Get your own FREE Home PageHAZY SHADE OF WINTER II - PART NINE
PREVIOUSLY
“Now give me those custody documents Alton,” demanded Todd.
“What?” muttered Cameron.
“Give me those custody documents giving Téa joint custody of Samantha,” said Todd again – anxious.
“Why?” asked Cameron.
“Because I’m going to remind her about what it takes to be a good parent,” said Todd firmly, not adverting his fiery gaze from Cameron.
Cameron raised his eyes and sneered at Todd.
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FutureTech Software…
Finding his own fire, Cameron aggressively got in Todd’s face, “Do not! Do not – attempt to intimidate me again. Your daughter enjoys spending time with Samantha and me whether you like it or not! Now I know I’ve screwed some things up but I am not your personal punching bag! Do not doubt for one minute that I want Téa to get well because I do! Because I want what my daughter wants and my daughter wants Téa. And I will give my daughter anything she wants! And I think you know about that Manning!” Cameron strode over to his desk and pulled out the custody documents and threw them on his desk.
“So there. There are you custody documents. But we both know Téa’s not ready to sign them. And if you do anything - ! Anything – to cause Téa to go away or cut Samantha out of her life then you will see just how ruthless I really can be!” spat Cameron in his anger.
Blair just watched the scene intently.
“You don’t scare me,” said Todd picking up the documents off of Cameron’s desk.
“You don’t scare me either Manning,” said Cameron.
“Here’s some advice for you Alton – stay away from that…” said Todd pointing to Blair and waltzing out of Cameron’s office.
Cameron took a breath.
Blair walked slowly over to Cameron and stood eye to eye with him.
“You’re hurt…” she whispered.
His lip trembled, “I want Samantha…to be happy…so I can take the hurt…I can take it…I took it when Susan died…I just want MY girl to be happy…”
Hesitantly, Blair raised her hand and touched his face cupping his cheek in her palm.
His eyes found hers.
“You’ve never touched me like this before…” whispered Cameron.
“You can’t have her Cam…but you can have me…” whispered Blair.
“I don’t…”
Blair leaned into him…their lips inches apart…
“Cameron….” said Anton walking into the office, his arms crossed.
Blair and Cameron quickly parted and Cameron struggled to regain his composure.
“Ah…Anton…what brings you by? Do you want more time with Samantha or something?” asked Cameron fumbling with some papers on his desk.
Anton raised an eyebrow, “Well, that is why I am here. To talk to you about that.”
“Huh?” asked Cameron looking up at Anton.
“We both know…Téa is having trouble dealing with her issues…” started Anton.
“I’m aware…” said Cameron listening intently.
Anton spied Blair in the room, “What I have to say now is for your ears only…”
“It’s about Téa…?” muttered Cameron.
“Yes,” said Anton firmly.
“I’ll leave Cameron,” spoke up Blair.
Cameron just nodded his head as he watched Blair walk out.
“What do you have to tell me?” asked Cameron.
“When Téa was seven, as you know, her mother left. Téa grew up without a mother. I remember…early in our relationship, Téa and I went to the…zoo. She was seventeen. She had never been to the zoo before. She was amazed by the animals…” Anton smiled as he recalled the memory, “The lions – she liked the lions the best. We were holding hands, watching them, and a young woman holding a little girl about four, I figure, came up next to us. The girl was amazed at the lion cubs – how small they were and wanted to know why the mother lion was hovering over them and the girl’s mother said, the mother lion was just protecting her cubs…and they walked off. And then suddenly Téa turned to me and said, “A good mother…looks out for her children, doesn’t she?” I replied I guess so and she said that if she ever had a child she would do her best to be a good mother…unlike her own.”
Cameron wrinkled his brow.
“Téa wants to be a good mother – unlike her own but I think it would help Samantha to understand. Téa never understood her mother. I want Samantha to understand…her mother…” continued Anton, a bit nervous.
“Go on,” said Cameron.
“So when school ends in a few days, I would like permission to take Samantha to New York City with Carlotta and I for a week because I think it will help Samantha understand her mother,” said Anton.
Cameron remained silent as he let Anton’s words sink in.
“Will Téa be accompanying you?” asked Cameron crossing his arms.
“No. I had not planned on it,” answered Anton, “I think it is important to go without Téa.”
Cameron just nodded his head, finally taking a breath.
“Anton?”
“What?”
“She gets under your skin you know…and it’s everything…her eyes…her smile…and she liked me for me – she looks past the money – I want her to be happy – I just want her to be happy…” said Cameron as if in a trance.
“Who?”
“Téa,” answered Cameron letting out a breath.
“Yes, she has that ability to get under your skin…like Samantha…” said Anton finally allowing his body to relax.
“Like mother…like daughter…” smiled Cameron, “You know how I knew Samantha was the one? The one I wanted to adopt?”
“How?” asked Anton.
Cameron’s eyes got glassy, as if reliving the memory, “The adoption lady…put Samantha in Susan’s arms…and Susan smiled. I remember standing beside Susan, you know… and I looked down into that little baby’s face…and her eyes…her smile… they were so wide and it was like this little baby was just immediately happy to be near us. I held out a finger and Samantha grabbed it with her tiny hand and began pulling it and squealing…so precocious…she wanted to know…everything…and my heart – it just melted, you know? It was like Samantha wanted us and I knew right then – she was the one.”
Anton swallowed as he felt the tears well up in eyes. He brought his hand to his face and covered his mouth, “Thank you…for sharing that with me…”
Cameron suddenly snapped his eyes, “Your welcome. Thank you for sharing your…memory. Now, will Samantha be placed in any danger?” asked Cameron seriously, “Is Téa’s old neighborhood – the hood?”
