by Sasha Combs
“Didn’t you say that the boat leaves dock at ten-thirty?”
Regina pursed her lips; thinking it funny that her friend recalled details that she selectively chose to remember.
Regina adjusted her short dress for the rise. Tugging on the hem, she crossed the room. With her spiked high heels on, Regina towered over Precious but she embraced her anyway.
“Come here.” Regina squeezed her tenderly. She said... “You’re my best friend Precious and I hate seeing you like this. Maybe it’s good that you’re moving to New York. The change might do you good.”
Precious shrugged, while stepping back to stare up at her.
“Anything will be better than this.” She said but Precious didn’t mean it. Regina strolled down the hall, with Precious following closely behind. When she stood in front of the door, Regina said...
“Precious... Are you sure?”
“Sure about what?”
“Sure that Hamilton wants nothing to do with you.”
Precious recalled when the revelation had toppled her into tears. She nodded because she couldn’t bring herself to say the words out loud. She didn’t want to hear her own voice damning their relationship.
Regina said in a soft voice...
“Try one more time Precious. I think you’re missing out on something that will be so important in your life. We all need someone or something to keep us grounded. I think your someone is Hamilton. And your something... Well, it might be marriage. Think about it.” She said.
Regina stepped closer, embracing her friend once more before leaving. She turned, hating that she was losing her friend to New York and hoping that Precious would take her advice.
Precious watched Regina until her engine roared, then the tires spun in motion. She closed the front door to her house. Trailing back to her bedroom, where she’d been before Regina arrived. But this time; instead of idly standing, doing nothing useful. Precious threw herself onto her bed; falling headlong into a sob fest. There was something about blubbering that made her feel better. The release was more than cathartic. Openly bearing her soul, gave her a relief no amount of counseling could ever achieve. She felt so empty inside and she knew the empty place could only be filled by Hamilton. Being with him made her feel whole. She’d been a fool to ignore this.
Precious rolled over, crawling out of bed. If she was determined to wallow in her misery; then she’d much rather be drunk instead of sober. She ambled down the hall, taking a right, leading to her kitchen. She was crossing over the threshold when her doorbell chimed. She turned, looking curiously in the direction of her foyer. She wondered, if maybe Regina had forgotten her purse. She rambled with a quick pace, not wanting her friend to miss the boat. As she neared the door, she considered, perhaps Regina was forgoing the party altogether. Her friend was known for things like that. There was no one more selfless and giving than her friend Regina but Precious didn’t want her to miss the party on her account. She readied her mouth to say this very thing. She twisted the doorknob, pulling back when she heard the rolling of tumblers. Precious stepped forward, then back. Her eyes blinked several times; her head went up then down. On her front porch, Hamilton stood; all six feet and five inches. He was smiling with a tilt to his head. But the biggest surprise was the small person standing to the left of him. A pint size version of a young woman in her preteen years. The little girl blinked her blue eyes, sniffled her button nose, then grinned with big adult size teeth. A trembling sputtered throughout Precious’ body. She didn’t know quite how to interpret this scene and Hamilton rightly recognized her confusion. He said...
“I’m sorry for coming unannounced but...your phone numbers were changed.”
Precious could not believe her absentmindedness. Over the past few weeks, her life had been topsy-turvy. When she returned home, her father pointedly reminded her of all she’d endured. He told Precious that she needed a fresh start. The suggestion was that she get new phone numbers for her land and mobile lines. With so many responsibilities at work; she’d left the chore of notifying her contacts regarding the change to her secretary. She was fairly certain that Hamilton was not on that list of names and until now, the thought had not entered her brain. Then, she recalled something else that was equally important. The thought leaped into her brain like a lion pouncing on its prey.
“My parents... For the show... When I was a cast member, I filled out an emergency card. You have my parents phone number.”
He smiled, but Hamilton didn’t respond. Pint size girl did the talking.
“I told you I should come along.”
Hamilton ruffled her hair, then he said...
“Precious. I’d like to introduce you to Samantha Stein. But I call her Sam.”
The little girl said... “Or Sammy. You only call me Sam when you’re trying to make a point.”
He laughed, then said...
“When the kids right... She’s right.”
“Why are you here Hamilton?” Precious didn’t see the humor in this conversation. Hamilton said...
“Do you mind if we come inside. I think your neighbors might get the idea that I’m one of those protesters that haunted their neighborhood this past summer. Someone might get it in their head to call the cops.”
“Wouldn’t want that.” Sam said and Precious had to agree with the kid. She moved aside, allowing them entry but she turned on him as soon as she closed the door.
“What do you want?” She demanded. He’d ignored her, now he was pretending that all was well in the world and nothing had happened. Then she questioned; had something happened?
Sammy said...
“Hamilton... Should I tell her or will you?”
He tilted his head, smiling at the little girl. He looked at Precious, then considered his options. By her stance, she obviously was in a disagreeable mood and pissed off at him. He said...
“I think you should tell her Sam.”
The little girl lifted her chin, sincerely staring into leery hazel eyes.
