CHAPTER 31

“So we’ll be going,” said Rina.

“Yes, the man made a good case; he is a persuasive gentleman. I can see how he was able to seduce Abigail. Abigail is smart, but not that kind of smart, and she is a material girl if there ever was one,” I said.

“Hmm, yes, I can believe it. I mean that Owen is a charmer, that is. He is good looking and he does have the gift of gab. So yes, she likely didn’t have much in the way of defenses to counter his assault.

“Anyway, so okay, I’m onboard. And though they are your kids and not even my steps yet, they will be soon enough,” she said.

“I just wish they were already,” I said. “I don’t know why you insisted on a June wedding. Yeah, I know it’s all traditional and everything, but really!”

“It’s just something I’ve always had a thing about,” she said. “It’ll give us a little time to save up for the honeymoon too.” She was smiling and for the life of me she seemed almost pretty to me. Well, they did say that beauty was in the eyes of the beholder, and I was the beholder.

******

May 18th, 2015, graduation day at the college. And it had come faster than seemed possible. The man knew my conditions: no communication whatsoever with the woman. None!

We were early, well, we had had to travel a hundred miles to get here. We had seats in the main

Gallery, on the far right side. We were gabbing about nothing much when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Ronald!” I said.

“Hi Dad,” he said. “I’m supposed to invite you to move over to where the family is sitting. Dad has saved seats for you guys.”

“Is your mom over there?” I said.

“Well yes,” he said.

“We’ll be staying here, Ron, but tell your Dad thanks for the invite,” I said.

“Huh? Okay,” he said.

He left and I watched to see where he was heading. I was able to spot clan Cord a minute later. I saw her standing beside her husband. She was looking right at me. I looked away. I guess she figured that enough time had passed that I had cooled off some; I hadn’t.

“This could be awkward,” said Rina, nudging me.

“It better not be. I made myself clear enough to the man when he came to visit in February. I wasn’t kidding then and I’m not compromising now. Her insults were so egregious that I no longer want anything to do with the woman, not on any level. Too many bad things happened and continue to happen because of her. Too damn many!” I said.

“Okay, I’m with you whatever you decide,” said Rina.

The grad ceremony was nice and traditional and well nice. Then it was over. The grad hat’s filled the air, the screams shook the walls of the auditorium, and then everyone was on the move, and milling and greeting and taking pictures and all of it. Rina and I waited for my daughters to get loose and join us for a picture or two. We had brought the mandatory grad gifts with us too: two gold ladies Bulova watches engraved “with love from Dad” on the backs.

I could see them all together, the Cords, hurrahing each other and having fun. I watched and the woman kept eyeing me from the rim of the group. I think my look was a sneer. She turned and I think said something to Mia. Mia nodded, said something to Sarah, and the two to them came toward us—finally.

“Hi and congratulations, girls,” I said. “I am so proud of the two of you.”

“Yes congrats,” said Rina, her tone warm and kinda excited.

“Thanks Dad, Rina,” the twins said in unison.

There ensued an awkward moment. No one said anything. Then I did.

“Girls?” I said.

“Dad, Mom is very sorry for what she said, whatever it was,” said Mia.

“It is what it is,” I said. “But this is your day not ours.”

“Dad, we, Sarah's and I, would really love it if you would bend a little. I mean take a family picture with you and Mom and us—and Rina too,” said Mia.

“I’d really like to take a picture with you girls, but not with your mother. That cannot be. I explained that to your Daddy,” I said.

“We really only want to take a picture with the both of you, really, and mom,” said Sarah.

“Well, then, here are your grad gifts,” I said handing them to them. “We’ll be going. I know you probably have a big party and everything to go to. We won’t be holding you up from getting to it.”

“Daddy!” said Mia.

“Have a great life, girls. I really mean it,” I said. “Let’s go, Rina.”

“One minute first,” said Rina. “Girls, Your Dad and I are getting married next month. We’d like you two, to be co-maids of honor.”

“We’d be honored,” said Sarah.

“Yes, if you guys will take the family picture with us and Mom, we’d be so honored to be in your wedding,” said Mia.

