Water from Stone - a Novel (33 page)

Ninety-Three

Mar.

Stan and Amanda rise when the door opens. Mar looks at them warily. If she’d met them socially, she’d probably be drawn to them. They look nice enough, tanned, fit, pleasant, open faces that look as if they laugh a lot. They dress casually, too, even though Mar has learned they have bizillions of dollars.

Stan reaches out his hand, “Hello, Ms. Delgado, I’m Stan Sonnenheim, and this is my wife, Amanda.”

Unconsciously, Mar wipes her sweating palm on her jeans before shaking his, and then Amanda’s, hand. “Mar. Please call me Mar. And this is my father, Don Bloom.”

Amanda’s smile is warm and friendly. “It’s nice to meet you,” she says, “even though it’s under such difficult circumstances.”

The pleasantries accomplished, Stacey invites them all to sit before turning to the Sonnenheims. “I’ve told Mar the little you’ve told me, so I guess it’s up to you to let us know why you’ve come all the way out here and asked to meet her.”

“Well, you see,” Amanda begins, “we’ve wanted to come out here, would have, months ago when this whole thing started, when we found out that Lizzie’d been found, but Jack’s attorneys forbade it, and now that we’ve seen how things are going, we realized that we should have come anyway. Damn lawyers, they screw everything up.”

“Amanda.”

“No, Stan. I’m sorry, Ms. Lindquist, but in this case, it’s true. Though I must say, you’ve been refreshingly restrained through the whole matter.”

“Uh, thank you.”

“No, I mean it,” Amanda speaks earnestly. “This is a terrible situation for everyone concerned, and it should have been handled differently, delicately. Instead, it’s been turned into a circus, and if you take all the adults out of the picture, I can’t imagine what it’s doing, or what it’s going to do, to that little girl.” She turns to Mar, “How is she?”

“She, um, she doesn’t understand why she can’t go to school, or why there are always reporters on the lawn trying to take her picture.” Mar feels a tear forming and bites her lip to hold it back. “I don’t know what to tell her, or how to prepare her for, uh, whatever.”

“I know. It’s awful.”

There is an uncomfortable silence and Mar feels the minutes slipping by and kicks herself for being away from Lizzie. She has to leave. “Excuse me, but you seem like nice people, and I can understand that this is pretty crappy for you, too, but, can you please tell me why you’re here?”

“Honestly? I don’t know.” Amanda seems surprised by her own answer. She looks at Stan.

“I don’t know either, sweetheart.” He picks her small hand up, squeezes it, and smiles at her gently. “It was just something you had to do.”

When Amanda turns back to Mar, there are tears in her eyes. She covers her mouth with her hand, as if afraid to open up. “You see,” she finally says, “we know what it is to lose a child. And, I understand you’ve already lost one. Max, wasn’t it?”

Mar nods, not trusting herself to speak.

“Yes, well, we heard about that, so I know you know how bad it can be, and I can imagine how terrified you are, thinking you might lose Lizzie. I don’t know, I don’t know why we’re here. I’m just hoping that we can find a way to make this better, between us, before this all gets worse.”

Mar puts her face in her hands and swallows heavily. She doesn’t want empathy from these people. She is fighting for her daughter and doesn’t want to feel for them. Stacey seems to pick up on Mar’s distress. “Does Jack know you’re here?” she asks.

“No,” Stan replies. “We thought it best not to tell him. At this point.”

“I see,” Stacey says.

“Well, then,” Mar says, “I’m sorry. I can’t help you. If he was looking for a solution rather than waiting for the judge’s ruling, maybe we could talk, work out what’s best for Lizzie. But without him, there’s really no reason to daydream, is there?” She smiles sadly and shrugs.

“Maybe we could talk to him. I’m sure he wants what’s best for Lizzie.”

Don says, his voice filled with anger, “I don’t think so. That man has done nothing but attack my daughter from day one. Do you know that the FBI even came to investigate Mar? They talked to everyone she’s ever known, tore her life apart and all but accused her of being a kidnapper!”

“Dad,” Mar tries to head him off.

“And now her best friend, who, I will tell you, has done more good for the children of this area than anyone, is being investigated. It’s too much. Just too much.”

“Dad, please.”

“No, that’s OK. We agree, in fact. It has been handled badly.”

“Badly! It’s been in all the papers that she’s a drunk! Fills her wine cabinet and they assume she’s getting sloshed every night, putting Lizzie in danger!”

