The Senator's Choice

by Combs, Sasha

  While Michael returned his attention to his soup, William bit back a smile. It was a small victory but a win nonetheless. Michael had spoke to him without using foul language or resorting to one of his offhanded quips. As the others ate their meal, William moved forward with the conversation by excitedly chatting with his parents. He knew that he had not repaired the rift between him and his friend but they did stand a chance once they were alone and away from everyone else. William considered that perhaps there might be a black-eye or two swollen eyes during their conversation away from the others and he wouldn’t mind the injury if need be. The hike could be used to explain away any bruises that might occur if their fist were involved in them coming to terms with things as they stood.

  After William had talked about his childhood stories and misadventures at Barn Wood Hudson, he wanted to redirect the conversation to the present. He didn’t want his friends to feel left out due to him recalling past events.

  “Mom...dad... I’ve been trying to get Michael up here for years but the Outer Banks is the only place I could ever persuade him to go. That or an out of the way tropical island with endless beaches and surf. Year after year, our vacation choices never changed because without ever trying to stop it; we all became so predictable. Even though we talked about going to rural locations, Michael would never budge and we never tried to force him to change. On a few occasions, I do recall him asking about this place but we could never get him to come to Barn Wood Hudson, no matter how much we talked about it.”

  “Before she came along, you would say mommy’s name instead of referring to her by using personal pronouns.” Morgan’s words bit like a viper with a sting that was meant to injure. Her hostility left everyone nonplussed. She’d been quietly sitting at the table, nestled in between her grandparents. By all accounts, Morgan had been practically off the radar, even though she was in the same room with them. While they had been listening to William telling his stories; her quiet focus on her meal had wrongly been interpreted as indifference. As she’d sat, silently eating her food, Morgan had been listening with growing agitation. Hearing her mother referred to as we, they and us had battered her nerves. It had not passed her notice, that her father purposely refused to call her mother by her name. Morgan knew the reason for her father’s careless disregard for her mother. The excuse for his disrespect was seated at the table and her fury was pointed in that direction.

  Morgan glared at Pamela where she sat, hating that this woman was trying to replace her mother. She felt her grandmothers hand underneath the table, when she gently squeezed her knee. Her touch was a physical reminder of promises once made. Before Mildred had cajoled her granddaughter to join them at the dinner table, she’d asked Morgan to promise that she would behave herself. The girl had placed her hand on her heart, citing that she would be a perfect angel. In her bedroom, for over an hour, she had cried in the arms of her grandmother, asking why her father would do such a thoughtless thing. Mildred didn’t have the answers to her questions but she knew that William was a rational man and she tried her best to convey this thought. As she sat on the bed with her granddaughter, Mildred used this time to piece together the little that she knew. If her son had chosen to marry Pamela, she didn’t think that the baby was the reason for their nuptials. Mistakes like that could be dealt with and Mildred imagined that more than likely their carelessness wasn’t seen as much of a problem to them. They had been reckless, which is the reason the pregnancy preceded their marriage but she had no doubts that her son was in love with Pamela. All the same, she couldn’t explain this to a thirteen year old girl bent on making her father’s life a miserable living hell.

  After she’d dried Morgan’s tears, Mildred had began to make positive headway by getting her granddaughter to open up to her. Morgan had not been completely convinced that her father could explain everything but she’d promised her grandmother that she would give him the opportunity to try. Yet now, except for the lack of fangs, she’d struck like a poisonous snake out on the prowl and by all accounts she looked ready to reel her head back to strike again. After witnessing in horror what had just occurred, Mildred rightly concluded that this situation was a recipe for disaster. In Morgan’s room, she’d already heard her granddaughter’s wrath, which was a spewing of ugly distasteful words. When they were alone Mildred had warned her granddaughter that nothing good could be gained by deliberately setting out to hurt her father or Pamela. However she didn’t want to risk alienating Morgan by chastising her in front of everyone. Even though she knew that her granddaughter was clearly in the wrong, treading lightly, Mildred choose her words with the idea of maintaining peace in mind.

