Brenda & Ian Ch. 03

Ian went white with rage and couldn't remember anything that happened within the next few seconds. "You fucking bastard!" yelled Ian as he charged his father. He tackled him low and drove him to the floor. He was on top of him in a flash and began to pummel him about the face as Adrian tried to cover up without success.

"Stop it, Ian! Stop it! You'll kill him! Stop it! Stop it!" Janet and Brenda were pleading, begging, and trying to pull him off of Adrian. Finally, Ian heard them and saw the crumpled heap of his father lying under him, his face bloody and bruised.

Slowly, Ian stood up, breathing heavily and looked at his bloodied knuckles and then at his father. Adrian was breathing normally, but he was unconscious. Janet hurried to call 911 as Brenda, her arm hanging at an awkward angle, tried to guide Ian to a chair. He was unhurt except for his hand, which he feared was broken. The sight of his father sickened him physically and he thought that he was going to vomit. He ran from the room holding his hand to his mouth, entered the nearest bathroom and lost his lunch in the toilet. Brenda was at his side, her hand resting on his shoulder. When he finished, Brenda gave him a clean, wet wash cloth and he cleaned his face with it.

He looked up at her and noticed that her right arm hung down slightly lower than her left and was limp.

"Are you okay, Bren?" He reached up and touched her injured arm tenderly. She flinched noticeably.

"It hurts," she said as she started to cry, not so much from the pain, but from what happened. She was scared that Adrian was seriously hurt and that Ian would be arrested. She was scared because she had never seen Ian hurt anyone before and she didn't think that she and Janet would ever get him to stop hitting his father.

"I'm sorry," he said as he gathered her in his arms, his voice choking. "I saw him hurt you...I couldn't let him do that...I'm sorry."

Janet knelt by Adrian's side, her heart feeling nothing but contempt for the man whom she used to love. She could never forgive him for this. Never. She saw that the blood was from his nose and mouth and she suspected that his nose was broken. It wasn't bleeding bad and he didn't appear to be having too much difficulty breathing.

Ian and Brenda emerged from the bathroom, both red faced from crying. Janet stood up and went to Ian and hugged him.

"I'm sorry, mom," Ian said softly.

"Shh, shh," Janet said. "He'll be okay, Ian." Janet looked at Brenda as she let go of her son. She went to Brenda and hugged her, too. "He had no right to do that to you, no right..."

The police and paramedics arrived within minutes. The paramedics tended to Adrian, stopping the bleeding quickly and put ammonia capsules under his nose to waken him. Three officers questioned Ian, Brenda, and Janet separately, each telling the exact same story.

Adrian was groggy, but coherent enough to talk. His emotions were churning inside him. He felt no anger, just emptiness and he was disgusted with himself. Even though he still had his job, he knew that he had lost everything that really mattered in his life. He could never look at his wife, his son, or Brenda without knowing how much he hurt them. He doubted that they would ever talk to him again and he didn't blame them. Officer Dailey squatted down next to him as Adrian was in a seated position by then. "Can you tell me what happened?" he asked.

Adrian looked at him sadly. He wanted to look at his family one last time, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Whatever my family said happened, it's true," he replied quietly, shaking. "It was all my fault. It was all my fault." He looked away and began to weep silently.

They wrapped Ian's hand in ice and put Brenda's arm in a sling. They feared Brenda's shoulder had separated, but had gone back into place, but they wanted to have x-rays taken to be sure. A police officer would take them to the hospital. Janet was unhurt, just shaken.

A sergeant guided them to an empty room before they were to go to the hospital. "I've got your statements and we'll be taking your husband into custody, ma'am."

"I see," Janet said softly, her head down. "Will he get out tonight?"

"He will if he posts bond, ma'am."

"I see,"she said again.

"Would you like to be contacted by the sheriff's office if he posts bond?"

"No," she said. "He can't hurt me anymore."

"As you wish, ma'am." He turned to Ian and Brenda. "If you're ready, I'll take you to the hospital."

"That would be fine," Ian said for both of them. When they emerged from the room, they had already taken Adrian to jail. Brenda was relieved not to see him anymore. She never wanted to see him again, ever. Her shoulder was throbbing and every move she made magnified it.

