The Senator's Choice

by Combs, Sasha

  There was a silence on the phone that only lasted a few seconds but the background noise from the car made the time seem like an eternity. William wondered if this silence was a precursor demonstrating what the coming days would be like.

  He cleared his throat to make some kind of noise. He knew that Morgan had not hung up, yet she remained silent. He cut through the tension by speaking first. As the adult, he thought this was the reasonable thing to do.

  “Morgan...are you bothered that I’m bringing someone with me?”

  Morgan giggled, but William recognized the fake laugh. He’d heard it for years. He remembered the day that she mastered the chuckle when she was three. At the time he thought it was comical but now the grin sent chills down his spine.

  “I remember Pamela Dawson. I guess it’s all right, if you think so daddy.”

  That was short for saying, that she didn’t want anyone honing in on her time with her father but there was little that William could do at his point. He began thinking of ways to remedy her injured feelings once he arrived at the mountain house but thinking on this would be premature at the moment. He didn’t know how his daughter would react to the changes he would be forcing on her life.

  Keeping an upbeat note in his voice, William wanted to sound positive. For Morgan as well as for himself.

  “It’ll be great pumpkin...you’ll see.”

  When silence still reigned ruler on Morgan’s end of the phone, William thought it best to end on as good a note as could be expected.

  “You enjoy your flight peanut. I’ll see you in a few days and don’t forget to kiss poppy and nanny for me. I’ll try to call them before they arrive at the house.”

  “Okay daddy. I’ll see you soon.”

  William disconnected the call after hearing Morgan’s attempts at sounding happy in her farewell.

  “What am I doing?” he said in a voice so low, it sounded more like a whisper. He had her on the phone, he thought to himself. He questioned why he had not just told her while they’d been talking. William hated hiding things from his daughter, even though he still believed the quiet way in which he and Pamela dated had been done to protect the people that they loved. He just hated that so much time had passed from the moment his heart told him that he was in love. The gameplay could have ended a long time ago but it didn’t and now pain that they worked so hard to prevent would be doled out in large doses.

  As an array of cars, different makes and models, SUV’s and large trucks passed his limo he wondered if the people inside of those vehicles had complicated lives like his. He wondered if they made better choices and if their mistakes affected the people they held dear to their hearts. As his mind considered these stray reflections, William naturally began to think about Pamela. He knew she had not left much sooner than him and more than likely, her cab was somewhere in the crowd of cars that merged in and out of traffic. He wanted to call her on the phone to calm her nerves because he was certain that she worried over their predicament. He hated giving in to her when she suggested they take separate cars to his house. Yet in his regrets, in every misstep and poorly thought out plan, William knew he would never take back his time spent with Pam, and he would never let her go, no matter the outcome. She held a special place in his heart and he was determined to make smooth the way that they would both travel together. Come what may, they were destined to be married.

  _____________________________

  Chapter 2

  Confessions are good for the heart

  The plane ride to Wilmington had been a quiet one. William always traveled on private planes and so did most of his family. Even so, the couple had little to say to one another, which left only silence. William held Pamela in his arms, encouraging her to sleep. He could only imagine how many hours of slumber she’d lost since finding out that she was carrying his child. With his arm securely wrapped around her, he would nuzzle his mouth in the strands of her hair, kissing the area tenderly. He wanted to make her comfortable but none of his soothing nor pacifying gestures provided her with what she needed to fall off to sleep. So, instead they each listened to the sounds of their inhalations. They felt the wave like in and out rhythm of their chest until the steward entered the cabin, to tell them that the plane would soon be landing.

  When the jet taxied to an empty hanger, William stood to put on his suit coat. He noticed how Pamela nervously busied herself with a task that didn’t require her attention. He didn’t say anything because he too felt a degree of nervousness over the idea of facing his best friend. It was one thing to say that he loved Michael’s daughter but another to say that he’d gotten her pregnant.

  Before they got off the plane, the driver removed his luggage from the belly of the aircraft. Pamela had not brought any luggage when she arrived in Washington because it had not been her intention to stay. Even though her lacking a carryon was out of character, William didn’t puzzle over the thought because it wasn’t worth the worry.

  The ride from the airport to her parents house was quicker than she remembered. They rode in the limo in silence until they were halfway there. Pamela offered little tidbits, encouraging William not to get into a tug-of-war with her father over right and wrong. They had been best friends for over twenty years but she knew her father as well as William. Michael had a strong sense of himself and she’d been raised by him. This gave Pamela a distinct advantage, allowing her to know every quip her father would drum up to voice his disapproval regarding their relationship. Pamela and William both knew the shortfalls of their romance because they had talked countless times about the things and reasons that would pull them apart. When neither was able to legitimately create rational points explaining why they shouldn’t see each other, they each gave up trying. However when the car pulled into her parents circular drive, Pamela began to think that perhaps she and William had not tried hard enough to justify the selfishness that ruled their judgement.

