Chapter 5
Tuesday, May 18, 1999
Palm Beach, Florida

"What's wrong?" Frannie asked as soon as her husband entered the living room where she was finishing up a letter to a friend.

"I just came back from Cassy's." Harry sat down on the couch next to his wife.

"She's moving to Houston?" Frannie put her hand on his knee, Harry slipped his hand into his wife's, accepting her silent offer of comfort. "Knowing Cassy you weren't able to talk her out of it."

"No, and to top things off I found Tom sitting outside her house when I arrived. I had to tell him why I was there." Harry closed his eyes.

"He didn't storm in did he?" Frannie asked worriedly.

"No. In fact I may have inspired him to take control of the situation instead of sitting outside her house and mooning."

"I think that's a good idea. He's wasted enough time pouting and trying to make her jealous." Frannie seemed pleased with the prospect.

"An hour ago I would have agreed with you." Harry sighed.

"What changed your mind?" she asked.

"I went in there to change Cassy's mind and she might have changed mine."

"What..." Frannie sounded worried.

"Cassy laid it all on the table for me. I've never seen her like this, never. She...she told me why she left Tom and why she found his words so credible. She really doesn't believe that he loves her," Harry informed his wife.

"That's ridiculous!" Frannie said in disbelief.

"I don't know..." Harry sounded uncertain.

"What did she tell you that could possibly make you believe that?" Frannie practically dared him.

"She didn't say that he didn't love her or care for her, she said that he doesn't love her unconditionally. That he could never accept her for who she is and how she is, that he was always trying to change her. That his refusal to let Virginia go was just an extreme example of how he falls in love with someone and then tries to make her into what he imagines. It made sense, Frannie. Somehow when she said it, it made sense," Harry told her.

"If Tom didn't love her unconditionally they wouldn't be partners now," Frannie countered logically. "And she can't compare Tom being taken in by that...con woman to their relationship!"

"I've heard Tom tell Cassy many times how she should behave," Harry offered weakly.

"Just as she does to him, just as we do to each other. That doesn't mean we don't still love each other despite what we might perceive as flaws, or because of them," Frannie reminded her husband. "I think that Tom and Cassy need to grow up and learn what unconditional love is and isn't. It has always seemed to me that they both have some pretty unrealistic ideas about love and respect and trust. I think you and I have sat by the sidelines waiting for them to come around long enough. I think it's time we help them see the light before it's too late!" Frannie's eyes took on the glint that anyone who knew her could see she was planning something.

"If anyone can do it, you can." Harry sounded relieved to have his wife on the matter. He couldn't let Cassy just walk away and he couldn't bear to see Tom hurt again. They were almost his children after all.

>>>>>>>

"Nice place, and you finally have a bedroom! Privacy is a good thing." Claudia St. John didn't bother to wait for her former brother-in-law's formal invitation before walking past him into his new apartment.

"Hi Claudia." Tom crossed his arms and watched as she made a cursory inspection of the place. "Does it meet with your approval?"

"It's liveable. Your last place had a definite charm, but this is more adult." Claudia smirked to belie the seriousness of her assessment. "Close the door and come on in."

"Thanks for the invitation." Tom smiled ironically.

"I'm glad to see you can still smile. I've always thought you had a nice smile." Claudia looked at Tom fondly.

"Thanks kiddo." Tom took his former sister into his arms. "I'm glad you're here for Cass."

"I just can't believe she wants me, or anyone around. You know how she normally is when she's hurting. You really broke something in her Tom, she's gathering people around her. Well, for Cass anyway. Did you know she spent a few weeks with Evelyn?" Claudia sounded like she still couldn't believe her sister had gone running to their mother in a time of trouble.

"How is she?" Tom asked in a suddenly hoarse voice.

"She's strange Tom, even for Cassy. Don't get me wrong, Cassy is not sitting around pouring her heart out to me or anything, but the fact that she wants me around is itself strange." Claudia sat down on the couch and waited for Tom to sit down himself before continuing. "She told me what you said and she sounded...almost vindicated. As if she had been waiting for confirmation. It scares me how calm she seems about everything. She's just picking up and moving to Houston once the IA hearings are over."

"Harry mentioned that to me." Tom dipped his head down. "I'm trying to figure out how to stop her, how I can make her believe that I didn't mean what I said. To make her..."

"To make her what Tom? Trust you? Love you? You're just coming out of a serious relationship that ended tragically and you're still dealing with the repercussions. You might make her believe that you didn't mean what you said, but then what? It's going to be a hard sell to make her believe you've always loved her and that you two are meant to be together," Claudia pointed out.

Tom opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.

"That's what you were going to say wasn't it? That you want to be her husband again and make it work this time?" Claudia asked him.

"I really..."

"Oh come on Tom! How much time are you going to waste? You two are not getting any younger you know. And in another ten years you'll be too old to have kids. This is just ridiculous. You love her. She loves you. It's time you both grew up. You trust each other with your lives but you can't trust each other with your hearts? You'd think with parents like yours you would know better. At least my sister has the excuse of not having grown up with an example of love and marriage," Claudia spoke as if she was talking to a slow person.

