Chasing the Monsters: 10

"Hi, Blair," Tina said, walking into the foyer.

"Hi, Tina, glad you could help us.  I've got to get Jewel to her appointment, and it's tough carting around Ray."

"No problem.  I love being with him."

"You seem different today.  What's going on?"

Tina slumped into the side chair in the living room.  "Cord, that's what."

Blair reacted with surprise.  "Cord?  What about him?"

"He's back.  Didn't you know?"

"No, I mean, how would I know?"

"Well, he is.  Or was."

"When did this happen?"

"A few days back.  I didn't say anything last time because, well, the kids were here, and it just wasn't the right time."

"Well, Sam's at school, Jack's at The Sun.  Jewel won't care, and Ray's upstairs napping.  Now's a good time, if you want to."

"He just showed up, at Llanfair.  There he was, in all his Cordero Robertsness."  Her inflection was like a middle schooler.

Blair slightly rolled her eyes.  "All right.  Go on."

"He'd heard about everything I went through, just now.  Can you imagine?  Just now?  I mean, how come it took all that time?"

Blair said, "I don't know Tina, why don't you tell me?"

"Well, I'll tell you.  He was off galavanting in the West at some Dude Ranch with his little cowgirl."

Blair laughed slightly.  "You're jealous."

"No, I'm embarrassed for him.  He's about fifteen years older than she is."

"Tina.  Your husband, Aiden, was 15 years younger than you."

"He was not!"  She stopped a minute, pursing her lips.  "Maybe 10 or 12."

Blair laughed, outright, "Oh come on, Tina, you've got to be kidding!"

She folded her arms, "Anyway, can you believe it?  He found out because Bo slipped it to him in a phone call, I guess it was late one evening, and Bo had a few beers, or something and boom, I didn't want him to know, but he knows, and I was so upset when Cord found out and what do you think he did?"

Tina was rambling a bit when she spoke, and Blair could barely keep up.  "I don't know, what did he do?"

"He came all the way here."

"For what?"

"To . . ." she stopped, and looked off in the distance a bit, and then she answered, almost strangely angry.  "Why, to be there for me, of course."

"To be there for you?"  Blair asked.

"Yeah.  Well, that's what he said," she sounded indignant.

"That's typical Cord."

"I don't know how you would know that."  Tina said, pouting.

"Tina, let's not start this.  After all, we were just getting somewhere with this sister-in-law thing.  I don't want to backtrack.  I'd know because . . . well, I'd know."

She got up and paced, "Well, anyway, he said that was why.  And he listened," she slowed her step and her speed of talking, "and he listened more."

The room was quiet.  Blair said, "Okay, that was good, right?"

"Yes," she said, faintly.  She was lost in thought, and from where Blair was sitting, that meant very lost.

"Tina," Blair said, getting up and approaching her from behind.

"Yeah?" she turned.

"Tina, what's on your mind?"  

Probably not much.

"He comforted me.  I guess, that's it.  I guess I was too angry with him to realize what he was really doing.  He came here to comfort me."

Blair smiled softly, "Well, that's nice.  For old times' sake.  He was trying to be Cord.  You know, the white knight and all."

"As opposed to the black one?"

"Very funny.  No, Tina.  Cord always was a sweet man.  And, I have to say, he always was about you, above all else.  I say this from experience."

Tina thought, raising her eyes a little.  "He was, wasn't he?"

Blair nodded.  "Yep, he was."

"Oh brother!" she said, tossing her arms up and then down against her sides.

"What is it, now?"

"I sort of, well, pushed him off a bit."

Blair knew her sister-in-law's flair for understatement.  "A bit?"

"Well, a lot."  She paused and then said, very fast, "I pushed him off, and he toppled backward off the ottoman."

Blair rolled her eyes.  "Oh, I see.  Subtle, aren't you?"

"And he left.  But he limped."

"Did he leave town?"

"I don't know," she said, with a face of distress.  Suddenly, her expression softened.  "But you could find out for me?"

"Oh, no, you don't.  You're not getting me into this one."  She suddenly felt like Ethel Mertz.

"Please?  I just want to know if he's still here and where he is, so I can apologize."

Blair set her mouth, knowing it was the farthest thing from the truth.  "Just apologize?"

"Yep.  No tricks."  She softened again, "I'm done with those, Blair.  This thing with Aiden, I mean, Eric, really took a toll on me.  Not to mention the home invasion with your family. After all, I saved everyone single-handedly."

Blair laughed, "You did, huh?  Well, okay.  I'll find out for you.  Where do you suggest I start?"

"With Clint or Bo?"

"Not a bad place to begin.  I'll do it, but on one condition?"