  When the limo came to a full stop, the driver exited on his side, rounding the car to open the passenger door of the vehicle. Pamela looked at the house where her parents currently lived. Their law practice had grown over the years and their success could outwardly be seen by the lavish home that they bought a few years ago. The large twenty-eight room house had every feature and amenity that any person could dream of. A full work out gym in the basement with a sauna and an indoor pool. A game room and two separate offices. Her parents didn’t have live in help but their house staff did work during the week. Pamela was catching both of her parents at the end of their work day and the housekeeper and the cook were still in their home. She wondered if it would be best to delay telling her news until after their staff had gone for the day. Then she began to ponder the dangers associated with delaying, which is the reason they found themselves in this horrid mess. Pamela had not realized she’d been mentally dawdling until William broke her from her trance.

  “Pammy...you’re worrying honey. Please...don’t fret over this. Everything will be fine, you’ll see.”

  She didn’t know where he was getting his information from but she also knew at this juncture there could be no turning back.

  Holding her hand, William led the way while Pamela followed close behind. She looked to the rear, noticing that the driver had returned to the limo.

  “Will your driver wait for us...or is he going to stay in my parents guest quarters?”

  William didn’t have that answer yet because so much depended on how well Michael and LaShawn reacted to their news.

  “I told him to wait until I give him further instructions.”

  Pamela had more questions but as they walked up the steps, then stood in front of the large glass double doors; fear gripped her tongue and she couldn’t form her mouth to sound out the words.

  William pressed the doorbell, and the sound of several bells chiming a delightful tune could be heard on the porch. Through the ornate beveled glass, Pamela could make out the form of her parents housekeeper, Bonnie. It was apparent that th
e woman recognized her distorted features because Pam could see a welcoming smile forming on her face as she hastened her pace through the foyer. When the door swung open, Bonnie’s southern accented voice echoed in the hall.

  “Pamela...isn’t this a surprise. And Senator Hudson...isn’t this something.”

  Bonnie moved aside, allowing them to enter.

  “Hello Bonnie...and please, call me William. We’ve known each other long enough to do away with titles and formalities.”

  “Senator, my momma raised me right. But, if you want me to call you William, I can try to do that.” The older woman giggled.

  Bonnie noticed something strange coming from Pamela because normally she would always greet Bonnie with a hug but she dismissed it and said...

  “Are your parents expecting you? They’ve already had dinner and no one told me to save a plate for you. Of course, that isn’t a problem, because there’s plenty left over. I can prepare something for you too senator. I’m sorry...I mean you too William.”

  William smiled at the woman while saying...

  “Bonnie, that’s very kind but you really needn’t bother. We aren’t hungry but you can help by telling us where to find Michael and LaShawn.”

  “They’re in the sitting room off from the dinning area. Shall I announce you?”

  For the most part, Pamela’s parents weren’t very formal when it came to visitors. The only time they preferred to have their visitors announced before entering a room, was when the person wasn’t a friend or if the visit involved business.

  “Thank you Bonnie but I think Pamela and I can find our way on our own.”

  “All right then...but I’m not leaving for another hour or so. If you get hungry, don’t hesitate to holler out. I’ll be in the kitchen prepping for tomorrows meals. I know you momma likes to cook from her own recipes over the weekend but I like to have something made up just in case she finds that she doesn’t have the time to cook.”

  With that said, Bonnie was on her way in the direction of the kitchen.

  After the doorbell had been rung and Bonnie had been spotted coming in their direction, William had released Pamela’s hand. He didn’t want the housekeeper to be the first to know about their relationship. Now as they stood in the foyer alone, he laced her fingers with his, while guiding her to the large room where Michael and LaShawn usually lounged, after eating their dinner.

  With each step, he noticed a slight drag coming from Pamela. He didn’t bothered to address it because he understood her sluggish hesitation. When they stood a few feet from the threshold, he looked down on her face then gave her a wordless smile. That was all she needed to see. Moving forward towards the large archway to the room, the second they stood in the rooms entrance, LaShawn beamed, delighted to see them.

  “William...Pamela. Come in... Come in...”

  LaShawn was on her feet before Michael, but he wasn’t to far behind. When they came to stand in front of Pamela’s parents she felt her body being jerked into her dad’s arms.

  “I sent you a text message after receiving yours. Why didn’t you respond?” her father said.

  “Michael...she just got here. You can talk about work later. For now, lets give them a chance to get comfortable.”

  “I wasn’t going to talk about work...but since you brought it up. Pamela is the office administrator. If she isn’t going to report to work then she should delegate her responsibilities to one of her employees.”

  Normally, Pamela being away from the office wouldn’t be considered a problem. However, today a number of things had gone wrong due to an unsupervised temp’s blunders. The young college student required a great deal of hand holding. It was the only way to avoid inaccuracies in her work. Pamela had been trying to give the young girl work experience but her kind hearted gesture was resulting in the loss of productivity from those assigned to babysit her.