Tom closed his eyes and digested her words.

"I've come here to help you and my sister put an end to this nonsense and I only have another week and a half to do it. After that I'll be gone and my sister will be on her way to Houston," Claudia pointed out. "Is your pride really worth all that much?"

"It's not pride," Tom argued.

"No? Why didn't you compromise on anything during your marriage? Why didn't you sweep her off her feet after she left you? Why didn't you tell her you loved her and convince her you two could make it work any time in the past three years?" Claudia challenged him.

"I tried to get her back after she left," Tom reminded her.

"Telling her how much she hurt you wasn't really a very smart strategy," Claudia countered. "Telling her that maybe she was entitled to treat where you two lived as a home and not your bachelor pad that she was invading might have been a start. Have you ever noticed that the more stubborn and unstructured you try to be the more structured and stiff she gets? It's a vicious cycle."

"Why does everything have to be her way?" Tom asked.

"Did she ever try and make you do everything her way, at least until you challenged her on things that were important to her and might not have been so important to you? I'm not saying she's the easiest person in the world to live with, but maybe she's worth it? Or maybe you really don't love her?"

"She's worth it, Claudia." Tom rubbed the back of his neck wearily.

"What about Virginia Tom?" Claudia leaned forward and asked in a low tone.

Tom's body froze at the question. "What do you mean?" he asked through a suddenly dry mouth.

"I mean, what she did was horrible, but you loved her or who you thought she was. Do you really still love my sister?" Claudia had to ask, she knew her sister would ask the same thing.

'Yes," Tom answered hoarsely and without hesitation. "Yes I do."

'Then stop playing the dumb jock Tom and find some way to make my sister come around." Claudia grasped his hand in hers.

"I've been sitting here trying to figure out where to start Claudia. I have no idea how to make her say. I've never been good at making Cass change her mind. Do you have any suggestions?" Tom asked hopefully.

"I think I might." Claudia smiled.

"By the way, how did you find this address?" Tom asked.

"I found it in Cassy's organizer." Claudia revealed.

"Really?" Tom sounded hopeful.

"Yeah, that's why I thought you might have a shot at changing her mind." Claudia nodded.

"She won't even answer my calls." Tom sighed.

"But she sits by the phone listening to your message as you speak. And then she plays it over and over again," Claudia told him.

Tom smiled and shook his head. That was just like her. She acted so tough, but inside she was more sensitive and emotional than he ever could be. Maybe he did have a shot after all.

>>>>>>>>

Cassy watched as Harry drove away from her apartment. She could tell by his deportment that her revelations had come as a shock. She'd always known that everyone always looked on Tom as the injured party and her as the heartless and repressed bitch. No matter how much that hurt, she had always refused to defend herself. Part of it was pride, but part of it was loyalty to Tom. He hadn't done anything wrong, they just didn't belong together. She could take the censorious looks and curious looks, she knew that Tom wasn't as thick-skinned. Now, he deserved to understand why she was leaving and it was all tied up in all the whys of the past.

Why she had given up.

Why she had so easily agreed to be his partner and make it work.

Why she had weakened for a short time early on and flirted with the idea of rekindling their romantic relationship.

Why she was leaving now.

"Oh God." Cassy felt a tearing pain in her chest at the thought. It was like she was being physically rend from a part of her soul. She was a strong woman, she knew that, but she really wasn't sure what kind of life she could build without him in it. Could she ever love another man half as much as she loved him? Could she ever trust another man? She didn't know. All she was sure of was that she couldn't stay there and watch Tom either destroy himself or find love with someone else. Either prospect was guaranteed to decimate what was left of her heart and soul.

Harry might have walked away without trying to urge her to stay, but she knew that Frannie and Claudia weren't done. Then there was Tom. He hadn't stopped calling her since the day he got out on bail. When her answering machine had gotten full he had left messages on her cell phone and he was bound to show up at her door any time now.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back to work!" she told herself, shaking off her uncharacteristically introspective mood. She had to be prepared for the eventuality. Walking around listing her regrets wasn't going to make it any easier. Packing boxes and being ready to leave would!

With the pep talk done, she picked up a roll of packing tape and headed for the kitchen.

>>>>>>>

"She shouldn't have even touched him," a woman's voice spoke.

"Yeah, whatever lady. I don't want to hear your shit. Just give me the money," a young man's voice said in a bored tone.

"You're just like him. You'll get the rest of your money when the job's done," the woman's pitch rose with anger.

"You mess with me, you'll get whatever I give them," the man warned.

"You think I don't know where to find more like you? Anything happens to me..." she warned back.

"Fine lady, whatever. How about a bonus?" a man's named torso comes into view. He turns so that he can be seen from the side.

A hand with long, red fingernails slides up his side. A female body clad in red lingerie presses against the man's front. Long black hair slips over his shoulder. His hand slides down and cups her bottom and presses her tighter against his hips.

"I think maybe we can arrange a little early bonus," the woman purrs.

End of Chapter 5