Ian didn't know what to think. He had not been arrested and he was grateful for that. He was glad that his father was gone, yet part of him was sad for him too. He couldn't explain it. He didn't say anything about his feelings to Brenda, knowing how angry she was. Ian was angry, too, but he still felt sorry for him. He would never be able to forgive him for hurting Brenda. It didn't matter that Adrian hit him, he could take that, but he would never let him harm her again. He would make sure of that.

Adrian took a cab home from the jail. He was released a few hours after he posted bond, with the promise to appear in court the following day. He had conversed with his attorney and he would be there with him. He looked at his house and felt empty, alone, and afraid.. His life meant nothing to him now. He had lost everything.

He pulled his keys from his pants pockets and placed the house key in the lock. Much to his surprise, it opened as he half suspected that Janet would have had the locks changed by then. He stepped into the foyer quietly and looked at his briefcase that lay on the floor where he left it. He walked a few steps and saw Janet sitting in the same chair that she had been sitting in when he had come home earlier.

Adrian looked at her and sighed. She had been so beautiful once and the years had been kind to her. They used to be close, but had drifted apart since before their trip to Europe. And now it was hopeless, gone.

"I knew you'd come home," she said coldly.

"Only to pack some clothes," he said softly. "I have no right to stay here." He shuffled slowly toward the stairs, tired and defeated.

"Wait," Janet said. Adrian turned to face her, both eyes blackened from his bruised, but unbroken nose. He welcomed the pain. He deserved it and more.

"Yes?" he answered quietly.

"I want a divorce."

"I know you do. I don't blame you."

"That's a switch."

"What is?"

"You not blaming me for something." Janet noticed immediately his demeanor, that he had given up and had no fight in him. She had never seen him this way.

"Yeah, well, there's a first for everything."

"Adrian...."

"Look, Janet," he interrupted, "I'm not looking for an argument. I know you want me out of your life. I just want to go as quietly as possible without hurting you or anyone else again."

"I don't want to argue, either, Adrian," she said, her voice softer, tired. Her eyes searched his face for answers. "Why?" she asked.

"Why what?" he asked, puzzled.

'Why do you hate us so much?"

"I don't hate you," he said truthfully. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Nothing that I can say or do will make any difference anyway." He moved towards the stairs once more. "What do you want to say?" she asked.

Adrian stopped and looked at her. He really did love her very much. He couldn't remember the last time he told her that he loved her or needed her. He had been too busy, too wrapped up in the business of oil and contracts to remember the things and people in life that really mattered to him the most.

"I...I...I wish that I could take it all back. I wish that today never happened. I want to say how sorry I am to you, to Ian and Brenda. I know that I have no right, no right whatsoever to ask forgiveness...."

"No, you don't," Janet said coolly.

"I don't know what to do," he continued. "Somehow, I've got to change. I just don't know where to begin." He looked at the floor, misplaced in his own home.

Janet eyed him, not knowing what to think. The hate and contempt that she felt for him was diminishing slowly. He seemed genuinely sorry for his actions and she believed him. Adrian was not a liar and always said what he meant. Could she forgive him? Could she forget?

"I hope I didn't hurt you."

"I'm fine."

"How is Ian and Brenda?"

"Ian bruised his hand on your hard skull," she replied, "and Brenda had her shoulder pulled slightly out of socket, but she'll be okay."

Adrian nodded and sighed. "They'll never forgive me," he said softly.

"Should they?" she asked.

"I don't know. I wouldn't blame them if they never did." He turned around and headed for the stairs once more.

"Adrian," Janet called to him once more.

"Yes," he said, his back to her.

"It's too late for you to look for someplace to stay. You don't need to go." Janet had no idea why she changed her mind, but like Ian before her, she felt sorry for him.

"Okay," he said softly. "Thank you."

He ascended the long staircase without a reply from Janet.

Wednesday July 7

"In the case of the State vs. Adrian Nicks, how does the defendant plea?" Judge William Workman asked as he peered at Adrian and his attorney, Jonathon Dudley.

