CHAPTER 37

They say timing is everything. Well, I guess that’s so. But, the timing can be either good or not good. It was real bad in the Hindu Kush, and, depending on one’s perspective, my latest foray into the matter of timing could be seen either way.

I knew Harriet had delivered my message to the clan Cord. I’d thanked her profusely for that. And then I decided to make my re-acquaintance with by bud John Daniels.

“I’d been alone in my miserable hovel of an apartment for almost a week. The empty JD bottles pretty much filled my little coffee table. My woman would never have allowed such a mess. But, she wasn’t here to criticize me or make me clean it up. If that was the upside to my situation it sure as hell wasn’t much of one. I needed my woman and I needed her bad, real bad.

Jeff had come to stay with me those first nights; he’d taken time off from his work in Phoenix where he’d moved, of course, to be with his wife. I finally had to tell him to back off and get on with his life. He was recalcitrant, but he did back off, and he did go back to work—he was driving out of Allied’s main warehouse now.

While he’d been with me, Harriet had come with him in the mornings and made sure I ate something. I didn’t tell her to back off. And she didn’t stay long anyway; just long enough to make sure I ate. She was a woman and I needed a woman around even if it wasn’t my woman. I had grown to really appreciate Harriet. But of course she’d gone back to Phoenix with her man too. She’d made me promise to get my act together. I’d humored her.

******

I was sick with loneliness. Loneliness is the worst. Nobody should have to be lonely; it’s not natural.

I knew what I had to do to not be lonely anymore. I had to join my woman, my Rina. I looked around for a means to do that. I smiled. When we’d moved to California, we’d had to buy rope to tie down the stuff in the back of the truck. It was wound up in the broom closet.

There was a cheapass, but strong looking beam that crossed the center of ceiling of the place that used to support a chandelier. That would do. The woman would finally be rid of me for good and be able to get on with her happy life. I’d leave a note. Nothing too melodramatic, just a note saying that I hoped that everybody would have good and happy lives. Well, okay, so it would be kind of melodramatic.

I wrote the note and addressed it to the Cords of Phoenix. I figured they’d get it soon enough.

The rope was way too long. I cut it in half with a kitchen knife and threw the excess in the corner.

I created a noose at one end and the other end I tossed over the beam and secured it with a slip knot. I’d estimated the necessary length for my purpose.

Sitting myself up on the bed, I pulled my chair up on top of it and sat in it. I put the noose over my head and around my neck. I closed my eyes praying that I wouldn’t suffer too much before I lost consciousness. I let myself fall out of my chair.

I was swinging and trying to get at the rope to undo it, but I couldn’t. I would be dead in minutes. “I’m coming Rina!” was my last thought. Well almost.

I heard the beeping. I was in the fucking hospital. Somehow I had failed.

“Doctor!” someone called out.

Suddenly I was surrounded by people in white.

Somebody gave me a shot of something, and it wasn’t Jack Daniels whiskey, more’s the pity. I slept.

The sunlight filled the room and hurt my eyes.

“Well welcome back,” said Owen Cord. I tried to turn away from him, but I was handcuffed to the bed.

“The cops,” he said. “It’s routine in these cases so I’m told. I guess they didn’t want to give you another opportunity to do yourself harm.”

“What happened?” I said. “Did the rope break?”

“No, I cut you down. You were nice enough to leave a knife on the bed. A couple of more minutes and it would have been over,” he said.

“Why’d you bother? You weren’t even supposed to come down,” I said. “I know that Harriet delivered my message to the clan Cord. She told me so.”

“Yes, well she did deliver it. And I ignored it,” he said.

“Sounds about right,” I said.

“You’re going to be spending some time with a counselor before they let you outta here,” he said. “Oh, and this is the Psyche unit. Protocol.”

“Sam, that night the night of the wedding, Mia said you’d agreed to stay over for the night. That so?” he said.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Well?” he said.

“Your better half made it clear that Rina and I weren’t welcome. She said some nasty stuff to my woman. There was no way I was staying over with her within earshot,” I said.

“That’s not the way I heard it,” he said.

“Yeah, well that’s a big surprise,” I said.

“Oh?” he said.

“She told her, Rina, to butt out, that she was not a member of the family. That when Rina tried to get me to calm down and not be cold to the woman,” I said. “That’s what happened exactly what happened. But it doesn’t matter. I’m alone again, and that’s all there is to it, and now I would appreciate it if you would just honor my request to not be bothered by any of you anymore. Think you could do that?” I said.

