ODDS OF LOVE : SEASON EIGHT

Episode 8

Monday September 16 , 2024

Nigel was at their new house in Hyattsville ,  Maryland along with Spencer and DuBuis as well as his father and stepmother supervising the moving crew they had hired to pack them up in Arlington earlier that morning and drive it all to Maryland. Nigel was so happy, Richard thought with a smile as he stood in a simple perfectly tailored dark suit and sunshades next to a solemn faced Rebecca in her dark blue Church dress. Rebecca didn't like to wear dark colors. She preferred bright ones like pink and purple. She owned nothing really suitable for a funeral and had refused to let him and Nigel buy her a funeral outfit. As she had lifted her chin in that one moment and said no stubbornly Richard had felt a sense of grief almost overwhelm his senses. In that one moment he had seen her mother in her and he had begun to mourn his ex wife. He had spent ten years with the woman. All of it had not been bad , he realized as they stood at the graveside with the other black clad red eyed mourners at Harmony of Grace Cemetery in Rockville,  Maryland. Some had been good, his mind acknowledged almost reluctantly as a tiny smile drifted over his lips. She had loved him once. And for a brief time he had loved her too. Outside of his current husband Nigel Sarah had been the one spouse he had actually wanted to make it work with. His marriage to Sarah had been his longest ever.

When it was good it was very good.

And when it turned bad it became horrible.

In the end the only thing they had shared was a financial obligation through his alimony and child support payments as well as a deep love for their daughter.

Their daughter, he thought as he watched Rebecca who was so quiet that day. He had actually forgotten about the funeral being today until Nigel had reminded him last night before bed. Which was why Rebecca was not at school although she would be transferred to the Hyattsville Barrington Academy tomorrow, and why he was not returning to the office until tomorrow. Nigel told him that he would handle the moving and make the new DNA test appointment. " Go be with our  Princess today, " he had said softly as Richard had dressed. Nigel still looked so tired to him although he planned to fill that prescription today. Yet he was still so readily determined to take care of everything in their world. The restaurant preparation which was moving faster than Richard had expected and primarily due to Nigel's tireless work. Taking care of him and their daughter. He saw the young man taking on all the responsibilities his ex wives had in his first three  marriages and it worried him. The marriages had gone south when his ex wives stopped wanting to handle it all while he worked constantly at the firm. What if he returned to work and it happened again?

The overworking.

The determination to be the best and the richest.

What if Nigel tired of it all one day and just stopped? Stopped everything including loving him ? What if the man walked away?

Or found better?

As the minister issued one last precise prayer over the final resting place of Sarah his eyes went to those of Winston Arnett who stood on the outskirts of the crowd in his own dark suit. The man looked at Rebecca sadly and then at him. As he looked at Richard Norland he smiled coldly. Seeing that shark like smile Richard felt a cold fear creeping over him and his hand tightened around his daughter's small one.

The only time he had been this afraid was when he saw Lonnie Hawkins holding a gun to Nigel's head.