Courage & Resolve
1.10 - A Long Owed Explanation
Following Amelia’s revelation a week earlier, she set about preparing herself for the long due meeting with her ex husband. Outside of regularly talking to Jo for advice, she also decided to talk to Genevieve and Felix for the sake of protection. Their law firm was regularly growing in power and significance, so out of anyone she knew, she felt they’d be best suited to protect her. So, she talked to Genevieve and set up a meeting with Felix for the first thing in the morning the next day at work.
That morning came, and Amelia quietly let herself into Felix’s office and sat down in one of the two chairs facing Felix’s desk. Genevieve, who’d been behind Felix’s desk talking to him, moved to the chair Amelia didn’t take.
Felix cleared his throat before making eye contact with Amelia and speaking. “What’s going on, Amelia? It isn’t like you to sit down with me for, well, anything. Doors always open though!”
“I need you two to do me a favor,” Amelia said quietly.
“What is it, Amelia?” Genevieve asked gently, sensing the worry in Amelia’s voice.
“I… I need you two to protect me, and my family. You own a powerful law firm, with enough of a following that Felix here can reasonably run for president… and… if something happens to me, I need you guys to protect Cory and Jamira. Raise an uproar. Please.”
“We’ll… we will try our best, Amelia?” Felix said. “Can I ask you to explain why, though? It’s- it’s kind of a lot for you to ask for something like this. We’ll do it- don’t worry! We owe you that much. I’d just like a reason.”
“You guys both know my ex-husband, Samson, is in town, and wants custody of Cory and Jamira, right?” Amelia said.
“You told her?” Felix frowned, turning to Genevieve.
“Yeah, I did! Woman to woman, I couldn’t keep that from her. I know it’d look bad if it was discovered, I know that it’s a giant breach of company protocol because of Amelia’s relationship to the client, but I also know we can trust Amelia, Felix. Don’t worry! Go on Amelia.”
Amelia nodded, and continued. “I- I’m afraid,” she admitted. “I see so much of the man I fell in love with years ago in him, and to be honest? I’m afraid I’m going to do something stupid. But I also remember the man he can be- the man I left. He never reached this point, but I’m… I feel like he might do something violent. Especially after years apart from his children, and the way I left. I need to take every precaution, and you two are my best bet at staying safe right now.”
“We’ll do everything we can, Amelia,” Genevieve nodded firmly.
“Definitely,” Felix agreed. “You’ve singlehandedly transformed this company, and become one of our top performing employees. We’d be fools not to protect you.”
“I… I think I should let you two know. I’m going to meet him today.”
Genevieve’s mouth dropped open.
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Felix asked.
“I have to do it. Not for him, but for Cory and Jamira. It’s been years since he last saw them, he’s going to be sober and on his best behavior. So… I feel that if they can meet Samson as he was when he was still the kind, polite, loving man I fell in love with, maybe they can feel like they had a decent father once.”
“It’s your decision, Amelia, it really is…” Genevieve said. “But as your friend- I can call myself your friend, right?- I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Do you want the protection you asked for at this meeting?” Felix asked. “I can make some calls, see if I can get a bodyguard on short notice-“
“No, Felix, it’s fine. I’m sure that just one meeting won’t hurt. But… for the sake of being cautious, if I don’t come in to work tomorrow, alert the authorities.”
“Like we wouldn’t do that anyway,” Genevieve laughed. “You’ve never missed a day of work Amelia, you suddenly starting to do that would mean that something was seriously wrong.”
With everything taken care of with Genevieve and Felix, and the knowledge that the two of them considered themselves her friends, Amelia went home to pick up Cory and Jamira for the meeting with Samson. She had three people behind her now, and that fact alone filled Amelia with confidence. Back when she and Samson had first started fighting, their one friend hadn’t wanted to side with either of them. She’d had no one. Amelia has positive that having no one to talk to was the reason why she stayed with Samson for as long as she did. There was no one telling her that something wasn’t a good idea, or saying they could protect her. This time, everything was different.
Amelia walked up to the Treefall Inn, which Samson was staying in, Jamira tightly grasping one of her hands, while Cory ran slightly ahead.
“Are we really about to meet Dad?” Cory asked.
Amelia nodded. “I think it’s time. You’re both old enough now.”
“If we’re both old enough now, then why haven’t you told us why you left him yet? I still remember when you told me you’d explain someday…” Jamira said.
“I… you’re right, Jamira. Come, quickly. I’ll explain it all to you before we have to meet Samson.”
Amelia led Cory and Jamira over to a bench in a little park across the road from the hotel, and sat down. They sat on either side of her.
