Collision  Course, Chapter 25
 

" TC, we have to talk about….", Eve said, leaving the sentence undone upon seeing Chad in his office.
 

Eve looked at the situation that she walked into. Her son with her husband. She didn't know how to proceed.

TC gave her a smile, and walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek.

" Hey Honey. Chad and I were having a deep discussion."

" Were you?", Eve replied, never taking her eyes off of Chad. Chad responded in kind, and it was like the two of them were the only people on Earth, waiting for the other one to weaken. They were reading one another.

' Why are you here?', Eve's eyes said.
' Wouldn't you like to know.', Chad's eyes replied.
' You have to know that this isn't how I wanted it.', Eve said.
' Tell it to someone who cares.', Chad replied.

TC looked at his wife and Chad, and thought something was curious. " Hey, is there something going on between you two that I need to know about?"

Hearing TC's voice brought both of them out of the showdown that they were having.

" I don't have any problem with Chad. I have to wonder if he has a problem with me."

Chad felt like he was going to explode, and it was on the tip of his tongue to shoot Eve down, but, he decided against it. He swallowed hard, and replied, " Nothing's wrong on my end, Coach."

" Well, then maybe it's my imagination that there's enough tension in here thick enough to cut with a knife. I love you, Eve, but, I also care for Chad. I don't see why we all can't get along."

" TC, I…"

" Eve, I've already told Chad my news, so it's time for me to tell you. Chad's beginning his first semester at Castleton College in a few weeks, and I've decided to pay for it."

" You what?"

" Eve, we have a lot to give. We're pretty frugal, and we can afford it. I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you before hand, but, I believed so strongly in this, I couldn't bother with arguing about it."

" What made you think that I would argue with you about this?"

" Eve, come on. You haven't been Chad's biggest fan. You and he have had conflicts before. I didn't want this to be a basis for another. I didn't want you to think that this was part of some 'hustle' that Chad was trying to pull."

" I would NEVER think that of Chad."

" I hope not. He's a fine young man, and he deserves our help and support. I want you to back me on this, but, if you can't, I'm sorry, but, I'm going it anyway."

" TC, you don't get it. I'm totally fine with us helping Chad. I think it's the right thing to do. He has such potential, and I'm glad that you took the initiative to try and help him bring it out. It means a great deal to me."

" It does? Why?"

" Yes, Dr. Russell, why?"

Eve looked at Chad,  and then at TC. " Because…..because I've seen many youth in my years practicing medicine that only needed a helping hand from someone to make a difference in their lives. I don't want Chad to wind up a statistic. Especially since he has so much potential."

Chad raised his eyebrow and thought, 'Good save.'

TC nods his head, " Of course that's what it is. My wonderful and compassionate doctor wife talking. Always thinking of others. That's part of the reason I love you so much. " Turning to Chad, " Chad, you said that you had news for me…why don't you tell both of us?"

Now it was Chad's turn to be on the spot. Chad was trying to think of a lie to tell TC when the phone rang. TC went to get the call.

" TC Russell…..yes…..I know…I thought that report was due 3 weeks from now….they changed it this morning?….no, I'll be right down to your office."

TC hung up the phone. " That was the principal. A state report is due immediately, and we have to finish it. I'll see both of your later. Ok?"

Eve and Chad nodded to TC as he left his office. It was silent for a few moments, until Eve finally spoke up.

" You came to tell him the truth, didn't you?"

" That I was your mistake? Damn straight."

" Chad, I told you that I don't think of you as a mistake. That until a couple of weeks ago, I didn't even know that it was a possibility that you could be alive. Why won't you believe me?"

" WHY won't I believe you? This from the woman who has lied EVERY DAMN DAY to the family that she SAYS she loves more than life? Well, I dunno…..can you think of a reason?", he said with deep sarcasm.

" Chad,  losing you was the most painful experience of my life. I barely made it out alive. The first year after your death, I entertained thoughts of suicide on a regular basis. But, somehow, I made it through. I took my life test to test. Without school, I know I would have died, because I had nothing else. I just fought to survive, and that's what I did. I survived. I was part of the walking dead. I felt nothing. I was a functional person, who could accomplish tasks and meet academic goals, but emotionally, I had nothing. Not until the say I met TC. He helped show me that I had a heart, and that it could feel without making my soul bleed. I couldn't even speak about my past. I guess I didn't make the right choices back then.."

" Duh, you think?"

