THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY

PART XI

PG-13 for no apparent reason.

Based on a true story

P.S., don't forget to watch the Olympics on NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, USA, Bravo, Telemundo, NBCHD, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, ABC Family, CBS, CNN, Nickelodeon, The WB, UPN, HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and CourtTV.

Mary's heart nearly stopped at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. She hoped against hope that she wasn't setting herself up for a let down, and went to the nearest window.

At the sight of Carlos stepping out of Lucy's car, Mary was extremely relieved. Not overjoyed, but relieved.

One of her problems had been solved... for the time being.

That only meant, though, that another problem would come up very, very quickly.

Now that Carlos was back from the slammer, Mary would have to tell him about the meeting she and he were to have with her parents the next day. A meeting that would very likely end up with Carlos being told he had to leave.

The specter of this hung over Carlos' entrance. He was accompanied, unfortunately for Mary, by Lucy.

Mary and Carlos embraced, but not too comfortably. Mary knew her troubles were just getting started. Knowing that made it hard for anything to be comfortable.

"Oh, baby, I was so scared." Carlos said, his hands traveling to his wife's posterior. This seemed inappropriate, considering that Lucy was standing right there.

"I know. I know you were..." Mary said, with no actual knowledge of whether or not this was true. She broke their embrace, and looked Carlos in the eye. "What's going to happen?"

Carlos didn't answer at first.

"I don't... I don't know." He said.

In the background, tears began to form in Lucy's eyes. Of course, this wasn't surprising at all. Lucy was very emotional. This character trait irritated Kevin, who took to repeatedly telling her to 'stop crying' by using terms such as 'shut up', or 'shut the hell up'.

Of course, that's another story.

Mary and Carlos embraced each other once more, before Carlos went off to take a much-needed shower.

This left Mary and Lucy alone together.

Kevin had given Lucy an allotted fifteen minutes to talk to Mary. Lucy hoped to use these fifteen minutes to mend a broken bridge.

"Mary—"

"I don't want to talk to you, Lucy."

"I didn't tell mom."

"I don't have time for this, Lucy. Okay? Just go."

"But I didn't. I swear. Can't you just believe me, Mary?"

"Believe you? Lucy, you don't know what I have to put up with now." Mary lowered her voice to a whisper. "Mom wants me to kick Carlos out."

Lucy digested this for a moment, and continued on.

"It wasn't me. I swear."

"Okay, then. Who was it? Is was mom psychic or something?"

"No. I had Ruthie babysit for me today, and—"

"Lucy, mom told me that you told her."

"Well, I don't know why mom would say something like that, because I didn't tell her. I swear. I didn't tell her."

"Just go, Luce."

"Mary, just hear me out."

"Hear you out? Hear you out?" Mary began to whisper again. "For God's sake, Lucy, my husband is going to leave me because of you!"

"Leave you? What do you mean?"

"Do you really think he's going to stick around once I tell him to go? Do you?"

"Well, I'm sure that—"

"Just leave. Just leave, Lucy."

"But Mary, you've got to listen to me. I didn't tell mom. I don't know why she would say that I did, but I didn't. It was Ruthie. Believe me. If you would just let me explain--"

"I don't. I don't believe you. I can't deal with this right now. I've got bigger things to worry about."

"Mary, you don't understand. What happened, was that—"

"I know what happened, Lucy. I just think it would be best if you left. Okay?"

Lucy thought for a moment, and came to an important realization.

"Wait a minute, Mary. You should be thanking me. You should be grateful to me--I brought your husband back. Without me, you'd be sitting here, not knowing when or if you'd ever see him again."

Lucy did have a point, Mary realized.

"Okay. And how does that change the fact that everyone in this whole... family knows that Carlos was in prison?"

"It doesn't! But what I'm saying is that the least you can do is let me explain myself. I didn't tell mom. I swear, I didn't. And if you would just listen to me, and hear me out, then you would understand."

Mary sighed. She looked at her sister, not really wanting to hear what she had to say. Yet, Mary knew that she did have to let Lucy state her case. After all, she did bail Carlos out of jail.

"Fine. Go ahead."

"Okay." Lucy looked at her watch. "I don't have much time, so I'll make this quick. I had written some things you told me about Carlos being in jail. When left this morning, I left it on the table by accident. Ruthie must have found it, read it, and told mom about it."

"I don't get it."

"Me neither. I know Ruthie likes to snoop around, but this isn't--"

"No, that part I get. I don't get how you could leave something like that out in plain view--accident or not."

"Mary, I'm dealing with problems of my own, too. I have a son, I have a husband--I have a life. No offense. Sometimes, I'll mess something up--it's not like I did it on purpose."

Lucy paused for a moment. She was running out of time.

"Do you at least believe me?"

"I don't know what to believe. What I don't get is... why would mom lie and tell me that you told her? What's the point of doing that?"

"Well... I don't know. All I know is that I didn't tell her. Look, I've got to go. If you need any help... just... call me. But not after four."

Mary nodded. With that, Lucy left the house with thirty seconds to spare. Unfortunately for Lucy, Kevin's watch was about a minute faster than hers.

The car ride home would not be a happy one for the young wife and mother.

Meanwhile, Mary was left to wonder if there was anyone she could really trust. God only knew what Carlos was doing each day while she wasn't around. Annie, Ruthie and Lucy were contributing greatly to Mary's headaches as well.

Not only that, but Mary had a child to take care of as well. She could only wonder how her son would turn out with a childhood such as this.