Tomorrow, Dante's Ex Goes Away

"Sorry for being early, but they called and said they were finished," Collin apologized as she got in the car.

"No problem, we need to get on with this," Tomorrow said and turned in her seat and looked back at Dante's apartment. 

Tomorrow sat with Deloris and attached labels to the shiny new brochures folding them in thirds as they worked and passed it down and Maggie placed a piece of tape to keep it closed for mailing. They had their assembly line going. 

Besides the projects she made in college to show she understood what the professor was teaching. This was her first work for actual clients. 

Collin offered to take her home at the end of the day, so she was finding busy work and talking to whomever until time was up. 

 "Oh, Collin, that is so sweet, but right now my life is such a mess. You have to know my story, everyone in town does. Right now, dating is the last thing I need. But thanks for asking." Tomorrow got out of the car and took a deep breath. She knew that was coming, he was being overly friendly all the way home. She turned and stuck her head back in the car. 

"Someday I'll be ready," she told him and smiled. "Thanks for your help. I enjoyed putting this together with you. Later," she told him and closed the door. She sashayed into the house knowing he was watching.

Her mother's bedroom door was closed. "Mom, I'm home, can I come in," she asked as she slowly opened her door. 

Her mother sat in a robe at her dressing table, a bag of make-up in front of her. She turned and smiled, "I hoped you wouldn't be too long. I think we should go out to eat tonight, enjoy ourselves for a change. You know, have a few margaritas or go to Joe's and have some ribs. I don't know, baby lets go do something," her mother suggested with a smile. 

"Well, it is good to see you're feeling better. Sure, let me clean up and let's go." She turned and ran upstairs, thanking God she is doing better. Tomorrow hated it when her mother was in her down periods. It had been a long time since she had seen her like that. Today told her a few times that she felt she was sinking, but she made sure she was taking her pills again and she bounced back quickly. She assumed that is what happened this time. 

She looked through her closet for 'going out' clothes. Nothing sexy, just cute. She wanted attention, but not her mother's disapproval. God, she needs to move out. She had six years of doing what she wanted except for holidays. Once her father died those were sized down to a few hours at a time. Her father kept things light and fun, her mom was a control freak. She was always too concerned about keeping things proper as she still is. Unless a doctor might become a son-in-law. Tomorrow bemoaned. Shaking away a growing bad mood, she found something proper to wear. She washed her face and reapplied fresh make-up. Far be it for her to show up not looking her best. Her mother would be appalled. 

La Casona was packed as usual, not as bad as Joe's barbeque place, but the margarita they ordered at the bar put a damper on her mother's frustration. Tomorrow never could figure out where her mother got this sense of entitlement she carried around with her. Funny thing was it never seemed to accomplish anything. Not once did anyone jump through hoops for her. Often, they felt their food might have been spit in, but so far, no proof. 

Being a party of two turned out to be a good thing. They were seated well before the parties of four and six.

"Hi, I'm Jennie, your server. I see you have a drink, could I bring you something else or another margarita." 

"Hey Jen," Tomorrow shyly said.

The server looked over at Tomorrow, "Oh girl how are you." She asked and took a good look at her, "you look great when I heard about what happened to you, I expected the worst."

"Well, it was the worst for a while, but she bounced back quickly. Nothing keeps my baby down," Peggy shot back.

"Thanks Mom." She looked up at the girl, "I'm much better. It is good to see you. Mom Jennie and I were both on the pep-squad together. I was a senior and you were a freshman, I think."

"I was and you helped us so much. We had all these dances to learn and the squad leader thought showing us twice should be enough," Jennie complained.

"Oh, I know she was the worst. She expected us to be professionals," Tomorrow said and laughed, "she was the worst." 

"She was and they replaced her the next year."

"Oh, you lucky things, she was our leader the whole four years," Tomorrow complained.

"Yeah, we were. So, you're better now," Jennie asked, looking concerned.

"I'm better, I still get tired quickly, but I'm doing well."

"That's good to hear. My husband had a co-worker who had a head injury and is still out of work. You remember Melissa Hollis, she was the little blonde who thought she was all that."

"Oh yes I do, she was always trying to steal everyone's boyfriend."

"Yeah, you remember, anyway he is her baby's daddy. I heard he was really cute." 

"I swear mom, this girl went after any boy that showed another girl some interest. It was like oh no you have to pay attention to me."

"Exactly. She got hers. She got fat for a while, now I hear she is into drugs."

