Chapter 32
The End of My Story
The next morning when I woke up, I rolled over and looked at the sunlight peeking through the window. It was time to wake up and face the day, but I didn’t want to. Sleeping through the next few days sounded much easier to me. I couldn’t do that, though. I had to face my uncle’s death and everything that came along with it. That was the easiest part. As hard as it was, the grieving process would naturally occur. Figuring out what to do about Olivia and my son was nearly impossible to do. I could just walk away and pretend I knew nothing, but that wasn’t really who I was. I cared for Olivia, and I knew I would care for my son. That wasn’t the only thing to consider, though. Olivia was married, even if she was separated from her husband at the moment. Then there was Chastity. I was supposed to be marrying her in a few weeks. Could I really leave her after all this time? Didn’t I owe it to her to stay in spite of all this? Then again, my uncle did ask me to find my happiness, no matter what that meant. I knew in my heart that I would be happiest with Olivia. Of course, that was assuming she would have me. There was so much to question, and I didn’t know what to do. My aunt walked into the room and said something that made things even harder.
“Eric, I need to talk to you about something. I know you have a lot on your plate right now, though, so . . .” she said before I cut her off.
“I’ll do anything you need me to. Just name it.”
“We need someone to speak at Gary’s funeral. We asked his friends, but none of them felt like they could do it. It’s upsetting to most people to even think about him being gone, much less to do his eulogy. I know it might be hard, but can you speak at your uncle’s funeral? It would mean a lot, and very few people knew him better than you.”
“Consider it done. I would be honored to speak for him.”
“Thank you so much. You don’t know how much of a weight this takes off of me,” Aunt Kristen said and hugged me.
The truth was that the last thing I wanted to do was speak at my uncle’s funeral. I knew that no matter what I said, it wouldn’t do him justice. What would I even say, and didn’t I already have enough to concentrate on? I was starting to feel overwhelmed, to say the least. I needed to get out of there and take five, but I didn’t want to leave my aunt alone. Before I decided what to do, she popped her head back into the room and gave me some more news.
“I almost forgot to tell you. Your family is going to be here in a few hours. I’m going to pick them up at the airport. I just thought I would give you a heads up,” she said.
“I’ll pick them up. You don’t need to . . .”
“No, I’ve got to get out of this house for a while. I feel like I’m going crazy sitting here. As a matter of fact, I think I need to step out right now. Will you be okay here?”
“I’ll go with you.”
“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I need to be alone for a while. Is that okay?”
“As long as you’re going to be all right, then go do whatever you need to. I love you, Aunt Kristen.”
“I love you, too.”
While she went out, I got ready to do the same thing. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I had to go somewhere. I needed a new perspective because from where I was sitting, I had nothing. I decided to go to a coffee house that I used to go to with Olivia. It was just down the road, and it would be a great place to think about what I was going to say at Uncle Gary’s funeral. As I sat there sipping on overpriced coffee, nothing was coming to mind. I had brought a pen and a piece of paper to write down all of my thoughts, but I had nothing. The visitation for Uncle Gary would be in two days, and the funeral would be the following day. I didn’t have long to figure it out, but what could I do? All I had was a blank page looking back at me. I couldn’t accurately describe what he meant to me with just words, and I had no idea what I was going to say when it was time to.
As I sat there, a familiar person walked into the coffee house. It was Olivia’s mother, Heather. She looked surprised to see me, but not all that pleased. I didn’t blame her. I had caused a lot of problems for her daughter in the past. As I examined the facts, I realized it was my fault that Olivia never became a doctor. She had gotten pregnant before she could fulfill her dreams, and it was my fault that she was married to a man she didn’t even love. I hadn’t given her a reason to think that I could be Phillip’s dad, so she chose what she thought was the responsible choice. Maybe it was.
“Hey, I’m very sorry for your loss. Can I do anything for you?” Heather asked as she sat down beside me. Even if she probably didn’t like me at the moment, she had to at least act friendly. My uncle had just died.
“You can sit with me for a minute. I need to talk to you,” I said.
“What about?” she asked.
“It’s about Olivia. How much do you know about me and her?”
“I know that a sixteen year old promised me that he would make my daughter happy a long time ago, and he didn’t come through. He’s only come in and out of her life wrecking everything she had going for her in the process. I don’t want to be rude because I know you’ve lost someone, but if we’re being honest here, you’re not my favorite person right now. Olivia kicked Richard out, and she did it because there was another man in her life. I think I know who that was. Why would you destroy a perfectly good marriage?”
“Because things are a lot more complicated than you know.”
“Then explain it.”