“Sam I know you’ve got to be just crushed by your loss. I liked Rina, and I did think she was good for you. But you’re wrong about being alone. Even Abigail is feeling very down because of the way she’s acted toward you guys. And, I am not kidding about that. Please,” he said.

“You’re a liar!” I said. “I know exactly what that woman thinks of me and thought of Rina too. I’ve heard her say it both behind our backs and to our faces. So don’t give me any of that ‘she cares’ shit. She doesn’t and neither do I.” He shook his head, but essentially ignored my rant.

“Sam, the kids wanted to visit you. I put the boff on that until you get out of here. But, they’ll be around as soon as you are. Okay?” he said.

“No,” I said.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, and he didn’t smile.

“I meant no!” I said. “I’m done.”

“And Sam, I did find the note. I didn’t let the police have it, and no one has seen it except me. I figured that under the circumstances that once you’re out of here... I will give it back to you if you want. Or, I can destroy it if you’d prefer,” he said.

I had to appreciate that little piece of kindness; I guess that’s what it was, on his part. What I didn’t appreciate was his apparent refusal to take no for an answer.

“Look,” I said. “I have never gotten anything from the clan Cord that meant a damn thing to me, and I know for damn sure I’m not going to now either. I don’t want or need any of your money. I don’t want or need any of your favors. All I ever wanted from any of you was respect and my rights as the one and only father of my children.”

“Sam...” he started. I held up my hand. I wasn’t done.

“It’s clear to me, and has been for a long time that those are things that even with all of your money you just can’t afford. So I’m cutting my losses and getting myself the hell out of your way. Kindly, at least, let me have the one small favor of your absence from my life—you and the rest of them. Okay?” I said. “Oh, and yes, please destroy the note. And thank you for not letting anyone see it. It’s bad enough that you’ve seen it.”

“No problem, consider it done.

“But, Sam, the one thing I am not going to agree to, is to let you cut yourself off from your family, us. Not a chance in hell for that to ever be happening. Get used to the idea. And when they do let you out of here, Sam, you and I will be sitting down to work things out, and that to your satisfaction. I mean it my man, I do,” he said.

“You must be some kind of force in the business world, Mister Cord. Can I ask, just how much geld do you have anyway?” I said. I didn’t think he’d actually answer me or tell me the truth if he did. But, he did both.

“Not quite three billion.” He said. “But it varies with market conditions. Why, you wanna get into the business? I can help with that,” he said. I think I stared at the man for a long minute a real long minute.

“No wonder the woman dumped me for you. Hell, you could have any woman in the fucking world with that kind of financial resume!

“For the record, objectively speaking, are you really that good or just that lucky?” I said.

“Nobody’s that lucky. I’m that good. It’s a matter of knowledge, long hours, and hard work. And that, Mister, is why she dumped you for me. You were into the hard work right enough, but not the learning end of things. She realized it once she met me, and when she did you were toast. If it hadn’t been me it would have been some other guy, sooner or later you were going to be toast,” he said.

******

“So how is he, give?” said Abigail.

“Bitter, and lonely, and well, bitter,” he said. “He really misses his woman. I am on the verge of trying to find him another one to take her place. And, add to that I am still getting reports about research into facial reconstruction. Devon’s doing a good job, but so far no success. But, I’m still hopeful.”

“Hmm,” she said. “You sure you want to go down that road again, I mean the matchmaking road?”

“No, I’m not sure. I will be trying to put some women in his way, but neither party will know it’s me doing the putting,” he said. “He could do it himself, but he is too damn reserved to get it done in this lifetime. Yes, he’s messed up physically, but so are a lot of other people out there, women.”

“I guess,” she said. “I guess.”

******

The shrink was happy, I was happy, he pronounced me totally mad, but he was smiling when he said it. And he said it four hours before he let me escape from the nut house.

That said. I still wasn’t free. The man was there to pick me up and shanghai me from the scene in his very expensive ride. It was 300 miles from L.A. to Phoenix which I was informed we’d be going to. And for some reason, and no reason, I was okay with it: the children were there, so I guess that was a reason. Did I want to see them? I’d said and I didn’t. But . . .

“I took the liberty of moving you back from California,” he said.

“What the fuck!” I said. I had not intended to stay in Phoenix not even. California was my home, had been mine and Rina’s but now it was just mine.

