Riley was right, but damn, how hard could it be to check married and give her permission to call her damn husband?!
Impatient and irritated, he reached out to drop the phone back onto the coffee table when it started to ring in his hand. He was so startled he almost dropped it as he struggled to sit up and answer the phone all at the same time. “Hello?!” he shouted into the phone.
“Will you accept the charges for a collect phone call from a Talie Lyakhov?”
“Yes!” Roman said into the phone.
“Hi, Roman,” Talie’s voice said softly into his ear.
“Talie! I’ve been waiting and waiting. I’m so glad to hear your voice,” Roman said.
“I’m glad to hear yours, too. Are you doing well? You made it home okay, I see,” she said.
“We’re good here. We made it home just fine,” he said. “You doing okay? You need anything?” he asked.
“Doing as well as I can be. I don’t really need anything. I have pretty much whatever I need. They supply all the basics,” she said.
“No trouble? People being nice to you?” he asked, his voice going all grumbly at the thought of people being mean to her.
“I’m not usually with everyone else. Unless it’s at mealtime, and even then Sheryl, my guard, keeps a close eye. Nobody’s interested in me, though. I don’t threaten them or encroach on whatever they’re doing and they don’t threaten me,” she said.
“Good. You tell Sheryl I said thank you and I appreciate her and if she ever needs anything to let me know,” Roman said.
Talie laughed a bit. “I’ll tell her.”
“Is she the lady that let me see you when you were driving away?” he asked.
“She is,” Talie answered.
“She seems real nice. She didn’t have to do that.”
“She’s very kind,” Talie agreed.
“How often will they let you call?” Roman asked.
“I’m not sure. At least twice a week, but I’ll never know what time they’ve assigned me,” Talie explained.
“Doesn’t matter what time. Just call. I’ll always be waiting.”
“I just… I don’t even know how to thank you, Roman,” Talie said. “I knew you were a good man, but I was afraid to believe it was real. I’m sorry I doubted you.”
“Don’t go there, Talie. You’d been hurt before, had a reason to be hesitant. It’s okay, we belong to each other now. I’m going to make everything alright. Just trust me,” Roman said.
“I do,” she said softly.
“So, can I send you anything?” he asked, trying to change the subject because she seemed to be upset and he didn’t want her to be upset.
“They provide all the necessities, like I said…”
“Yeah, but, what about books, or some colors or colored pencils or something, you know something to do while you’re alone,” Roman said.
“Well, maybe some paper and pencils so I can write to you and Darcie,” she suggested. “They have to be the little short ones like used at putt-putt places.”
“Yeah!” he said excitedly. “I’ll send some.”
“They have some here, but they’re so expensive to buy. Just a sheet of paper is five dollars.”
“How do they expect ya’ll to buy them? It’s not like ya’ll have a job…” Roman asked.
“Some of the prisoners’ families put money in accounts for them. We have a small little concession type area. You can buy candy or chips and drinks. You can buy cigarettes and paper and pens, magazines and stuff.”
“Do you?” he asked.
“What? Have an account? I suppose, but I’ve never put any money into it. I don’t really need anything.”
“But if you wanted something you should have some money. I’ll send money for your account,” Roman said decidedly, nodding for affirmation though no one was there to see it but him.
“Roman, you don’t have to do that,” Talie objected.
“Sure I do. Taking care of your wife is an honor. And making sure you have what you need is part of that,” he said.
“You’ve already done so much,” Talie answered.
“I haven’t hardly done anything yet. I haven’t had the chance. But I’m going to. I’ll always take care of you.”
“I don’t know what to say, Roman. I don’t know how I got so lucky,” Talie said quietly.
“I was just thinking the same thing. Don’t know how I got so lucky to have you.”
They were quiet for a minute, before Roman suddenly started talking. “Tomorrow, me and Darcie are going to her new school to get her registered for when it starts on the twelfth. Then we’re going shopping for school supplies and whatever she’ll need. When we’re out, we’re going