Piece of Pie Sophie Quinn CHAPTER 1 Run for the Roses Pie Pate Brisee 2 eggs 1/3 cup of unsalted butter (make it melted) 1 cup of sugar 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour 1 & ½ cups of pecans, slightly chopped 1 cup of chocolate chips ¼ cup of Bourbon Whiskey Note: If you’re making it for your alcoholic husband, don’t hold on the Bourbon. “Amen.” She sat, following Father Thomas’ orders. The stomp man started his sermon, and Beth’s mind started to wander. In fact, anywhere and anyplace was always better than the seat she occupied on the long wooden bench, trapped between her mother and her husband. Well, she was always trapped between them, wasn’t she? She was born the daughter of a devoted catholic mother and a not so devoted loving father. Unfortunately, the loving father had abandoned her and her sister a long time ago, due to a fulminant heart attack. John Preston Kelly had left two young twin daughters and his devoted wife all alone, without a single penny. Growing up with nothing and witnessing their mother’s efforts to put some food on the table, taught both Mary Katherine and Mary Elizabeth the value of Faith. Or so Mrs. Kelly, Patricia, would like to think. In fact, the constant nagging and – in the twins’ mind – closely lunatic devotion of Mrs. Kelly, taught the girls to pack their bags and run as fast as they could. That was what Mary Katherine did. She started working as soon as she turned fifteen, part-time. Put together a nice nest-egg and enrolled in college as she graduated high school. She kept working as a part-time waitress throughout the four years she spent at Wharton, graduating at the top of her class. Then, she went further and applied for a Masters program at Trinity College, in Dublin. She got it, and graduated, again, after a year. She was now working for five years in Dublin, as a business manager for several businesses. She met what she called ‘the love of her life and beyond’ during her year at Trinity, Paul. He was a pub barman working with his long time best friend. Charming, funny, sweet and nice, Paul Delaney had the dream to be a soccer player since childhood. He gave up that dream the day his best friend James decided to open a pub in Temple Bar. Mary Elizabeth’s life accomplishments were considerably smaller. She graduated from high school, and took her part-time job as a waitress to a full job, the rest of her life kind of job. She married a week after graduation to her one and only sweetheart Austin Peterson, got a small house, and lived in the smaller than a button Texan town. She attended Mass on Sundays and baked goods for new – even if scarce – neighbors. It was actually sad, when Beth thought of it. How far her non-identical twin had gone, when she barely crossed the street from where she used to live as a child. Night and Day, like they usually called the Kelly sisters. Beth was probably Night, for she felt numb and cold for ten years, now. Katie was definitely Day; she laughed, she played, she danced, she loved. She lived. And so far away. “I really enjoyed the Sermon, today” Patricia Kelly said, as she got into her son-in-law’s car. “So have I, Mrs. Kelly.” Austin nodded, turning the car towards the road “Hurry up and warm the pie. I’m starving.” Beth nodded and left the car. She entered the house as Austin parked the car and helped her mother get into the living room. She turned on the oven and slid the apron on as she set the silverware on the tabletop. After everything was set, lunch ready to be served and pie heated, she called her husband and mother. “I hear you, Austin.” Patricia snorted politely, taking a small bite on her meatloaf “It’s ridiculous how selfish Washington folk are. Why do the President’s security guards have the right to carry a gun? Now they want to change the law so we can’t protect our home?” “I have the constitutional right to protect my family.” Austin grunted, his shoulders heavily cranked as he ate his first slice of pie avidly “What if a rapist gets into my house in the middle of the day and tries to rape my wife?” “Austin, please. We’re eating” Beth mumbled, shaking as she cut a piece of pie to her mother. “Doll, if you killed the fu- sinner” He changed the curse into a more acceptable word, remembering his mother-in-law was present “they would throw you in jail. No self-protection bull could save you.” “I understand what you’re saying.” Beth assured him slowly, taking a bite of pie and smiling inside, proud of herself “But you have to understand that if they changed the constitution, no one was allowed to carry a gun except protection services, therefore, it’s only logical to assume less and less accidents like those terrible disasters we’ve been witnessing, would happen.” “You’re saying I’m illogical?” “No. Of course not, my love.” Beth mumbled, her fingernails dug into her dress hem “It’s just… my view of things.” “I love your daughter, Mrs. Kelly.” Austin smiled politely at his mother- in-law, intertwining his fingers with Beth’s over the table; the honey eyed brunette swallowed at the pressure her husband’s strong and violent fingers “But Beth has some crazy opinions, sometimes.” “A woman’s words are the mirror of her husband’s discipline” Mrs. Kelly mumbled, shaking her head slightly in a scold. *** Beth finished doing the dishes later, and heard Austin closing the front door, after walking his mother-in-law home. She knew he would be in a terrible mood. So much for a calm weekend… “I really don’t know what to do with you, Beth.” Beth swallowed hard, cleaning her hands on the apron and turning to face him. His thin lips and long nose were wrinkled into a fuming face. She knew if she didn’t calm him down, apologized and embarrassed herself, he would make her regret to ever have opened her mouth during lunch. “I’m sorry, Austin.” She mumbled, eyeing him straight ahead so he could see she meant it “I promise I’ll keep my mouth shut.” “Damn right you will.” He groaned, opening the liquor cabinet and taking off his Bourbon – as if he hadn’t had enough of pie “The least you can do is to obey me, since you can’t even give me kids.” “You’re right, Austin.” She nodded, taking the pie and setting it on the table again “You want another piece?” He grunted and nodded, straddling a chair and eating the generous slice with large gulps of liquor. Beth took the seat in front of him and waited, silently. He gestured for her to cut another slice, and so she did. If Austin ever found out that she was actually taking the pill for years, now, and that she wasn’t barren as both her husband and her mother believed her to be… Well, let’s just say that that big knife that was cutting yet another slice of pie, would slice her gut open by Austin’s hand. *** Beth felt and heard Austin move in the middle of the night. He was grinding her from behind, and she pretended she was asleep, making her breathing heavy and sound. He grunted and nudged her again. “I’m tired, Austin.” “I don’t care. Roll over on your back and shut up.” Beth grasped the linen sheet under her body, took deep breaths, closed her eyes and waited for him to finish. It wasn’t easy, not like they tell and show you in movies. Beth didn’t have a background sad song, and she wasn’t staring ahead with empty eyes, or better, thinking about happy things that could make her forget what was happening. She was in full aware of what was going on, on top and inside her, and whom was doing it. And worse, she knew she would suffer that same treatment, over and over, for the rest of her life. *** Austin had to leave early that morning for his job at the mall, as a security guard. He dropped Beth at her place of work around six thirty, meaning she would still have to wait for half an hour to start her morning shift at the small diner at the interstate. It was during that waiting time, that Katie called. “Happy anniversary, I guess.” “Hi, Katie.” Beth smiled “Well, it’s my wedding anniversary, if it’s a happy day, we’ll see, won’t we?” “Drop that loser and fly here. I miss your cookings. Paul misses them, too.” “When will you visit again?” “You first. C’mon, I’ve been in Dublin for six years, now. When will you get on that goddamn plane and come here?!” “You shouldn’t use the Lord’s name in vain, Mary Catherine” Beth chuckled. “Oh, bite me, Mother Theresa! I’m serious.” Katie’s voice turned softer and less commanding; she was about to beg, Beth knew “I love you. I hate your husband. So it’s a basic equation, for me: you, minus him, equals eternal bliss. Come.” Beth was still thinking about the brief conversation with her sister as she waited for Austin to pick her up.