Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
I rise without saying another word, walk out of his office, and then drive the few miles to pick up Mom.
She’s waiting for me.
Her hands are on her hips. “Vinnie, where’d you go this morning?”
“I had to go see Grandfather. To tell him where I was going today.”
“You couldn’t have just given him a call?”
For being the daughter of this man, my mother doesn’t know him at all. No, I couldn’t just give him a call. He expects to see me first thing in the morning in his office every day. It’s something I agreed to.
“I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way, Mom. Come on.”
I gave my driver a few hours off. I’m driving us to the prison myself. Of course, I know we’ll be followed. Grandfather’s watching my every move. But I feel this is something Mom and I need to do on our own.
It’ll be our first visitation with him since he got incarcerated. He pleaded guilty to the murder of Miles McAllister, and he’s in for life.
Of course, in our family, life means “until Grandfather is no longer pissed off at you.”
Mom and I don’t speak much during the drive, and when I pull into the prison parking lot, a heavy silence hangs in the car. The towering walls of the prison loom over us, ominous and foreboding. I glance at my mother. Her eyes are closed, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She takes a deep breath, turning toward me with a hollow smile.
“Let’s get this over with,” she says, unbuckling her seatbelt.
We walk in silence on the concrete pavement. When we arrive, we’re taken through several gates and checkpoints where guards give us scrutinizing stares before ushering us forward. Finally, we’re led into a room filled with more guards, inmates, and their families. The room buzzes with hushed whispers.
My father sits at one of the tables, looking older and more haggard than I remember him. He’s in a faded orange jumpsuit, and his elbows are on the table, his hands supporting his head. When he sees us, his eyes light up, but even the minute amount of joy seeing us has granted him can’t extinguish the sadness dominating them.
“Vinnie,” he says, standing to hug me. His grip is firm, a stark contrast to the frailty I see in his features.
He turns to Mom and takes her shaking hands in his. She can’t bring herself to look at him. She just nods, tears streaming down her face.
“We’re here for you,” I tell him, voice steady despite the lump forming in my throat.
Dad takes a seat. “Where’s Savannah?”
Mom frowns. “She couldn’t get away. Something with Falcon’s parents, I guess.”
“She’s devastated she couldn’t make it, Dad, but she’ll make the next visit,” I say.
Dad nods sadly. “Of course. I know you can’t all rearrange your lives around me.”
Mom reaches forward and grabs his hand. “How are you doing here, sweetheart?”
Dad shakes his head. “I don’t want to talk about my life here. I want to know how you are doing.” He turns to me. “Is your grandfather treating you all right?”
I shrug. “He’s treating me as well as he is capable of doing, I guess.”
Dad then gives me an inquisitive look, as if he’s tacitly trying to ask if my grandfather has given me any grisly assignments. I give him a curt nod, making sure Mom is looking away when I do. Dad’s eyes get even sadder, but he reassumes his poker face quickly when Mom looks back.
“It’s just wonderful to see you both.” He looks at Mom. “How are things going in the home, honey?”
Mom sighs. “It’s not the same without you, of course. But it is wonderful to have Vinnie with us again.” Her face twists and she reaches into her bag for a tissue. “Of course, my dream would be to have all three of my men together again. You, Vinnie, and little Mikey.” She dabs at her eyes. “But that of course can never happen.”
Dad reaches forward, grabs her free hand. “You might get two out of three.”
“You’re in for life, Vincent.”
“You know just as well as I do that I’m only in here as long as your esteemed father deems necessary for me to learn my lesson.”
Mom blows her nose in the tissue. “That bastard will never let you out.”
Dad and I both widen our eyes. It’s not like Mom to use profanity, especially not about her own flesh and blood. Nobody speaks for a few endless minutes. Finally I decide to break the silence.
I uneasily pat my mother on the shoulder. “You never know, Mom. I’m doing my best to earn Grandfather’s trust, and once I have it, I think I’ll be able to use my influence to get him to help Dad get out of here.”
Mom buries her face in her hands. “I never wanted this for any of my children.”