“Wait, wait, you mean you won’t be in our wedding unless we take pictures with your mother?” I said.

“Dad that’s fair,” said Mia.

“Like I said, have a nice life and be well. Daddy loves you guys,” I said. I started walking off. Rina was right on my figurative heels trying to talk, but this one was not going to fly, not then not ever! I was not giving into blackmail, not on any level!

I heard the girls calling after me, but I was gone, wheeling fast and gone.

Finally at the truck, I broke down my chair and slid inside. I took my place in the driver’s seat. Rina was strapping herself in.

“You sure you wanted to burn those bridges, love of my life,” she said.

“Of course not, but I will not compromise on this one not ever,” I said, “and blackmail!”

“Never say never honeykins. There is almost always a way,” she said.

“Not this time,” I said, my anger boiling over and coming to the surface. “The man promised me that I wouldn’t have to deal with the woman, but I guess he’s a liar too.”

“Wow! You are hot aren’t you?” she said.

“Oh yeah, that would be the term,” I said, “oh yeah.”

******

“Mia, you say he just stormed off,” said Abigail Cord.

“Yes, well, kinda,” said Mia.

“Mom, we told him that we’d be thrilled to be in his wedding, but we wanted him to be in our grad pics too,” said Sarah

“He didn’t want to take a pic with you,” said Abigail, her tone disbelieving.

“Well,” said Sarah.

“Well what?” said their mother.

“We kinda made it clear that the pics had to be with the both of you, you and him,” said Mia. “We know you two aren’t getting along, but you are both our parents. We needed those pics. But Dad would not budge an inch, not an inch.”

“And you made taking those pictures a condition of you two being in his wedding to his new woman,” said Abigail, finally getting a sense of what actually went down. “Oh my, this is bad.”

“Kinda,” said Sarah.

“Girls, you need to go to your Dad and give him what he wants. This is all my fault. What I said that day...” said Abigail.

“Mom? What could have been so bad that Dad is being so hard core about this, I mean being around you?” said Mia.

“Girls, that day... Things had been going okay. We were getting used to having a new woman in the life of your dad. Then it happened that your dad and Rina were just inside the house by the Sliding glass door. Your daddy and I were still out on the patio and talking, we were just a few feet from the two of them; but we didn’t know it. I was talking. Your dad, I mean your other dad, and his new woman could hear us I guess. But like I say we didn’t know it, not at first.

“We were talking about them, and well, I happened to say, well...”

“Mom, what?” said Sarah.

“I said that that your dad should have tried to be with someone who wasn’t so ugly. And I said that the both of them were so ugly that maybe it was lucky that they had found each other.

“Well they heard us. And, I guess it really killed your dad’s heart. We used to be married as you know, and well, after I left him . . . Anyway, there were other things I did that hurt him and, well, now we are where we are, I guess,” she said.

“Oh my God!” said Mia.

“At least that,” said Sarah.

“Mom, there has to be a way to fix this. There has to be. We can’t go through life with our parents hating each other,” said Sarah.

“Well, I’m open to suggestions. But just to be clear. I do not hate your dad. He’s a war hero. He’s a man I was married to and loved. But then, well, I met your daddy, and well, we are where we are,” she said.

The twins were nodding in unison.

******

And then we got a visit we did appreciate. No, not from the Cords, not exactly. No, it was the dynamic duo of Jeffrey Michaels and Harriet Bridger. Who for whatever reason had so far not married.

“Yes, yes, finally,” said Jeff.

“Well, congratulations.” I said, shaking his hand.

“I hear your two are also getting hitched,” said Jeffrey.

“Yes, yes, on the 3rd,” I said. “But where did you hear it. We just now, today, sent out the invitations,” I said, and yours is in the mail. Just a few people actually. No gifts, and we’re paying for lunch.

“Uh, we heard the news from the twins, your kids,” said Jeff. “And we heard that they weren’t invited.”

“That’s not true. They opted to make their appearance conditional, so we wished them well and said goodbye,” I said.

“Hmm, not exactly what we were told. But conditional,” he said.