“Precious... My daddy has told me a lot about you. I know that you’re a very nice person and he said that you’re fair too. So, before I tell you what I came here to say, I want you to know that my daddy shouldn’t be blamed for not returning your calls. It’s my fault. I asked him to bring me here to explain because I knew you wouldn’t believe it, unless you heard it from me.”
Sam looked up, staring at Hamilton. She wasn’t sure if she needed to go on or if Hamilton should step in. He conceded, urging her to continue.
She took in a heap of air, then she said.
“Ok,... It’s like this. I love my mom but sometimes she isn’t the best mother. My biological father, William Stein. Well... He’s sick and alcohol is the cause of his disease. I’ve known this for as long as I can remember. And I’ve never known him to behave like a father should.”
She pointed to Hamilton.
“This is my daddy. I know he isn’t my real father... Biological, I mean. But, he’s the only daddy that I’ve ever known. He’s more of a parent to me than my own mom. When we’re together...it’s always quality time. Not quantity. I can’t say the same for either of my real parents. So, you see... When William Stein called me, and he said that he was ready to dry out because he wanted to be a real father to me... I didn’t know who to call except for one person. I called Hamilton...my daddy. I knew that he would know how to help Will and I also knew that he wouldn’t let me down.”
Hamilton said...
“When I arrived back in LA after leaving you at your parents house; Audrey met me at the airport. She told me that Sam had called, looking for me. I called her right away. That’s when I learned about Will, and his desire to quit his habit. I drove over to talk to him for myself. He really seemed sincere. He was tired of Bobby keeping him from his daughter and using his alcoholism as her reason. He wanted to admit himself into a treatment facility but he didn’t have the willpower to do it alone. That’s the reason he contacted Sam. He thought if he heard her vo
ice; maybe that would be enough. But, I knew that he needed something more. He needed to see his reason for cleaning up. So, I went to get his daughter. When I arrived to pick up Sammy; as I’d expected, Bobby didn’t raise an eyebrow. She told me I could keep her for the rest of the summer. After we left her house, I took Sam to see her father. Precious... The guy broke down. He started crying and....”
Hamilton didn’t want to replay that scene because the strain had been doubly worse for Sam. The little girl said...
“Will wanted me to ride with him to the treatment center. My daddy...” Her eyes lifted to Hamilton, then she said...
“He found a place to take him. We flew to Vancouver because Will didn’t want anyone to know that he was checking himself in for treatment. LA is a large city but people talk, and Will could’t take the risk that the newspapers would find out about this. When we arrived in Vancouver, Will had not drank anything for twelve hours. He was shaking something awful. He said that he would stay but he didn’t want to be left alone.”
Hamilton said...
“Will wanted Sam to be with him. He was half out of his mind. In and out of consciousness. I’ve seen people during the detoxification period but I’d never seen anything like Will’s DTs. It was something out of the movies. Sammy didn’t want to leave her father like that. And the treatment center had a strict policy. Minor’s had to be accompanied by an adult. So, we both stayed, to be with him during the worst. Then, after his fourth day, when we thought he was finally out of the woods. At one point, William clinically died. He coded for three frightening minutes. I know that doesn’t sound like much. But for three minutes, he was dead.”
Sammy said...
“When the nurses and doctors brought him back, I told daddy that we couldn’t leave William. I told him it might happen again, so we had to stay. We had to stay until we knew that he wouldn’t die again.”
Precious had stood listening with her mouth hung wide. While she’d been cursing herself, and pinning mental daggers in Hamilton; the love of her life had been taking care of his stepdaughter and watching over her biological father. How selfless was that? She said...
“Is he all right?”
Sammy smiled, then gleefully said...
“He’s been sober for twenty-one days. That might not seem like much but Will says that for the past twenty years of his life, he’s never gone more than a few days without drinking.”
“That’s wonderful.” Precious said.
Hamilton said...
“He’s on the right road now but, he still has a ways to go. Bobby wasn’t happy when she found out where I’d taken her daughter but Sammy stood up for herself.”
“Yeah... I told my mommy, it’s time for me to know my real father. He wants to know me and I want to know him. I have two daddy’s now and I want both of them in my life.”
“Well, that sounds wonderful Sam.” Precious said. She was out of her element; unsure where she fit in all of this. The little girl looked up at Hamilton, then she asked...
“Did I say it right? Do you think she understood?”
He looked at Precious. His lip tilted up in a smile. He’d missed her desperately and so many times he’d wanted to call, but his life had been in upheaval. Until now, he’d not thought to call requesting Audrey to pull out old records. But, Precious had remembered the emergency contact card required by all the cast members. He hoped she would forgive his forgetfulness. And by the way her eyes gleamed at him; Hamilton was pretty sure that she would.
Precious looked at Sam, then she said...
“Have you eaten? I was thinking about ordering a pizza.”
Sam smiled, then she said...
“Actually, daddy said that he would spring for dinner.”
They both laughed, then Precious said.
“All right. Let’s go into the kitchen. That’s where I keep all of my takeout menus.”
