Well Behaved Wives(93)
Jenna and her class were about to head back to school, yet something still nagged at Ruth. She wondered how many of her granddaughter’s classmates had already experienced some form of abuse in their own families. She wondered if they knew there were people who would listen to them.
If they knew the abuse was not their fault.
Ruth wondered if things had really changed enough, if all women and children felt safe enough to expose the secrets in their family when those secrets jeopardized their health. Their future.
She looked at the children in front of her. Was there anyone in that class who needed to know they could reach out and get help? She would ask Jenna later if their teacher gave the class a list of resources for children in danger.
After the students cleared out, Ruth still had an hour before court resumed. Enough time to run a small errand. She bought a bouquet of flowers at the corner market and walked two blocks to The Peabody, the poshest condos in the area.
Ruth pushed the black button outside the door. Buzz.
“Hello?”
“It’s Ruth.” A second buzz allowed her to open the door, sign in at the front desk, then head to the elevator. When it opened on the top floor, Ruth patted her hair, exhaled, and stepped into Lillian’s foyer.
Ruth often wondered whether Lillian missed the big house and yard she once had, but with Sunny passed away, her daughter Pammie living with her own family, and Penny living with her girlfriend in New York, it had been a good while since Lillian had decided that a luxury condo was a more manageable way to retire—especially now that Peter was undergoing chemotherapy.
“To what do we owe this honor, Your Honor?” Ruth was surprised to hear Harriet’s voice and to see that she was visiting too, decked out in pink-and-green golf gear. If it hadn’t been a workday for Ruth, Harriet would have probably handed her a screwdriver and put her to work.
But Ruth didn’t mind that Harriet only gave her a hug today; there were never enough of those to go around.
“Had a spare hour and thought I’d come by to see our girl,” Ruth said as they made their way to the kitchen, where Lillian was already pouring Ruth a cup of coffee. Ruth held out the flowers.
“They’re lovely, Ruth, thank you.” Lillian was as freshly pressed as ever, though Ruth could see the toll Peter’s prostate cancer had taken, etched in the lines on her face. Harriet took the flowers from Ruth and grabbed a vase.
“Didn’t you have Jenna’s class visiting today? How did it go?” Lillian asked.
“Fine. Mom came with them, and I’m pretty sure Jenna got a history lesson on women’s rights on the way home.” Ruth waved her hand as if shooing a mosquito. “Well, fine, until one of the girls asked why I’d decided on family law. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. About telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”
“What did you say?” Lillian asked.
“What I always say—that it was easier back then for a woman to practice family law, if she could get a job in law at all.”
“It’s not a lie,” Harriet said.
“A part of me feels like I owe Jenna the whole story. So younger women know what’s at stake. So others know they’re not alone and that it’s safe to reach out for help. That they don’t deserve to be shamed or blamed.”
“You don’t owe anyone anything.” Lillian arranged the flowers in a vase. “And the Esther Society is well known for its women’s shelters nowadays. But Jenna may be interested to hear about when it was different. She’ll love you more for everything you did.”
“Everything we did,” Ruth said. “Still, there’s Carrie to consider.”
Lillian said, “If it bothers you, leave Carrie out of it, or change people’s names to protect the innocent. Isn’t that how it works?”
“I think it might feel good to finally tell the whole story,” Ruth said.
“Then go ahead,” Harriet said. “You can still be the smart one. But make me the pretty one.”
“Just make sure I’m the one with the best manners,” Lillian said.
Ruth laughed. “Deal.”
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES
The following resources are available if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence: Crucial Networks The National Network to End Domestic Violence https://nnedv.org/
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence https://ncadv.org/
NCADV’s network of state coalitions https://ncadv.org/state-coalitions
National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/
Noteworthy Experts Lundy Bancroft
https://lundybancroft.com/
Shahida Arabi
https://selfcarehaven.wpcomstaging.com/
Dr. Ramani
http://doctor-ramani.com/
Important Books Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men and Should I Stay or Should I Go? A Guide to Knowing If Your Relationship Can—and Should—Be Saved by Lundy Bancroft
Unmasking Narcissism: A Guide to Understanding the Narcissist in Your Life by Mark Ettensohn
A Cry for Justice: How the Evil of Domestic Abuse Hides in Your Church by Jeff Crippen and Anna Wood
No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us by Rachel Louise Snyder