“Yeah, if we don’t cavort with my ex they don’t come to the wedding or be in the wedding party,” I said, “their choice and their condition.”

“So you’re not into cavorting?” said Jeff.

“Not even,” I said. He nodded. He knew the history, pretty much all of it.

“Well, we’ll be there, but we have a condition too. You have to come to our wedding,” he said.

I smiled. Then I frowned.

“Will the Cords be there?” I said.

“Maybe the twins, and your son, but not their parents,” he said.

“Maybe?” I said.

“Yes, Mia said she’d be getting back to me. She’s the one I talked to,” he said.

“I should ask when exactly did you talk to the twins about all of this?” I said.

“They came to us last week. They wanted my help to try and get you and the Cords back on speaking terms. I said I’d mention their concerns to you.” He said. “Consider them mentioned.”

Just then the women, Rina and Harriet came in from the patio, where they’d been doing the girl thing.

“So, where are we at?” said Harriet, breaking the ice.

“About to get everybody a drink,” I responded.

“Beer, honey,” said Rina. “It’s hot out today.”

“You got it,” I said. I headed into the kitchen to get the necessary offerings.

The four of us were lounging around in the front room, and tipping ‘em back.

“So?” said Harriet.

“We’re coming to your wedding,” I said.

“Sam, can I ask, would it be all right it I invited my best friend for life to come. We haven’t invited either of them so far, in deference to you. But...” said Harriet.

“Sam if I may?” said Rina. I gestured for her to go ahead.

“Jeff is your best friend, we all know that. And well, Harriet and Abigail are soul sisters. I mean . . .” said Rina.

“So long as we don’t have to meet and greet the woman ourselves, take pictures with her, well you get the idea; I guess we can bend that much,” I said. “I agree this is a kind of weird deal. So okay, we’ll be there even if they are too,” I said.

“Thank you for that, friend,” said Jeffrey, Harriet just sighed.

CHAPTER 32

Our wedding was only a couple of weeks after the kids’ graduation. It was a small affair, but it was in Vegas, which was an all day trip for us, but we went up the night before to get a room and kind of kick back. The ceremony was on the strip and scheduled for 1:00 p.m. the next day, Saturday, the 3rd.

I was mortally disappointed that my daughters weren’t there. I had half expected the two of them to show up, and maybe even with the eight year-old Ronald in tow. But, they hadn’t. We took our vows quite formally. Claire Cunningham acted as maid of honor. Jeff was my best man and Harriet was in charge of the rice. And that was it, just the five of us. We did have a good time at the Nugget eating and hurrahing the place after the ceremony. For a tiny wedding it was nice. I highly recommend Vegas to anybody. Glitzy it was, kind of crazy, but nice, and fun and quite legal. We were a new married couple. And Rina’d gotten her wish to be a June bride.

We’d decided to stay the night, and have breakfast in the morning, before heading back to Tucson. It was then we got the surprise of the weekend. The twins showed up to have breakfast with us. Ronald was not with them.

“So, you decided to come,” I said, my tone was not necessarily unfriendly.

“Daddy, this is for you. We’re buying this morning,” said Mia.

“Hmm, fine,” I said. “So how have you been?”

“Yes, girls we are very glad you could make it today,” said Rina, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

“We’ve been fine. We wish we could have been here yesterday. But...” said Sarah.

“You could have been,” I said, “You were invited.”

“Dad, we can’t choose between you and Mom. But for the record, Mom finally outted herself about what she’d done that day, said Mia.

“Did she now? So?” I said.

“So we kinda understand why you are being so—something,” said Sarah. I nodded.

“And I'm supposed to be, do, think, what,” I said.

“If we have our druthers, Dad, you would talk to Mom and maybe have a little bit of forgiveness to loan her,” said Mia.

“Just loan her?” I said. “What does that even mean?”

“Dad, it means give her a chance to prove that she’s not the evil witch of the East, and maybe mend some fences,” said Mia. I stared at her.

