Page 34 of The Perfect Marriage

“I have my ways.” Mom smirks.

“What are you doing here?” I ask. “Any good news?”

Sarah takes a couple of steps into the room and closes the door behind her. “I’m just here to tell you that they are officially charging you. You’ll need to enter a plea tomorrow.” She makes steady eye contact with my mother and me. “But I’ll be back in the morning to cover it with you. I just… I just wanted to give you a heads-up.”

“Officially charged?” I question.

Sarah nods.

“This is ridiculous, Sarah.” My mother stands from her chair. “You need to fix this.” She points at my wife.

“I’m working on it, Eleanor. The D.A. believes he can prove Adam’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, so he’s going for it.”

“But I didn’t do this!” My eyes get wet and my voice quakes.

“I know, sweetheart,” Mom says. “And we are going to get you the best attorney money can buy, and it’ll all be over soon.”

Sarah shakes her head. “I’m going to go.” She turns on her foot.

The guard pops open the door and stands there like a soldier at attention. “Visiting hours are over,” he announces.

Mom rushes around the table and hugs me. “I will be back tomorrow, cubbie-bear,” she whispers in my ear.

“Mom, don’t call me that. I’m in jail.” I push the words through gritted teeth trying not to let anyone hear me.

Sarah side-steps the guard to leave. My mother releases me and whips around. “Sarah, wait! I want to take you out for dinner. You know, discuss next steps,” my mother insists.

Sarah stops and looks back at us. “I have a lot of work to do and—”

Mom holds her hand up. “Your excuses won’t work with me. We’re going.”

23

Sarah Morgan

We are seated across from each other at Pineapple & Pearls, Eleanor’s choice. The restaurant has a fixed menu, and while I’m sure the selection will be divine, it is just another example of her being in control of the situation.

“Where do we start, Sarah?” she asks me.

“We? We don’t start anywhere. You aren’t a lawyer nor are you a law enforcement official, so there isn’t a scenario where you get to rummage through evidence or crime scenes or anything else to help Adam. You just need to let me do my job.” I deliver squarely to her. Hopefully, she will take the overt hint and drop the notion of teaming up to save her baby boy.

“And how do you expect me to do that?”

Of-fucking-course she doesn’t drop it. “Do what, Eleanor?”

“Leave this all in your hands. I mean how can we even trust you to do the best job here?” She scans the drink menu as she speaks as if she and I are talking about the weather or some other mundane thing.

“Excuse me?”

She looks up at me. “I think you need to accept some fault in this too. And if that’s the case then…”

“What?”Where in the hell does she get off? On what planet does this, any of this, make sense?

“I mean husbands don’t typically cheat on loving wives.”

“That’s wildly inappropriate.” I shake my head in disbelief.

She keeps going. “And Adam has always wanted to be a father… and I, a grandmother, and you have withheld that joy from us.”