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Then again, Carly Adler is no ordinary roommate. Certainly not after last night.
I microwave and then eat one of two containers of chicken teriyaki stir fry. Jada made enough for two meals. I’d requested it before we ran to Buffalo, thinking it’d be funny to feed that to Carly after what’d happened back in San Diego. I remember that whole scene fondly as I eat.
I’m having a glass of bourbon, looking out my window when the phone rings. It’s the front desk.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Carmichael, Miss Sienna Greer is here to see you. Can I send her up?”
Fuck. Fuck me.
37
CARLY
I get out of the taxi with my laptop bag and my suitcase in front of Aiden’s apartment building in New York City. I told Alice I would book my own flight back to San Diego as she was swamped at work when I talked to her earlier.
It was a good thing I didn’t get her to book my flight, because spending half the day with my parents, I realized I wasn’t needed there.
We saw Caitlin at the hospital, too. Mom had talked to Caitlin’s probation officer that morning on the phone and Cait would be going to county jail for her probation breach. She would detox there with medical assistance and be dealt with by a judge. Mom decided to stop in and give Cait a quick piece of her mind. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was determined.
Cait was awake and she was venomous about needing more pain medication. She barely acknowledged our presence. Her normally light brown silky curly hair looked lank and dirty. Her eyes had grey circles around them. They were dull and sunken in. She looked like a junkie… a junkie that was pretty far gone.
Mom, as together as she’s been trying to keep it, was in tears and yelled at her about what she did to my father.
Cait tried to act oblivious, staring off into space like we weren’t even there, but her jaw kept tightening, so I know she was trying to wish us away.
It ended with Cait screaming for us to get out. “You disowned me. I don’t exist anymore. That means I’m not here. So, you both just get out!”
It made for a sad afternoon as Mom filled Dad in and it didn’t help his mood.
Back home, while Mom got Dad into bed, I listened to my old voicemails from Cait --- the ones I’d avoided when I first landed in San Diego.
There were four of them.
“Carly, please call me. I need your help. Please.”
“Car? Answer the phone. Don’t fuckin’ ignore me! I got nobody else but you. You’re really gonna abandon me?”
Tears streamed down my face.
“Carly? Uh… I need your help. I… things are bad. I don’t think I can do this. I think… I think I’m no good for anything anymore. I hurt you. I hurt Mom and Dad. Maybe I should kill myself, so I can’t hurt anyone else.”
Tears came harder. Last message:
“You know what? Fuck you. Fuck you, you little selfish bitch. Guess I’ll go turn tricks to make sure I can take care of myself. That’s all I’m good for anymore. Hope you can live with yourself.”
I erased them, erased the two voicemails I’d had from Jon, one from Stephanie, without listening to them, and then heard my father grumble, “Let me alone, woman! I don’t need seventeen goddamn pillows. Christ!”
“Don’t you say the Lord’s name in vain, Darryl Adler!”
I straightened up and dashed the tears away.
Mom came out into the family room, looking exasperated.
“Made you a tea, Mom,” I said.
She sat down, looking tired.