“Dad!”

“Please. We know. We’re not here to make excuses for Jack, though he really is a good man. He really is. And, you’ve a right to be angry. I’d be livid. But, please, that’s what I meant about attorneys messing this up. Unfortunately, Jack’s attorneys haven’t taken the high road on this one.”

“Listen,” Mar says, “I wish there was a way we could all work this out, but there’s really no common ground. You see, I know Lizzie should stay with me. I know that’s what’s best for her. Regardless of him having fathered her, I’m the only parent she’s ever known.” Mar gets up. “I’m sorry for all your grief, I’m sorry about your daughter. But, Lizzie’s fine and she should stay with me.”

At the door, she turns back. “Um, thank you for coming, for trying.”

Amanda smiles bravely through her tears. Stan just nods.

“Would you like to see her?” Mar asks suddenly. “To meet her?”

Amanda tries to speak, can’t. Stan pulls her to him and speaks over her shoulder. “Could we? It would really mean a lot to us.”

Mar smiles gently. “One way or the other, you’re still her grandparents.”

Ninety-Four

Jack.

Jack is having a particularly bad day. At breakfast, he had tried once again to get through to DeJon, to talk about what is eating at him, but he’d only been rebuffed. Again. He is been placing a call to Father Mac to ask him to intervene, to mediate, to help him find a way to reconnect, when Caroline bursts into his office.

“Great news!” she waves a stack of articles at him. “Your message is getting out.”

Jack looks up from his desk. “Message? I didn’t know I had one.”

Caroline laughs happily. “Of course you do. The Fathers’ Rights advocates love you. Congressman Neely’s using your case to push for stronger acknowledgement of a father’s right to custody in divorce cases.”

Jack shakes his head and moves to the window. New York. Jesus. What is it about the city that holds him? That repels him? All he’d wanted was to come here, to make his mark. Well, apparently he had. But at what cost?

“Jack?”

He watches the cars so many floors below, everyone hurrying from place to place, meeting to meeting, jostling, ignoring one another. Would Lizzie even like it here? “This isn’t a divorce case, Caroline.”

“But it’s still great press. Jack, even the bleeding hearts are finally coming around. Little Miss Delgado doesn’t look so innocent anymore.”

Finally interested, Jack turns from the window to face her. “Mar? What are you talking about?”

Just then, the door bursts open and Amanda sails into the room, followed slowly by Stan.

“Amanda? Stan?” Jack is stunned to see them. “What are you doing here? Is everything OK?”

“No, Jack,” Amanda plants her hands on her hips, “everything is not OK.”

Jack glances at Stan, who only shrugs. “Sit down, please. Let’s talk. You know Caroline.”

Amanda barely manages a nod. “Caroline.”

“Amanda. Stan.”

“Sit, please,” Jack tries again.

“Thank you, no. We’ve just gotten off a plane and I don’t feel like sitting anymore,”

“I didn’t know you were going out of town. Where were you?”

“We’ve been to Colorado. To see Lizzie.”

Jack freezes. “How is she?” he finally manages.

Caroline turns on the smaller woman. “I thought we asked you to stay away. At least until the ruling.”

“You know what? We did. For months. And only out of respect for you, Jack,” Amanda says pointedly.

“But, I didn’t ask you…”

“Well, no surprise there, now is there?”

“There’s a very good reason we asked you not to get involved.”

“Wait a minute,” Jack cuts her off. “Caroline, I didn’t ask them not to get involved. Amanda, I never suggested you shouldn’t go see her. That would just be cruel to try to keep you away.”

“I did,” Caroline states.

“But, why?”

“Yes, Ms. Carruthers, please do tell us why you wanted to keep us from our granddaughter.”

“Jack?” Caroline turns to Jack for support.

“Amanda, please. Look, you’re obviously upset. Why don’t you sit down and tell me.  I’m sure there’s an explanation.”

Stanley takes a seat but Amanda stands, hands on hips, firmly glaring at the younger woman.

“Amanda. Mandy, come sit. Please.” Stan pats the chair next to him. Finally, Amanda sits.

“Caroline,” Jack motions to a chair. “Now tell me, please, what’s bothering you? You said you were in Colorado.”

“We went out there several days ago and met with Mar. And Lizzie.”

“Do you mind telling us why?” Caroline asks.

“How are they?” Jack eyes bore into Amanda’s, then Stan’s.

