CHAPTER 3: LARRY'S LAMENT
The Van Pelt patriarch Larry was at home watching TV. He was despondent over the breakdown of his family. All he wanted was to be back in his sons lives, but his wife, Lacey, ruined any chance of that happening due to her negligence with handling the Lucy situation. He may had harbor more animosity towards his wife more than his sons did, but he got dragged into the drama and he didn't like it.
That particular day, Larry was thinking about his boys, not knowing that they, along with Linus's pregnant wife Audrey, were in town. Because Lacey refused to get Lucy the help she needed, and putting her son's lives in danger from Lucy's rage, Larry couldn't help but feel some resentment for his wife. Lacey walked into the room and said to her husband, "I'm going to Marian's house for a bit. Then we're going to the crematorium to set everything up for Lucy's funeral." (The Van Pelt's wiped out almost all of their savings taking care of Lucy because she couldn't get a job that they couldn't afford a proper burial for her, so they opted for cremation, instead)
"Fine," said Larry. "Let me know if everything's set."
"Okay, what's the matter?" asked Lacey, noticing her husband's demeanor.
"Well, where do I begin?" Larry started. "We could have avoided all of this had you agreed to put her on the proper medication all those years ago when the doctors said she had this problem."
"Oh, don't start this again, Lawrence!" Lacey fumed.
"Oh, we're starting this, Lace!" yelled Larry. "It's been a long time coming. From DAY ONE the doctor told us that Lucy needed to get help and be put on the proper meds so she can be a functioning member of society, but instead, she became an insufferable kid and later woman who was ill-tempered, abusive towards our other kids and her classmates, and don't get me started on her treatment of poor Charlie! It's a miracle the boy turned out a success as an owner of a restaurant. He back for the funeral, by the way. We're lucky HE even showed up for it, Lace. But our boys? We'll be lucky if they show up for OUR funerals!"
"Well what do you want me to do?!"
"ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU FUCKED UP WITH THIS, LACEY! MY GOD! Our boys hate us because of this! Don't you see that?! They HATE us! And I don't like it! But, unlike you, I am going to make things right with our boys once and for all! It may take some time, but I think they'll listen to me! I can admit that I messed up, myself, but you can't bring yourself to believe that you failed not only your daughter, but your sons, as well! Linus BARELY has anything to do with us, and Liam even less, IF ANYTHING!" Larry was spent by the time he finished. His wife just stared at him, confused at why he was acting like this.
"Are you done?' Lacey said. Larry just chuckled at that response.
"Sure, I'm done," said Larry, patience now history. "Tell Marion I said 'Hi'." And Lacey left. After she was gone, Larry shot a text to Linus asking him to call him and it was important. He also promised that he wasn't trying to get him or Rerun to go to the funeral. After he sent that text to Linus, he made a phone call to someone.
"Hello, George? It's Larry Van Pelt. Listen, I know it's a bit early and you're busy, but I need you to draw up some papers for me. No, Lacey doesn't know I'm calling you. In fact I want it to be a secret until I present them to her. I'll be down later this afternoon to look them over."
NEXT CHAPTER: AN UNEASY REUNION