Hold On

“You know me?” she asked.

“I know you,” Merry answered, his voice low with more meaning than the possibility that I’d shared who Peggy was.

She made it to Trent and her head tipped to the side as she stared at Merry.

“You were there, at the bar with Cheryl,” she decreed, as if this was news Merry was unaware of.

“I was,” Merry confirmed. “Now, both of you, please return to your vehicle and go home.”

“We’re pickin’ up Ethan,” Peggy declared.

“You’re not,” I declared right back, and Peggy turned her screwed-up eyes to me. “And we’re not doin’ this now. I explained to Trent that Ethan needed some space. I also explained to Trent that while Ethan was gettin’ that, we could sit down and talk about what the future might bring. But that’s not happening now. That’s happening at a time when we’ve all got our shit together and can talk about it rationally. In the meantime, Ethan’s said he doesn’t wanna spend time with you. If you wanna connect with him, talk to him on the phone.”

“Ethan doesn’t get to make those decisions,” Peggy spat. “He’s just a little boy. His father makes those decisions.”

“I’m afraid he doesn’t,” I returned.

“And I’m afraid you’re wrong,” Peggy shot back. “Trent’s his father. He’s got rights.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Merry put in sharply, and Peggy’s eyes sliced to him. “Trent Schott relinquished his rights when his girlfriend told him she was carrying his child and he cleared out after he cleaned her out. In this situation, Trent has no rights. In this situation, Ethan’s mother makes all the decisions about where her son will be and with whom. She’s made her decisions. She’s communicated them repeatedly. Now, I’ll say it again, return to your vehicle and go home.”

“You don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Peggy snapped.

That was when Merry reached under the hem of his leather jacket and pulled something out of the back pocket of his jeans, that something being the badge he shoved into his belt at his front right hip.

“I know exactly what I’m talkin’ about,” Merry said lethally.

“You called the cops?” Trent asked, his voice high and even more whiny than Ethan’s had been minutes before.

“I didn’t call the cops,” I answered.

“Well, he’s a cop.” Trent jerked his head Merry’s way.

“I am. I’m also her boyfriend,” Merry announced.

Trent’s mouth dropped open, his eyes bugged out, and his torso automatically reared away from Merry.

Peggy’s lips parted, but her eyes squinted so tight, they looked shut.

Trent looked to me and his voice was even higher when he asked, “You’re seein’ a cop?”

“She is,” Merry answered for me. “And as her boyfriend, not a cop, I’m askin’ you one last time to return to your vehicle. You make me ask again, that request will come from a cop.”

All this went down, but it was lost on Peggy.

She was stuck back earlier in the conversation.

“Trent has rights,” she declared, looking between Merry and me.

“That’s simply not the case,” Merry replied. “Not legally. Not informally. The only rights he has are those Cher grants him. And she’s not granting him the right to see Ethan. This means you have no choice but to leave.”

“It means we got no choice but to get Trent legal rights,” she returned.

My heart clenched painfully, but Merry just shrugged.

“That’s your call. But no judge is gonna rise up in a puff of smoke to appear in Cher’s yard to grant them to you right now, so I’ll say it again, turn around and go home.”

No judge is gonna rise up in a puff of smoke…

God, I loved it when Merry was funny, especially when he was funny smack in the middle of Peggy being Peggy and Trent being his normal loser.

Peggy looked to me and threatened, “This isn’t over.”

I looked at her and retorted, “Yes it is.”