“They’re terrible. How do you expect them to be?” Amanda snaps. “Mar’s as sick as I’ve ever seen anyone and Lizzie, who I understand used to be a happy, outgoing child, is withdrawn and angry.”

“Ah, Christ,” Jack feels suddenly sick.

“It’s not your fault,” Caroline snaps. “What are you doing here?” she demands of Amanda. “Do you really think this is doing him any good?”

“Do you really think it’s doing Lizzie any good? What the hell are you doing, Jack?”

“I’m just trying to bring my daughter home.”

“Couldn’t you have done it differently? Without the entire world watching?”

Jack scrubs at his face trying to dispel the tension. “I didn’t want it to happen this way.”

Caroline says, “I’m sorry, Amanda, Stan, I can understand your distress, and know that it is sometimes difficult to understand how these things work, but this has all been in Mia’s best interests, after all.”

“Lizzie’s,” Amanda, Stan and Jack say simultaneously.

“Yes, well, see, her legal name is Mia and all the documents I’ve been working with...” Caroline’s voice trails off lamely.

“But don’t you see? That’s just the point! You’re working with paper. Paper! We’re talking about a little girl, a person, a human being with thoughts, opinions, emotions and desires.”

“You can hardly think to include a child in the decision making.”

“Why the hell not?” Stan asks.

“Because she’s a child! The law doesn’t even recognize her ability to make decisions for herself, much less her right to do so.”

“Aren’t you listening?” Amanda demands. “We don’t care about the law! This is not, and should never have been, a legal issue!”

“I’ll remind you that a crime was committed.”

“Yes, but not by any of the parties currently involved.”

“We don’t know that for sure.”

Amanda turns to Jack, “Tell me, Jack, do you think, in any way, shape or form, that Mar was involved in the kidnapping?”

“Mar? Absolutely not.”

“She may have been an accessory after the fact,” Caroline puts in.

“That’s already been looked into, hasn’t it? Legally. And there’s no shred of evidence that she’s anything but another victim of this whole debacle.” Amanda turns back to Jack, “So, if you don’t think she was involved at all, then please tell us if you think her friend, Shirley McGowan, had anything to do with it.”

“The children’s services lady?”

“Yes. The Director for The Center of Child Welfare out in Boulder. Do you think that she had anything to do with it? Maybe that she’s the head of some kidnapping ring? Pays off mentally disturbed people to steal babies and bring them to Boulder to be placed with unsuspecting foster families? Is that what you think?”

“That’s ridiculous! From everything I’ve seen, or can gather, she did her job in placing Lizzie, and then in supporting Mar as the adoptive mother.”

“Against that other couple that was interested? You think she did her job in recommending Mar over them?”

“Absolutely. I don’t know them, but it’s obvious Lizzie hasn’t wanted for anything.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that, Jack. But I have to wonder, then, why you’ve filed a lawsuit against her?”

“What?”

“Jack, please,” Caroline cuts in.

“What a load of crap.” Stanley gets up and walks to the window.

“I haven’t filed any lawsuits, Amanda. I don’t know where you heard that.”

“Jack, wake up! I just can’t believe you’re not getting this.”

“Getting what?”

“The whole picture, the chaos you’re causing, destroying people’s lives, walking over everybody. And for what? Have you even stopped to think about Lizzie in all this?”

“Jack,” Caroline cuts in. “Please don’t do this. I know you care about them, but you really need to cut this short before more damage is done.”

“Damage! Lady, you’re buckshot in a bra! You kill a few and leave the rest dying and bleeding, wondering what hit them and why! That’s damage. That’s what you’re doing to all those people who only tried to do the best for Lizzie. You don’t care who you hurt.”

“Amanda, no one’s being purposely hurt. I’m sorry you have that impression.”

“Then why the hell is there a lawsuit, filed in your name, against that lady, that you’re apparently not even aware of?”

“Caroline?” Jack turns to her.

“It’s nothing, Jack. Just a strategic move…”

Jack goes cold. “What strategic move?”

“Well, look, we felt that the judge might look preferentially on Mar Delgado because he’s the same judge who gave her last foster child back to his family. Well, you know that. So, when you wouldn’t agree to try to move the decision here to New York, and we couldn’t get a different judge, well, Marion thought it would make a stronger case for you if there were doubts about the handling of the adoption.”

“So you filed suit?”

“Just until this is over. Then we’ll drop it.”

“Jesus Christ, Caroline! You can’t screw with people’s lives like that!”

“I told you, it’s just until this is over.”