Chapter Eight
The week flew by and Piper drove herself, in her new car- a Jeep Renegade to Litchfield. She'd let Cal help her pick out a small car she felt comfortable driving in the city. It was decked out and she didn't need half the stuff, but Cal had enjoyed shopping with her. It was green and Piper liked it overall. She was happy the house she inherited came with a garage next door. She knew parking in the city was just ridiculous. There was an apartment over the garage that her grandmother used for storage. Piper thought she'd maybe convert it to a writing studio or office. She knew once she left Connecticut for Manhattan she'd miss actually leaving her house to go to work.
She didn't enjoy the ride as all she could think about was seeing Alex. Her smile and how hard it was going to be not to cry. She didn't want Alex to see tears or sense her upset. After it was settled that she'd see Alex on the weekend, Piper had written a bunch on her book. She'd sent a copy of the first two chapters to a friend of hers from Smith. Alana was an associated editor at a small independent publishing house. She knew they would option the book to a bigger publisher for her if there was an interest. She felt odd sending the email to her because they hadn't spoken since Piper told her she was going away for over a year. It seemed odd to her just to contact her to ask her opinion on a memoir but Alana had responded quickly with great enthusiasm. Piper had set up an meeting with her next month when she hoped to have more of the book completed. The book was one of the topic she had on her agenda today. There was so much more to say to Alex than she knew she had time….that she had to try extra hard not to panic.
The process for getting to see her was easier since they wouldn't touch. Piper was thankful she didn't need to be patted down. No one there recognized her as she came into the waiting area. One of the officers pointed her to the window numbered 7 and told her to sit.
"Vause will be out in a minute," he said in a gruff voice. Piper nodded and tried not to wince at his tone. She kept breathing deeply and tried not to kick herself for all her unwarranted reactions. The door opened and women poured into the visitation area. Alex looked truly perplexed but when she saw Piper her face lit up like someone had turned on a light inside of her.
Piper felt her own cheeks flush and she put her hand against the glass, her eyes drinking in all of her appearance with true hunger. She had lost some weight and she wasn't sleeping well. Piper knew she was the cause...missing her…..worrying about her. Alex's gaze took her in as well and Piper could see her coming to some of the same conclusions. Alex sat her long body down in the chair and pressed her hand to the glass as if they could touch palm to palm. She motioned for Piper to use her other hand to pick up the phone so they could talk.
She did and smiled brightly, tears starting to cloud her vision, "Hey kid, what a surprise! How'd you get on my list?" Alex smiled her biggest most sincere smile and Piper mimicked it with goofy delight, despite the tears she blinked away.
"Hey back at you. I had my lawyer pulls some personal sorority sister strings. I would have told you but you didn't call and a letter would have arrived after visitation. Fuck, I wish I could touch you," Piper swallowed some of her last comment, not wanting to seem unsatisfied.
"Oh I wish I could touch you too...feel your soft shirt, smell your shampoo," Alex sighed dramatically. "You look good...a little tired but good. I've missed you wife." Alex seemed a bit unsure about the term but used it anyway. Piper felt her heart warm.
"You look a bit tired too...I love you and miss you so much. Um...let us both agree not to bother the other about trying to eat better and sleep more." Piper suggested it as she saw Alex try to form a comment she was sure would have said some of that. Alex nodded. It wasn't realistic to think either of them would be alright without the other. At least this time she could see Alex was alive and wasn't stuck in Admin thinking she was dead.
"Agreed. Tell me about your ride up here, did you come alone or road trip it with Cal?"
Piper told her about her lone drive to the prison and about her new car. She told Alex she left the key in it and it didn't lock so she was lucky she still had a car after she went to the gas station bathroom off the highway. It wasn't too far from her parent's house to Litchfield. She then told Alex about the lawyer and got all the important information she needed,
"This sounds expensive Pipes. I don't have much money saved-" Alex began.
"I got it. Alex, getting you free...is all I want," they had kept their hands pressed to the glass. Piper dropped hers and imagined running the back o her fingers along her soft cheek. "You need to add his number and name to your call list." Piper carefully told Alex and she nodded having it committed to memory in seconds.
"How is the writing going?" Alex asked when the lawyer business was done. PIper took a deep breath and looked Alex in the eyes.
She cleared her throat and began, "It is going really...well. I need to change some names...I am calling you Nora and I've changed some of the details about Kubra. It is still going to...I mean I'm not holding back about what I did...what you did….and what was done to us. I'm more worried about the prison system retaliating against you than him. If you wish me to wait to publish until you're out, I will." Piper blurted most of it out and she could tell that Alex was struggling with the fact the book will be a reality.
"Listen kid, you write the book and once it is done we can talk about it again. I know you want to do something to help women in prison. I know this experience has changed you and motivated you to help people that just aren't as fortunate as you. This zeal to make the world a better place is literally one of the worst and best things about you. I love you for it and sometimes want to strangle you for it. But...I followed you up on that table top and I'm sure I can handle this as well. I'm proud of you, Pipes. Tell me is it helping you sleep better?" Alex responded to her with careful thoughtful words. It calmed Piper immediately and she started to share.
"Five minutes inmates," the guard barked from the door. Piper felt her stomach twist in a knot and she started to tear up again.
"No...no….Piper please don't cry baby. It is a miracle I get to see you. I'll make sure his number is on and tell him everything about what happened with Piscatella. Ya know Taystee is back here. There is something wrong with the whole thing...and I think you should talk to Caputo," Alex whispered. Piper wanted to know the low down on who had testified against her and what her sentence was but she knew their time was up soon...besides she could find that stuff out better on the outside.
