Lost Cause, Chapter 8
 

TC knocked on the Bennett House’s door.

“ TC!”, Sam said.

“ Hey Sam.”

Sam looked at his best friend. He looked so much older. “ Nobody’s home. You wanna talk?”

“ Thanks.”

“ Let me get us some coffee.” Sam came back in with coffee for both of them. TC took a few sips.

” What’s up, TC?”

“ Sam, I let my family down.”

” TC, how can you say that? You’re always there for them.”

” Sam, my baby girl tried to commit suicide. I’ve been around teens as a professional. Kids don’t try and take their lives unless they feel they have nothing at home. I’ve failed. “

“ TC, you and Eve love your children. Simone just took a wrong turn.”

“ It’s not just Simone. It’s Whitney too. This entire situation with Chad.”

” I thought you said that Whitney broke it off with Chad.”

” She did, but that doesn’t erase what’s happened to my family, Sam. I’m in pain, Sam. My family hurts, I hurt.”

” I know.”

“I don’t even know where to begin.”

” Begin with the love, TC. The love you have. “

” It hasn’t been enough, Sam. With all the love, it hasn’t been enough.”

” It will be. That, and good counseling.”

“ I’ll do whatever it takes for my family to be repaired. “
 



 

Julian walked down at the Docks, when he spotted Whitney.

” Hello, Whitney.”

” Mr. Crane.”

” Whitney, you’ve been crying.”

“ Guilty as charged.”

Julian pulled her over to a bench, and had her sit down. “ You want to talk?”

” Mr. Crane, you’re a busy man. I don’t want to bother you.”

“ It’s no bother. I thought because of the time we spent together in that horrible elevator, that we had bridged a gap of sorts. I think I’ve been learning the skill of listening. “

Whitney nodded. “ You know about Simone?”

” There’s been no change in her condition?”

” Physically, the doctors say that she’s out of the woods, but they still don’t know the extent of the possible brain damage.” Whitney cried and Julian pulled her in for a hug.

“ It’s….it’s my fault, Mr. Crane. Simone is in the hospital because of me.”

“ Dear, don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“ Not even if it’s the truth? I loved Chad, but in all honesty, Mr. Crane, I wouldn’t love him again if I knew the outcome of all of this. I broke up with Chad.”

” You did?”

” Yes. I had too. He wanted me to go with him to Los Angeles, where he got a job offer. I couldn’t leave my family, and when he didn’t understand why I couldn’t go, I realized that we shouldn’t be together.”

” I’m sorry, Whitney. I know how much you loved him.”

” I know. But, I was raised to believe in family, and right now, I have to help put my family back on track.”

“ I’m sure your parents will appreciate it.”

“ My mother does, but my father….he’s never been mad at me like this. Of course, I did spit in the face of every lesson he and my mother taught me. I look at my father at Simone’s side, and I’ve been recalling a lot of conversations with Simone. I was, if I can say this, The Golden Child. Because of my participation in tennis, my bond with my father is stronger. The look in his eyes. He’s very disappointed in me. He loves me, but somewhat blames me.”

“ I doubt your father blames you. He’s sad for his family. He totally loves you. It’s one of his best character traits.”

Whitney smiled slightly. “ I think he’d be in shock to hear you say something good about him.”

” I have my qualms with TC, but in one arena, he’s a far better man – he’s a good father. And, being a lousy one, I know I would never want my children to think that they were to blame. So, I know a good father doesn’t. You know, I wanted your relationship with Chad to work out because I do believe in love. But, I don’t think that real, true love would have you give up  love.”

” My family.”

“ Yes.  Maybe this is just a painful lesson that you had to learn. Family SHOULD be everything, Whitney. The right kind of family.”

” I had the right kind of family.”

” No, Whitney, you HAVE the right kind of family.”
 



 

Liz sat in the Blue Note. She was on her fourth martini.

” What good is this stupid club? Eve won’t set foot in here. Neither will Julian, and now that Whitney’s broken up with Chad…I can’t use her to torture Eve. What do I have? This stupid club.

Eve….Eve has everything. She has a marriage. She has a family. She has a career. She has everything that I SHOULD HAVE HAD. She ruined my life. And, it’s time that I ruined hers.

Dammit, that bitch is going to pay!!”

Liz got up and left the Blue Note.
 
 
 
 
 

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