I looked across the room to Rina. She and Harriet had moved themselves to an empty table to have a private moment, or, maybe to let me and my daughters have a moment; I wasn’t sure. They looked to becoming fast friends. It was a good thing from my point of view, but something that could maybe become a problem at some point in the distant future. Claire had had to return right after the service, family problems: her boyfriend’s family.

“Honey?” I said, calling to her. She’d heard what was going on and she shrugged.

“I’ll support whatever you want to do,” she said, not even waiting to hear what the “whatever” was. God! how I was loving this woman.

“Okay Mia, I guess I can push the envelope one more time since she apparently finally outted herself though I really had wanted to be there to hear it myself. But that’ll be it. And, Mia, I’m not kidding. There have been way too many things...”

“Oh Daddy thank you,” screamed Mia. Sarah was the first to hug me, but Mia was only a nano second behind her.

I had serious reservations about capitulating like this, but maybe it would be all right.

******

In spite of the commitment to talk to the woman and maybe mend some fences, as the girls intimated, I was in no hurry to rush up to Phoenix and mess with the residents of castle Cord. An opportune moment would likely be in the offing and that rather sooner than later. At any rate, we’d be seeing.

My cheapo phone rang and I answered it. It was Ronald! “Dad?” he said.

“Ronald?” I said. It was the first call I’d ever gotten from him. The twins yes, but not Ronald.

“Dad could you come to my game next weekend?” he said. Well, they’d picked the one ambassador that I could absolutely not refuse. I wouldn’t have refused either of the twins either, but Ronald for some reason seemed way overkill for such a request. I guess the twins were hedging their bets in spite of my having told them that I would allow myself to be in the same place at the same time as the woman.

Our call lasted some minutes. He told me all about his soccer game. I wasn’t an aficionado of the sport, but I had a general idea of the game. But I wasn’t going to the game to watch him play soccer anyway; I was going to have fun and to be proud of him regardless of how he played. Oh, and I was certain that I was going to be pressed to forgive the woman the unforgivable. Rina seemed to be in a good mood. She was a strange one in some respects. She never seemed to give a damn what anyone thought or said about her. In that she was the exact opposite of me.

******

After Ronald’s call, I got another one from Owen. He invited us to stay in the guest house overnight rather than have to drive up the day of the game or to motel it if we were to come up the night before. I demurred. We’d see about any rapprochement after our meet up with Abigail. If that worked out we’d be going to stage two but not before. The man didn’t push it.

We had indeed come up the night before and we had stayed in a local motel. It was only $45 per night, so it didn’t kill us financially.

The game was at 1:00 p.m. I had driven my truck which was older than Jesus at this point, but I had kept it in good shape mechanically. One day soon though I’d be needing to trade up to a newer model. We could afford it. We didn’t waste money and we didn’t buy much, so getting another used truck wouldn’t be a huge burden.

We got to the park, where the game was to be played, a little early, but the Cords were already there. The twins saw us and came to escort us to their spot.

I was so nervous that I actually felt faint. And no, I didn’t faint; I just felt like it. Apart from the Cords, Jeff and Harriet were there, and a couple of friends of Owen. Rina and I were seated a few feet away from Abigail who mouthed me a greeting and Rina too, but didn’t approach us or make any effort to sit by us. I relaxed. I just nodded my acknowledgment of her voiceless greeting.

******

The Cords more or less hung together and Rina and I just sort of sat and observed. Jeff and Harriet actually sat between us and them. I didn’t know if that was by design or if it just worked out that way. I guessed it didn’t matter.

“You know anything about soccer?” said Jeffrey.

“Not really,” I said. I mean I know you can’t use your hands. Mostly it’s a matter of kicking the ball into the other teams net.”

“Wow! You knew more than I thought you might. I mean I know you were a jock at one time, but football, not soccer, and there is damn little relationship between the two,” he said.

“Yeah well, I’ve seen it on TV some. It’s better than watching golf or soap operas,” I said.

“Rina, you know anything about the game?’ I said. It hadn’t occurred to me to ask her.

“A little, I played in high school but that was forever ago,” she said.

“Hah! I learn something every day,” I said.

The teams rushed out on the field.