“Before I tell you both this, I want you to understand that your father… he wasn’t always like this. He was once the kindest man I’d ever known. We just fell on hard times, and that, more than anything else, damaged our relationship beyond repair.”
“We both lived in Brindleton Bay because we were going to the University of Brindleton. I wanted to be a lawyer, and Samson was an aspiring musician. But when I got pregnant with Jamira, we had to give up those dreams, and buy a house we could raise a family in. While he seemed happy at the time, I don’t think Samson ever really forgave me for choosing a family over our careers.”
“The two of us worked in a restaurant. The Dancing Crab, it was called. It was a dodgy little place, it always stank of dead fish, and the lobster was always a little undercooked, but in general, the food was good. I was happy. But Samson never was. He’d always pictured himself performing for big crowds, receiving applause… at the restaurant, some people didn’t even tip. He was never recognized for preforming well.”
“Eventually, Samson got mean. He got so miserable, that he couldn’t live without some kind of substance abuse. After catching him doing… terrible drugs, he eventually resorted to just alcohol. He’d come home late every night, drunk, and sometimes, he’d… he’d…”
“He’d what?” Cory asked.
“Think, dumbass,” Jamira sighed. “It isn’t that hard to figure out.”
Amelia nodded, and went back to her story. “I stayed with him for years. Longer than I ever should have. After years of… abuse, I finally had to put my foot in the door, and leave. I took you two, some boxes, and we left for Willow Creek all in one night. But I’m sure you can both remember that much.”
“So… you’re saying that this man did all that to you, and we’re still going to meet him?” Jamira asked.
“Yeah, that seems kinda stupid,” Cory agreed.
“I want you guys to meet your father at his best,” Amelia said simply. “Which is what I believe he is right now. I met him yesterday, and he’s more of the man I first met than he’d been in years of marriage. I want you guys to understand that… he wasn’t always terrible.”
“Maybe you should have waited until after to tell us all that,” Cory shrugged.
“No. It’s better to judge him knowing the truth than to ruin our false good impressions of him after,” Jamira said.
“That’s… surprisingly wise, Jamira,” Amelia said, surprised.
“Like you said, we’re old enough to understand the truth about you and Dad now,” Jamira shrugged.
Cory nodded, and gave Amelia a reassuring smile.
“Alright then,” Amelia said, standing up. “I think it’s time we went in.”
Cory and Jamira stood up, and the three of them walked into the hotel.
Samson was waiting for them on a couch in the hotel lobby, and the moment he saw them walk in, he stood up, arms outstretched. “Jamira, Lil’ Cory, it’s been so long!”
Cory and Jamira looked to Amelia before doing anything. She gave them a slight nod, and both of them walked over and each gave their dad an awkward little hug. Afterwards, they both returned to Amelia’s side.
“Well, come and sit down, all of you,” Samson said, gesturing towards the couch he’d been sitting on.
The three of them hesitantly wandered over and sat down, pointedly avoiding sitting down right next to Samson.
“You two have grown so much since I last saw you!” Samson grinned, either oblivious to or ignoring how uncomfortable both Cory and Jamira were with him.
“Well, I hope I’m a lot less of the mess I was the last time you two saw me,” Samson added after a long silence.
“Uh, if you two don’t mind, Cory and I would like to explore the hotel…” Jamira said, needing to get away from the situation.
“Of course! That’s what kids do, right? Explore, play, have fun…”
Jamira ignored him, looking instead to Amelia.
“Go ahead,” she said, with a small nod.
Cory and Jamira got up, and ran off together.
“I knew it’d been a long time, but I had no idea they’d look so… grown,” Samson muttered, shaking his head. “They’re barely even children anymore.”
“They’re not,” Amelia said. “They’re mature, easily more mature than either of us would have been at that age. And they’ve matured without you, Samson. It’s too late for you to come in and try to be a father to them.”
Samson snorted. “No, of course it isn’t. Everyone is going to want a parent, no matter how old they get.”
“I- I won’t deny that, Samson. But it’s so obvious- can’t you see how uncomfortable Cory and Jamira are with you? You’re like a stranger to them.”
“That’s the thing, Amelia!” Samson exclaimed, scooting across the couch to get closer to her. “I don’t have to be a stranger to them! I know they’re good kids, you raised them, after all, and I doubt they’d turn down the option to have a dad, no matter how good of a mother you may be.”