Dudley stood up and addressed the judge. "My client wishes to plead guilty, your honor." He looked down at Adrian and nodded. He had worked out an arrangement with the prosecutor and the court for Adrian to get treatment in lieu of conviction, meaning he would receive probation with the promise to seek treatment for alcohol abuse and anger management.

"The court accepts your plea and sentences you to one year of probation. Your probation officer will set you up in a treatment program and you will successfully complete this program. Failure to complete the program will result in your arrest and another day in court with me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Adrian said in a clear voice.

"Case dismissed."

It was in the afternoon and Ian and Brenda decided to go for a ride. Ian drove with his left hand and let his splinted hand rest on his leg. It really didn't hurt that much and he was able to move it a little bit without difficulty. He had a hair-line fracture in his middle knuckle and a few broken pieces in his ring finger knuckle. All in all, it wasn't too bad and the doctors said that it would heal nicely within the next few weeks. Brenda's shoulder was fine, just a little weak from the trauma. She had almost full mobility and she didn't use the sling anymore. Her sessions in the gym saved her from a far worse injury.

Her anger towards Adrian had dissipated slightly and she no longer hated him. Intense dislike? Yes. But she didn't want to see maggots eating his brains and coming out of his eyes. They had talked well into the night about the incident and both realized that something was deeply wrong with him, that he would never have acted that way in the past. They just didn't know what the problem was.

They had already had lunch at home, but Ian was still hungry. He decided to turn north and head to a place that he hadn't been to in a long time. A former girlfriend had brought him there and he enjoyed it thoroughly.

"Where are we going?" Brenda asked as the scenery changed and she wasn't sure where they were.

"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about it," Ian smiled. "You'll find out when we get there." He glanced over at Brenda and admired the way she looked. She was wearing a blue tank top with white cotton shorts. The shorts were riding up her toned thighs and she showed just a hint of cleavage from the shirt. He didn't think that he could ever get enough of her, clothed or not. A dopey grin was plastered across his face as she noticed his stare. She had seen that stare enough to know that he wanted to see her naked.

"Down boy," she said, laughing. "Don't you ever get enough?"

"I want you more and more every day," he said seriously.

"My God, Ian, I'll have to have hip replacement surgery before I'm thirty if we keep this up."

"Well, we'll just have to try different positions so that you won't wear out."

"You're impossible," she giggled, but deep down, she was feeling tingling between her legs thinking about it.

Within minutes, they turned into a dirt road. The sign read, "Wright's Dairy" and it pointed down the road they took. Brenda knew exactly where they were and was excited. Wright's Dairy served the best ice cream in the area and Ian knew her weakness for it. A mile or so down the road, they came to the entrance and parked in the nearest space. They walked into the parlor and checked the flavors offered. They only offered about twelve flavors, but each was heavenly in it's own way. Ian chose cinnamon and Brenda took pineapple, her favorite. After they received their cones, they found a small table and sat down to enjoy their treat.

"So, do you think he'll ever change?" she asked out of the blue.

"Who?"

"Your dad."

"I haven't the slightest idea if he will or not. Over the last few months, he's changed so much. I hardly know him now. He's almost a complete stranger to me." He eyed her and said, "I'm surprised you even want to talk about him."

"I don't know. I was just curious as to how you felt."

"I guess only time will tell. I'm in no hurry to see him again, that's for sure."

"I'm with you there."

Saturday August 14

"Mom, you can't be serious," Ian said, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.

"I wouldn't be calling you if I weren't," Janet replied. "Ian, he's changed. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it." "I just can't believe he wants us to come over. He did say Brenda, too? This isn't some trick, is it? If it is, the first wrong word and we're gone."

"Ian, after what happened, I would never ask you to come back if I wasn't sure," she said, trying to persuade him. "I know you don't trust him, but over the last few weeks, he's changed so much. He really wants to see you."

"About what?"

"Maybe to say he's sorry...I don't know, Ian. All I know is he wants to see both of you..."