  “Morgan dear...remember what we discussed?” Mildred’s voice was low, yet the sound had a high pitch which clearly expressed her disappointment. She had hoped this would be enough, but she’d been wrong to think that by using her grandmotherly voice, Morgan would easily be contained. Even though her words had gained the attention from everyone else in the room, Morgan’s eyes never left Pamela. Which meant Morgan didn’t see the way Pamela’s parents were eyeing her. As they all watched the antagonistic behavior brimming from Morgan; she wasn’t the cute little girl that Michael and LaShawn had once known and had watched grow up from the days of her birth. When Morgan had entered boarding school, Michael and LaShawn had not seen much of her. But they did believe that once they knew her and currently this demon spawn child was not the sweet little girl that they each once knew.

  Again Morgan openly challenged her father, she would not be cast in a role without putting up some sort of fight. She planted her feet squarely on the floor, shifting her weight in the chair, which allowed her to lean forward when she spoke.

  “You can call her whatever you want daddy but she will never take the place of my mother.”

  “Morgan...!” William said with annoyance peppering his voice. He wanted to gain her attention but all he’d managed to do was to spur her on.

  “What...?” she said in a defiant voice. Her eyes were like unyielding magnets glued on Pamela. When she spoke, Morgan focused her anger in the direction of the woman that she believed was the cause for all her woes.

  “You pretended to be my friend after my mommy’s funeral. But instead you were moving in on my daddy. I hate you for that and no one here will ever convince me that I’m wrong.”

  “Morgan!” Again William shouted but this time his daughter directed her eyes to look at him instead of glaring angrily at Pamela. He had heard all the nonsense he would tolerate at the moment. In all of her years, he’d never witnessed her expressing such aggression. If her outrage had been witnessed by him and only her grandparents, he wouldn’t have been as bothered. However, that had not been the case. Morgan had chosen to voice her annoyance in the presence of Pamela and his two best friends.

  William didn’t want to add to the simmering brew that was already boiling. He lay his silverware to the side of his bowl, while mentally metering his emotions. In a voice that was only a pitch above his normal calm, William addressed his daughter in a manner that he knew she would interpret as a stern warning best not ignored.

  “If you cannot control your mouth and behave in a civil manner, then I can only suggest one thing for you. Go to your room and I will talk to you in private later this evening before you go to bed for the night.”

  Morgan’s eyes closed for a second. She moved her angry glare from Pamela to her father. She couldn’t believe that he was siding with the woman she’d come to abhor. A woman that had pretended to be her trusted friend after her mother’s death. Morgan seethed with an anger no one could possibly understand, yet William wasn’t willing to allow her the opportunity to vent her rage. Not here...not now.

  “Go to your room Morgan. We will talk after dinner. Greta will bring your dinner to your suite.”

  “I’m not hungry.” She shouted but William wasn’t moved by her sentiment.

  “No matter. Greta will bring a full tray with your dinner. If you eat your meal
, that will be fine. If you don’t eat, then you’ll go to bed hungry.”

  Morgan stood in such a rush, her quick movement sent her chair skidding away from the table. In that instant, the cook and her helpers were bringing in the next course of their meal. William brimmed with embarrassment for her and his parents. Greta had worked for his family for years and he hated that she had to witness his daughters childish tantrum.

  Before leaving the room, Morgan hesitated to deliver her last words. She focused her attention directly on Pamela

  “This is your doing and I’ll see that you pay for it.”

  “Leave now Morgan. We will talk about your behavior later.”

  “Don’t bother daddy. I can see where your allegiance lies. You and I have nothing to discuss.”

  William couldn’t believe his daughters gall. He wondered if an incident at boarding school had anything to do with her sudden change in temperament. He wanted to place the blame somewhere else because her words were slicing his flesh like blades and the pain lingered. This wasn’t the child that he knew and the thought of failing her made him feel helpless.

  When Morgan was no longer in the room, William felt it was his place to apologize on behalf of his daughter. To his surprise Pamela spoke, saying exactly what they all needed to hear.