  LaShawn’s eyes squinted in annoyance. Her catlike glare told him to back off from this topic. Michael grunted his agitation when he looked at his daughter, then said...

  “Sweetheart, next time let me know that you’re all right. I wasn’t concerned when you didn’t show up for work and I’m not angry over having to deal with that inept temp. But honey...I was a little troubled when you didn’t bother to return my text. I just wanted to know if you were all right. I wasn’t trying to keep tabs on you. You can take off from work whenever you deem that you need to.”

  LaShawn laughed, when she said... “That’s good to know. Now that you’ve gotten that off your chest Michael; is it all right if we take our seats now, counselor. Or will there be more closing remarks?”

  Pam’s parents weren’t angry at each other, this was just the way they talked; preferring to get to the point instead of wasting time on fluffy meaningless conjectures. This was all to familiar to Pamela. She’d grown up in this environment, which is the only explanation for what happened next. While LaShawn and Michael gave tit for tat, Pamela felt the nervousness from her stomach threatening to boil over. She asked herself, at what point should she speak, then she wondered if perhaps William would be the one to talk first. As her brain worried over the order in which things should play out; like the bursting of a dam, her mouth settled the question for her. There were no delays nor second thoughts. Without warming Pam blurted out her thoughts, unchecked and untamed.

  “Mom...dad... William and I are dating.”

  Earlier, the sound of light bantering could be heard floating in the air but now silence fell over the room like the vacuum of space. A coldness peeked the follicles of hairs, ushering in feelings that overpowered the area. The atmosphere had created confused looks on her parents faces. Her admission had even startled William, causing him to smash down his expression of utter shock.

  LaShawn spoke first because Michael still had not recovered. He was looking at William with a befuddled glare, as if he’d misunderstood what his outspoken daughter had just said.

  “Dating...dating? Do you mean that you’ve been seeing each other romantically or that...” LaShawn couldn’t go on because defining a relationship between her daughter and her husbands best friend had not been anything she’d prepared herself for.

  Pamela spoke up because she felt William reaching down taking her hand into his. When he squeezed while entangling their fingers together, she could see a blood vessel on the side of her fathers head, perturbing then rapidly pulsating with his increasing heartbeat. His anger was growing with each passing second and she wanted to diffuse his irritation before his temper burst due to his displeasure.

  “Mom...we’ve been seeing each other for some time now. It just happened. It wasn’t something that either of us planned. We fell in love and our relationship grew into something beautiful. We wanted to tell you and dad but... Well, we just didn’t know how.”

  Stepping a few paces away from his daughter, Michael’s furious eyes lay solely on William. He wasn’t hiding his vexation, nor did he second guess his choice in words.

  “What the fuc...”

  “Michael!” LaShawn whirled around to look at him, shocked by what he was about to say. Michael never used profanity. At least not since they both graduated from college and got married. On a warm summer day when they said their vows, he fell instep performing his role perfectly as her spouse, then Pamela’s doting father. LaShawn understood his frustration because she was working hard not to speak out of turn herself. Yet, she also knew this wouldn’t be easy for any of them. As much as she wanted to chime in with Michael, she had to admit; fussing and arguing wasn’t the answer either.

  Michael stood tense with his eyes fixed on Pamela and William. His glare traveled to their joined hands, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Bile and stomach acids rose in his esophagus, causing his ulcer to burn with irritation. This setting wasn’t good for his stomach nor his blood pressure. He had to get out of the room to think in a quiet place. Before looking at each face, he closed his eyes momentarily, muttering a curse underneath his breath. Will
ing his feet to move, he left the room without saying anything further. If he remained in the room, Michael knew he wouldn’t be able to hold back his anger to preserve the peace between him and his friend. He didn’t know what would become of his relationship with William but one thing was certain. The bond that they once had wasn’t there anymore and he didn’t know if it ever could be repaired. The best thing for all involved was for him to be someplace else and not in the same room with William Hudson.

  “Daddy...” Pamela called out, but her mother placed up one hand to silence her.

  “Let him go Pam, your dad needs time alone to figure this out. You’ve got to give him his space.”

  “Mom... You don’t understand. I’m pregnant. That was the other thing that I wanted to tell you. The most important part that I need to explain.”

  Pamela looked at the doorway where her father had just stormed out. When she looked back to her mother, she could see disappointment, even though she was remaining poised and in control.

  LaShawn pointed to the sitting area in the room. She’d talked to many parents about their pregnant teens, giving them hope and telling them that their child still could have a bright future. Now, seated in her own home was her twenty-three year old daughter, pregnant and unmarried. She knew in the big scheme of things, this was an easy fix and her daughters situation wasn’t as dire as the teens that she mentored. Yet this had always been LaShawn’s worst nightmare. Abstinence, safe sex, marriage before starting a family; these were situations that she’d preached about to her daughter countless times in the past.