"Sure?"

"You never call Todd the 'black knight' again.  Especially not in front of him, or the kids.  I know all about his 'darkness,' but Tina, he's trying."

Tina thought about it, and said, "Deal," putting out her hand.  "He is trying.  And you might not know this, but I love my brother.  Really.  We didn't always see eye to eye on everything . . ."

"On everything?"

"All right, we didn't always see eye to eye ever.  Is that better?"

"Sounds more like it."

"But, I love him.  He's strong, loving, and he's brave.  He's a person who reminds you what you have, not what you lost, you know?"

Blair's eyes filled with tears.  "Yes, Tina, I do know.  That's exactly right."  She was touched by the woman's perceptiveness.

"Blair," Tina said, touching her arm, "I see my brother for what he is, now.  I am sort of sorry it took this long, but I see it.  He's been through things most people would be destroyed by.  He's come through, on the other side, made amends, or tried to, and stayed strong for his family.  And I know you won't believe what I am going to say next."

Blair wiped a tear.  "Try me."

"You had a lot to do with it."

Blair was shocked.  It was the very last thing she expected.

Tina continued, "You brought his humanity to the surface.  You always did, and you're still doing that, every day.  I hope you realize it because I know he does."

Another tear spilled over, and Blair said, finally, "I didn't know you thought so."  She brushed her hand on her cheek to move the water away.

"I don't think so.  I know so.  I see it, and he's told me, in his own way.  And that," she said,  folding her arms and tilting her head, "is that!"

"Thank you.  By the way, I'll get in touch with Bo, right away.  Is now okay?"

"Now's great," she said plopping back down into the chair.

***

After a while, Todd had finally been able to get up, and they returned to the car.  Timothy had said, "Ya never told me much about y'ar incident with trying to kill y'ar father, Todd,"  Timothy said.

"No, I didn't."  He was stoic; he didn't plan on offering anything else.

"Is it something ya want to talk about?"

He was quiet a moment, and then, "No.  Not worth rehashing.  It was a long time ago, and it was a pleasure ride compared to the last 8 years before I returned to Llanview."

Timothy gulped, and faced away from Todd, grimacing.  He never liked hearing about the things his son had been through, but he was willing to bear them if it meant Todd getting more free of it, even a small amount.  "I see."

"I . . . wasn't trying to . . . be any type of way toward you, Old Man."  Todd said, and to Timothy, he sounded somehow like a boy.

"I know that."  Timothy pointed out the window.  "Look, Taco Bell.  Ya love tacos, right?"

Todd's expression changed to a smirk, with half his mouth curving upward.  "I love my own tacos, not sure about those.  Haven't had much fast food in the last 9 or ten years."

"That's true, isn't it?"  Timothy said, "I should have thought of that."

"Nah, it's okay.  You really want to go there?"

"Not especially.  But there's a pub, right there, maybe we can get some lunch?  I'd love some corned beef and cabbage today, I would, for some reason, it hit me when we left the Ribsky's." 

"Pamela looked lost."

"She did."

"I miss Llanview."

"I know, Lad."

Todd looked at him, making eye contact, and Timothy winked.  Todd said, "Only the best for my Dad.  Now let's go in the pub and get something to eat.  Too much talking today."

Timothy took it to mean that Todd was at his limit of emotion and memory, and wanted to kick back.  So that is what they did.  Timothy did get his corned beef and cabbage, and Todd talked about how it smelled most of the luncheon.  When they had finished eating, Todd whipped his phone out to see a message flashing from Blair.  

Can you talk?

He wrote back 'yes' and within seconds, she called.  She said, "Hey."

"Hi, Blair," he said.

"Miss you," she said.

"Same here.  How's things?"

"Good.  Just did a good deed for the day."

"Huh?"

"I'll tell you later.  Jewel checked out fine, and she's just growing like a weed.  When will you be home, Todd?"

"A couple hours.  Finishing up here, then getting the jet home."

"Okay.  Oh, and Jewel said 'Sam' today."

"Cool.  That's a new one."

"Yep.  She still calls Jack, 'Jaa,' though."

He smiled, remembering his tiny daughter.  "Yep, she does."

"Todd, are you okay?  You sound, sort of, I don't know?"

He stumbled.  "I'm great.  I'm . . . just waiting to get home to you all."

"Okay, well then we'll be waiting.  Do I send Perzno to the airport?"

"I'll text you when, okay?"

"Sure."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Mr. Manning, just get home."  She hung up.  Seconds after, he received an MMS with a photo of Blair and Jewel, and he thumbed it gently.

"Those two, what beauties," Timothy said.

"You don't know the half of it, Old Man," Todd said, paying the bill.

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