" But, I made the only choices I could. I went on with my life, as best I could. But, I never forgot you."

" Likely story. "

" It's the truth. I have proof."

" Really? "

" Yes."

Chad rolled his eyes. " Ok, I'm game. What is this PROOF?"

Eve opened the bag that she was carrying and brought out a shoebox. She handed it to Chad.

" What the hell is this?"

" Open it."

Chad glared at her, but opened the box. Inside of it was a white baby outfit, some baby booties, and a yellow baby blanket. The tags were still on them, though they were yellow and fading.

" It's the outfit you would have worn home from the hospital."

Chad felt a lump stick in his throat as he looked at the items. He closed the box up and handed it back to Eve.

" Good trick."

" No trick, Chad. You saw the tags. That kind of aging can't be faked. I….I kept it in a locked box in the back of my closet all these years. At my office, in a locked drawer, there is a pair of blue baby booties, a little hat and sweater. All yours. All meant for you."

Chad stared into his mother's face, looking for the sign of a lie. Looking for the indication in her eyes that this was a scam of hers. The darndest thing is that he couldn't find it. All he saw in them was the pain that he had seen the other day. A pain that seemed to flow from the deepest parts of her soul. Her eyes were mesmerizing. He was drawn into them. When faced with emotions that raw, how could he run? How could he hurt her? How could he? He had to look away. The rage within him. The rage of the little boy that had been abandoned, and abused when left to be preyed upon by 'the system', would not let him fully see what was right before his eyes.

This silence between them remained, with Chad's back facing Eve, and Eve spoke up,

" I'm telling TC and the girls the truth tonight."

Eve turned towards the door when she stopped by a voice:

" The hell you are."

" Well, Mr. Jeepers, are you all set up for our guests?", Penny said to the stuffed bear sitting at the table in her room. Her playroom had been built overnight on orders from Julian. They had knocked down the walls between two Crane bedrooms, painted the walls a pale pink, and brought anything and everything that they thought would amuse a little girl. And of course, everything was wheelchair accessible.

Penny went and turned on the music. She was playing the CD to The Sound of Music at a low volume.

She heard a knock on the door. Penny turned to see her parents standing at the door.

" Sally told us that you wanted to see us, Penny.", Julian said.

" Come on in, Mommy and Daddy. I thought we could have our picnic here, since it rained."

Julian and Ivy went over to the table. Penny was sitting there, and several stuffed animals. There were chairs for both of them, and they sat across from one another with Penny in the middle.

" See, this is going to be fun."

Julian looked skeptical, but, went along with it. Penny handed him a hat and a cape.

" What is this?"

" Daddy, this is a fun picnic. Put it on."

Julian looked at his daughter, but, then, she batted her eyes, and he put on the top hat, and the cape for her. Ivy began to laugh.

" Oh, you look dashing, Julian."

She was in the middle of laughing when Penny handed her a big floppy hat, a feather boa, and a big strand of pearls. " Penny…you can't mean it?"

" Mommy, Daddy did it."

" Yeah Ivy…Daddy did it.", Julian said, batting his eyes like Penny does.

Ivy looked at the two of them, and decided that she had would do it. She put everything on.  Penny picked up a bell and rang it, and Crane servants appeared. They began serving them their picnic, which consisted of a fruit tray, and a sandwich tray. For drinks, they presented a pink liquid in the martini glasses.

" Daddy, in the spirit of things, I put my Shirley Temple in the martini glasses. Just for you."

Julian picked up his Shirley Temple. He didn't know of a sadder sight than a martini glass NOT full of alcohol, but, he drank up, and imagined the gin.

" See? Wasn't that terrific?"

Julian nodded in agreement.

The three of them sat in Penny's playroom and had a picnic. Ivy marveled at it. The interaction of Penny and Julian was so genuine. Ivy could see him let down his guard and let her in, showing a side to himself that few had ever seen, let alone believe. There was a lightness in Julian's eyes. Ivy wondered if this Julian had always been there, and she had just refused to see it.

Julian caught Ivy staring at him. He didn't know what to do. He felt particularly self-conscious. He was waiting for the shoe to drop. For a barb to cross Ivy's lips, but, it didn't. A smile did, which threw Julian even more. Why was she smiling at him? Was it part of a ruse? Why did he care?

Penny was oblivious to the silent battle going on between her parents. She was just happy to be with them, and hoped that there would be many more times like this.