Zoey's Story: A Character Study Read online

  When lunchtime came, they opted for simple snacks together in the parlor. Then things got a little funny. Roger and Louise couldn’t stand Zoey winning at life, so they started a competition. A bragging competition. Zoey didn’t want to be involved. She really didn’t like to boast. Roger brought up how Louise started an acting career. Although she was just in a couple commercials now, they were sure she would soon be signed for a sitcom or some grand movie role. Zoey was truly happy for the woman. Although she never considered acting, herself, she could see how it was full of fun and glamour.

  “Here, we can show you on YouTube.” Roger typed something into his phone and then passed it over to Zoey and Claire’s side of the table where they peered down at it in anticipation.

  The commercial showed Louise sitting on an exercise bike, wearing a pink headband and a tank top. Her chest and forehead glistened as if she just had a major workout. She patted her face with a towel and said, “When Irritable Bowel Syndrome gets me down, I take IBS Away.” Louise picked up a package of pills, showing the camera.

  “Well, well, that was something.” Zoey nodded emphatically.

  “I don’t really have Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” Louise said. She dipped a chip into the salsa and munched on it.

  Roger took his phone back, shifting uncomfortably. It was time for them to try and make the trek upstairs. Zoey apologized, “What I really want is to install an elevator in here. The stairs could be quite the workout.”

  Louise hobbled with her cane. “Oh, I’ll be fine,” she rasped, attempting to climb, and she did with Roger by her side. But any time he would take a hold of her elbow, she suddenly became upset. Her eyes narrowing, she told him to “bug off!” Roger stepped behind her, keeping close just in case.

  And Zoey and Claire were following right behind the two of them. They could tell that after just a few more steps, however, Louise wasn’t doing so well. Zoey apologized, saying, “We can have the parlor set up as your bedroom. It will be really easy with Claire’s help and Max’s. Roger’s too.”

  Louise wasn’t having it. She looked over a shoulder-pad with anger. “I don’t need to be coddled!” She stepped her foot up to the next step, pressed down into her golden cane as it shook and tried making it up. She paused a moment, her breath shuddering.

  “Let me help you, darling.” Roger held out his arms.

  “I can do this. I can do whatever Zoey can.” Shaking, Louise was able to make it up to the next step. She took a moment to breathe and all eyes were on her in wait. They had barely made it off the ground level.

  Louise’s face suddenly paled as she touched her chest. There was terror in her eyes. “I-I don’t know what’s wrong.”

  “What is it, darling?”

  “I don’t know. My chest and neck are hurting. Even my jaw.”

  Zoey stepped beside her, recognizing the symptoms. Her father had died of a heart attack at age 61. “Louise,” she said lovingly. “Take some deep breaths. Don’t go any further. We need to get you to the hospital.”

  Louise looked humbled, her eyes shifting around in worry. She took in deep breaths and nodded.

  *

  The Kane helicopter rose in the afternoon sky, its blades slashing with loud thwip-thwip-thwip sounds. The pilot was off, headed for the nearest hospital with Louise aghast at the thought of Zoey owning such a ride. Zoey and Claire got in their car and drove as fast as they could to meet them there.

  At the hospital, Zoey and Claire ran inside, strawberry-blond and dark brown hair flagging as they went. They were directed to some seats in the waiting room. Zoey sat there sort of in a daze. She thought back to that day when Roger had left her, when Louise was parked out front of their small home in her flamingo-pink Cadillac. Flashes of her ex’s face at that time whooshed across her mind. The total lack of sympathy he had for her and for Claire. She remembered the way his clothing was packed in two suitcases, neat and ready to go. The scent of his Old Spice cologne seemed to suddenly permeate the waiting room’s air with the memory. He had left her. He had left Claire. The only thing left behind was that scent. And now here she was, waiting at the ER for the woman who had played a big part in taking him away from the two of them.