Adrian sat in his office at home and thought about the past few days. For the first time in years, he felt at peace with himself, yet he wondered if he was doing the right thing. He had a very good talk with Eloise Singer the previous day and they came to an understanding about his job and role within the company. Of course, that was after he turned in his resignation. It was something he had thought about since he began his probation and he felt that the timing was right. After all, he was fifty-five and he had all of the money that he would ever need. He felt good when he wrote it and he felt greatly relieved when he gave it to her. She tried to talk him out of it, mainly because it would crimp their contracts department until they found a suitable replacement. It was agreed that he would remain in the company as a consultant for the next few years in a part-time capacity, just enough work for him to keep him occupied and out of Janet's hair.

Janet. He had gained a new-found respect for her and discovered how much he really did love her. When he realized how close he came to losing her, he was sickened. He made up his mind that he would regain his family and hope that they would accept him again. Hopefully, it wasn't too late. He knew that he didn't deserve their forgiveness and frankly, he didn't expect it. He only hoped that over time, he could win their trust and get close to them.

He had learned a lot over the weeks during his anger management sessions, mostly about himself and how he treated others when things didn't go perfectly well for him. Unfortunately, he lashed out at the ones who meant the most to him. He was also learning to accept the fact that Ian and Brenda were married and there was nothing that he could do about it. He still thought it was wrong that they were married and he would have a hard time thinking of her as his daughter-in-law and not his niece. But over time, he felt that he would get over that, too. Adrian had learned a lot about himself through his sessions and he finally realized that family would always be more important than money, prestige, and material things.

He still hadn't told Janet about his resignation and had asked his friends not to say anything to her until the following Monday. Adrian saw the look of concern on her face when he asked her to invite Ian and Brenda over for a talk and he expected it. That was when he told her of his semi-retirement and that he wanted to start over with her and be a real husband to her, not someone who was barely home most of the time. The look of shock and acceptance was not lost to Adrian when Janet got up and started to dial Ian.

"No fucking way!!!" Brenda growled when Ian approached her about meeting his dad. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even consider it?" Her arms were folded across her chest as she paced their bedroom floor.

"Mom said he's changed, that he just wants to talk."

"Don't you remember what happened? Don't you? You said you'd never let him hurt me again."

"I remember it as if it happened this morning. I will not let him hurt you."

"Damn right he won't because I won't go."

"Bren, be reasonable."

"Reasonable?" she squealed. "The last two times you got together, the police had to be called. He went to jail and you almost joined him. You're telling me to be reasonable!" She shook her head back and forth, bewildered.

"I will not stand by and watch him try to hurt you again," she continued, her eyes starting to tear. "I don't want to see the insane person that's hidden inside your body again. That scared the hell out of me. I truthfully thought you were going to kill him, Ian, and I don't want to see that side of you ever again if I can help it."

"Brenda, listen to me." He looked at her until her eyes met his. "Mom's said that he's changed, that he's nothing like he was before. She told me that he threw out all of the liquor and that he hasn't had a drop. I think that's something. Do you think I would go over there if I thought I was in danger? Do you think I would take you with me if I thought there was danger? I'd rather cut off my arm than to see you hurt. Please, do this for me."

Brenda looked at him helplessly. "I don't know...."

"Bren," he said softly, "he's the only dad I've got."

Brenda understood completely now. No matter how much a pain in the ass his father was, no matter how much he hurt Ian, and no matter how hard Ian tried, he would never measure up to him. But, Ian still loved him and wanted him in his life. Brenda guessed that she would feel the same way if she were in his shoes. Although every fiber of her being screamed against it, she said, "All right, I'll go."

Ian moved to her and hugged her, holding her tightly against him. She always felt wonderful in his arms and he never wanted to let her go. Reluctantly, he released her and his hands found her face. He pushed a few stray strands of hair aside and began kissing her, slowly and gently. Brenda wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. Neither said anything as the kisses remained soft and sweet. Ian broke away first and looked at her. "Thank you," he said simply.

"You're welcome," she replied. "I love you so much."

"I know."

Adrian nervously paced the floor of his study. He didn't know what he was going to say or even how to begin. He knew that it was going to be the hardest thing that he had ever done, but he was looking forward to it. It was a challenge that he accepted and wanted. Things were coming along slowly between himself and Janet. He was slowly regaining her trust and the thought of divorce was far and distant from her mind.