  “I guess that was to be expected and if she wasn’t upset, then I would have been worried. Morgan feels threatened and this is her way of lashing out. She’s afraid and she doesn’t know how to protect her perfectly crafted world. I think it was a good idea for us all to be here. She needs to see us behaving like adults. She needs to believe that the adults are truly united.”

  Turning to her parents, Pamela’s eyes rested on her father’s face.

  “Dad...I know that you haven’t said much and I have no right to ask this huge favor of you but I’m going to ask it anyway. Daddy, I need you to forgive me and William. I can understand your anger and disappointment and I know that you think that William betrayed your friendship by involving himself with me romantically. Well, dad...he didn’t betray you and he’s always thought of you as his best friend. Believe me...we didn’t plan this and we always thought about you and mom whenever we were together. We didn’t want our relationship to hurt you and we toiled over how best to break the news to both of you. Unfortunately we were a little sloppy and our planning was awful. We take full responsibility for that but given all that we did wrong, the fact remains; we love each other and that will never change.”

  Pamela looked across the table at Mildred and Wallace. In those few seconds, she realized that she was preparing herself to talk to her in-laws. She’d always liked them and she didn’t want that part of their relationship to be any different.

  “Mildred...Wallace... I know that William sideswiped you with his news about us. I’m sure that telling you that we were married in Ohio during a quick pitstop didn’t sound planned or romantic but we believed waiting wasn’t in our best interest. I also know that the news about our little bundle was a shocker as well and it isn’t what you would have wanted for your son. Believe me when I say this... We love each other and we are happy about this baby. This news is still a little fresh for me but the nausea reminds me that I’m carrying my growing baby. This child is a blessing and with each passing minute I find that I’m learning to accept the pregnancy right along with the baby.”

  Pamela felt William taking her hand into his. He placed their joined hands on top of the table, for both of their parents to see. She looked at the simple gold bands that had been a last minute purchase.

  With her eyes still on Mildred and Wallace, Pamela continued talking because she was nearing the most important part.

  “According to the plan, as I see it. We will be here at Barn Wood Hudson for the rest of the week. If all goes well, the plan is to extend our stay for one additional week. During that time, we’re hoping to bridge over any troubled waters that might remain. Currently, Morgan has just shown us that she is a typhoon.”

  “A hurricane would be a better description of her behavior.” Wallace said. He pierced a generous portion of vegetables using his salad fork. Greta and her helper had removed their soup bowls and replaced them with plates filled with spinach, dressed with fresh slices of strawberries. Wallace admired Pamela’s spirit, which is the reason he’d decided to do whatever she asked of him. In his eyes, courage was an admirable characteristic. Something he hoped, had been seeded in their child.

  Pamela wasn’t acting like their host, instead she sounded like the commander of her ship, directing the sail.

  “This week we will all have to work as a team. There can be no weak links if we are to act as a unit. We cannot afford to allow any weaknesses to show. That’s what Morgan is looking for. A weak link that she can target. I don’t propose that we punish her because that would be futile and right now she has every right to express her emotions.”

  “The girl is fighting mad and I don’t think that kind of behavior should be tolerated.” Wallace was being more help than Pamela had anticipated. She also noticed William’s obvious silence. He was allowing her to take charge in this matter. She was the target for his daughters hatred and he was allowing her to manage this. He would step in, only when and if his help was needed.

  “You are absolutely correct on that point Wallace. Morgan is angry, but her anger is no different from the grief that she experienced when she lost her mother. She cried, and then she got angry. She bargained, became depressed, then finally she reached acceptance. I don’t know if she’ll need to experience all these emotions but I wouldn’t be surprised and we must allow her to process this in her own way. While she does this, as her grandparents, you will have to be her anchor. We would greatly appreciate your help with Morgan. She’s going to turn to you because her father is currently with me...her enemy.”

  Michael didn’t like hearing his daughter using that word to describe herself.