  The next several years had been hard, to say the least. It was riddled with two more failed marriages. One to a guy named Frank, a war veteran. Frank was more handsome than Roger, and he had a military discipline that Zoey thought would be good. She expected him to be loyal. One night after having a little too much to drink, Frank was found sitting at the kitchen table, polishing his rifle. With a jealous glint in his eye, he told Zoey, “If you ever leave me, you know what I’d do to you?” That got Zoey leaving him the very next day. She was no fool. She took Claire by the hand and ushered her into their station wagon. Filling it with whatever could fit, they hit the road.

  Pat she’d met at a speed dating event. He had a wandering left eye and front teeth that overlapped, but was still cute. She thought if she chose someone more down to earth, there’d be less drama, and more security. But Pat spent mornings getting up for work an hour early to meet the librarian at the school where he was maintenance man. Zoey followed him there one day, and watched him meet the woman in the stairwell. From there she couldn’t tell what happened further. But she knew it wasn’t good. An email she later stumbled upon confirmed this.

  Zoey was an expert at relationships gone bad. At heartache. Maybe that’s why, right now, she had a romance novel tucked away in her snakeskin purse. She took a deep breath and pushed aside the haunting memories. Someday she wouldn’t just find romance. Someday she’d find love.

  Roger arrived not long later in the waiting room, telling the ladies to come back with him. He wasn’t pale anymore. There was no fear in his eyes. In fact, he was smiling with those big chompers. “She’s not having a heart attack,” he said. “It’s indigestion!”

  Zoey and Roger exchanged looks of happy relief, and in the spirit of the moment grabbed each other in a big hug. Claire paused in her steps, watching them. Then there was some awkward clapping of each other’s shoulders and arms as they separated. Zoey entered Louise’s room behind Roger and Claire.

  There was the sound of a heart monitor with its steady beeps. The woman lay there in a hospital gown, her blond hair a bit disheveled. She pulled up her thin blanket at their appearance. “Good news,” Louise said. “It was just heartburn. Can you believe it? Probably from your homemade salsa, Zoey!”

  Zoey glanced at her daughter and back to Louise. “I’m glad you’re feeling back to your old self, Louise.”

  The doctor came in and said hello to everybody. “Louise is doing great,” he said. “We just gave her some indigestion medicine and have her sitting up.” He turned to her and said, “You may need to lay off spicy foods. Have a blander diet so this doesn’t happen again. Either that or carry around some Tums. You’re going to be just fine. But I do want us to look into some of the pain you’re having when I press down on your abdomen. So, I think you should stay for some more tests. Okay?”

  “Thank you, doctor.” Louise smiled. “That will be just great. I’m just happy I’m not having a heart attack.”

  *

  Zoey and Claire excused themselves. As they were walking down the hall, headed toward the exit, Roger came jogging up behind them. “Can you excuse us a moment?” he asked Claire. “I want talk to your mom.”

  “Sure,” Claire said. She turned and continued on her way. As soon as she went through the double doors, Roger said to Zoey, “You’ve been a trooper through this whole visit. I know Louise can be hard to get along with.”

  Zoey shook her head with a small smile. “Oh no, you don’t have to worry. I know you two too well.”

  “Listen, I just want you to know, Zoey...” His dark brown eyes that sparkled like Claire’s took on a very serious note. “I wasn’t the best husband to you.”

  Zoey almost sputtered, shaking her head, rendering her speechless

  “Now hear me out,” he said. He
touched her elbow and she didn’t retract. “You’re a good woman. I see that in how you’ve treated Louise during this trip. And I see it in how you’ve raised Claire. You didn’t deserve me. You didn’t deserve what I did to you. And now you been doing fine, better than fine, without me. I just wanted you to know that I see that.” His eyes became moist. “I’m sorry.”

  Taking in a deep breath, Zoey actually felt a warmth come over her heart. “I don’t know what to say,” she said, blinking. “I’ve waited forever to hear you say that word.”

  Roger grinned. “It’s the least I could do.” The hand on her elbow started massaging her upper arm. His gaze intensified and his face started nearing hers. Was he about to kiss her? Yes, grabbing both of her arms in desperation, he pressed his mouth against hers.

  Zoey retracted with wide eyes, wiping her mouth. She whacked him on the arm with her purse. “What made you think you could do that? What’s wrong with you?” She lowered her voice, seeing Louise’s room wasn’t far off.

