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Back The Hallows Save as PDF
Chapters (89)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Goodbye, Adam. I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.

Marilyn Rose

I threw the letters as hard as I could at Adam’s face. He groaned and rolled over and looked at me, his eyes bloodshot.

“What the hell do you want?” he said, still groggy.

“You disgusting bastard.”

“What?”

“I read these damn letters, Adam. How many were there? Huh? I counted three women here, but there’s no way that was it. Those are just the ones that wrote you.”

“What the hell are you doin’ goin’ through my private things!”

“She . . .” My voice choked and I couldn’t get the words out. I had to swallow and stared at him as his eyes lowered to the floor. He sat up in bed. “She killed herself, didn’t she?”

He nodded slowly but wouldn’t look at me.

“And you never told me?”

“What good would that have done?”

“What good? What good? You don’t think I had the right to know my mother killed herself? You had me think it was a car accident!”

“What’s the difference? Other than it causing you pain you didn’t need. I was protecting you. She was protecting you.”

“She killed herself because she loved you and was loyal and you were out nailing anything that moved.”

“Hey, watch your mouth.”

“I mean, Mexico? You took one of your women to Mexico? For my entire childhood I don’t remember you taking Mom and me out to dinner, and you took someone to Mexico?” I got close to him. “How many, Adam? How many women?”

“That’s none of your business. I was a vibrant, healthy man. I had needs.”

“Needs? What about her needs? What about the needs of the woman that cooked for you, and cleaned for you, and took care of you when you were sick, or when you’d get home so drunk you could barely stand? What about her needs?”

“You don’t know what it’s like to be married to a woman like her. She was depressed all the time. Cryin’ all the time. Most days she couldn’t get outa bed except to see you to school. She was living for you, not for me. You didn’t see that side of her, she hid that from you.”

“She wasn’t supposed to be living for either of us. She should’ve had her own life.”

“She didn’t want anything. All she wanted was to take her medications and lie in bed and die. That’s what it was like being married to her. You wanna get real? Your mother and I didn’t have sex for eight years. Eight years! Can you go eight years without sex, Tatum?”

“Who gives a shit about sex! She was the love of your life.”