✅ My Cousin's Keeper [NaNoWriMo 2021]

127. My Restrictions

"A lot of people care about Tess and Spike," Ffrances said firmly, once we were sitting at the kitchen table and she had properly bandaged my arm. "But from my perspective, it looks like their legal guardians shouldn't be allowed near the kids."

I opened my mouth to respond in righteous outrage, anger at the pain and at the veiled accusation. Was she really comparing me to that thug? But this was Ffrances, the woman I loved, and in all the time I'd known her she had never shown anything but profound insight. Was she pointing out something that I was too close to see, something that I needed to know?

"I would never hurt Tess!" I protested, but her eyes were still on my shoulder. Tess was in the hospital now. I didn't know exactly what happened, but I knew that Duke Torrance was responsible. I had painted the target for him, putting her in danger. I told myself that I hadn't meant to; that I'd just thought he would get his boy to behave. But that wasn't what had happened, and I had to accept responsibility for the consequences of my actions. "How could I have known that guy would..."

"You could have listened, instead of trying to fit people into the story you see in your head. You could have wondered why Spike is so scared of his stepfather. Spike already told you enough to know that you were causing a big problem. Or if you don't trust his words, you could have listened when other people told you the same. Tess has said it before. I've mentioned it. I've heard John Naylor tell you on the phone as well. That's why they invited Spike to stay with them several times last year: because they knew that it wasn't safe for him to be around Duke and Walt. You've been told so many times, but you just don't listen because you want a reason to see Spike as the bad guy. You didn't even listen when I told you."

And I should have drawn different inferences from the way the guy treated his own wife. I knew that now, and I couldn't believe that I'd been so blind.

"I just... Tess was getting upset. That boy did something to hurt her, and then he wouldn't take a hint when she wasn't returning his messages. He kept on bothering her, I thought that his father... Okay, I screwed up. I know that. I'm just used to good families, where the parents are there to keep their kids on the right path. I just... my mental image of criminals like that, they're the ones who disappoint their fathers, or they're a whole clan you'd do better to avoid. I don't like to think of Tess ending up with someone who's come from that kind of background. You never know what they're going to do. And it just never occurred to me that there might be a risk to her. I just... I'm telling myself stories. That's what you said, right? And I was so worried about her, I thought maybe the guy could get him to leave her alone. She's so vulnerable, so young, and I don't want to see that innocence shattered. I never thought he would... How could anyone..."

"Listen," Ffrances said. "You want Tess to be sweet and innocent, like you remember when you used to be her babysitter. But she isn't that person anymore. She's a strong young woman now. She understands the dynamics of that kind of broken family. She worked out exactly what she needs to do to get Spike away from that situation, so he can grow up in a supportive environment, and so that she doesn't have to worry about him anymore. Where you saw a stereotype of a criminal based on your complete lack of experience, Tess talked to Spike until she understood the situation. She listened to all the other kids at school. She knows the word on the street, knows how dangerous the Torrance family is. And she decided to fix it."

"But she–"

"She is not your precious little doll. Understand? I've talked to her about this, and I've talked to the police. And Tess knows exactly what she is doing. When it comes to dealing with scum like Duke, she knows a good deal more than you. All she doesn't know, right now, is that you were involved. Can you give me a good reason why I shouldn't fill in the blanks for her?"