Chasing the Monsters: 8

"Mom, can I go to work tomorrow?"  Jack said, in her doorway.

"You have school," Blair said absently.  She was reading airport texts from Todd, and had Jewel nursing at the same time.

"How do you do that, at the same time as other stuff?"

"It's just natural, Jack, just the way it is.  Now, you're not skipping school tomorrow."

"There's a field trip.  To the lake.  I've been there enough.  Can I go to work, Mom?"

She looked at her son, quickly, and for a moment, she saw more of Todd in him that she ever had.  She said, "You're all grown up."

"Kinda.  Can I?"

"I'll tell Perzno to bring you, if that's what you want."

"Yeah.  Better than hanging at the lake for nothing."

"Jack, you don't want to do this as some kind of blind allegiance to your father?"

"Huh?  That doesn't even make sense," he said, and her attention went to Jewel.

"She's done.  Hang on," she said, and he turned his back while she put the baby down and covered up again.  "Okay."

"I said, it makes no sense, Mom.  A blind allegiance to Dad, would make me go to college because he wants me to."

She stopped.  "Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Can you tell Perzno?  He's going to check with you first anyway."

"Sure."  Jewel was already sleeping, and she said, "Go ahead and get your clothes ready for tomorrow, then."

"Who do I report to?"

"Briggs."

"The girl?"

"The woman, Jack.  Yes, her."

"She's Dad's old helper's daughter, right?"

"He was Senior Editor, and yes."

"Okay.  Got it.  See you later, Mom,"  he walked to his room, as she phoned Perzno to let him know.  

***

"Good afternoon, Bea!"  Sister Rebecca Katherine called to her, across the courtyard.  It was very cool but sunny.  Bea was still outside, with her easel in the sun.  "Ya must be painting another one!"

"I am," she said, gingerly pulling a cover over the art, and getting up to hug the nun.  "I'm so glad to see you, Sister.  I always am.  Will you help me pray for Sam today?"

"Of course I will.  No problem there.  Prayer works wonders."

"I also thought of something, to help him."

"Ya did.  I knew ya would.  Do ya want to share?"

"Yes.  I thought I could give him art lessons, and he could sort of, do what I do, maybe put down his feelings in art, and then maybe they will not bother him as much in his mind."

The nun was verklempt.  "I think that's a perfect idea, Bea."

"I thought so, too.  And Dr. Martino did as well.  He really liked it."

"Well, art can be great therapy for people.  I think y'ar onto something."

"I want to start as soon as Todd and Blair say it's okay."

"I'm sure they will.  Can I see the new one?"

Bea's face clouded.  "Not yet, Sister, it's not quite done."

"All right then, dinner?"

"Yes, I'd love to."

The two women went inside.  Bea left, as customary, her painting on the easel in the courtyard until she returned.  She'd started to spend hours outside painting as the weather had become nicer, and had created several that were already hanging in the halls of Mountainview, as well as The Diamond Gallery. 

Inside, the two women got their trays and sat.  The sun was coming in the tall cafeteria windows, and Bea said, "I remember that window there.  I was trying to write in the fake snow.  Remember?"

"Yes.  I felt badly for ya, Dear, that day."

"I wasn't well.  But I am getting better and better.  I can't wait to be able to live with Todd and Blair and the children."

"I think it's a fantastic goal, and it seems it won't be long."

She took a bite of her dinner, and said, "No, it won't.  Dr. Martino said I am making excellent progress."

"That's good news."

"And what about you, Sister.  We talk about me too much.  How is your brother?"

"He's fine.  Into doing some legal work, here and there.  Worried about the family, as I am, and about Sam.  He broke up with his girlfriend. . . "

"That's Dorian, right?  Blair's Aunt?"

"Yes, and so far, I can tell he misses her, but hasn't really said much."

"What happened?"

"Jack happened, from what I can tell."

"Jack?"

"He said some things cluing in Timothy as to how Dorian was acting when Ray was kidnapped.  Timothy didn't like it.  The rest is well, as they say, history."

"She doesn't like Todd."  Her face took on a curious look.

"I don't know if it's that she doesn't like him, or doesn't want to.  Either way, it is what it is, Dear Heart."

"Todd must feel badly if he caused their break up."

"Todd takes everything on himself, but I think he's okay with this one.  His conflicts with Dorian go way back."

"You'll have to fill me in sometime, Sister."

"That will be a discussion for another day, or Todd can tell ya himself."

"I'll call him, today, maybe.  I'd like to see him.  He . . . he's still my baby in my heart."

"I know that.  But he's not going to be able to visit today.  He's helping my brotha with a project.  When he gets back, I'm sure he'll call ya."

