trouble? How so? ”
“ Well you know, she wouldn ’ t want to get anyone in trouble. ”
“ Mr. Greyson, you ’ re being awfully evasive. What exactly did Hillary tell you about being bullied? ”
Michael ’ s face began to redden.
“ Some girls have been picking on her, that ’ s all, ” he replied snidely.
“ Which girls? ”
“ How the hell would I know? I don ’ t go to her school. ”
“ Mr. Greyson, there ’ s no need to raise your voice. I ’ m here to help Hillary, as I ’ m sure you ’ re interested in doing as well. ”
“ Yes, of course...I apologize. It ’ s just very upsetting. ”
Kathy appeared before them.
“ Why don ’ t you come into the family room and have a seat? ” she suggested.
Michael sneered.
“ Why don ’ t you get back to —” he began but was interrupted by Mrs. Sutton.
“ Actually, Mrs. Greyson, please join us. You probably have more information than Mr. Greyson . ” She turned to Mr. Greyson and with a facetious smile on her face, added “ you know, girls confide more in their mothers. ”
Mr. Greyson ’ s stone face made it apparent that he was not pleased by her suggestion but he did not reply. The three of them walked to the family room. Kathy and Michael sat on the oversized beige micro - suede couch while Mrs. Sutton took a seat on the matching loveseat adjacent to them.
“ Mrs. Greyson, what did Hillary say about being bullied in school? ” Mrs. Sutton asked.
“ Bullied? ” Kathy looked puzzled; Hillary had never made any such claim.
“ Ha! ” Michael exclaimed loudly, “ I guess you were wrong about mothers and daughters. ”
“ What? ” Kathy questioned, “ Hillary was bullied in school? ”
“ My wife has no clue what ’ s going on, ” Michael said, “ Hillary ’ s a daddy ’ s girl, I ’ m the one she confides in. She ’ s embarrassed to tell people about it...even her own mother. ”
“ Hmmm, ” Mrs. Sutton replied, skeptically.
“ But I —” Kathy started.
“ Isn ’ t the coffee ready, dear? ” Michael interrupted. H is tone had an obvious edge making it clear that he was barking an order.
Kathy quickly rose to her feet.
“ Yes, yes, I ’ ll go get the coffee, ” she said apprehensively.
Mrs. Sutton scribbled notes in her pad. Michael wondered what negative things she was writing about him. He knew he ’ d have to do some damage control. He could be charming, persuasive. He ’ d have her praising him like a Messiah before she left.
“ I have to tell you something, ” he leaned toward her and whispered.
“ What is it? ” she asked, staring attentively into his piercing blue eyes.
“ My wife, Kathy...she ’ s mentally ill. She suffered a breakdown a few months ago. It ’ s had an effect on all of us, but mostly Hillary. ”
Mrs. Sutton ’ s glare was unwavering. She didn ’ t trust Michael. He gave off bad vibes and she had learned to trust her instincts.
“ What kind of breakdown? ”
“ I guess it was a post-partum thing, we have an infant. ”
“ Oh ? H ow old ’ s the baby? ”
“ Well he ’ s two, I know, not exactly a baby, but ever since she had him, Kathy ’ s been depressed. ”
“ She didn ’ t seem depressed to me.... ”
“ She hides it well in public and in front of outsiders. ”
“ I see, ” Mrs. Sutton replied as she scribbled more notes. “ What does her doctor say? ”
“ Oh Kathy ’ s too stubborn to go to the doctor, she insists she can cope on her own. ”
“ Mr. Greyson, are you telling me that your wife has been unstable for two year s , that she ’ s been depressed and suffered a mental breakdown but hasn ’ t sought professional help? ”
Mrs. Sutton furrowed her brows as she waited for his response. She was growing increasingly annoyed and suspicious.
“ That ’ s right, Bobbi is it? Can I call you Bobbi? ”
“ No, I ’ d rather you didn ’ t, Mr. Greyson. ”
She was a tough nut to crack. Michael narrowed his eyes. Still, Mrs.