“But to Tucson not Phoenix, I knew Phoenix would have been overkill. I even got you your old apartment back. Had to buy out the couple that had it, but they were happy enough when they left,” he said.

“I’ll bet,” I said. Well at least it wasn’t Phoenix.

“So, if I’ve got my old apartment back, why are we headed to Phoenix,” I said. “And how much did you pay the renters. I’m gonna repay you for that.”

“Isn’t it obvious? To see your babies that’s why, and yes they are all holed up at Casa de Cord for the next several days,” he said, “waiting for you. And you will not be repaying me for buying out the renters, not even.” I snorted, but arguing with him at this point would be a waste of time. I’d be paying him back sooner or later; that was my promise to myself no matter what. I would not being owing the man money not money not ever.

“Shit, I’m not ready for this,” I said.

“You’ll never be more ready. And, just so you’ll know: they do know you tried to off yourself. And, if I even need to say it, I did destroy the note as per your instructions,” he said.

“Thanks for that,” I said.

“Oh, and I almost forgot. Claire Cunningham came by. She has some news for you,” He said.

“What news?” I said.

“She asked me to not tell you. She wants to do it. I think that Jeff’s in on it too. And no it’s not another party. So don’t worry, okay?” he said.

“Too bad. That last one was a good party. And it’s where I met Rina,” I said. And suddenly I was sad again, and silent for the rest to of the 300 mile ride back to Phoenix from the hospital in L.A.

CHAPTER 38

The closer we got to Casa de Cord the antsier I got. I didn’t want to see the woman. I did want to see the children. But the woman, not a fucking chance, not after the way she treated my wife, my real woman! But, I supposed I was going to have to.

It’d been almost a month since I lost my true love. I had never felt so lost, not even after Abigail had left me. I don’t know why I was comparing them, but I guessed it was inevitable. Go figure.

He pulled into the drive and helped me get my chair the heck out of the back and set it up for me. I didn’t need his help but there was no use in telling him that. Arguing the point would just have delayed me getting it set up.

Done and in my chair, he held me up from going up to the ramp, a ramp he’d had put in for me. Sam, I’m going to ask you to please, well, be mellow. Just let things take their normal course. Everyone in there is mortally afraid that they are going to hurt you more than they already have, or make things worse than they already are for you. So please, okay? Let the past bury the past. She’ll undoubtedly tell you how sorry she is. And, no it’s not scripted, so I really don’t know what she’s going to say; just that she is going to say something; that’s a given, okay?” he said.

“I guess,” I said. But, the girls and Ron?” I said.

“They’re here and the new husbands too. Things might be a little confused at first, but they’re here, and they will likely have questions. Just go with the flow and let them take care of you,” he said. I nodded.

“Dad!” came the chorus of greetings from the girls. Ronnie held back a little, but he did give me a little wave. I waved back. He was my young man.

I was surrounded and it made me feel—something—safe maybe. Yes safe is what it was.

The woman wasn’t in evidence. I wondered at that. I was ushered into the dining room. Food was already prepared. I was hungry, psyche ward vittles were not my kind of dining pleasure. We ate and talked, and the girls made sure I knew that they were there for me and were so sad that “our” Rina was gone to heaven. The whole scene was surreal, well it was for me.

I got kisses from the both of my daughters and a hug from my son. The husbands more or less remained in the background after tendering their formal greetings. It had to be supper strange for the two of them. The early dinner having been taken care of the crowd of them all kinda slipped out of the room. I was strangely alone. Well, I was for maybe half a minute. Then she was there, and she never looked more beautiful, not that I could recall at any rate.

“You look good,” I said, not quite sneering my accurate but coldly informal greeting.

“Thank you,” she said.

We kinda stared at each other for the longest time. It was after 3:00 p.m. She looked up at the clock and went back to staring at me.

“Could I interest you in a beer or maybe something stronger?” she said.

“Whiskey,” I said. It was early but not that early. She left me for a short two minutes and returned with a bottle of Gentleman Jack and a couple of old fashioned glasses.

“I see it’s one thing you bothered to remember,” I said.

“Of course,” she said. Gentleman Jack had been my favorite whiskey back in the day—before I left for the Middle East.

So far neither of us had said anything meaningful. We sipped our drinks and just kind of watched each other. She set her glass down and looked at me. I could feel my face twitching with a growing anger or angst or something.

“I was a shit the last time we saw each other,” she said. I didn’t respond to her remark.

