Chapter 16.5
800 Words
Chapter 16.5
James looked up as a woman walked into his office. She had a baby on her hip and was holding the hand of a girl about fine. Behind her, walked a boy about seven. The woman smiled at him.
“You are James Royal, right?” the woman asked.
“Yes,” he said as he stood. “I am. What can I do for you?”
“I would like to thank you for saving my daughter,” the woman said.
James looked at the woman in confusion. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand,” he said.
“I thought that your parents told you,” the woman said. “I am Annie Freeman, Scarlet’s mother.”
‘Oh,” he said. “I didn’t realize that you would come here.”
I wanted to come and thank you for saving her all those years ago,” Annie said. “If you hadn’t come that night, she probably would have dies. Thank you.”
James smiled. “If I hadn’t been there that night,” he said, “I never would have met her. She would never have married me and I wouldn't have my son.”
“Your parents told me about your son,” Annie said. “I’m glad Scarlet has you.”
“I’m glad to have her,” he said. “She has become my world. I love her.”
A moment passed before Annie asked “Do you think that she will see me?”
“No,” he said, bluntly.
“What?” Annie asked. Why?”
“Because,” he said calmly, “For almost ten years she thought that you died in that fire.”
“I know,” Annie said. “I have longed to see her. I just had to keep her safe.”
“From what?” he asked. “A mother that used her daughter to lure men into her bed? To protect her from the men her mother lure into her bed? Who were you protecting your daughter from?”
“I was protecting her from my life,” Annie said. “I didn’t want her to go though what I went though. She wouldn't have survived it.”
“Scarlet could have,” he said. “She may have only been ten, but she was smart and brave. If you had stopped taking on lovers and focused on her, you would have seen it.”
Annie stared at him for a moment. She then said, “You have no idea what she went though with me. I was all she had. I had to take on those men in order for her to have anything that she wanted.”
“All Scarlet had wanted,” he said, “Is to have a family. All she wanted was for you to be her mother. Scarlet may have been an accident, but to me she is my life. I now see why she doesn’t want to see you. I must ask you to leave. I am needed back home.”
“Fine,” Annie said. “Good day.”
Scarlet looked up from her book as the front door opened. Hope was in her room watching Donny. She said that Scarlet needed some time to herself.
“Honey,” James said as he saw her. “I have to tell you something.”
He closed the door and walked over to her. He sat down next her.
“What is it?” she asked, setting the book on the table. “Has something happened to your parents?”
“No,” he said. “I was sitting at my desk today when this woman come in. I thought she wanted a ticket or something. She tells me that she wanted to thank me for saving her daughter. I had no clue who she was talking about. Then she told me her name. It was your mother. She wanted to see you and Donny. I told her that I didn’t want her to see you.”
“Thank you, James,” she said. “There is no way I can see her. I know she had her reasons, but they aren’t good enough for me.”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “She won’t be coming around here.”
“Good,” she said. “Now, there is something I need to talk to you about.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“I think that Donny can’t hear that well,” she said. “I think that when he got sick, something happened to his ears.”
“Have you told anyone else these thoughts?” he asked.
“Just Hope,” she said. “She says that maybe he will grow out of it. What if he doesn’t? What if it really is something serious?”
“As Hope said only time may tell,” he said. He might be fine. Now, I have a question for you. When do you plan to tell my parents about the baby?”
“I planned to go to their house tomorrow,” she said. “I would like for you to go with me.”
“I can’t, Scarlet,” he said. “I have so much work I need to do. You’ll hav eto go without me.”
“All right,” she said. “I fixed dinner if you’re hungry.”
“I am,” he said.
She smiled at him as she stood.
- Writer
