Regal Desires

The Reunion

     The year was 2003, a Saturday in June. Tony had long since altered his schedule to allow for Saturdays being for his children. The twins and Aspen. Aspen was a quiet child, though his relevance in this tale is limited, but prehaps someday someone will tell his story.
     Anyhow, it was a Saturday in June when knock came to the door. Tony excused himself from the card game at hand, going to check on the door. "Don't cheat." He called over his shoulder, watching out of the corner of his eye to catch Darcy taking a peak at his cards. He chuckled, it was expected but no less amusing.
     He opened the door to a woman, she was slightly shorter than he was, her red hair pulled into a tight neat bun, her blue eyes gleamed at him. She was beautiful and unsettlingly familiar. "May I help you?" Tony asked, trying to place a finger on how he knew her. She attempts to look inside over his shoulder, he casually moves to block her veiw. "May I help you?" He asked again.
     "Yes," she answered, placing a confident smile on her face. "My name is Clarissa Musgrove, and I believe it's time we have a chat." It all clicked into place. This was the woman on the twins' birth certificate, the mother that had abandoned them on his doorstep. With a heavy sigh, he stepped aside, letting her in past him.
     "I suppose we do." He tells her. "Kids!" He called, "go upstairs for me." He counted heads as his three kids made their way up the stairs. "Now, let's talk." He says, pulling out a chair at the dining room table for her, hoping that what she had to say wouldn't effect his children too much, that she just wanted an update not to disrupt their lives.
     "How are they," She asks, a nervous edge to her voice as she sat down. Tony fought the urge to laugh in her face, she had been absent for so long, why was she acting like she cared now. He studied her face, it was clear to him that this wasn't just a check in, she was too nervous for that and it made his blood boil.
     "They're fine, no thanks to you. They're happy, healthy, and safe. Now, cut the crap and tell me why you're here." He snapped, keeping his voice down in case there were easedroppers, like the three master easedroppers upstairs. She flashed him a dangerous smile, it could be mistaken for friendliness but Tony saw the dark storm that brewed underneath.
      "Very well," she says, "I thinks it's best if the children come with me." She says, voice calm though she didn't meat his eyes. Tony couldn't help it, he laughed, laughed so hard that he had to brace his hands against his knees. The woman was confused though she patiently waited for his fit to end.
     "I'm sorry," Tony says once his breath was caught. "I just thought I heard you say that the children should come with you, but wow, that would be such a hilarious statement, you know since their six and you've never even met them. Birth certificates claimed that they were three days old when they were left on my doorstep, it truly made me wonder if you had even taken the time to hold them, or did you just put them on a flight to Malibu the minute that they were born?" Tony's voice was full of venom, he hated this woman, he had hated her for six years and now she wanted access to his children.
     "I see that you will not be reasonable." She says, standing up, "I'll see myself out, just know that if we can not come to an agreement, my lawyer will." With that she turned and walked out the door, as Tony slammed his fist into the wall a steam of profanities leaving his lips. His outburst was cut short by the small, heartbroken cry of a child who witnessed more than he should.