I hadn’t seen Ronald until now. He and the rest of his team had ben cloistered with their coach, presumably one of the dads. I’d learn later that the uniforms and the equipment that the team had were new and had been supplied by you know who—Owen Cord Inc.

The game was on. Neither team scored for the longest time, but then a kid on the other team scored. It was one to nothing. The game seemed to last forever and the sun pretty much baked us; well, it did me. We hadn’t brought anything to eat or drink with us, a mistake I wouldn’t make again if I got to see another of my son’s games. But, we were saved. Owen brought us over a couple of Cokes. And no I didn’t turn down his offer; we were dying.

******

The game ended. The other team won three to two. But Ronald looked good out there. I don’t know what kind of athlete he’d become, but he looked good today, I thought.

The kids were running all over the place. Ronald ran to me, and gave me a hug. Glad you came Dad,” he said. Then he ran back to his teammates and they all looked pretty happy. They’d lost but only by one and the other boys looked bigger. I think they considered it a moral victory.

Owen came up to me. “Lunch?” he said. He was asking not pressing. I had to appreciate that. I was nervous and not real happy about what was going to be happening.

“Yeah sure, I guess,” I said. “Rina?”

“Sure,” she said. Owen glanced at Jeff and Harriet and they nodded. It was clear to me that they had already been invited. It finally hit me. They were present to make me feel more comfortable. Well, and it did, they did,

******

We went to Milano’s. I was glad of that. I wouldn’t have appreciated going to the Scarborough. I guess they were doing their best to not rub our noses in their riches. It had to be Owen making these decisions. I could well see why he was so successful in the business world. The man was making all the right decisions in just the right proportions.

We were seated immediately upon entering. Jeff and Harriet were already at the table and a minute after us the Cords arrived. The battle was about to be joined.

“Sam,” said Jeff. “Just be cool. We know the deal here. She’s going to be every bit as nervous as are you.”

“Yeah right,” I said, not quite sarcastically. He scowled. Harriet was quiet, but clearly happy to be so. She knew that I knew whose side she was on, and she was not going to bring the broth to a boil.

“Hi everybody,” said Owen.

“Hi Daddy,” greeted the twins, then Ronald, then Abigail. She did seem nervous.

No one said a lot, but there was a buzz going on that kind of made the table of soccer supporters a bit more comfortable. Again, I think that the environment must’ve been engineered, orchestrated, by Owen. At some point I would be passing along a kudo or two because of his efforts. Helluva thing me appreciating the man who had stolen my wife for anything.

We ate and so far, apart from the merest of greetings, Abigail Cord had said not one word to me. But I saw her say something to the man. Lunch was almost over. The show was about to begin. I wondered how it would go. I knew what the twins wanted and likely Ronald too. But the woman? That I was not so sure about.

Owen tapped the side of his water glass bringing the assembly to order.

“Folks I hope that we all had fun today watching our hero play the game. I know I did,” said Owen. “Ronald you did a great job!” There was a round of polite applause.

“Thanks Daddy,” he said. For some reason, hearing him refer to the big man as Daddy in my hearing made me feel bad. But, this was not the time to dwell on those kinds of things.

Everyone seemed at pains to make sure that he, Ronald, was properly assured of everyone’s devotion. He basked in the accolades.

The uproar died down. The bill came, and Owen asked Ronald to take his card and go up to the register and pay for the group. Ronald would be about fifth in line up there. Slick, I thought: getting Ronald out of the way for the main event. The man was a genius, not doubt about it. I promised myself to never play poker with the guy.

“Well, I guess it’s my turn,” said Abigail. Everyone but me looked down or away.

“Not long ago, I made a tremendous blunder. I talked behind the backs of both Sam and Rina. I said things that were unconscionable and which, well, I don’t know which. I remarked about their looks in the most negative of ways and as bad luck would have it, they heard me.

“That I am ashamed of my words has to go without saying. I will be a long time trying to forgive myself for my bad words,” she said. “So anyway, I guess that’s it. I hope it’s enough to start the healing process. Rina, Sam, please forgive me.”

“What were the bad words, Abigail. I need to hear them if not Rina,” I said.