Precious pointed the way, then she watched as the little girl skipped along. She was only a few steps behind her, when Hamilton caught hold of her arm. He drew her in close, pressing his lips on the side of her face. He said...
“I hope you aren’t angry that I brought her here. Sam has had a rough life and I never keep secrets from her. Before we left William at the treatment center; I told her everything about you. When I told Sam that I needed to come to Michigan, to explain my absence; it was her idea to tag along, as my official witness. She was so happy to hear that I’d finally met someone special; she didn’t want her fathers problem to interfere in my life.”
His finger brushed across her face when he said...
“I told Sam that I love you and that I want you to be my wife.”
Precious closed her eyes, allowing her body to lean into his. She inhaled his scent. Then she felt the buildup of tears behind the lids of her eyes. She said...
“I missed you. I thought that...I’d made a mess of things.”
He turned her fully to face him, then he cupped her chin, while saying...
“You can’t get rid of me that easy. I thought you knew that by now.”
“I love you Hamilton. I love you and I’m ready to talk about us. I don’t care about the distance. None of that matters. We can make it work. We will make it work.”
He didn’t know what had happened in his absence. But something had caused her to change. For his part; he really didn’t give a damn, and there would be time enough for Precious to fill him in.
He took her hand, following as they walked to the kitchen. Sammy sat at the counter, leafing through an array of menus. She held up one saying...
“Chinese anyone?”
They laughed, then Hamilton said...
“I’m game if Precious is.”
She nodded, and in that slight move of her head; she knew that her life had suddenly changed. There had been a time when she would never have considered domesticity. Yet, here she was, mentally planning a future with Hamilton and his stepdaughter. What a difference a few tears make but in her case, her despair had amounted to so much more. Nonetheless, Hamilton was in her home. She would tell him about her move to New York and her promotion. She didn’t have all the answers but she did recall Regina’s words and the sentiment had been poignant. Everyone needs someone or something to keep them grounded. In her case, that someone is Hamilton. From the moment he kissed her, she’d felt a sense of wholeness. As for the thing that would ground her... Well, she didn’t fully have that part figured out but she was certain that the root to her happiness was seeded in Hamilton. He held her heart and for once, the idea didn’t frighten her.
******************************
Epilogue
Precious Sinclair disconnected the call. She switched the ringer off then lay the phone on her nightstand. With a shift of her hip, the change in position placed her back where she’d been only seconds earlier. Snuggled close, content in the nook of Hamilton’s arms. During the past several months, her life experienced a metamorphosis of sorts. Not only did she endure tiresome task associated with moving across state lines. There had been multiple challenges, requiring travel and countless meetings. More importantly, Precious ventured heart first into a new relationship, dismissing all preconceived notions on the subject of marriage. For his part, Hamilton made certain little change occurred in her life. He didn’t appeal to her sense of fairness; demanding that she shoulder some of the responsibilities. Building a relationship took work, and the commitment required constant pampering. But when his heart pledged himself to her, Hamilton worried that while reciprocating, Precious might inadvertently alter her destiny. She’d always feared that monogamy and marriage would require that she make supreme sacrifices. Despite that, she did want to please him in more ways than one and her efforts had not gone unnoticed. She started with the little things. Giving him a key to her apartment, thereby conveying that she wanted him to come and go freely; especially, when she couldn’t come to him. She made certain that he was the first to know about her travel plans. Hamilton used this in
formation to globe-trot alongside her. He would sync his calendar, scheduling his meetings to match her timetable. This required no strain on his part, primarily because he was part-owner of the production company. Even so, she appreciated his desire to ensure that her life remain uninterrupted and he did this without a hint of complaining. On more than one occasion, it had been Hamilton who’d pointed out her accomplishments. Telling whomever would listen, how wonderful she was at her job. When they were at his events; Hamilton would tell his friends about his brilliant financier girlfriend. In turn, the men would flirt while trying to weasel stock tips out of her. She adored his attention, and she believed that his comments were sincere. But as time passed, and their relationship deepened, her musings began to lean in another direction. Certain words whirled in her head, yet these comments sat idle on her tongue. But she knew her mental wanderings wouldn’t remain her secret for long. Especially after Hamilton proposed marriage, and she’d accepted. Precious found herself seriously toying with the idea of chucking it all; giving up her prestigious job. For the first time in her life, she realized what really mattered to her. She’d fallen in love with Hamilton and being apart strained her heart. Each day the remorseful pang grew in intensity. As she struggled with these regrets, she accepted that her time in her chosen profession was limited. She’d sensed this when her heart entangled itself with Hamilton. In her final days, when Precious would turn her back on her life's accomplishments; she would do it, for reasons of her own and not because a man or her husband demanded this of her. When she said goodbye to Wall Street and the world of finance and mergers; she would be glad to do it. Because, she would do it for love and that was worth the offering.
The hour was late, however the city that never sleeps bustled with activity on the streets below. Precious felt a long stroke of his hand, as he moved strands of hair away from her neck. He pressed moist lips on her collarbone, then whispered softly...
“Is everything okay?”