"Well, you know how it is, bad karma comes around." Tomorrow smarted back thinking that was her problem.

"So true, so can I bring you anything?"

"Just water for me," Tomorrow told her, and her mother agreed.

Once she walked away. Tomorrow mentioned, "I forgot to ask who she married." 

"She'll be back," Peggy offered.

She needs to ask her what the guy's name was, it sounds like Dante to her. If his ex is into drugs that would be a good reason for the judge to react like he did with her. Yep, she needs to ask.

Seeing her coming with the two glasses of water, she sat up straighter and smiled. "Do you know what that guy's name is with the head injury?"

Jenny squinted her eyes, thinking. "I think Dante, maybe."

"Yeah, I thought so. I met him in rehab and yes, he is cute. But he has a long way to go before he will ever walk again. If your husband was a friend, he could use a call. He has the baby now and could use some friends. I'll write down his number and give it to you later," Tomorrow offered.

"Oh, good he tried to call him a while back, but the phone was disconnected."

"Yeah, he lost everything for a while. He is doing better. He should call him," Tomorrow urged. 

"Sure, give me the number," Jenny agreed, "So he has the baby wow she has gotten worse."

"Sounds like it. What is your husbands' name?" 

"Trevor Stoical, he worked with him for about a year. So, you kept in touch with him?"

"No, we ran into each other at the courthouse by accident and I have spoken to him a few times on the phone since." 

Tomorrow handed her the number. "He would enjoy the call. He lost all his numbers when he lost his phone."

"I'll give it to him. Have you decided what you would like to order?"

"Mom go ahead." Tomorrow suggested and scanned her menu.

"So, you have been talking to this man?" Her mother asked as if she was condemning her.

"Yes, he has called a couple of times after he put his little girl to bed. He is a nice man Mother. We talk about life and encourage each other to go on. He has his hands full. Being unable to walk and chasing after a two-year-old is not easy. You know, being a friend to someone in need," she said with anger. What difference does it make to her mother if she talks to someone on the phone?

"That is very nice of you."

"It is and I plan to go visit him soon. He needs to go shopping and I told him I would help." 

"You can't drive, how will you help?"

"Handi-Ride will take us. That is how," she shot back a little too fast and the good mood of the evening was over. She hated the dance you had to do with her mother.

They both fumed through the meal. Tomorrow was angry because of her mother's need to control issues. Peggy fumed because Tomorrow was sneaking around behind her back. Of course, Tomorrow didn't think it was sneaking, she was just getting on with her life. But for Tomorrow this was the final straw. Moving was going to be her main objective she decided as she watched her mother eat more like move her food around her plate.

"Why are you so mad?" Tomorrow asked in an angry whisper.

"You didn't tell me you talked to this man on the phone."

"What business is it of yours? I talk to Gentry and David often too. So, what. We have talked a few times. He is my friend. Given a chance I will make female friends too, and guess what Mom, I will talk to them too. You forget I was on my own for six years," She said sarcastically.

"Right and see where that got you," Peggy snidely remarked.

"That was low Mother," she pushed her plate to the middle of the table and crossed her arms across her chest leaning back in her chair. That was it for her. And my mother wonders why her two youngest go to summer school instead of coming home for the summer. Tomorrow wanted to retort, but held her tongue, she was not speaking to her anymore this was the final straw. 

Tomorrow walked up the stairs to her room, she hadn't spoken to her mother the rest of the night. Childish but her mother hadn't spoken to her either. That is Ok the rest of the night consisted of the ride home. She took a quick shower and went to bed. She felt dirty after being with her mother. 

Sitting with her old laptop on her lap, she found the police site and typed in Melissa Hollis and read over three other people's arrest records narrowing it down to a twenty-three-year-old. She had no idea when her birthday was, but she knew she was younger than her. Three arrests, two with drug issues and one for child endangerment.

She wondered where Mandy was during the first arrest. Two weeks before the last one. Her phone rang and she dove for it. Gentry was calling her excitement level fell.

"Hello."

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Good." And she told him about the brochure she made for Brice.

"Good for you, now all you need is a dozen more places to make them for."

"That is true. Maybe I will take a few from Brice and go around and drum up business for myself." 

"Remember that is what websites are for."

"Hum, true, but if you don't know to look there you don't look."

"True you can always try," he told her with a touch of humor.

"So anyways, we went out to dinner and my mother ticked me off."