“Can you find it in your heart to forgive me—twice?” she said. I tendered her a confused look.

“Twice?” I said.

“Yes, once for you and once for Rina. I cannot believe I was so mean to that good woman,” she said.

I didn’t say anything. She apparently took it for a “no” answer.

“I understand,” she said. “At least you felt positive enough to come here today. I was deathly afraid you wouldn’t.”

“I don’t know,” I said.

“Huh?” she said.

“I don’t know if I can forgive you, and I certainly don’t know if I can forgive you for what you said to my wife,” I said. “I just don’t know.”

“I understand,” she said. “Maybe someday.” She had a hopeful look on her face.

“Yeah, maybe someday,” I said.

“Sam, your loss: can I say how sorry I am for you. I may not have been a very good person, I mean the day of the wedding, but I well...” she said.

“Whatever. And it is my loss. You have no idea,” I said.

“On that score, Sam, I think I do. I know how much my leaving you cost you. And now you losing that wonderful girl... it’s got to be just awful for you. And then, you doing what you did. Sam, no matter what, never even think about doing something like that again. Promise me, sir, please,” she said.

“I was out of it, lost. Still am, but I’m coherent now. It’s all, life, just kind of gray, and I know that makes no sense; well, to anyone but me. But no, I will not be doing anything like that again.”

“Sam, you have a family, this family. And that includes me. And it most certainly includes the Girls and Ronald. And Sam, you are their dad. I know Owen thinks of himself that way too; and I know you have fought tooth and nail against that kind of thinking, but the reality is it is your seed that brought them to us, all of them.

“Sam, you are their real dad. Stop worrying and concerning yourself about how Owen sees himself. He’s a good man with a lot of love in his heart, and he needs to share it. Please let him, while at the same time realizing just how important you really are in your children’s lives. Please,” she said. I could feel my face twitching again.

“Stop telling me what to do or think. It’s none of your goddamn business!” I said.

“Okay, okay. I didn’t mean to interfere.

“But changing the subject, Did Owen mention that Claire Cunningham had come by?” she said.

“Yes, he said she had something to share with me, but he wouldn’t tell me what it was. He said she wanted to do that herself,” I said.

“Yes, that’s right,” she said. “And for record, I don’t know what it is. I think Owen does, and maybe Sergeant Jeff, but not me or the children. But, I think it’s something good. I just don’t know. And, if I understood her rightly, she may be coming back today. But, I’m not sure about that.” I nodded.

“Okay, Anyway, I guess the Lieutenant will tell me when she feels the need. Can I ask, does she know about...” I started.

“Yes, everyone does. And Sam, I have to say, you scared the daylights out of Ronald. He’s still very young, and...” I nodded.

“Yes, I can imagine,” I said. “And I am truly embarrassed about that. I aim to tell him so too. Well, when I can figure a way to tell him that won’t scare him more than I already have.”

We’d been talking more or less calmly, almost intimately for the past while. But that changed. It changed now. She almost jumped out of her seat and strode around the table to me and went to her knees wrapping her arms around mine. Shocking enough? Not near as much as her next act. She began bawling, uncontrollably bawling. She was speaking but at first her words were so incoherent that not even the angels in heaven could’ve understood her.

“Sammm... she cried. “I am so sorry, sir, for everything. The divorce, the children, Rina, all of it. I will never, sir, never be able to forgive myself!”

“Forget it Abigail. It’s in the past. Let it go, I aim to,” I said. She put her head down and cried. I just waited.

She eventually calmed down. “Sam, I am so sorry,” she said.

“Just forget it, Abigail, just forget it,” I said. She looked me askance.

Maybe a half an hour in time it took to maybe turn things around a little bit. One could argue turned my life around. Whatever the truth of that, I did not feel as I had felt when we first began talking to each other a half hour earlier. But, I was shaky, and I didn’t know why.

She and I had been left alone. I expect that that was by design. I sensed Owen’s hand in the scene, but he had made it clear to me on the way home that nothing had been scripted: that I might or might not have had to deal with a standoffish or whatever Abigail. Well it was what it was.

We joined the crowd out front. The front door was open and Mia and Owen were welcoming a guest, Claire Cunningham.

******

“I know you’ve been told,” she said, without so much as a hello.

“Well, and hello to you Lieutenant,” I said. “Oh, and no I haven’t been told. Well, other than you wanted to tell me something.”