She shot me a please have mercy glance, but there was to be no mercy today, none. She either owned up to her evil words or she didn’t. This is one time when it was a matter of black and white, no gray area this.

“Okay, I said you deserved better than a woman as ugly as Rina. Then I said something like that maybe it didn’t make any difference because you were so ugly too,” she said. “I truly do not remember my exact words but those are close.”

“Okay, and close enough,” I said. “So where do you want to go from here?” I said.

Ronald was finally returning. “I would like us to be able to get along as a family, you and Rina included,” she said. I nodded.

“Okay, Abigail. I guess we’ll be seeing, but I will allow that the process, as you referred to it, has maybe begun.” I said.

******

Owen had pulled me aside to talk after the big show. Abigail, however, hung with her best friend and Jeff, not quite ignoring me but making no tempt to engage me either. To have done so would have been premature. I think we both knew that.

“Was that enough,” he said.

“I guess, unless it ever happens again,” I said. He nodded.

“Sam, with everything that’s happened over the years, you have a right to be down on us, and by us I mean Abigail and me. But it’s time to turn things around. Rina and you seem to be good, and that makes me happy, happy and relieved,” he said.

“Good, I’m glad you’re happy. Look, Rina and I are more than aware of how we look and how we affect other people. It is what it is. What I will not tolerate, nor will she, are people making fun of us or insulting us behind our backs. And now I have caught Abigail, once the love of my life, destroying me—again. You have no idea had badly I was hurt by her, both times. That on top of the fact that she dumped me when I was being nearly killed overseas,” I said. “I won’t be about to justify letting things go by again, not ever again.” The man nodded.

“I understand. I do. She does feel like shit about what she did to you and said about you and Rina too. I don’t know if she’ll be able to help herself from doing it again, but I’m betting that she can. This last time was a lesson in decency for her. Frankly, she is so beautiful that she thinks she's entitled to be critical of others. If she were in the same boat as Rina, well, her perspective would be a helluva lot different,” he said.

“Yeah, well that’s for damn sure,” I said.

CHAPTER 33

“So,” said Abigail.

“He’s still a little bummed by what you said about the two of them. But, thanks to the girls, he’s willing to try and forget about it. The forgive part is easier than the forgetting; that part might turn out to be the impossible dream. But, he is trying. The trick will be for you to be careful about saying those kinds of things. Yes, they are challenged with the way they look. And, I can tell you that if there was a damn thing I could do about it I would. I’ve actually got a kid from ASU doing research on the facial thing.

“A kid?” said Abigail.

“Yeah, name’s Devon Williams. He’s poor, he’s black, and he barely got into the school, but his dad works for a bud of mine, who recommended him to me, and after talking to father and son, I interviewed the kid one on one officially and put him on the payroll.

“Since I was finally forced to buy out Benson’s last summer, I realized I could use a researcher not just another gofer. And here was a good kid that I wanted to work for me, doing research, and okay, some important gofer work. And, he’s a biology major, go figure. When I decided to see what could be done about the facial thing, I decided to go in a different direction and just have someone keep an eye on the research. So I pay the kid to do that and mainly that for me on the side. Well, he is a bio major,” said Owen.

“Wow! And you’re telling me this now!” she said.

“No point in making a big deal out of it. It’s a shot in the dark and will likely never to come to anything, but one never knows. The kid reports to me monthly. Well, I do pay all his bills,” he said.

“Well, like you said, one never knows,” she said. “And, you are paying his way then, the kid’s?”

“Yes,” he said. “In due time, I might consider teaching him the method, my method. He’s a good kid. We’ll be seeing.”

******

“We’d talked, barely. She’d elocuted her crime, peace had been declared albeit that it was a conditional and tenuous peace; but since, nothing. Not a word, not a post card nothing, and it was some three months since the soccer game. We did live a hundred miles away, so maybe it wasn’t all that surprising; but it still seemed odd considering all the pressure on me to lighten up on the woman.

“So you think they’ve forgotten about us then,” said Rina.

“Seems like,” I said.

“Hmm, well they do live a hundred miles away,” she said.

