175 Years

Please Stay

Macy took a sip of her water as she sat down at the courtroom cafeteria.

"You don't believe them, do you?" Leo asked, taking a seat across from her.

His usual twinkling eyes were clouded with grief, hopelessness.

Macy rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

When Leo didn't say anything, Macy's eyes met his in worry. "What do you make of all this?"

"Are you asking what I think happened?"

Macy nodded her head.

"Exactly what you think. My father did it. And what's stupid is I think I always had a hint of it, that something was never truly right with him, his holy priesthood. I was stupid.."

"Don't say that."

"It's true. And now, I'm the joke of it all. He's trying to pin his faults on me."

Macy squeezed his hand tighter. "They think I'm disillusioned by love. I know they think that, but I have a really strong feeling, a conviction, that this will all work itself out."

Leo chuckled solemnly. "Can you share some of that conviction with me?"

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On one hand, Macy couldn't sleep unless they called the police. On the other hand, she would be too fatigued to accurately answer any questions.

Luckily, Leo made the decision for both of them and called the cops. Within fifteen minutes, two police cars lit up the parking lot of the grimy diner.

As Leo recounted the incident several times to different investigators, Macy sat with her hot chocolate, obviously in a state of shock.

"Was this lady with you?"

Leo stopped and thought for a moment before responding. "She was the one with me, but I'm not sure she's not in the state to make a statement right now."

"Understandable. You holding up okay there, little lady?"

Macy flashed the officer a look of disgust at the pet name. Nothing about her felt like a little lady right now. It felt like a crazy woman spiraling out of control.

"I think we just need a good nights rest."

"Can I give you a ride home?"

Leo quickly took up the offer and brought Macy to the cop car with him. Throughout the drive, he mentally prepared how he was going to explain the situation to Macy's mom.

As they reached Macy's house, Leo went to knock on the door, but Macy grabbed the key out of her pocket and swiftly unlocked and swung the door open.

"Macy? Is that you?"

Leo walked alongside Macy into the kitchen, where her mom was reading a magazine at the island counter. Leo had met Macy's mom once before when he had walked her home. She was pleasant and seemed to take a liking to him then. He hoped this would work in his favor.

"Oh my, what happened?" Miss Lane said, examining her daughter's state from head to toe.

"You might want to sit down for this.."

"Leo, you tell me what happened—"

"Don't, Mom. I can't handle this.. Negativity right now."

Macy's comment made Miss Lane think for a second, slumping as Macy did when she attempted to relax.

"Tonight, Macy had planned for us to go to this abandoned house on the county line.."

Leo started explaining the events of the night. When Miss Lane heard about the dead body, her expression resembled Macy's like a twin. Leo left out the part where Macy thought Leo's father might have had something to do with it.