  “Perhaps we need to get her to understand that you are not the enemy.” Michael said. Pamela nodded but in her heart she felt an inner smile. She was glad that her father was finally speaking positively and suggesting ways to resolve the problems that involved her and William. She listened while her father continued.

  “What I mean to say is...maybe we’re going about this all wrong. Pam, when you were with Morgan after the funeral, you two were as thick as thieves. If she wasn’t with Mildred or Wallace, she was with you. I even noticed how she preferred being with you more than Bianca’s parents.”

  William recalled that time a little different. In his memory, he recalled that he had been the person with Pamela and they had been as thick as thieves. Yet, he had to admit, their closeness started days after the funeral, when they were alone at his house and everyone else had returned to their homes. Morgan had gone to be with his parents, until she returned to boarding school some time after that. William’s thoughts came back to the present, when he heard Michael talking.

  “That’s the key Pam. You’ve got to rebuild the relationship that you had with her right after she lost her mom. Whatever bonded you two...it can work again.”

  “But dad, the situation was quite different. I don’t know if she would want to be alone with me in a room, let alone talk to me.”

  “Perhaps after she has been given time to settle down.” Mildred said. “We must admit, this is a lot for a young girl to process. Morgan is still grieving the loss of her mother. That isn’t easy for a young girl who needs her mother most during her teen years.”

  William noticed that only his father was eating and his salad was nearly gone. It had not been his idea to turn their dinner into a strategy session but that is exactly what had happened. Most importantly, Pamela was showing him a side that he’d yet to see. She spoke so confidently. Even now, he wanted to take hold of her plan, following it with blind faith and trust in its probability to produce the results they all strived to achieve.

  “I think the most important thing that we can take away from this conversation
is that we are the adults here and we must stick together on this point. We cannot allow Morgan to divide and conquer and we have to be the ones to help her understand that we all love her. We may not be able to resolve all our problems while we’re here but we can convey to her that we are all here to help during this difficult time because we all love her.”

  When they all agreed on this point, Pamela noticed the meal that had been prepared for them no longer held anyones interest. Most of them moved food around their plate, while talking about different topics. That’s what was most interesting at the dinner table. They talked about all sorts of things but not one question or issue had anything to do with William and Pamela. It was odd but that’s what had happened.

  When they finished their dinner, they retired to the sitting room next to the main dinning area. Earlier, Wallace had instructed the groundsman to start a fire after the last course of their meal had been served. It was still spring but the night weather outdoors held the chill of winter, making the fire inviting.

  While Pamela talked to her mother about one of the firms cases, Mildred used this opportunity to sit next to her son. She wanted to feed him some words of wisdom, especially due to her insight into his daughter’s psyche.

  “William...I know that you told Morgan you would talk to her after we all ate our dinner but dear I don’t think that would be a good idea. Morgan is stewing and she might lash out at you because she feels that she can.”

  “Mom...I can’t allow her to think that there’s no punishment for her behavior. If she believes that she has achieved a victory, then we might be giving her exactly what she wants.”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with that assessment. At least, it doesn’t fit the circumstances surrounding what happened tonight at dinner. Morgan and I had a very long talk and much of what she said made a great deal of sense. It wasn’t logical but to her the reasoning is perfectly sound. The most important thing that I learned from our conversation is that her anger is directed mainly at Pamela. She is upset with you but she thinks that Pamela is the cause for her pain. Everything that she used as her excuse to blame everything on Pamela stemmed from inaccurate summations or facts that she picked out of thin air. I’m quite certain that not even she believes much of what she shared with me. Morgan just needs to blame her hurt feelings on someone and right now that person seems to be Pamela. If you go storming into her room, threatening to punish her, your actions will only give her reason to believe the truths she’s created in her head. I’m certain if she’s given time alone to think about what she did tonight; Morgan is a smart girl and she’ll feel terrible over her antics. She’s a sensible girl and she’s well aware that her actions hurt you. She also knows that she was a disappointment to me. She would never knowingly do anything to hurt us, least of all you. Your daughter adores you and she needs this time alone to remind herself of that.”