“Oh, really? I guess Owen can keep a secret then, and Sergeant Jeff too I guess,” she said.

“Haven’t see, Jeff. And no, Owen hasn’t given me a heads up,” I said.

“Well, good,” she said. “Anyway, you’re going to be a TV star.”

“What? Huh? What?” I said. “I don’t want to be a TV star. The way I look, apart from horror movies, Roles in film aren’t likely to be coming my way.”

“No, no, not a film role. This will be live TV. It’s only for heroes. You’re a hero, and you’re gonna be on Cable-9, this Friday evening,” she said. “And there’s not going to be any demur. And General Shelby is going to be on too.”

“The General?” I said. I owed the man for helping me out early on. It looked like I was going to be stuck. I nodded.

“When? Friday, you say?” I said.

“Yes,” she said. “It’s an honorarium for some local wounded vets. You are definitely one of those.”

I could see that Ronald had slipped in and was listening in to the goings on. He had a look on him, curiosity maybe.

“Okay, if I can’t get out of it,” I said. “But, I do have a request.” I wheeled myself outside indicating I wanted to talk to her alone. She followed me out.

Our little talk brought a smile to the face of the former rank.

“Consider that a done deal,” she said. “I will talk to Owen tonight about it so it can be arranged without letting the kid know. Okay then?” I thought it interesting that she hadn’t said that she was going to let the woman know, just Owen.

“Yes, consider it a done deal from my end. I just wish my Rina were here to help me out with this. It’s always better if a man has a woman to share things with. You know what I mean?” I said. I started to get emotional. I needed a woman, my woman. I was so damn lonely!

She smiled, “I guess,” she said.

CHAPTER 39

I’d given my okay to put myself on exhibit because of the fact that Lieutenant Claire had gone out on a limb to get me on the show. And, because I saw it as an opportunity to make some serious points with my son, oh yeah. Was I thinking rightly—arguable—but it was my thinking and I was going to play it through to the bitter end.

“So, you gave in without a fight,” said Jeffrey.

“Yeah, I guess,” I said. “Well she does outrank me, us.”

“Hmm,” he said.

“So you coming to the big expose?” I said.

“You think I’d; miss an opportunity to see you embarrass the United States Army?” he said. “Of course I’ll be there with rotten tomatoes and everything!”

“Well, good. Try not to be too critical, if you don’t mind, I am handicapped you know,” I said. My friend forever just laughed.

******

I was still in the guest house. By that I mean I had not left it for any reason since my first foray inside the main structure of castle Cord on the first day I’d arrived, now four days gone. I had gotten two visits in my time alone: one from Owen and one from Abigail. The kids had gone home after that first day; well, they did have lives. Ronald of course was holed up on the hill and that was fine.

I hadn’t talked to Claire since she’d come by to inform me of my fate per this coming Friday. That would be tomorrow. I was nervous. I wasn’t nervous for me, no. I was nervous for my son. He would be on the show too. Well, Claire said that he would be. She’d been going to talk to Owen and make sure it would be all right. It did bother me that I didn’t have a say in having, my son be with me on my big night, that it was up to them the Cords. Talk about proof that I had no say in how the kids were raised and dealt with.

******

“He wants what!” said Abigail.

“He wants Ronald to share the stage with him,” said Owen.

“With all of those injured and disfigured soldiers!” she said. “Owen, do you think that’s a good idea? He’s only ten years-old. “The images his young mind is going to be exposed to! I just don’t know.”

“So, you’re going to prove to him that he really doesn’t have any say in the raising of his children,” said Owen. She took a step back at the man’s tone of voice.

“Well I...” she started. “I mean no. It’s not that. Maybe if I went to him and asked him if he’d thought it through what he was asking the boy to do,” she said.

“Absolutely not! If you did, we’d be back to the way it was after the fiasco at the wedding,” he said.

“No, he gets to make decisions just like us. We are not going to gainsay the man on any subject where the children are not in actual immediate physical danger. And even then; he will be listened to and respected,” said Owen. She nodded, but it was clear that she was not in agreement with her man.

She left him standing there and went to their room. She had to think. Was her husband right? He usually was. She had never tried to undercut or even question his decisions. But this was about her children, her son. Okay, and Sam’s son too. But, she could see a serious set of downsides to his being on that stage, and the upsides were nowhere near as compelling. Did she dare to intervene? Did she even dare to ask the man to think about his desire to have the boy with him? No, she didn’t, dare that is. She’d just have to cross her fingers and hope for the best.

