33. Tessa

The weeks were passing. The job I loved was a challenge at the moment. I still loved it, but it was hard for me to focus. I missed Adam, and I felt trapped by Rich again. I kept telling myself it wasn’t as bad as actually being with Rich. He was using Eric to keep me in line, to make sure I couldn’t be happy.

“Just dinner?” Eric’s voice punctured my train of thought.

I glanced sideways in the car where we waited to turn out of the pick-up line at school.

“Just dinner. I think.”

“Dad never says until he decides to drop me off. It’s so stupid,” Eric muttered.

I opened my mouth to correct him, to maybe say that he didn’t need to call it stupid. But it was stupid, so I let it slide.

A few minutes later, I dropped him off with his dad. Lisa hadn’t been with Rich the last time Eric and him had dinner, but Eric said they were still dating. I didn’t know if I cared anymore. Of course, I wanted her to be safe, but it was out of my hands.

I left, still cold. It felt like I’d been cold ever since the night Rich sent me those texts. I went to work. The students had a new assignment to match distances in Alaska with distances in the Lower 48. It was fun, and our social media channels were busy with updates. It was one of the few things that could make me smile these days.

My phone vibrated with a text just as I parked behind the recording station. I pulled it out to see Adam’s name on the screen. We were texting, and I knew he wanted me to call, but he actually respected that I just couldn’t handle it right now. That made me love him all the more. Rich would’ve badgered me. Adam simply said he understood and he loved me.

Adam:I’m missing you. I’ll see you tonight on the weather report.

Me:If you decide to stay up late, I’m doing the early news and the late news. The guy who does the late report is out of town.

Adam:I’ll be watching both. Love you.

Tears stung in my eyes.

Me:Love you too.

I did love him. And I didn’t know what the hell to do about this mess. I truly felt like I was going to have to let go. I almost felt like I was dragging things out too much.

On the weather report

“Tonight will be crystal clear with possibly a show from the northern lights, our late summer ones. We have a question submitted from viewers about what causes the northern lights and the best times of year to look for them.”

“Last, we will close with a viewer-submitted photo from the northern lights yesterday evening up in Barrow, Alaska. And now, back to Tara, who has the latest on the local news.”

Once I knew for sure the camera had panned away, I unclipped my microphone and took a deep breath. As soon as I walked off stage, I glanced down at my phone screen. I was expecting to see a text from Rich asking me to pick up Eric after dinner.

There was no text. I told myself he would probably text later, immediately chiding myself for hoping for anything.

“How did it go?” I asked.

“Another great weather report,” Tony, one of the tech guys, said as I walked past him.

“Thank you!” Tossing a smile his way, I walked into the room that passed for my office. It was a shared space with several desks and laptops.

I quickly tapped my keyboard to check my email.

“Hey.” I glanced up to see Jerri Patson, who ran production for the evening news.

“Hey, what’s up?”

She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. That made me nervous. Jerri wasn’t one to take time for a meeting in the middle of the evening news.

“Is everything okay?”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Uh, okay?” I started to stand, but she gestured for me to stay seated. “Jerri, what’s going on?” Anxiety rushed through me like a windstorm. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew it wasn’t good.

“We received a message. Let me just play it for you. I don’t know how else to explain it.” She tapped her phone screen. “It came in through the station’s main email. They forwarded the message to me.”

Nausea rose swiftly, bitter and acidic in my throat. I stared at her phone where she set it on my desk. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.

The message began to play. “Tell Tessa she won’t see Eric again.”

Cold blasted through me. My fingertips tingled, and my heart raced so fast I could hardly catch my breath. I blinked rapidly.

I had never spoken about what I’d gone through with Rich at work. I hadn’t even told my friends until it was over.

“Look at me, Tessa.” Jerri’s tone was calm and clear. Her gaze was steady. “We’ve already called the police. You were in the middle of your broadcast when this message came in.”

“Oh my God.” I couldn’t even cry. “Jerri, I’m really sorry—” I began.

She shook her head and reached a hand out, putting it over mine. Her touch was warm, contrasting with the freezing cold permeating every corner of my body.

“Obviously, you’ve not spoken about what happened before your divorce. I know something about what a messy divorce can be like. I went through my own when I left a man who abused me. We will do whatever we can to help you.”

“How do we get my son back?” My voice cracked with the tears that felt cold as they rolled down my cheeks.

“The police are already here and tracing the message. Is there any reason to suspect that he would hurt your son?”

Swallowing was painful. “I don’t think he would hurt Eric. Rich just wants to get to me. That’s it. What should I do?”

It was a surreal feeling, but I had no idea what to do. I was frozen, inside and out.

“We’ll do whatever the police recommend. While we wait, is there anyone you want to call?”

Wordlessly, I shook my head. There was a knock on the door. Jerri called for them to come in. It was Chelsea, one of the receptionists, with the police.

“I told them you were in here,” Chelsea said, her concerned gaze landing on my face.

The following span of time was a blur for me. I was freezing through and through. The police were asking me questions. A few things stood out. When they called Colin with me and started reviewing my text messages, Colin explained that Rich’s threatening was a pattern. I remembered them asking permission to call Eric’s therapist, and her sharing how Rich thought therapy was stupid and how Eric had clearly stated repeatedly that he didn’t even want to visit his father.

I remembered the phone call to Rich’s parents where his mother was dismissive and said we were all overreacting, and the dead silence that fell in the room at her comments followed by the sound of her breath sucking in sharply when the police played Rich’s message for her on speakerphone.

Finally, Colin and the police repeating to me that I needed to stay somewhere safe. They didn’t want me to be alone. Everyone was concerned I was in danger from Rich. They asked me who could stay with me and the only person I could think of was Adam. With shaking hands, I texted him.

Me:I need somewhere to stay tonight. Or someone to stay with me.

Adam:I’ll be right over.

Me:I’m at work. Can you come here?

Adam:Of course. I’ll be there in five minutes.

“He says he’ll be here in five minutes,” I said to Jerri. Even my lips were tingling. I struggled to form words.

Jerri’s warm eyes held mine. “Okay. We’re all waiting here with you.”

Colin sat in the chair in the corner at a round table. We had relocated to the conference room. “Will it be okay?” I looked toward him as if he could somehow answer. I could see the pained look in his eyes, yet he was calm.

“Just let the police handle this.”

He didn’t tell me it would be okay.