  “Listen, Zoey.” He got down on his knees in a beggar’s gesture. A nurse walked by, staring at them. “I’m really sorry. I want you back. I think Claire would want you to take me back, too. We can start over.”

  Narrowing her eyes, Zoey whacked him again with her purse. “Now, that’s insane, Roger. You have Louise—”

  Roger cut in. “She’ll be fine without me. You heard. It was indigestion.”

  “Oh my gosh, you are terrible,” Zoey seethed quietly through clenched teeth. “She’s like twenty feet away from us, and you’re saying all of this.”

  He sprung to his feet. “You’re right. Let’s talk somewhere more private.” He glanced around and, spotting a closet, snatched open the door. A broom came spilling out, clanking against the white tile flooring with an unsettling echo.

  Zoey plucked up the broom, tossed it inside and shut the door calmly, barricading it with her body. “No.”

  “I made a mistake,” Roger said. “Haven’t you ever made a mistake? Look at you, Zoey. You’re still as beautiful as the day I first saw you in high school.”

  “Roger, you need to stop, right now. I’m not coming back to you. Ever.” Her light brown eyes widened. “You need to stay with Louise. Grow up and be a husband for once, a man. Do you understand?”

  Roger licked his lips and looked down at the floor in defeat. “If I can’t change your mind.”

  “You can’t.” She was still plastered against the door.

  Instead of pushing further, Roger simply stuffed his hands into his pockets and said, “All right.” He glanced at a nearby restroom. “I’ve got to see a man about a horse,” he said. “Can Louise and I still spend the night? Pretend this all didn’t happen?”

  Zoey slowly nodded, her body slacking away from the closet. “Sure.”

  With that, he disappeared into the bathroom.

  Zoey stood in the hallway, nervously rubbing her French-tipped manicure set in thought. Glancing at Louise’s room a couple of times, she sucked in a deep breath and headed toward it.

  “Oh, it’s you again,” Louise said, sitting up a bit higher in bed. “Where’s Roger?”

  “Seeing a man about a horse,” Zoey replied. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Oh? Well, thank you.”

  There was an awkward silence. Louise was the first to speak. “What? What is it, Zoey?”

  “We just never talked, you and I… ever since—”

  “—the day Roger left,” Louise finished.

  “Yes.” Zoey took a seat beside her. “I just wanted you to know I don’t blame you. You know, for him leaving.”

  “Well, I’d hope not!” the woman said. “Roger told me all about how you two had a horrible marriage. It was irreparable, as he put it.”

  “He did, did he?” Zoey said.

  “Yes, you two were a mismatch from the start.” Louise nodded. “But listen, Zoey, you’ll find a man. You won’t forever be alone. You have to have faith in these things. Your time will come.”

  It was amazing how none of Louise’s words hurt. Zoey merely took them for what they were. Words. It was clear Roger painted things about their marriage that were completely fictitious. She couldn’t necessarily blame the woman for believing his lies. “Well, thank you, Louise. I know I won’t forever be alone, either. The right person is out there for me.”

  “Yes,” she said. “He is.” A frail hand surprisingly came out from under the thin blanket as an offering.

  Zoey affectionately squeezed Louise’s cold, knobby fingers. They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment with unspeakable pains. “You’ve been a strong and independent woman, Louise,” Zoey said. “You’ve been able to support yourself and my ex-husband throughout your life.”

  “Yes, I have. Haven’t I?”

  “And now you can tour the world and star in commercials.”

  “Maybe my own sitcom someday,” Louise noted.

  Zoey rubbed Louise’s hand with a thumb. “Yes, maybe. If you ever need anything, I just want to say that Claire and I are here for you.”

  “Oh, I won’t need anything,” she said gruffly.

  “I know. I’m just saying. If you do. Even if it’s just a listening ear…”

  Louise’s green eyes misted up. “Well, I won’t. But thank you,” she said with a curtness. “You aren’t so bad, Zoey Kane. One could even call you a friend.”

  Zoey patted her hand. “Ditto.”

  The end.