"Well, that was to be expected. I'm shocked it didn't happen sooner."

"Oh, it has, just tonight was the topper. She is such a control freak," Tomorrow complained working herself back up.

"So, what are you going to do?"

That was the question, and did she want him to know the answer.

"I'm working on it. If I could drive it would be no problem."

"But for now, you're kind of dependent on her."

"And I hate that," her phone beeped. "I need to let you go its Today, talk to you later," Tomorrow lied as her heart began to pound.

"Hey sweetheart," she chimed.

"Well, how are you?"

"I'm good now," and went into a tirade about her mother. 

Dante sat back and listened and smiled. This should inspire her to move sooner.

"But I did run into an old friend from school, we were on the pep squad together." Visions of Tomorrow in a short skirt kicking up her legs drew his attention. "Her husband Trevor knows you." 

"He sure does, he is the one who dropped the pulley."

"Oh dang," she wondered if Jenny knew. "Well, she also knows Melissa." 

"Yes, she does. She was with her the night we met."

"Ok, she left that part out. But she said Melissa has a drug problem now. So, I looked her up on the police website and she has been arrested twice for drugs and then once for child endangerment," she said quickly and hoped he wouldn't be mad at her for being nosy.

"What made you look her up?"

"Boredom mainly. You didn't tell me her name and once I found it out, I wanted to see what they had on her."

"Did you look me up?" He asked, setting Tomorrow off. She hadn't been looking for trouble; he was the one who brought up her record today at his apartment. "No, should I?" She wonders what he is hiding. Immediately she typed his name in. Finding only one Dante Cabot. She knew he could hear her typing.

"So, what did you find?"

"Sounds like a drunken brawl."

"Exactly, no conviction."

"Ok, let me type my name in." Clicking away.

"Nothing, not even a ticket. Ok, now you know." 

"So how is Trevor's wife?"

"Working as a waitress at night at a Mexican food place," Tomorrow told him. "Anyways, I knew Melissa back in school too. She was a cutie," she said and let it go at that.

"Yeah, she was cute until we got out of bed."

"Wow, which was rude," she shot back. She had been trying to be gentle. 

"Yep, and so was she. So, she has two arrests for drugs," Dante changed the subject.

"Yes, two weeks before the one when she left Mandy alone."

"OK, well that kind of explains the judge's reaction. Does it say what kind of drugs?"

"Nope, just drug charges. You said she had lost a lot of weight, a number of them cut the appetite."

"True. I just hate to think that Mandy is going to have to deal with a messed-up mother," he sounded sad. She wondered if he dealt with the same problem as a child. Maybe that is why he lives here, and she lives on the other side of the country. 

"Yeah, it does make life difficult. Even if she doesn't see her, just knowing she has a drug problem does things to kids."

"Yes, it does," Dante said as if he knew all too well.

Tomorrow let it drop, "so how was your therapy?" 

"Exhausting; but I think I did well. The new guy is very pushy and expects me to work. He gave me one exercise that Mandy loves. She sits on my feet, and I lift her up and down. That really works my knees and hips. Of course, she wants me to do it all the time. But that is good, she keeps me motivated," he said light heartedly. She always hears how much he loves her in his voice. 

"My dad used to do that to us kids two or three at a time. Of course, it didn't last long either," Tomorrow told him with the vision in her head, "good times."

"She sure thinks so too," he knew his hips were going to kill him tomorrow.

"So, do you have plans for tomorrow?" She asked. 

"No, I was waiting to find out yours."

"I was thinking about catching a cab and going to your place.

I would really like to get out of here. I haven't been in a store in literally months. I have money and I would like to spend some," 

Dante chuckled hearing her frustration. "Well far be it from me to hold you back from your shopping therapy." 

"Good I hoped you had that opinion. Spending a little money is good for a woman," she assured him.

"Apparently, Melissa sure thought it was. Maybe that is why she turned to drugs. She couldn't shop as much as she wanted," Dante mused. "So, what is the plan?"

"I was thinking. I will call a cab in the morning and come over there. Then you can call Handi-Ride and go to the Wal-Mart shopping center."

"That sounds good to me."

"We will go in the morning, have lunch, and then come home so Mandy can nap," she suggested and hoped Dante took the hint. She was bold, but not bold enough to suggest outright what she had in mind. But in their best world lunch would be at 12:00 tomorrow and Mandy is asleep before they get home. 

"I think that was a perfect idea. I have a day off, no therapy so perfect."