“No. Téa’s old neighborhood is Park Avenue…” replied Anton.
“Park Avenue?” said Cameron mildly surprised, “This is important, isn’t it? It’s important for Samantha to know?”
“Yes it is important,” said Cameron, “I do not want her to lose faith in her mother – like Téa lost faith in hers.”
“I have conditions,” said Cameron, his voice shaking, “I don’t like being without her…”
“I understand,” said Anton.
“I want you to stay in a nice hotel…and I want you to call everyday…and only for a week. No longer than…” stammered a nervous Cameron.
“Is that a yes, Cameron?” asked Anton.
“I want my daughter to be happy. I want my daughter to be close…to her mother,” said Cameron sincerely.
“Thank you,” replied Anton.
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The Manning Estate…
Téa paced the living room clinging to her mother’s necklace. She ran her fingers through her hair going over a million things in her mind…
“Deal with it now Téa because if you don’t you’ll alienate that girl…”
She took a deep breath…
“Deal with it Téa…”
She looked at the necklace in her hand as she paced the floor.
“You grew up without a mom. So did I. Does Samantha have too?”
“My mother…my mother…why did she do it…Am I destined to be like…her…?” whispered Téa pacing.
“Deal with it Téa…you’ll alienate that girl…”
Again, she took a deep breath as she paced.
“I will not alienate Samantha. I will not do it!” said Téa firmly.
She rubbed her hands together. Her stomach was in knots.
“I need to know…about my mother…I need to know about her life so I can…reconcile…me…my doubts…my fears…” she muttered, “So I can be the mother Samantha deserves…” muttered Téa outloud.
“Delgado!” came a cry.
She whizzed around, turning to face Todd who walked into the living room. Todd was looking pretty snazzy in dress slacks, a white shirt, and a matching blazer.
She paused, “Manning?”
“What were you doing? Pacing?” asked Todd intently from across the room.
“Pacing, thinking…” she said crossing her arms looking back at him, meeting his intense gaze.
“Thinking about what? That?” said Todd pointing to the necklace in her hand.
Téa looked at the necklace in her hand, “Yeah, thinking about…being a mother.”
Todd smiled, “Good.”
He reached into his blazer’s pocket and threw Samantha’s custody documents on the coffee table, “Sign ‘em.”
“What?” questioned Téa picking up the papers.
“Samantha’s joint custody. Sign it so you can be Samantha’s mother…” said Todd putting his hands in his pockets.
“…But I all ready AM Samantha’s mother…” said Téa with a confused look on her face.
“All right, her LEGAL mother,” said Todd, “Maybe you’ll feel more like a parent if you know you’re legally responsible for her.”
She looked up to find Todd’s eyes, “Why?”
“Téa, I’m trying to prove to you that it’s time. Time for you to be a mother,” explained Todd.
“Oh,” said Téa. She paused and threw the documents back on the coffee table.
“I’m not signing them Todd. Not yet. There’s still something I have to do,” said Téa crossing her arms.
“Sign them Téa,” insisted Todd.
“No Todd,” said Téa.
Their eyes faced off – a spark lit…
Todd walked toward her, “I want you to sign them. Samantha wants you…”
“No Todd. Do not use Samantha in this way. I know what I have to do to get over this Todd – now I’m going to do it…”
He walked into her space, meeting her eyes, “What do you have to do Delgado?”
“Todd, I have to find out about my mother. I have to go to Puerto Rico,” answered Téa firmly.
Todd wrinkled his brow and placed his hands on her arms, “What? Why? Your own mother – did a number on you.”
“I just have to Todd. I have to find out about her so I can find out about myself,” explained Téa.
“All right Téa. When are we going?” he asked inches from her lips.
“We, aren’t. I am Todd. Alone,” said Téa, eye to eye.
“My wife is not going anywhere – alone!” said Todd holding her tightly, “I will not leave you Téa.”
“Todd, I know now – that you aren’t leaving. But what I have to do, I have to do alone,” she replied.
He leaned into her putting his lips on hers giving her a desperate kiss. It was forceful and ardent. He broke it off.
“Why? Why do you have to do it alone?” he asked, close to her.
“Because…I don’t need distractions Todd,” whispered Téa.
“That’s what I am? A distraction?” he asked drinking in her presence.
“Todd, I know this hurts you – I’m not trying to hurt you. But I have to go to Puerto Rico – alone – without you,” replied Téa.
“I have been patient with you Téa but patience isn’t one of my virtues Téa. What you’re asking…I can’t do…” said Todd firmly.
With fire in her eyes Téa said, “Todd you have to do it – because until I go, I can’t be the mother I want to be…or the mother Samantha deserves…”
He tore away from her…hurt and sad. She immediately ran to him and placed her hands on his arms, “Can’t you understand this Todd? I’m doing this…for us…too…” she paused.
He just stared at her, “How do you figure Téa?”
She cupped his cheek in her palm, “Don’t you see Todd? It’s the only way I’m going to get peace. Don’t you understand? I want to be a mother – a good one. I want to be the mother of your children and this is the only way I know how to get better…” she explained.
He lowered his head, looking at the ground, “You go then Téa. You go now. You get out of this house now before I change my mind…” he muttered.
She took her hand, titled his chin up and found his eyes giving a tender but gentle desperate kiss, much like the one he had given her, “I will be back Todd. And I do love you.”
With that, she turned around and went upstairs to pack. Todd followed her with his eyes, his lips trembling. He had to do something! He was determined that she would not go alone.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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