"Good idea. I am also going to submit an article to The New Yorker, specifically about the riot and Poussey. I've got it half finished and an editor friend of mine is submitting it for me. I'll keep you up to date when you call. Do you know when-"
"Say your goodbyes inmates and stand on the red line," he barked out again. Piper jumped and Alex pressed her palm against the glass again.
"I'll call you on Thursday morning and write you each day...thanks to you I have plenty of stamps. I love you, kid. Please drive safely home," Alex said and she took her hand away to blow Piper a kiss.
"Bye, I love you wife. Talk to you soon," she said with a smile. She didn't cry at all when Alex hung up the phone and she stayed seated, watching her as she lined up and then shuffled slowly through the door. She didn't cry at all until the door shut.
Piper sobbed quietly in the seat until a female guard put her hand on her shoulder and told her there were others waiting to visit. Piper wiped her eyes and left the prison as fast as she could. She didn't look back at any of the windows because she knew Alex couldn't see out any of them. '
Piper didn't speak to anyone when she got home. She just went to her room and started to write. She finished her piece for the magazine and sent it off to Alana. She arranged to have meetings the next week with two different firms that could represent her interests. Piper didn't need a bunch of money from her book, what she needed was optimal exposure so she could shine a light on the fucked up criminal justice system. Once she felt she had a handle on her business affairs, she felt hunger pains. It was nearly eleven at night and Piper hadn't eaten since she forced herself to eat a granola bar on the way to the prison. She crept downstairs and wasn't really surprised to find her father in the kitchen making a sandwich.
Piper got herself a plate and got the milk out for them. He made her an egg salad sandwich and himself a ham one. He always made good sandwiches and she always poured them milk. Hers was almond milk now but it was much the same.
"How'd it go today?" He asked as they sat at the kitchen bar to eat. Piper took a bite first and then drank a bit of milk to wash it down. Thinking of what she wanted to say.
"It sucked not being able to touch her. My hands actually ached...but it was good to see her face as she spoke. It was too short and I didn't take her leaving very well...but I managed to hide it from her," she responded honestly. She wasn't sure if her father was going to react with disgust or anger that she cares so much about Alex. He avoided the topic of her completely most of the time.
"Your mother had a rule when she visited you at the camp that she wouldn't cry until she reached the car. She told me you could see them from a window. Cal would try to make her laugh or he focused on what argument had taken place or talked about any change in your appearance. She said it distracted her sorrow of leaving her baby in that awful place. I couldn't take it really...seeing you there just tore me up inside. As you know, your mother is the real strength in the family and I think you're more like her than you'd like to admit. It will get easier and you will get better at hiding it," he assured her. Piper took another bite of her sandwich and thought about what he said. She sure dealt with conflict in her relationships the same way. Hadn't Alex called her out on that many times? Maybe she got some of the good stuff too.
"I want her out, Dad and I plan on getting her out. Her case was mishandled and she was viciously attacked by an employee of that prison. I'm going to use the system and my money to try and get what I want. While writing about and promoting criminal justice reform. It's kinda sick but what choice do I have? I want my life with her. I want a chance to see if we can get it right without the pressure of a drug career or prison. Mostly though, I want her safe," Piper placed her half eaten sandwich on the plate. "I sure hope I've got Mom's strength then...I'm going to need it, Dad."
He took another bite of his sandwich and sighed looking out the window on the back yard. "You're the strongest person I know...and your mother made it clear to me that you would have never made it through that riot without that woman..um..Alex. I'm trying. I just guess I wanted to see you with children and a husband-"
"Dad...I tried that. It didn't work. You know why? Because I fell in love with this woman when I was a kid and I never actually fell out of love with her. I tried to fill my life with meaning and build what I thought was a happy life. Nothing worked out because no one….not Larry...not Polly...not my family...no one knew me. I'm not hiding anymore Dad," she said in a tone that she hoped conveyed to him how serious she was about not taking any guilt over not being in a heterosexual relationship . She is who she is..and she loves who she loves.
He nodded and pointed to her sandwich, " You'd better eat all of that then if you need your strength." Piper picked her sandwich up and ate the rest of it. She finished off her milk and she appreciated the silence of her familiar kitchen. Piper felt very blessed in that moment that she has such a place to regroup.
Piper got up and placed her plate in the sink. She looked at him and narrowed her eyes, " I haven't spoken to Alex about children….don't write that off just yet...and for heaven's sake, don't you dare tell Mom I said this." Her father laughed and agreed. She kissed his cheek and headed upstairs to try and get some sleep. She planned on writing in the morning as she had the day off. She was halfway up the stairs when she heard the basement door slam open and Cal bellow out.
"Her water just broke in the bathroom. I have to get...the...oh..shit what is it called?" He literally ran from one side of the room to the other. Piper thought for a moment that he would actually wring his hands. The evil big sister in her really wanted to video tape this moment but she decided not to and take pity on him. Her father rushed to his bedroom to get her mom and she assumed, get dressed out of his pajamas. Cal was wearing baggy pants and a T-shirt with what had to be Neri's flip flops on his feet.
"The go bag is by the door, why don't you help Neri into the car or if you think the baby is coming, we will call an ambulance? ," Piper offered coming back down the stairs from the first landing. Cal stood there frozen for several heart beats before he finally went for the bag. Her mother joined him as he headed back downstairs to see if Neri wanted him to pull the car around back or if she thought she could walk up the flight of stairs. Piper was following them down when she heard the unmistakable sound of a woman in labor grunting. She stopped halfway down the narrow stairwell when she heard her mother say, "Oh hell Cal, the baby is coming right here on the Castenella rug."
**A couple of storms here and it has me behind. I'm terribly busy with work and have little time to write. I will post when I can. Please Review and Please VOTE if you are a citizen of the USA. Peace-Fae***