“Yeah, I guess,” I said. “No biggee. They don’t want us around, I can live with that.”

“Can you?” she said. “I would’ve thought that you would be with the kids, especially Ronald more.”

“If they wanted to be around me they’d be here. They know how hard it is for me to go up there, or you either,” I said.

“Well, they are all either in school or working, and the big man’s working. So...” she said.

“So what?” I said.

“So maybe we should drop in on them. I mean we aren’t working or going to school,” she said. I shrugged. It was a good idea. We’d surprise them for darn sure. The question to be answered was whether or not it would be a good surprise.

******

Pulling into the drive in my “from the last century” Silverado, I was feeling pretty good. Well, I got a kick out of shocking people. Who didn’t. We parked, I assembled my chair and the two of us headed up to the heavy door that barred the entrance to castle Cord. Rina buzzed.

A uniformed maid, one I didn’t remember ever seeing before, answered the door. She gave us a look that pretty much indicated her disapproval of our daring to intrude on the royal family’s peace and prosperity.

“Sam and Rina Bradshaw,” I said, to her gaping mouth self.

“Uh-one minute please,” she said. She was gone two minutes.

“Sam,” said Owen, coming to the door. “Uh-come in.” It was clear we were interrupting something.

“Owen?” I said.

“No, no, come in. Just surprised to see you,” he said.

“Owen, are we interrupting something?” I said. We clearly were.

“Sam?” said Abigail coming up ten seconds after Owen had. Abigail’s look was one of pure horror. I could feel my face cloud reacting to her look.

“Look, it’s clear to me that we are indeed interrupting something important to you guys. We’ll come back another time,” I said. I was already wheeling around and Rina was helping with that pushing me forward.

“Sam, hell no you’re not leaving. You did surprise us, and we do have guests, but now we have two sets of guests,” said Owen. “Come in, come in.”

He’d come around and more or less passively blocked us from making any more progress toward our truck. Abigail had disappeared back inside, not doubt to warn her guests.

“Owen really, we don’t want to intrude. We should’ve called,” I said.

“Well, yes, next time call. That way we can have the help cook up extra grub, but have you leave and come back later! Not happening,” he said. He not quite forcefully took cover the wheeling duties from Rina.

Rina too was upset about our miscue. But, it looked like we were going to be guested regardless of the situation.

“Sam, Rina, Millard and Jasmine Clark,” said Abigail.

Introductions and apologies rendered lunch was served and there was enough for all, more than enough.

Over the next while Rina and I got some very disapproving looks from the Clarks, and Abigail seemed to be very much upset that we were there to embarrass her as well; well, that's what is seemed like to me.

The Clarks left soon after lunch had ended. At which point Owen talked with us, while Abigail, also in the room, added but little to the conversation or did anything to make Rina and I feel welcome. I decided that I needed to say something.

We were getting ready to leave. Abigail was standing behind me almost like she was in a hurry to be rid of us.

I spun around to face her. “Abigail, it is clear to me that you don’t want us here. We won’t be back, not ever. Oh, and you stay away from us,” I said. I nodded in the direction of Owen and then wheeled my chair as fast as I ever had toward the door which Rina was holding open for me.

“Sam!” said Abigail, and she said it loudly, as we left. Owen was standing wide-eyed at the tableau. I think it was one of the few times that he had been left speechless.

We were on the road and free of them forever. That was my pledge to me.

******

2016

It was fully a year later that I got a visit from Mia. Neither she nor Sarah nor either of the senior Cords had tried to contact us during that time. The message had been clear: they’d gotten it, my message, the day that we’d last seen the two of them.

“Why are you here?” I said.

“Sam, lighten up,” said Rina.

“No!” I said. I was angry at her intrusion.

“Dad, I wanted to come sooner—Sarah too, and Ronald. But Mom and Daddy both made the case that we needed to let you have time to cool off, their words not mine,” said Mia.

“Cool off, I hate your mother. I will never be around her again till my dying day. Tell her that,” I said. I was literally frothing at the mouth.

“Dad please. Dad, I’m engaged. I need you to meet my fiancé,” she said.