“Samson, I know that your intentions at this point are nothing but good, but-“
“Listen, Amelia! Originally, I came out here with the plan of getting sole custody of the kids. I’m sure you know that, you work on that law firm I contacted, after all. But now I’m thinking… why don’t we both keep custody? Let the kids see different parents on different weekends, I could find a place here… we never signed anything about custody when we got divorced. This could be so easy, and so perfect, Amelia! We could even still keep minimal contact, and-“
“Samson, stop. Please,” Amelia said quietly, interrupting Samson. “While that would be the most perfect little scenario, what you need to understand is that I don’t think either Cory or Jamira would want that. They… they know what happened between us.”
“T-They do?” Samson stammered.
Amelia nodded sadly. She could see him so clearly now. The man she first fell in love with. So full of joy and hope, and excited to raise a perfect little family. When he wasn’t drunk or on whatever drug he’d decided to spend the day on, that man… he still existed. And it was killing her.
“Still, I- I- maybe it could happen?” Samson asked.
“I don’t think it could, Samson. You saw how uncomfortable Cory and Jamira were in your presence. I… I truly am sorry. We can’t go back.”
Samson nodded slowly. “I- I think I’m going to go back up to my room.”
Amelia looked down, not wanting to make eye contact, as Samson got up and walked slowly up the stairs to his room.
A minute later, she heard fast footsteps on the stairs, then her children’s voices filled the lobby.
“We saw dad-“ Jamira said.
“He was going back to his room! Does this mean we can finally go home?” Cory interrupted.
“Y-yes. We can,” Amelia said.
It was a quiet bus ride home. No one spoke much, Amelia too lost in thought to entertain either Cory or Jamira’s questions.
Amelia didn’t spend long at home either. She cooked up a late lunch for Cory and Jamira, then headed over to Jo’s.
Once Jo opened her front door, she ushered Amelia in without even asking her what was wrong. Tea was poured and placed, steaming hot, in front of Amelia within a matter of minutes.
“Talk to me,” Jo said as she sat down across from Amelia at her little table, waking Amelia out of her stupor. “How’d the meeting with Samson go?”
Amelia let out a long sigh. “You were right to say that meeting with him wasn’t the greatest decision… Samson was more of the man I fell in love with than ever before, and I- I was thinking in ways I haven’t thought in years, thinking outside of me and Cory and Jamira… I really wanted to include him as part of the family again, Jo!”
“And did you?” Jo said, giving Amelia a very serious look.
Amelia shook her head. “No. I told Cory and Jamira about why we got a divorce and moved before we met Samson in the hotel. They know all about the abuse… Neither of them would ever tolerate him as a father, knowing that now. I just… I can’t believe that I went into that meeting expecting violence and left feeling… I guess, guilty?”
“Forgive me for saying this, Amelia, but, that guilt is misplaced. I truly do think it’s better that your children know everything. That man treated you so terribly, and it seems as if you can’t trust your heart right now, so, in this moment, you’re going to need to trust Cory and Jamira to show you the right path.”
Amelia nodded. “Exactly. Everyone I’ve talked to, you, Genevieve, Felix, they’ve all been telling me that interacting with Samson at the most basic level is a terrible idea. But I did it anyway. Cory and Jamira… they are everything to me. If you guys can’t keep me in order, I’m sure they can.”
“I’m sure they will, Amelia,” Jo said with a smile. “With the amount of times that you mention their names, it’s pretty clear that those two, out of anyone, would be able to keep your head screwed on straight.”
The two drifted into silence for a few moments as they sipped at their tea.
“I just need to thank you, Jo,” Amelia smiled. “You’re practically the voice of reason in my life, and I’m so grateful to you for always being able to drop whatever you’re doing to listen to me rant.”
“I’m just a lonely old lady,” Jo said, waving her hand dismissively in the air. “I’m never doing anything to begin with, your visits are always a breath of fresh air. After all, you visit me more often than the Presley family across the street does, though they’re always going through some turmoil, way too much drama over there.”
“More drama than me and Samson?”
“Way more,” Jo said, grinning. “Trust me, you don’t want to know the half of it.”
“Actually, I think I do,” Amelia said, leaning back in her chair. “Go on, distract me.”
Jo talked about their neighbors late into the night, and by the time Amelia left to cook dinner for Cory and Jamira, she’d cheered up considerably. She was truthfully so grateful for Jo. Outside of work, being a mom, and now, Samson, Jo was the one reason Amelia was ever able to truly relax. Without her, she was sure that that meeting with Samson would have kept her on edge for the rest of the day. Now, she just had to hope that Cory and Jamira would keep her away from Samson, so she didn’t have to waste another of Jo’s afternoons.