Stealing Kisses

Chapter 22

Tim POV: 

Dan sits in the room on his own for a while. He sips his coffee and leans back in his chair, resting his head on the back of the chair like he's about to drift off. I watch the door eagerly for Faith, praying she'll come back through it. Dan begins to tap his wedding ring lightly against his coffee cup, the sound resonating for a moment. 

Faith sits across from a woman in a cafe. The woman looks worn and rail thin. She taps her coffee cup nervously, causing Faith to stare as she tries to keep her composure. Faith takes a sip of her coffee, before sighing, a heavy feeling on her chest. 

"So how's the family?" The woman asks, as Faith shrugs. She pushes her hair behind her ear, before clinging to the cup again. She stares at the coffee inside, and watches the creamer swirl slowly. 

"The girls are really good." She replies, clearing her throat a little. The woman smiles, before tilting her head to the side the same way Faith does when she's curious. 

"How's Tim?" She pries, as Faith looks up at her. She breathes deeply, as her mind circles around what she should tell her. She tries to remember why she called the woman for coffee in the first place, forcing herself to take the route of honesty. 

"He's not great." She lets out, watching the woman's smile start to fade. Faith stares down at the table and tries to think of the best way to word it. "He was institutionalized two months ago for a... I think the doctor said it was a psychotic episode due to extreme anxiety." She explains, as the woman listens closely. 

"How long is he supposed to stay there?" She asks, as Faith laughs a little at herself. 

"I pulled him out." She confesses quietly. The woman raises her eyebrows in shock. "He wasn't progressing. They thought if I stopped visiting, he'd focus on treatment, but it just made his condition so much worse." She continues, while the woman nods. 

"So, what's your plan then?" She questions, as Faith shrugs. 

"I guess that's why I reached out." She says, before tapping her coffee mug. "I know Jeff had–" She starts before the woman cuts in. 

"Your father." She interjects, like she was correcting a vital fact. Faith hesitates, before continuing. 

"He had a breakdown at one point, and you handled it on your own... How'd you go about it?" Faith asks, as the woman leans back in the booth. She looks down at her lap, before looking around the cafe. 

"His happened when he was getting sober." She says, laughing a little before touching her wedding ring. "I tried my best to keep you as far from him as possible during that time. I think maybe taking the kids somewhere else for a week or so wouldn't be a terrible idea. With Jeff, I'd stay close to him all day, so he knew I was there. I talked to him and tried to distract him the best I could." She releases, sighing as she looks at the wedding band on her finger. "Do you know what's causing the anxiety?" She questions. Faith shrugs again, wishing she knew. 

"His psychologist said that he fears losing..." Faith stops herself, feeling a little nauseated by the thought. "He's crippled by the thought of losing me or the girls." She says, while the woman nods. "I don't know if you saw, but a few years ago..." She starts, before feeling a wave of stress come over her. "A few years ago, a man attacked us backstage at one of our shows. He stabbed me thirteen times. Tim saw the whole thing, and tried to interfere, before the attacker turned on him and damn near killed him." She explains, rubbing her palms on her jeans. "Since then, he is terrified of losing the kids or me. I guess that made his fears a little more real." She adds, as the woman frowns. 

"What kind of symptoms does he have?" She presses, as Faith takes a sip of her coffee that's growing cold. 

"He trembles." She spits out, setting down her cup. She clears her throat, before pushing her hair back after it falls in front of her face again. "His hands shake constantly, and they'll shake worse when he grows more anxious. Then, if he has a severe episode, he can have seizures." She explains, her voice growing shaky. She plays it off, taking another sip of her coffee. The woman watches her carefully, before sighing. 

"Was there anything in the past, maybe in his childhood, that started this fear?" She questions, as Faith hugs herself. 

"I'd rather not..." She starts, before the woman seems to frown. "His stepfather was insanely abusive. All he had was his mother until he passed away." She admits, a pit growing in her stomach. 

"Be patient with him. I mean, you're the most patient person I know, so I really don't have to say that, but..." The woman rambles, before stopping herself. "That's the best thing you can do for him. Be patient, and be present. Don't let him become attached at the hip, but make sure he knows you're not going anywhere." She says, as Faith nods. "How are you holding up through all of this?" She asks, as Faith shrugs. "Have you talked to Mere? I'm sure she'd--" The woman says, as Faith grows tense. She shakes her head, shutting her eyes for a moment. 

"I'm not talking to Mere." She asserts, as she's forced to remember what her life was before Nashville. She breathes deeply, trying to keep level-headed. 

"She's your sister, Faith. You should really reach out and --" The woman presses, as Faith shuts her eyes, clenching her fists under the table, feeling her concrete facade start to chip away. 

"Anne, I'm going to need you to stop." Faith spits out, causing the woman to recoil. She stares at Faith, as Faith tries her best not to come out of her skin. Faith continues to breathe deeply, as the woman whispers something under her breath. Faith glances up, trying to figure out what she said. 

"You used to call me Mom..." She releases quietly, as Faith glares, holding back decades of anger that's been boiling inside. Faith digs out her wallet, grabs a wad of cash and lays it on the table, seeming frantic. 

"Breakfast is on me." She says dismissively, quickly slipping out of the booth and pulling her purse over her shoulder. She marches out of the diner, before her mother rushes out after her. 

"Faith, slow down." She demands, as Faith searches for her keys while charging ahead. "Faith, stop." She continues, before snapping. "Audrey Faith, stop!" She screams, causing Faith to pause. She turns back toward her mother, waiting for one more reason to unload. "Just because you've moved on from Mississippi and live in some mansion in the city doesn't mean you can turn your back on your family." Her mother shouts, causing Faith's jaw to drop. She turns toward her car once more, only to hear her mother's voice continue. "After all that we have done for you... your father, Mere, and I made sacrifices for you." Her mother's voice grows shrill, as Faith stops once more. Her lip trembles, as all the heated words she's kept trapped in her head come rushing out. 

"Before or after the heroin?" She spits out, turning back around to look her mother in the eye. "Were you sacrificing when you let us starve so you and Jeff could get high? Were you sacrificing when you both would disappear for days and leave us home on our own?" She spews, her mother staring daggers toward her. "I'm raising three daughters now, and not a single one has been through the shit you put us through, and I intend to keep it that way." She asserts. "My family, and you, Jeff, and Mere, are two completely separate entities that will never mix, if I have a say in the matter." She adds, before turning around once more. 

"You're so goddamn ungrateful." Her mother remarks, causing Faith to unleash. 

"Ungrateful?" She replies, starting to walk toward her mother. Faith is at a complete loss of words for a moment, before bursting at the seams. "Was I ungrateful when you and Dad locked me in the basement so you could get high in peace?" She shouts, causing her mother to look around in search of ears that could overhear the argument. 

"Stop it, Audrey." She says, noticing people staring from the diner windows. 

"Was I ungrateful when Mere whored me out for fucking heroin? Was I ungrateful when she heard me get --" She screams, before tears pour out and she loses the ability to speak. She feels hollow, as her legs tremble under her. She wheezes, grabbing her chest, as her mother looks on in horror. She steps toward Faith, as if to embrace her, causing Faith to stick her hands out in front of her. "Don't touch me!" She shrieks, before rushing toward her car.