"All right."  Bea ate her supper quietly, while listening to some stories from Sister Rebecca Katherine's journeys around the area helping others throughout the past year.

***

"So, you comfortable, Old Man?"  Todd said, looking at his father in the seat next to him on  his private jet.

"Yes, I'm fine, Son."

"Good."

"Are ya all right?"

"No big deal.  I"ll be home soon."

"Ya will get back to them in no time."

"Yeah."

"So, Connie's will, and her belongings."

"You mentioned."

"Y'ar sure ya want to do this?"

"I can't really say.  I guess so."

"I know.  Death is a hard thing.  I . . ."  he stopped.

Todd looked at his father, and saw the raggedness of his face.  Just then, he appeared to be older, somehow, and the lines more accentuated.  "Dad?  Hey."

"Yeah," the older man said, turning his head from Todd.

"Hey, you, uh, trying to stop looking at my ugly face, or something?"

"No, Todd, I . . .excuse me, Lad," he said, getting up and heading to the rear of the plane.

Todd looked after him, and then sighed.  He's a mess.  He doesn't want me to see how much he misses Aiden.  Why didn't I notice that before?

When Timothy finally made his way back over, Todd said, "Everything come out okay?"

The older man smiled, "I believe so, yes."

"Good."  Todd took out his tablet, and then said, "Old Man?"

"Hm?"

"You realize how important you are to me, and my kids, right?  And Bridgette?"  he mocked his accent when he said the last word.

"Yes, Laddy, I do."

"And you also realize it's all right to miss your real son."

The older man turned to him.  "Yes, I do.  But y'ar my real son, as well."

Todd waited.  "Can I do anything?"

"No.  Just be y'arself, that's all I need."

"You need more than that."

"Like?"

"Dorie."

"I'm done with that, Todd, and ya know the story."

"Look if people got upset with everyone who talks bad about me, the world would have no friends in it, no marriages, heck, no people."

"Let's not go that far, Lad."

"Come on, Dad.  Dorian and I go way back.  She's practically my mother-in-law, or at least has acted like one our whole lives, Blair and mine.  I don't hold anything she says against me."

"I commend ya.  But, ya needed support, and she was just there to blame and bring ya down, when ya were at y'ar worst.  Y'ar baby son was missing, and she was heartless.  It was the last straw for me."

"You think that was bad?  That was mild, and for most of it, she was right."

Silence sat between them for a moment.  The older man scanned Todd's face.

Todd went on.  "All she did was say what she felt.  That it was my fault.  That I brought 'Malcolm' into their lives.  And the truth of it is, I did bring Peter into their lives.  He was the only father I had, and that makes him part of their world.  And it's not a beautiful part.  It's hateful and ugly.  He was poison."  Timothy didn't flinch, he just kept looking and listening at and to his newly adopted son.  Todd said, "Today, I found my middle son on the balcony, standing near the edge."

Timothy's expression morphed.  "God," Timothy gasped.

"He said he wasn't planning on jumping, but you know what?  I thought he was.  Because when I was his age, and I saw Peter kill an animal with his bare hands, I wanted to die.  Of course, it had to do with what he was doing to me, and my mother, but I wanted to leave the planet.  And I was scared."

"What happened?"

"He was just remembering Peter.  He wasn't going to jump.  He wanted to see Mixie's grave, where I buried him."

"Good Lord in Heaven."

"He could have been burying his brother, if things didn't go how they did."

"Don't say that, Lad."

He swallowed.  "So, you see, Dorian isn't wrong.  I put this into my sons' heads, all of them, and Starr's.  I've caused them to have these themes in their lives.  Dorian's not wrong.  You have to forgive her for speaking the truth."

Timothy turned his face away, and faced forward.  

Todd said, "You love her.  She loves you.  She's not wrong for wanting to protect Blair and the kids from the likes of me.  She probably never was, except maybe once.  But believe me, I'm not an angel, and I wasn't.  She's always seen the . . . darkness."  His voice changed, "Blair sees, she just lets the light cast over it, like it's not there."

"Perhaps it's just not anymore," Timothy said.  "Give Bridgette more credit.  She sees the real Todd, the child before all that torment.  The man she loves.  She's not wrong, either.  She's more than right, she's y'ar salvation.  That from y'ar own words."

Todd choked up, and looked out the window.  "She is.  But she still never deserved all she's had to face simply because of loving me."

Timothy leaned over and put a hand on Todd's shoulder.  "Maybe.  But think of what she'd face without that.  She's found her other half, and she won't be letting go."

Todd exhaled and closed his eyes.

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