca?” I whisper into the dark room.
“What’s wrong?” she asks with concern in her voice.
“Will you hold me until I fall asleep?” Becca scoots over and wraps her arms around me and kisses the back of my head, I fall fast asleep.
???
I wake up to the sounds of people chatting, laughing, and pots and pans clanging downstairs. At first, I am confused as to why people have invaded my home. Then in a flash, last night comes rushing back. When I move my neck, it all becomes real again. The voices coming from downstairs are the voices of my family, and my personal angels. I lay in bed for a while listening to them, relishing the overwhelming feeling of love I feel for them.
The door is only partially closed, but Dad still knocks before coming in. “Good morning cupcake! Are you ready for some breakfast in bed and coffee?” I smile at him and nod as he brings a tray full of Becca’s homemade cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon, and of course my beloved coffee with cream and sugar already added. He sits the tray down beside me on the nightstand.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asks, trying to sound cheerful.
“Sore, but okay. Dad…Thank you for coming last night and staying.”
“Gwendolyn love, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else in the world but here with you. Although, I do have to go home for a little while today, don’t forget we have a dinner date tonight.”
“Oh no, Dad about that, can I have a rain check? I don’t think I am up to going out to eat. Look at my neck.”
“Absolutely not! We are having our dinner as planned! But I am going to get us something and bring it here or have something delivered. We will lounge out on the couch, eat and watch a movie. I am getting my date one way or the other, little girl! We are not going to let Edward take away your joy.”
I look at him and laugh, which hurts my throat, but I don’t care. “Dad, thank you for being you.”
“No need to thank me, love. Now eat that delicious breakfast that Becca has been up since sunrise making. She even went out to the store first thing because you didn't have everything, she needed to make her cinnamon rolls. I will be back in a few hours. Becca will be up in a bit to check on you and Tommy just left for work. He took the morning off, but he had to be in by twelve.”
I look over at my alarm clock and am surprised to see it is already eleven. Dad bends down and kisses me gently on the cheek and holds my hand for a brief second before he turns and walks out of the room. I look over at the stack of food Dad has left behind and my stomach starts growling. I reach for a cinnamon roll and start licking at the white gooey icing on top and devour it in three huge bites, shamelessly smacking my lips. I reach for the other one that's on the tray. I eat the second one a little slower and enjoy my coffee with it. Every swallow feels like fire, but the taste is worth it, and I am so hungry. I also finish all my eggs and bacon. When Becca comes in to check on me, I ask her if there are any more cinnamon rolls left. She looks at me, then at the tray of food. Her eyes widen in surprise, she laughs and goes downstairs to get me two more. You would think I was the one eating for two. In my defense for being a complete hog, Becca makes the most amazing cinnamon rolls in the whole wide world.
The cinnamon rolls only bring me joy for a brief time as memories of the night before flood my mind. I set the tray on the floor and roll myself into a ball on the bed. I want to get up and go to the bathroom and take another shower. I still feel gross, but I do not want to see the bruises this morning. I grab the sheets up into my clenched fist and push my face into my pillow and scream and cry. Becca comes running into the room and grabs me up.
“Stop it right now Gwen,” she says calmly. “That’s not helping anything. Get your ass out of the bed.”
“No, I don’t want to see myself.”, I say.
“Tough titty said the kitty.”, she replies, as she pulls the pillow out from under my head.
“Gwen, look, I know this is hard and I don’t want to sound insensitive, but you have to pull yourself together. He is not worth wasting anymore of your time or your tears. I know last night was hard on you and please don’t think I am being cold-hearted, but I am tired of him making you miserable and that is exactly where he wants you. He wants to be always living in your head, eating away at your sanity. Don’t give him that, please, I beg you. I know it will take a while to get over what he did to you last night; it was traumatic. Please don't let him take anything else from you.”
I sit up, looking at her, thinking about what she just said. I know she's right. I want to be mad at her so I can wallow in my own self-pity, but I can’t be... “You are right.” I whisper. I reach over and grab her into a hug. “Thank you for that. You are right, I am finished allowing him to take up so much space in my head. I had started hating him before last night. After last night, I feel violated and just pissed off that I could have even considered marrying him. He's a monster!”