She stopped me. “Huh? Who...” I said.

“My oh my,” interjected Rina. “Congratulations.”

“Yes, thank you,” said Mia. “I need you to come home to Phoenix to meet him. Okay.” She looked from Rina and back to me a couple of times.

“Uh-I can’t be around your mother,” I said.

“No, I understand. No, it’ll be at our house, well, Mort’s, I’m living with my man now. It’s a nice apartment,” she said. “Oh, and his name is Mortimer Glass.”

******

“Mom, Dad is going to go nuts if we go that way,” said Mia.

“No he won’t he’s going to want you to be happy, I’m sure of that,” said Abigail. “What does your sister have to say about it?”

“She’s leaving that up to me. So is Mort. And I say that it should be Dad who walks me down the aisle. Not Daddy. This time Dad gets the good stuff, well, I think it’s the good stuff,” said Mia.

“You’ve invited him over to your place, right?” said Abigail.

“Yes, this weekend,” said Mia.

“So just ask him. Make sure he knows he will be at the head table. Let him know that you feel you owe your daddy a little something for everything he’s done for you. Sam Bradshaw will not be out of sorts over your daddy walking you down the aisle. I know it,” said Abigail.

Mia Cord shook her head, but she would bring the subject up to her dad. She didn’t want to bring it up, but she felt like she had to, to be fair to her daddy and to her dad.

******

“Hi Dad,” said Mia. “And Rina it is so good to see you both.”

“Thank you Mia. We’ve missed you,” I said. Rina smiled her agreement with me.

“Dad, Rina, this is Mort, my intended,” said my beautiful daughter.

“Come in and make yourselves comfy,” said Mia. My daughter, whom I hadn’t seen in almost a year, except for when she came down to offer the invite, seemed especially ebullient to see us as indicated by her enthusiastic greeting.

“Nice to finally meet you sir,” said Mortimer Glass. He looked strong and young and actually glad to see his future father-in-law and step-mother-in-law. I liked the boy immediately.

“Lunch will be ready in a few,” said Mia.

“Good,” I said.

“Yes, I’m starving,” said Rina.

Mia seemed to relax. I wasn’t sure why she’d seemed to be nervous before, but she did. I laid it off to her not having contacted us even once in the year since the blow up at the Cord residence. I’d be asking about that, maybe obliquely, before this day was out, and, about her sister and brother—neither of which had we seen in over a year.

“That was good, Mia. Loved it,” I said.

“Indeed,” said Rina.

“Thanks a ton, Dad.

“Dad, well, as you know Mort and I will be getting married in a couple of months,” said Mia.

“Yes,” I said.

“Well, I haven’t been the best at communicating with you this past year,” she said. “The blow up between you and Mom, and my job with Daddy’s company. Well, I told Mom last week that there was no way you were not being invited to my wedding. And she understood.”

“Okay, well, that’s good. I mean it is your wedding. You have a right to have whomever you want to come to it,” I said. She smiled at my apparent understanding.

“Yes, well, I want you to sit at the head table with us. Okay?” I said.

“Okay?” I said. I was getting a kind of hinky feeling, and that for no reason. But her tone, something, was telling me that all was not as I hoped it would be. I waited.

“And, Mom, well, she said you’d understand. You know that it is my day and all, and...” said Mia.

“Yes, but there is something else going on here, right?” I said.

“Well sort of Dad,” she said. “Mom and I would like to know if it would be all right with you if Daddy walked me down the aisle. So, would it Dad?”

I was stunned. I hadn’t even thought about giving her away. Well, this was all new to me. But now I did. I didn’t like what I was thinking.

“He’s had you with him all of this time, and we’ve been cut off from seeing you girls and Ronnie. And now I’m being cut out of my fatherly duties?” I said. “And you’re okay with it?”

“It’s just that Mom explained that Daddy has done so much for me, and all...” she started.

“We need to be going, Rina. We need to be going now!” I said. I was already wheeling myself out of the place.

“Dad!” screamed Mia.

“Sir,” broke in Mortimer. But we were gone and out of there.