Chapter 9 #3
Cayden was relieved to find Mrs. Wynn alone in the kitchen.
Not wanting to startle her, he gave her a small greeting as he approached the counter and started to chop the veggies on the cutting board.
He’d been trying to help her out more in the kitchen, wanting to keep his take-out bills down when he no longer lived under her roof.
“Will you tell me about AJ?”
Mrs. Wynn stopped kneading the bread dough under her hands. “What has Trixie told you about him?”
“Not much,” he said honestly. “I don’t think she will. She says it’ll bring up bad memories for me.”
Mrs. Wynn scowled at that. “More like for her.”
Cayden stopped chopping. “What do you mean?”
“AJ is Trixie’s youngest older brother. They are four years apart, so she was closer to him than she was to Marco or Lee.
Lee was deployed for most of Trix’s childhood and Marco…
Well, not to speak ill of the dead, but let’s say Marco had other priorities than his baby sister.
” Mrs. Wynn shook her head, “Wasn’t right, what happened to AJ.
” She made a gesture out of the kitchen doorway.
“I take in a lot of boys here. I try to help them. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t.
I resigned myself years ago that I cannot be responsible for their mistakes.
But AJ?” She sighed. “I don’t think that boy ever learned that lesson. ”
Veggies forgotten, Cayden asked, “What happened?”
“Modern day Romeo and Juliet. Poor Latino boy falls in love with the rich white businessman’s daughter.
” Mrs. Wynn turned her attention back to the dough.
“Addy Wilson’s her name. They were star-crossed lovers from day one.
No matter what her parents did to keep them separated, they always found a way to be together.
AJ never gave up on her. After they graduated high school—mind you, it was different schools because her parents transferred her out when their relationship was discovered—she was sent to college across the country.
AJ followed her. Her parents even got a restraining order against him. It was hopeless.”
Mrs. Wynn let out a long sigh. “It will be eight years this Christmas.
They were going to leave, run away together.
AJ had saved up every penny he had and bought her a ring.
She was going to drop out of college, leave everything behind just to be with him.
I guess she wanted one last Christmas with her parents.
Who could blame the girl? Parents are supposed to be supportive and kind.
But her parents were… Well, they were strict to say the least. AJ was not of their social class, race, or standards.
They saw him as a lowlife Latino punk who was going nowhere with his life and would drag their high-class daughter down with him.
“Anyway, it was Christmas Day. Addy left her parents’ house to meet up with AJ.
I don’t recall now what excuse she said she gave them to get away that night.
Regardless, her father followed her and found them together.
Her father, he was drunk. Really, really drunk.
He attacked Addy, started punching and strangling her.
Of course, AJ came to her defense. They scuffled and her father hit his head.
” She winced. “He died on the way to the hospital.”
Bile rose in his throat. “Why wasn’t it ruled self-defense?”
“Because no one believed the Latino boy who already had a restraining order against the man’s daughter.
Because no one, not even AJ, could deny he was in violation of the restraining order.
Witnesses came forward saying they heard AJ threatening her father’s life.
Also, Addy was too hurt to come to his defense right away.
No matter how many times AJ and Addy claimed that she was there of her own freewill, the jury still believed he’d kidnapped her, and her father had come to her defense. Made him out to be a local hero.
“Mrs. Wilson pulled in every favor she could to have AJ locked up on every charge she could get away with, and then she had the key thrown away. She tried for the death penalty too, but thankfully that failed. Every time Addy tried to appeal his case, Mrs. Wilson would do something to shut it down. She did a lot press conferences, gained so much public sympathy… There was even a march to demand justice for the brutal death of her beloved husband.”
She hung her head as she said, “I’m ashamed to say that after fighting so hard for him, I stopped.
My heart couldn’t take it anymore. Bad circumstances and rotten luck landed that boy where he is.
No amount of love is going to break those bars keeping him inside.
Addy and Trixie, well, they view his situation differently.
Addy blames herself, her upbringing, and her parents.
She even put herself through law school so she could try to find a way to legally get him out.
But Trixie? She blames herself. She knew of their plans.
She knew they were planning on eloping and she didn’t try to stop them.
