Robert interrupts with a snort. “Is this supposed to be news?”
Debra places a staying hand on Robert’s arm, hissing his name.
“What? Like that’s headline worthy?” He moves his arm away from Debra to swipe it through the air like he’s reading a newspaper headline. “Connor’s a liar. If you remember, I was the one who had to go bail him out when he got picked up. And this whole ‘consultant’ shit? Like you believe that either.”
Debra pales, letting us all know that Robert’s telling the truth. Connor’s parents have assumed he’s been a crook this whole time.
Caylee interrupts her parents’ arguing, hoping to save this disaster before Leonardo DiCaprio signs up to play the lead in the movie adaptation. “Connor, I’m hoping there’s more to this big announcement?”
Anger swirls in the room, from Connor to his parents and back again. And I know that I need to help Caylee get this back on track.
“Tell them the rest.,” I encourage Connor. “Just do it.”
Connor snorts, much like his father just did. “They don’t even deserve to know.”
“Maybe not,” I concede, “but you deserve to tell them. And besides, Caylee should know the truth, if nothing else.”
Our conversation has at least shut Robert and Debra up as they look from Connor to me, realizing that there might actually be something they don’t know. Connor inhales deeply and looks at his sister, then me, and continues on.
“You’re right. Okay, here it is. I’ve been lying to you for a long time, and no, I’m not a consultant. I work for the FBI, mainly undercover. Or well, I was until last week when I essentially retired.”
The room goes so still and quiet that we could be filming one of those mannequin challenge videos. No one breathes or moves a muscle. Suddenly, Robert starts laughing. Debra tries to smile, not sure if this is some elaborate joke we’re playing.
Robert looks to me, his eyes bleary with disbelief and scotch. “Girl, you’d best get away from that one. He’s no good. Worse than I thought if that’s the line he’s telling you.”
That’s when I crack, and I’m on my feet, angrily snatching the tumbler away from Robert. I only mean to take it, but the momentum of the movement and the slick crystal make it slip through my fingers, and I accidentally throw it across the room to shatter against the stone fireplace. “Oops!” But however unintentional, the dramatics work, getting all eyes on me. I decide to act like I totally meant to do that and hiss at Robert, “He’s telling the truth, and you’re too much of an asshole to believe him. Just because you decided a long time ago to write him off doesn’t mean everyone else should.”
“Poppy!” Caylee protests, but I keep going.
I point at Connor. “I loved him when I thought he was a petty thief. I loved him when I thought he was an art thief, and I love him now that I know the truth . . . that he works undercover for the feds. What a pity that his own flesh and blood can’t love him the same as someone he met only a few weeks ago.” My voice has gotten louder with each ugly accusation until I’m yelling at them all and standing in front of Connor protectively, ready to fight for his honor.
Debra’s eyes are wide, likely not used to anyone talking to her like this. Or maybe it’s that she’s not accustomed to having a screaming banshee in her living room? She stands up, not moving toward us but not able to stay in her seat either.
“Wait, what? I’m lost . . . petty theft, art, FBI? What do you mean you only met a few weeks ago?”
Connor sighs behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. His voice is flat and hard as he tells his mom, “That’s what you got out of what Poppy told you?”
Debra blinks rapidly, still stunned. “Well, give me a minute. This is a lot to take in.”
Robert huffs. “You’re not actually believing this, are you?”
But when Debra looks from her husband to her son, something happens. She sees the truth, that Robert is a shell of his former self, the good man Connor has told me he once was, and that her son is standing in front of her with all his walls down, simply asking his mother for love.
“I do, Robert,” she says quietly, turning away from her husband