What? Come again? Did she say “better than” her? Was she kidding? “I’m not—”
Veronica took my hand, which shocked me into silence, because the only other time she had ever touched me was when she was trying to stab my eye out with a nail file. “You are better than me,” she whispered, her voice harsh and accusing. “In every way. You’re noble, and you’re kind against the greatest odds. Nicky has told me a lot about you. I wasn’t aware before that your mother was . . .” She searched and finally settled for “ . . . abusive.”
“Veronica . . .”
“Or that you came out here with so few resources. You should know that I respect and admire you, and if I could take back what happened in high school, I would. I should have told you this earlier, but I’ve been too embarrassed to address it. However, I am truly sorry. I hope you believe that.”
For several moments, I simply did not know what to say, but then I had to ask, “How about trying to stab me in the eye? Are you sorry about that, too?”
Veronica burst out laughing. “Yes, of course! I was out of my mind. I don’t know why I . . .” She trailed off. “Well, I guess I do know why. It was because I’ve always wanted to actually be the perfect family we presented to the world. And then I found out about your mother. And then you tried to take my brother. And just when I thought I had it all under control, the one secret I had tried to keep quiet comes to light, courtesy of your little friend. I felt like you had destroyed my family.”
“I had nothing to do with that story.”
“I know. Nicky told me that, too. So did Tammy.”
“Veronica . . .” I said again.
Sixteen years. I had hated this woman for sixteen years. And now look at what she had done. Gone and apologized.
I didn’t realize the truth of my next words until they were tumbling out of my mouth. “I’m glad you did it. And I actually appreciate you for making me run away from Mississippi. Because that was the bravest thing I’ve ever done. I was strong before I met you, but you taught me how to be brave, Veronica Farrell. Even when I didn’t want to be. You forced me to be better than I was. And I’m grateful for that, because being brave and strong is what’s gotten me to where I am now.”
Before I could fully finish, Veronica did something that I had never in my wildest imaginings thought she would ever do. She hugged me. Yes, she did. She hugged me right there in that fancy Beverly Hills dressing room. Then Tammy hugged both of us, her cheeks wet with tears. “This is so nice,” she cried. “It’s just like an episode of Oprah.”
. . .
About a month later, Mike Barker called for his weekly check-in. Now that he had graduated to living on his own, I made him call me every week for a little chat.
“Hey, darlin’, how’s the East Coast?” I asked when I picked up his call.
“Cold as hell. It’s supposed to be fall, but I’m walking around in a snow coat. ”
“Are you wearing a hat? Hugh will not be happy if you up and get sick.”
Hugh had decided to set his adaptation of the German novel in the academic town of Northampton, Massachusetts, and he had hired Mike to play the struggling couple’s therapist, who also happened to be having an affair with the young wife. It was a stretch in the right direction on the comeback road for Mike, and both he and Hugh were getting huge buzz for going outside their comfort zones.
“Yeah, I got a hat,” he said. “I had to buy it myself. This movie has like no budget.”
“Be grateful.” Part of my job now was to remind Mike that he didn’t deserve any of this and that comebacks weren’t ordained, but a privilege.