She was sixteen at the time. She only saw their situation through a clouded teenager’s lovesick eyes.
Trixie feels she should have done something to try to stop them. ”
Cayden closed his eyes, hanging his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. Of course, Trixie blamed herself. “So he’s doing life for a crime he didn’t commit?”
“Oh, he committed it. There’s no doubt that he killed Mr. Wilson, but it was self-defense.
That man was trying to kill his own daughter!
” Mrs. Wynn wiped her hands on her apron.
“I don’t think Zyn or Bobby got over what happened to AJ.
In my opinion, Zyn gave up his fight with cancer too soon.
I think the man was just too heartbroken to go on.
” She shook her head. “Rotten situation all around, but it was the first domino in a series of tragic events in Trixie’s life.
First her brother is arrested and sentenced to life in prison, then her father is diagnosed with lung cancer and dies, then she finds her grandfather dead in his sleep, and then her other brother is murdered in cold blood for testifying against a gangbanger.
” Mrs. Wynn scoffed, “Just rotten luck, I suppose.”
A lot of rotten luck. If what Mrs. Wynn believed was true, AJ should have never been convicted. The restraining order certainly complicated the situation, but the father had been trying to kill his daughter.
“What happened to Addy?”
“Moved out of state, I think. Works at a law firm. I don’t know the entire story, mind, but I do know that AJ forbade her from coming back to visit him and told her to move on with her life.” She gave a half-heart shrug. “Like I said, modern-day Romeo and Juliet.”
Cayden completely agreed. “Does Trixie visit him?”
Mrs. Wynn shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. She tried, but he wouldn’t see her. After so many refusals, I think she stopped going.”
“What about Lee? Trix said he wasn’t a Marine anymore, but she didn’t tell me what he was doing.”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t seen or heard from Lee in years, not since Marco’s funeral.
That man’s…” She hesitated before deciding on the word, “haunted. He was so thin and weary at the funeral. I got the impression he was homeless, to be honest. Wouldn’t talk to anyone, not even Trixie.
He got up in the middle of the service, pressed his hand to the coffin lid, and then walked out.
I don’t think anyone has seen him since. ”
Fuck. “So she’s virtually alone.”
“Is she?” For the first time since starting this conversation, Mrs. Wynn looked happy. “Trixie told me what you did for her last night.”
Cayden cleared his throat, uncomfortable with her praise. “I wished I could have stayed overnight.”
She patted his cheek. “I know, honey. You’ve got just barely a month left. You must be excited.”
He nodded. “I am. Mind you, I’ll probably starve to death the moment I leave here and your cooking.” To emphasize his point, Cayden picked up a carrot and bit off the end.
Mrs. Wynn giggled, flicking her dish towel in his direction. “I’m really happy for you two. I hope she feels like her luck has changed now that she has you.”
“It’s the other way around,” Cayden told Trixie’s surrogate aunt. “I’m the lucky one. I’ll never take that or her for granted, I swear to you.”
“You’re a good boy, Cayden Russo. Past sins aside, you are still good.” She reached forward and touched her hand to his heart. “Do yourself a favor and tell her you love her. It’ll give you both some peace.”
His eyes narrowed mockingly at her. “How do you know I haven’t already told her?”
Mrs. Wynn let out a laugh. “Because that girl would have told me if you had.” She tweaked his nose. “Plus, you look weighted. Just tell her. They’re three little words that can move mountains. She needs to hear them as much as you need to say them.”
Cayden paused, not sure he was talking to the right person but needing some advice. “What if… What if she doesn’t say it back?”
“Then you keep telling her until she does.” Mrs. Wynn turned back to the dough. “But you have nothing to worry about, dear. That girl’s head over heels for you.”
Cayden smiled widely. “Thanks, Mrs. Wynn.”
She waved him off. “Now shoo. If dinner’s late tonight, I’m blaming you.”
Cayden walked out of the kitchen, feeling marginally better.
AJ’s story was tragic, but Mrs. Wynn was right.
Cayden and AJ had nothing in common except their time in prison.
Likely Trixie was keeping AJ’s situation to herself to keep away her own bad memories.
He wanted her to share her burden with him, but also understood the pain her brother’s tragedy cost.