“ Well you know, she wouldn ’ t want to get anyone in trouble. ”
“ Mr. Greyson, you ’ re being awfully evasive. What exactly did Hillary tell you about being bullied? ”
Michael ’ s face began to redden.
“ Some girls have been picking on her, that ’ s all, ” he replied snidely.
“ Which girls? ”
“ How the hell would I know? I don ’ t go to her school. ”
“ Mr. Greyson, there ’ s no need to raise your voice. I ’ m here to help Hillary, as I ’ m sure you ’ re interested in doing as well. ”
“ Yes, of course...I apologize. It ’ s just very upsetting. ”
Kathy appeared before them.
“ Why don ’ t you come into the family room and have a seat? ” she suggested.
Michael sneered.
“ Why don ’ t you get back to —” he began but was interrupted by Mrs. Sutton.
“ Actually, Mrs. Greyson, please join us. You probably have more information than Mr. Greyson . ” She turned to Mr. Greyson and with a facetious smile on her face, added “ you know, girls confide more in their mothers. ”
Mr. Greyson ’ s stone face made it apparent that he was not pleased by her suggestion but he did not reply. The three of them walked to the family room. Kathy and Michael sat on the oversized beige micro - suede couch while Mrs. Sutton took a seat on the matching loveseat adjacent to them.
“ Mrs. Greyson, what did Hillary say about being bullied in school? ” Mrs. Sutton asked.
“ Bullied? ” Kathy looked puzzled; Hillary had never made any such claim.
“ Ha! ” Michael exclaimed loudly, “ I guess you were wrong about mothers and daughters. ”
“ What? ” Kathy questioned, “ Hillary was bullied in school? ”
“ My wife has no clue what ’ s going on, ” Michael said, “ Hillary ’ s a daddy ’ s girl, I ’ m the one she confides in. She ’ s embarrassed to tell people about it...even her own mother. ”
“ Hmmm, ” Mrs. Sutton replied, skeptically.
“ But I —” Kathy started.
“ Isn ’ t the coffee ready, dear? ” Michael interrupted. H is tone had an obvious edge making it clear that he was barking an order.
Kathy quickly rose to her feet.
“ Yes, yes, I ’ ll go get the coffee, ” she said apprehensively.
Mrs. Sutton scribbled notes in her pad. Michael wondered what negative things she was writing about him. He knew he ’ d have to do some damage control. He could be charming, persuasive. He ’ d have her praising him like a Messiah before she left.
“ I have to tell you something, ” he leaned toward her and whispered.
“ What is it? ” she asked, staring attentively into his piercing blue eyes.
“ My wife, Kathy...she ’ s mentally ill. She suffered a breakdown a few months ago. It ’ s had an effect on all of us, but mostly Hillary. ”
Mrs. Sutton ’ s glare was unwavering. She didn ’ t trust Michael. He gave off bad vibes and she had learned to trust her instincts.
“ What kind of breakdown? ”
“ I guess it was a post-partum thing, we have an infant. ”
“ Oh ? H ow old ’ s the baby? ”
“ Well he ’ s two, I know, not exactly a baby, but ever since she had him, Kathy ’ s been depressed. ”
“ She didn ’ t seem depressed to me.... ”
“ She hides it well in public and in front of outsiders. ”
“ I see, ” Mrs. Sutton replied as she scribbled more notes. “ What does her doctor say? ”
“ Oh Kathy ’ s too stubborn to go to the doctor, she insists she can cope on her own. ”
“ Mr. Greyson, are you telling me that your wife has been unstable for two year s , that she ’ s been depressed and suffered a mental breakdown but hasn ’ t sought professional help? ”
Mrs. Sutton furrowed her brows as she waited for his response. She was growing increasingly annoyed and suspicious.
“ That ’ s right, Bobbi is it? Can I call you Bobbi? ”
“ No, I ’ d rather you didn ’ t, Mr. Greyson. ”
She was a tough nut to crack. Michael narrowed his eyes. Still, Mrs.
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