Page 93 of Spiral
“Because he would be, Henry,” Donald continues. “What you did tonight… well, that’s exactly the kind of captain your father and I always wanted you to be.”
“First of all, Donald, don't you dare speak for my father. Second of all, there’s no way in hell I'm still captain. Not after I kept the team from playing–”
“You did?” Sarah presses, sauntering into the center of the living room from her place near the darkened hallway.
“Yeah,” he replies, turning towards her. “That moron Watson – and Coach – kept trying to mess with Georgia’s newspaper at TU. She’s worked on it for years. I convinced the team not to play until Coach reinstated the Tribune. Watson was pissed. He didn’t want to stand with the team.”
Henry takes a deep sigh, collapsing into the overstuffed cushions of the couch.
“When it was time to score the winning goal,” he continues, looking down at his twiddling thumbs, “I knew I had to teach Watson a lesson about teamwork. I let him score, so he’d see how important it is to work together. I doubt it worked. And I doubt Coach will ever get over me defying him.”
“Doesn’t matter if it worked, Henry. You had good intentions. That’s what matters.”Sarah smiles softly at her brother, though the look in her eyes seems melancholy and far away. I realize it’s the exact same look Henry gets when he talks about his dad.
Henry shrugs and directs his attention back to Donald and his mother, quickly changing the subject back to his distaste for their actions.
“When I read your note, Mom, it hit me. It hit me that you have no idea just how much damage you’ve caused to our family. This was our version of a team, and–”
“Henry, that’s not fair–”
“It is fair! How could you think you could speak for my father? The man who taught me everything I know – who died of cancer in this room! You were off begging for his best friend’s attention before he was even in the ground, and now you think you can tell me what he’d think of me? Why would I care what you think he’d say? You betrayed us.”
“Henry–” Sarah starts but is immediately interrupted.
“No, Sarah, I’ve held this back long enough. You’re an adult now, and you deserve to know how selfish of a person Mom is. She never even gave him a funeral!”
Henry’s eyes are welled with tears as he speaks, his leg furiously bobbing up and down in anxiety. I wrap my arm tightly around his, rubbing my palm against his bicep firmly in an attempt to calm him.
“Henry, that’s enough,” Donald interjects, his tone stern. “Please let your mother speak.”
Lisa straightens her shoulders and levels her gaze with Henry’s. Her eyes are brimming with moisture, though her expression is stoic – as if she’s trying very hard to keep herself from breaking down in front of her children.
“I never wanted it to get to this point,” she whispers, a shaky sigh escaping her.
“What are you talking about, Mom? Of course it got to this point, you cheated–”
“That’s just it, sweetheart,” Lisa says, an exasperated chuckle escaping her lips as she shrugs. “I am not the one who cheated.”
Henry raises a furrowed eyebrow at her, his expression unconvinced.
He thinks she’s lying.
“Henry… your father had been cheating on me for about 15 years before he died. Probably even before then. There were many things I loved about your father, but his loyalty to me was not one of them.”
Henry scoffs, shaking his head defensively.
“No–”
“Just listen to her, Henry.” Sarah’s voice is tender and sympathetic, her gaze soft.
“It started with Donald’s ex-wife, Terry, when you were very young…”
Lisa’s words dissipate, her expression uncertain. But when Donald places a hand gently on hers, his features soft and encouraging, she continues.
“At least, that was the first one I learned about. It was after my birthday dinner, when all the neighbors came over to celebrate, and I caught them in the guest room… um, in a compromising position.”
“What?” Henry’s voice breaks slightly, as if from shock.
“He never knew that I saw. I caught them many times over the years. In her backyard, in the car, even out at a restaurant when we were celebrating your grandparents’ anniversary. There were a few other women, too, but Mrs. Perkins was the most consistent… I’m so sorry, Henry.”