******

I was once again picked up by Claire to go to a venue of somebody else’s choice, this time her choice.

“Nervous,” she said. I was the only passenger. She was talking to me.

“A little. Is Owen bringing Ronald?” I said.

“Don’t know. I would guess it would be the two of them,” she said.

“Abigail and Owen?” I said.

“Yes. I did talk to him about it. He said he would. They’ll be there. The twins too if I have it right,” said Claire.

“Okay, good,” said.

We were not the only vets to be feted on the show. Cable-9 was noted for its recognition of veteran groups especially wounded vets like us.

Claire wheeled me into the ready room. Women were powdering a face here and there to reduce glare as we were told. Then it was time for the show. Claire was my caretaker for the next forty-five minutes. She wheeled me out on the stage I was looking around for my little man, but he wasn’t there. Not on the stage.

“Claire?” I said.

“I don’t know. I’ll go check. They left before we did I think. But, I’ll go check,” she said. I nodded.

“They wouldn’t have not come. I was certain of that. Well, I had been certain.

The program continued. It was maybe fifteen minutes into the show. I hadn’t been asked anything to that point. Claire came back.

“They’re all here except Abigail and Ronald,” she said. “Owen is going to check for me.”

Then I saw her, Abigail. She’d come in and Ronald was with her, but they took seats in the gallery not on the stage. The interviewer came up to me with a microphone.

“And Mister Bradshaw...” she questioned me for a couple of minutes about the incident in the Hindu Kush. I hear your son is going to be here on the stage with you,” she said. She looked around. No movement from the gallery where Abigail and my son were stationed.

“I guess he couldn’t make it,” I said. I saw Owen wave at me. He was in the second row. Abigail and Ronald were far in the back. I don’t even know if he knew they were there. I did but him? I’d been the last interviewee. There turned out to be a reason for that.

“And ladies and gentlemen we have a very special guest for this very special soldier tonight. “General Shelby, will you please come out on the stage,” the lady said.

The now four-star general came out and he had with him a small box he was holding in his hand.

He came up to me. “Sergeant Bradshaw, the Army of the United States and in concert with the Congress of the United States wish to present to you the Distinguished Service Cross for valor in combat with the forces of the enemies of the our country.” He handed me the medal. I thanked him, but I was staring out into the auditorium where I knew my ex-wife and our son were though I could not see them anymore. Everybody was standing and applauding. My Silver Star had been upgraded. I saw the hand of Claire Cunningham in this one, and maybe even Owen, unlikely as that might have been. I could not have guessed how he would have been an influence in that one, money or no money.

I was mortally disappointed that my boy had not been up on the stage with me, but more than that, I could not understand why! There was no good reason.

The show ended. And Claire wheeled me out to the back of the stage and Owen and the twins were there to greet me, but no Abigail or Ronald, not at first.

“Here they are,” said Owen.

“Dad,” said Ronald. “That is so cool.” He took my medal and was holding it in his hand.

Abigail was standing back and looking guilty. I was truly bewildered. She’d arrived in time. Why hadn’t she allowed Ronnie, my son, to be with me on the stage? It had to be her. There could be no logical reason! I’d be getting to the bottom of this soon, oh yeah.

“I rode back to the Cord’s with Claire and Ronald. There was going to be a small celebration, so I’d been told, by Claire.

Harriet and Abigail were in another car.

******

“I thought that Ronald was going to be on the stage with our hero,” said Harriet, as they made their way back.

“I decided against it,” said Abigail. “I didn’t think him being exposed to all of those horribly wounded soldiers was a good idea, image, for him to have to deal with at his age. Owen was okay with it, but I just couldn’t see myself as allowing it.”

“Oh my God! Abigail!” You actually unilaterally kept the boy from being with his dad on maybe the biggest night of his life, Sam’s life!”

“Yes, and Owen’s his daddy, his main daddy. I just thought us being there would be enough,” said Abigail.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute. You didn’t do this because the image of the wounded vets might be too much for the boy. You did it to ensure Owen’s place with him, the boy,” said Harriet.

“Only partly,” said Abigail. It was the image of the disfigured and damaged men and women too,” she said.

“Oh boy, oh boy,” said Harriet. “Abigail, what you did was unconscionable. You’re going to pay for this one. Oh my yes you are.”.

“What’s the big deal? We were there. His son saw him get the award. That was enough,” said Abigail.

