49. Alexis
‘Things with Mum have been really good. She’s going to visit for a few days next month, so she’ll stay with me at my place. But she’s looking forward to meeting you. She even texted me all the stuff Nikki and Theo posted this morning. She already knew the truth from what I’d explained, but she was so happy to see that the rest of the world knows it now too.’
‘I can’t wait to meet her. And if she gave birth to you, she’d have to be pretty amazing.’
Alexis laughed loudly. ‘You think so? You can be quite the smooth talker when you want to be, can’t you?’
‘I try. Anyway, I was thinking we might go out for dinner tonight if you’re interested? I’ll probably have to wear a baseball cap and dark glasses, but I’m sick of being at home all the time.’
‘Oh, you poor thing. Is that huge sub-penthouse too stifling for you?’ Alexis hoped he could hear the teasing in her voice.
‘Yeah, yeah. Get your dig in. I don’t care how big a house is. If you’re stuck somewhere, it’s going to feel small regardless of its physical size.’
‘What cuisine do you feel like?’
‘You choose.’
‘Do you like spicy food?’
‘I can’t believe you don’t yet know whether I like spicy food.’
‘Do you?’
‘I love it.’
‘Perfect. Then I’m taking you to a Nepalese place that has the best chicken curry in the city.’
‘Sounds delicious.’
Alexis heard her phone beep with another call trying to get through. She looked at the screen and saw it was Valentina. ‘Hey, Valentina is calling. Do you want to stay on hold? Or do you want me to call you back?’
‘Call me back when you’re done.’
‘All right. Just a minute.’
She clicked the call over. ‘Hi Valentina.’
‘Turn on the TV.’
‘Why?’
‘Channel nine. Now.’
Alexis quickly obeyed and watched as the morning news appeared on her screen.
Holy shit.
It was her dad. In handcuffs. Being hauled into a police car.
She put the phone on speaker and sent a text to Levi, telling him to check out the news too.
She sat there, stunned, watching the reporter detailing his arrest.
‘Well-known defence lawyer Jack Hall was taken into custody this morning after a months-long investigation into his illegal dealings spanning back a quarter of a century. Most recently, he is alleged to have tampered with a high-profile murder case, which has now been reopened. Mr Hall will be remanded until trial, as prosecutors believe him to be a flight risk should he be allowed to remain in the community.’
Alexis stopped paying attention to the rest of the report. This was actually happening.
‘Are you okay?’ Valentina asked.
‘I… I’m not sure.’
‘I’ll be around today if you need me. I mean, I’m busy, but you can call me on my personal mobile anytime.’
‘Thanks, Valentina.’
She saw a text had come through from Levi.
Levi:
Do you want me to come over now?
Did she?
She hesitated over her reply but finally decided on a response.
Alexis:
I think I need a few hours on my own, but we’ll still catch up tonight. Does that sound all right?
Levi:
Anything you want is perfect. See you this evening. But if you change your mind in the meantime, I’ll be here.
She smiled. She was so lucky to have Levi. He knew exactly what it felt like to go through this craziness.
And Valentina had become like a second mother to her. Not that Valentina was particularly maternal, but she was always checking in on Alexis, and she even sent her small gifts every now and again. Alexis suspected they were bottles of wine and food items she’d received from clients that weren’t to her taste, but Alexis wasn’t complaining. Some of that stuff was expensive.
And now she had her biological mother back in her life too.
Alexis and Lily had either texted or called every day since Alexis had tracked her down in Dorrigo. They’d spent their first evening together making up for lost time and reminiscing about the few years they’d shared before Lily had left Jack. And since then, they’d wasted no time discussing all the things they’d missed in between.
Alexis wondered if Lily had been watching TV this morning. She began composing a message when one came through.
Mum:
Did you see the news?
Alexis smiled. That answered her question.
Alexis:
Yes
Her phone rang.
‘Hi, Mum.’ It felt weird saying that word, but it was a nice weird.
‘Are you relieved? Sad? A bunch of other emotions?’
‘I’m probably more numb than anything else. But I’m glad Jack is finally having to face the consequences of his behaviour.’
‘Me too. Hey, listen, I was going to wait until I saw you next, but I thought you might appreciate hearing it now. If all of Jack’s assets are about to be frozen, you might struggle to access any of his money for a while.’
‘Actually, I haven’t had access to anything for a while now. He even took back my car and stopped me from getting into my own bank accounts when I moved out.’
‘Oh! You should have told me sooner. Hopefully you can get everything back if they’re able to separate your assets from Jack’s—but in the meantime, I have a savings account I’ve been putting a little money into each week. It was always meant for you, and if I never got the chance to see you in person, I would have left it to you in my will. But I want you to have it now.’
Alexis’ eyes welled with tears. ‘You didn’t have to do that.’
‘You’re my daughter. Of course I did. I should have done a lot more, but this was something I knew might be of practical help one day.’
‘I really don’t mind if you want to use that money for yourself. You should.’
‘I am more than comfortable with the life I lead and the money I have. Wait. Let me just check the current balance. When I come visit, I’ll give you the card, and we’ll officially add your name to the account.’
Alexis heard rustling for a moment before Lily returned to the phone.
‘It’s currently at $51,755.61.’
Alexis wasn’t sure she’d heard properly.
‘You saved over fifty thousand dollars?’
‘Well, it has been twenty-five years. The interest rates were decent for a while too, although then they dropped?—’
‘I can’t take fifty thousand dollars from you!’
‘Yes, you can. It’s the very least I can do.’
Alexis wasn’t able to speak for a moment. She felt so loved today.
Lily kept talking. ‘Anyway, I’d like to chat for a bit longer, but I have to get to work. I’ll check in again later.’
Alexis nodded and then realised Lily wouldn’t be able to see. ‘Okay.’
Her mother hung up, and Alexis flopped backward on the couch, staring at the ceiling.
This was almost too much to process. Just a few months ago, she’d gone from having nothing and no one to now possessing a very healthy bank account, a gorgeous and loving boyfriend, and several people who genuinely cared for her.
She was still working in her concierge business, but after being in touch with Valentina the last few weeks, Alexis had remembered the parts of the law that had attracted her in the first place. Even though she’d originally done the degree to please her dad, the idea of fighting for justice was the real reason she’d persevered.
She knew Valentina would be able to connect her with someone in her firm if she were to return to the law, but she also knew that some of the people who were most desperate for legal help were those who couldn’t afford it. And having learned what her mother went through, Alexis wondered if she might like to work for Legal Aid assisting women and children who had been victims of domestic violence.
She felt strangely nervous about sharing the news with anyone, but she was slowly growing more and more sure of her future path.
And with Levi by her side, she knew they’d be able to provide unconditional support for each other, no matter how hard things became.
She glanced over at the teddy bear he’d given her twenty-five years ago. It now sat permanently on her couch as a reminder of their first connection.
She loved Levi more than she’d ever loved anyone— and while it could have been a scary thing, she knew he would always try and be there for her.
An alarm on her phone beeped. It was almost time for her weekly appointment with Princess Blueberry. She was going to miss that Bichon Frise if she switched back to law.
She jumped up and headed for the shower.
The rest of her life was waiting.
And it was going to be awesome.