The Mystery of Chad Harris: Fate Delivers Us, Chapter 42
 
 

Eve and Chad were sitting together in the dining room, holding hands.

" Well, this was a rough evening."

" Was it too hard? I didn't want anything to hurt you, Doc."

" Chad, those memories are painful. But, I know that you needed to hear them. You needed to hear what happened between us. I need for you to know. I need you to know that I loved Julian. That I needed him. We needed one another. We both made a lot of mistakes, and Julian wasn't a horrible man back then."

" And, he is now."

" Chad, I don't know. The Julian that acknowledged you without question, is the Julian I knew."

" I don't think I want to be with him. I don't want to get to know him."

" Don't say that, Chad. Don't close the door on a relationship between you and Julian."

" How can YOU say that? The man completely let you down. He abandoned you when you needed him the most. He was faced with a tough decision, and he RAN! Don't make excuses for him, Doc. I've seen it a thousand times, living on the streets. A young girl gets pregnant, and the guy runs as fast as he can. He's a gutless coward, and I have no respect for him."

Eve looked at Chad and smiled.  " You know. Your strength is what I respect about you most. You grew up to be a man of honor. I don't know how it happened, considering how you lived."

" I guess I made the decision years ago, that I couldn't be like everyone else. Joining in - being one of the lowlife's that I see on the street. So, I decided to be someone that my word meant something."

" I'm so glad  you did. Chad, if you're giving me a chance…why not Julian?"

" I know that you always wanted me. He can't say the same."

" Chad, being Alistair Crane's son isn't an easy thing. The man is a monster. Julian had nobody to help him fight Alistair."

" Why are you defending him?"

" Because…..he's your father. You can't erase it, Chad. No matter how much you might want to, you can't. He's your father, and he's reaching out to you. You like Ethan, don't you?"

" Yeah, Ethan's cool enough."

" Well, Julian raised Ethan."

" I thought Ethan spent all his time in boarding schools."

" Ok, maybe he did, but, Julian did work at raising Ethan. If he didn't do so bad with Ethan, then, maybe he wouldn't do so bad with you. "

" I don't need to be raised."

" No, you don't. But, every young man needs a father. Possibly as a friend. Or, at the very least, a mentor."

Chad laughed. " Be real, Doc. Let's be honest. Do you REALLY see us being friends? What could the man have to teach me?"

" Now, I think you're being unfair, Chad. Say what you want about Julian Crane, but, the one thing that everyone can agree on is that is he's a brilliant businessman. You said long ago that you wanted to be in the music business. You came here, from Los Angeles, after someone had cheated you out of the credit that you were due. Well, don't you think that happened because you were inexperienced and naïve. You didn't understand the 'business' of show, right?"

" I guess so."

" Well, if nothing else. You could go to Julian, and he could teach you about how that never had to happen again. "

" That would mean being in contact with him."

" Yes, it would."

" I don't know if I can handle it."

" Well, Chad, you are a grown man. Don't you think it's time that you moved forward with your life?"

Chad looked at his mother, and she looked back at him. " Yes, I'm getting 'motherish' on you. You're old enough Chad. You've solved the big question that hung over your life - ' who are my parents?'. Now that you know the answer to that question, it's time that you deal with the results. Chad, no man can go forth with his life, if he doesn't deal with who he is. I've learned that lesson the HARD way. Please, do as I say, and not as I did. You have a wonderful chance to start over. To begin this next part of your life. You can't do it, if you go around hating yourself."

" Hating myself. I don't hate myself."

" Yes, you do. Your unwillingness to deal with Julian being your father, means that you're only dealing with half of who you are. You ARE a Crane. Now , whatever that winds up meaning is up to you. I can't define it for you. You have to define it for yourself. If only so that you won't make the same mistakes, you have to find out what part of you REALLY is Julian. You have to face the demons, so they won't win. I know you can do it."

" You really think a relationship with him is possible?"

" I think so. The most important thing is that he wants to try. That's meeting you halfway. How can you turn your back on an opportunity like that."

" What could I POSSIBLY have in common with the man."

" Unbelievably, one thing for sure: music. Julian might not know any of the hip-hop that you listen to, but, if you want to talk about jazz, blues, old school R&B, the man knows his music."

" The Whitest of White WASPS - Julian Crane….knows old school R&B?", Chad asked incredulously.

Eve laughed and nodded. " I know. I know how strange that sounds, but, it's true. He really does. Let the music connect you, Chad. It's a beginning. "

Chad shook his head. " I don't know. I'm confused right now."

" Ok.  But, promise me that you'll think about it?"

" I will promise that. I'm tired. Thinking is tiring, and I'm pooped. I'll see you later, Doc."

Chad kisses his mother and leaves.  Eve is finishing up the dining room when Madelaine walks in.

" You and Chad had a good talk?"

Eve nodded. " I think so. I told him things that I had buried for a long time."

" He was receptive?"

" Yes. He listened, and he didn't condemn me."

" He never would, Eve. That young man has a great capacity for love and forgiveness."

" I know. Which is why I asked him not to shut Julian out of his life."

" You did? That's very generous of you. Why?"

" Julian is his father. Chad can't hate Julian, because it would be hating himself. He doesn't see it that way, but that is how it would turn out. If he can't find any good in Julian, then, I truly believe, it would hurt him psychologically in the end. "

" I despise the Cranes as much as Theodore does. But, for your sake, I hope that there are a few ounces of goodness in Julian Crane, and that Chad can touch them. You're right, Chad doesn't need to be hurt anymore by the Cranes."

" Where is TC?"

" He left."

" Left? Where?"

" I don’t know. I suppose he's trying to decide whether or not he wants your marriage."

" Why now? Why would he be making that decision now?"

" Because, I told him it was time. That the family had been in limbo long enough. He had to either head this family, or let it go."

" Madelaine! TC needs time! Time to adjust."

" Bullcrap, Eve. Theodore needs to get off the fence. He knows the entire 'score' now. He can balance what he knows against the last 20 years of his life. A man knows if he's willing to stay or if he's going to leave. The only thing my son was doing was sulking and about to sink into a rut. This ' on the fence' crap is for sissies. One way or another, the family has to go forward. It cannot heal until all decisions are made."

Eve took a deep breath and exhaled. " But, what if he decides to leave?", Eve asked quietly.

" Then, he leaves. Him staying on the couch a couple more months, wouldn't change that decision, only prolong it. Eve, have faith. Even if he decides to leave, it's not the end of the world."

" It would be the end of my world."

" No. Now, YOU'RE wallowing in melodramatics. It would be the breakup of a marriage. But, you have the best gift a woman could have: three healthy children. They can be your rock. Of course, I don't think you're going to need them as your rock."

" You…..you think TC will forgive me?"

" I do."

" Why? I lied to him."

" About something that happened before the two of you ever met. The proof of who you are is how you treated my son during your marriage, and the answer to that is - very well. You adored him. You still do. And, he adores you."

" I hope so."

" Have faith, my dear."
 

Julian is listening to his recordings of Eve, when there is a knock on the door.

" Come in……yes, Sally?"

" Mr. Crane, you have a visitor."

" Who is it'?"

" A Mr. TC Russell , Sir."

Julian rolled his eyes, and then nodded. The maid opened the door, and there was TC. It was time for them to talk.