“Think so?” said Harriet. “Think again. Did you even bother to congratulate your ex for his achievement? I was there and I didn’t see you.”

“No, but I will at home,” she said.

“Too little too late, woman, too little too late.”

******

“Where were you? Did you see him get his award, it was a very high award. I know something about these things. His medal is only one step down from the Congressional Medal of Honor. Ronnie should have been up there with him,” said Owen.

“You’re making too big a deal out of nothing and in doing so, if Sam sees you, he’s going to make a big deal out of it too. We don’t need that. I brought our son, yours and mine, to see the man get it and he did. That was enough,” said Abigail.

“That really what you think is it?” said Owen. “You are wrong, oh so wrong! This is a disaster. Damn it. I should have had Ronnie ride with me. Damn it! I knew it; I could smell it!”

“Owen what’s gotten into you! Everything is good. The boy saw the man...”

“You mean he saw his father, right?” said Owen.

“Well of course he’s his father. He was the sperm donor. That makes him the boy’s father on one level,” said Abigail.

“Sperm donor? On one Level?” he said. “Abigail, who are you? What’s going on here?”

“Look, Owen, I just decided to hold things a little bit in check is all. I did not want Ronald to be seeing that man as his only dad or even his main dad. I needed to preclude that. He’s not either of those; you are,” she said.

“Jesus H-Q-ree-eyst!” he said. “I don’t believe this. When that man gets here you are going to apologize and tell him the truth, straight up. He gets that much respect—period!”

“But I only...” she started.

“Period!” the big man repeated and that forcefully.

******

There was a low cheer that rose from the front room. The two older Cords turned toward it.

“He’s back,” said Owen. “Do your duty. Now!”

“Sheesh!” she said, but she headed into the melee in the front of the house.

Everyone was there. The Glass and Davis couples and Ronald and Claire and Jeff and Harriet and the maid, and surprise surprise General Shelby.

It should be noted here that Colonel Cunningham had died a year earlier of a heart ailment or he would likely have been in attendance too.

Abigail and Owen joined the celebration.

“Nice place,” said General Shelby.

“Thank you General,” said Owen. Abigail nodded and smiled.

The congrats were general and appreciated by me. Ronald especially seemed taken with the General and with the medal. He actually talked to the General for some minutes more or less one on one.

He broke away from the ex-theater commander and came to me.

“Dad, I want to be a soldier like you,” he said. I smiled.

“Well, you have to grow a bit first,” I said. “But maybe someday.” My son smiled.

Abigail was next to come at me one on one, and I sure as hell did want to talk to her. I wasn’t sure if this was the right time, but I wanted to.

“Congratulations Sam. Owen told me that your medal is a very good one,” she said.

“I guess,” I said. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” she said. Something was going on. Something in her tone wasn’t right.

“Why didn’t you let my son come up on the stage with me? It was very important to me. I know you knew that. You did didn’t you?” I said. I wasn’t sure if she were the one who had made that decision, but I was betting that she was.

The party was in full swing everybody was talking to everybody. Owen had pulled the General off to the side for a long moment to confab.

“Sam, can you and I talk for a couple?” she said. “Maybe in the dining room,” she nodded down the longish hall.

“Yes, okay,” I said.

I pulled up to the table. She went to the cabinet behind it and retrieved a bottle of Gentleman Jack. She got a couple of old fashioned glasses and poured us one finger each.

“It was my doing. You had that right,” she said.

“Not allowing my son to be with me,” I said.

“Yes,” I said.

“I was protecting Owen,” she said. “I want him to be Ronnie’s main daddy. There I’ve said it.”

I was stunned, and at the same time grateful to the bitch. She’d at least been straight with me.

“And Owen?” I said.

“He disagrees with me. I think he wants the two of you to be equal in all ways. But, you’d have to ask him to get the straight of that to be sure,” she said. I nodded.

“Okay, I will ask him. If he agrees with you I’ll be gone forevermore. If he agrees with me, you’ll have a problem forevermore,” I said. “But, no matter what happens you and I are done forevermore on any kind of a personal level.

“I should say that I do appreciate you finally being honest with me. I will say, that because you’ve been honest here, that I don’t hate you. No, I don’t. I just don’t respect you or like anymore. You ma’am are a major disappointment to me.

“I think we should rejoin my party,” I said.

“Look, Sam...” she started, but I was already wheeling myself out amongst them.