Mum hits me with a dirty look. “So that’s it? You’re going to refuse to talk about her?”
“Yeah. Callie’s making a new life for herself and I’m happy for her. End of story. Now, if we could get dinner happening, that would be fucking awesome because I’m starving.”
* * *
Jolene’s eyes light up a few days later when I take Sean to visit her in prison. She holds her arms out to him and he moves into them for a hug. A newfound happiness fills me at the sight. I’d lived in hope for so long that she would learn to love her son, but as she spiralled into a desperate existence in prison, I gave up that hope. To see it happening now means everything to me.
My son will finally have two parents who love him unconditionally.
She sits and pulls him onto her lap. Looking across at me as I sit opposite her, she says, “Barry came to see me yesterday. We have the DNA we need. Finally.”
I look at her—really look at her. My ex-wife is slowly turning back into the beautiful woman she once was. Her skin no longer has the pallor it did for so long and she’s grown her hair so it hits her shoulders. The thing that really brings her to life now is something I’ve never seen on her before—a sparkle in her eyes. It’s only faint, but it’s there, especially when Sean is with her. I don’t visit her on my own much, but occasionally, we have stuff to talk about without Sean hearing. On those days, her sparkle isn’t as bright.
“Thank God. Alanis is getting nervous. I haven’t seen her but Barry has eyes on her. Her behaviour is erratic and she’s started packing up her house.”
She frowns. “You think she’s moving?”
I shrug. “Got no idea and I really don’t want to know. He’ll keep on it, though. I just want that woman locked up. Your date can’t come fast enough.” Her appeal date is set for three months’ time. It’s fucking outrageous that wrongfully convicted people have to work so hard and for so long to prove their innocence.
Jolene’s lawyer has been adamant we needed scientific evidence to back up every other piece of evidence we’ve gathered in order to exonerate her. The last six months have been spent searching desperately for that.
“I think it’s all going to work out, Luke,” she says quietly and I feel the pain, the doubt and the hope behind those words. She hasn’t wanted to fully believe she’ll be freed in case it doesn’t happen. I can’t blame her. If I lost everything like she has, I wouldn’t want to believe I might get my life back again in case that all crumbled too.
I reach for her hand and squeeze it. Smiling, I say, “Yeah, I feel it, too.”
We sit in silence for a few moments, watching each other. Reflecting. And then she looks down at Sean. “Okay, baby, you need to tell me all about school and how you’re going with Jacinta May.”
I chuckle as my son groans. He’ll learn soon enough that it’s the girls who annoy us the most that we want more than anything else in this world.
Jolene’s eyes meet mine briefly.
We exchange a knowing smile.
As she becomes engrossed in Sean’s story, I know we’re going to be okay. Whatever happens, the three of us will get through this because we’ve finally found our way back to each other.
* * *
A couple of hours later, Sean struggles with the shopping bag he’s carrying for me. “Dad, this is too heavy for me,” he grumbles.
I reach for it and take it out of his arms. Nodding at the door in front of us, I say, “You knock.”
He does as I ask and we wait for it to be opened. Looking up at me, he asks, “Do you think Mariah will come out today?”
I smile. “I hope so. She must be pretty hungry by now.”
“I’ll feed Jasper first and then look for her.” Callie’s cat. Mrs Harper took on the care of Jasper when Callie moved.
The door opens and Mrs Harper gives me a stern look. “You’re late, Luke.”
I fight the chuckle working its way up. This woman is one tough cookie, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. “The traffic was bad.”
She scowls. “Likely story, young man.” Gesturing for us to enter, she steps back to let us in.
I make my way to her kitchen and place the groceries we bought her on the kitchen counter. I then unpack them and put them away while Sean grabs the cat food and attempts to feed Jasper and Callie’s strays. They don’t always come out for him, but he lives in hope.
Mrs Harper joins me in her kitchen. I know what she’s about to do because we do this dance every week when I visit to stock up her groceries and check if any maintenance needs to be done around her home.
I get in first. “No, I haven’t spoken to her and I have no plans to do so.”
The scowl is still sitting on her face. “You are a fool, Mr Hardy.”
I eye her. “So I’ve been told.”
“But you’ll be seeing her next week, yes?”
My movements halt. “Yes, but it won’t change anything.”