I Think I've Had Enough

Chapter One: Where we gonna go from here?

June 5, 2019

The Dempsey summer home in Maine usually was not a quiet place. Darby and Sullivan were usually fighting on the living room floor. More often than not it would end with a black eye or a broken vase. If it wasn't Darby and Sullivan causing a commotion it was Tallulah. She had always been so easy when she was daddy's little girl. Now that she was a teenager... she wasn't so easy. She was loud and expensive. Tallulah was always stressing Patrick.

This particular afternoon was out of the ordinary. It was quiet, except for the rumblings of a storm in the distance. Patrick was in the study flipping through the script of his new movie. Filming wouldn't start until fall, but he was also producing the film. And just recently he had been burdened with the fact that they could not find a leading lady. The writer of the script and director were both being very picky. It was based on a Nicholas Sparks romance novel, so it had to be cast perfectly. They had auditioned countless numbers of women. No one was good enough. No one had the right amount of chemistry with Patrick.

Thunder rumbled and broke Patrick's train of thought. He glanced out the window as the rain started to pitter patter against the ground outside the window. Just as the rain hummed him into relaxation the ring of his cell phone pulled him out. He picked it up off the desk and answered it quickly.

"Hello," he answered in his aged but smooth voice.

"Patrick," the director on the other line said eagerly, "we've had an interesting development. I wanted to get your approval before we moved forward with anything.

"Okay..." Patrick said waiting for the director to finish his sentence.

"Ellen Pompeo is being considered for the role of Samantha."

The sentence stung his insides like a bee. He suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. Did he actually have the authority to say no? If he did say no, would she know that it was him who scratched her name off the list? He stood and started to pace the length of the room. "Patrick are you still there?"

He gave an unsure, "yeah."

"I'm sure it must be weird to consider working with her again after all this time. But you were great together. You changed that show from a good script to a hit series. Do you know what kind of publicity you and Ellen acting together again would bring this film?"

"Yes I understand that but I have not spoken to the woman in years. Wait a second... she is being more than considered for this isn't she."

"I'm supposed to call and offer her the role after I break the news to you."

"Damn it. So I really don't have a choice in this do I?"

"Patrick... I'm sorry."

"Thanks for the heads up," he grumbled. 

He returned to his black leather chair by the window. He sighed loudly as he sunk in. The wind picked up and shook the glass of the large window. His head was spinning with questions. Had Ellen agreed to work with him? Did she even know he was going to be co-staring with her? Jillian was going to lose it. How could this possibly get any worse? The door bell rang, so much for a quiet relaxing afternoon. Jill probably forgot her keys again. He padded to the front door and pulled it open. A tall woman with short brown hair and a prominent nose stood in front of him. She was dressed in what looked like an army uniform. "Can I help you with something?" As the words left his lips a young girl peeked around the woman's legs. The little girl's eyes held a familiar sparkle. It gave him an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. Her curly caramel colored hair drifted wildly in the wind.

"May I come in?" she asked politely her voice trembling with nerves.

Patrick didn't usually let strangers into his house but the pair didn't look like the typical crazed fan. He took a step back, giving them space to come through the door. The woman cleared her throat and adjusted her uniform. She was clearly nervous about something. "I'm sorry," her voice quivered slightly, "I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Elizabeth. Elizabeth Moore and this is Emilee. My sister's name is..." she sighed softly, "was.. Jennifer Vaughn." Elizabeth paused for a long moment, expecting Patrick to recognize the name. "Does the name sound familiar? Her husband is Derek."

Patrick eyebrow furrowed with confusion. He didn't know the woman he had let into his house or any of the names she was rattling off. So why was she here? "I'm sorry it doesn't. Should it?" he asked lightly.

Elizabeth had gone from looking a little nervous to looking tortured. She swallowed hard, "God this is going to be harder than I thought." She started to mumble nervously, "they told me to go to her biological mother first but you were closer, much closer and I have to leave tomorrow. I don't know what to do. I'm twenty years old...and," She stopped herself sighing, "I'm sorry, I'm nervous," Patrick was trying desperately to follow along. But she lost him at biological mother. "Do you think we could sit?" She asked kindly.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I'm being rude," Patrick led Elizabeth and the young girl into the living room. "Would you like to watch some cartoons?" Patrick asked with his dreamy smile. The little girl nodded and returned his smile. "Okay, you can sit there." he pointed to the couch. He turned the TV to cartoons. He stood back up and turned to look for Elizabeth. She had drifted to the other room. She held her head with her hands. Patrick sat in the leather chair across from her. She looked up. "My sister and her husband adopted Emilee as newborn baby 6 years ago. They had waited a long time for a baby so they didn't ask questions when the birth mother didn't want to identify herself or the father of the baby." Elizabeth wasn't looking Patrick in the eye. The story she was telling was starting to make Patrick's stomach churn with nervousness.

"I don't think my sister or her husband ever knew...I don't think anyone knows. The birth mother did not want to be contacted or sent photos. It was a closed adoption. She gave two exceptions; she can be contacted when the child in question turns 18 and contacts her on his or her own. Or," she froze, gathering her emotions, "if something should happen to the adoptive parents the adoption agency can contact her or Emilee's original birth certificate can be released to the closest relative. Then that relative can choose to contact the biological mother or father." Elizabeth inhaled shakily. "Like I said before I don't have much time. I should have gone to her biological mother but my sister lived in New Jersey. You were a lot closer."

Patrick's face fell. "I'm sorry," he shook his head vigorously, "Are you saying I'm the biological father?"

"Yes, Mr. Dempsey. I thought you would have known about her... I...I didn't realize that it was such a secret."