“Do you really want to know?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”
“Okay, Phillip isn’t Richard’s. He’s mine. I never knew until yesterday. I’ve always loved Olivia, and I would have given anything to get her away from Richard, but I didn’t know that. If I had, I wouldn’t have been popping in and out of her life over the last few years. I would have been moving back here permanently. I know I made you a promise a long time ago. I still intend to keep it.”
“What does that even mean? Can’t you see how she deserves better than this? I raised a good girl, and look at what you’ve made her into. She’s become a liar and a cheater, and all of her lies revolve around you.”
“You’re not wrong. I’ve been a terrible person. I don’t know when, but I think I lost my way. I think it might have been the moment I left to go back to Miami. I should have followed her everywhere she went. I can see now that my purpose isn’t about making money or being the most successful person in the room. Everything I’ll ever be will be because of that woman and our child.”
“You haven’t earned the right to call Phillip yours, so don’t even go there.”
“I suppose you’re right. I haven’t. I will, though. I’ve been the exact opposite of what Olivia needed, and I’ve dragged her down. No more, though. If she’ll have me, I’m going to be exactly what she needs.”
“Talk is cheap, Eric. I know my daughter loved you, though. When are you going to talk to her, and how do you even know Phillip is your son?”
“She came to visit me the summer before she and Richard got married. We spent a lot of time together. A baby easily could have been made in that time. I don’t know why it never clicked that he could be my child, but it didn’t. When I got back here last night, I discovered that my uncle had left a note for me. He talked to Olivia a lot over the last few years, and there was a purpose for that. She felt bad about how she handled things with Richard and me, and she needed to talk with someone. She swore him to secrecy. He couldn’t take it to his grave, though. As for why Olivia confessed that she had cheated on Richard, I can’t say. I can’t help but think that it happening on the same day that my uncle died isn’t a coincidence. I want to confront her about it and tell her I’m here for her. I don’t know what to do, though. I’ve got my uncle’s death hanging over me, and I’m doing his eulogy. Is this the time to talk to her?”
“No, and it never will be. I like you, Eric. Even if you’ve dragged my daughter into some bad situations, I still like you
because I know in my heart that my little girl has never loved someone as much as you. That little boy has only known one father, though. You’re going to do the right thing for once in your life and let them work out their business as a family without stepping into the middle of it. Do you understand?”
“I don’t want to lie to you. If Phillip is really my son, there isn’t anyone in this world who could keep me from knowing him. I love your daughter, and I want her to be happy. If I thought for one second that Richard could make her half as happy as I can, then I wouldn’t even consider talking to her. I would let them have their happy life. I can give them a better life, though. I can be the man Olivia needs and give them all of their dreams. Did Olivia ever tell you about the house on the lake?”
“Yeah, it was always her dream to build one overlooking it.”
“I’ll build it. I know Richard bought one close to it, but it’s not what she dreamed of. I’ll give her every material thing I can afford. More importantly, I’ll be the man who treats her like she’s not only the person I go to bed with every night, but she’s also my very best friend in the world because that’s the truth. Olivia is the best friend I’ve ever had. I don’t need anyone’s permission to give Olivia the option to have that life with me, but I’m asking for yours right now. Will you please give me your blessing to give your daughter the life she truly deserves?”
“She’s married, Eric.”
“I know that. All I’ll be giving her is an option. If she wants to divorce Richard, which it appears she does, then I’ll be the man I always should have been. If she doesn’t, I’ll find a way to be involved in my son’s life without revealing who I really am until Olivia allows me to do so. Can you live with that?”
“It doesn’t matter what I say, does it?”
“Of course it matters. You’re her mother. I want your permission here.”
“Whether I give it to you or not, we both know how this will end.”
“Honestly, I don’t.”
“Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought you were. Don’t you know anything? When a woman looks at a man the way she looks at you, then she loves him with every part of her. Now that everything is out in the open, she’s going to choose you. I’ve always noticed the way my daughter looks at you and the way she lights up just when someone mentions your name. She loves you more than I have ever seen someone love anybody. I’ve never experienced anything that even comes close to the way she feels about you. You need to make sure you’re the man she pictures in her head. Even now, when you’ve failed her over and over again, a part of her still believes that you can be the guy who gives her everything she could need as a woman. She wouldn’t have told Richard the truth if she didn’t. Be sure you can be that man for her because if you’re not, you’ll be dealing with me.”
“I promise you that I’m going to be everything she needs and more if she gives me the chance.”
“Well, good luck to you, Eric Wilson. I truly hope you can make my daughter happy because you’ve probably broken up a family. If you don’t do anything to make something good come of all this, then I don’t know how you’ll live with that,” she said and started to walk away. She stopped short of the door and turned back to me.
“Eric, my daughter liked talking to your uncle, and during his later years, I got to know Gary pretty well, too. He was a good man. If you’re ever looking for an example of the type of man Olivia needs, look no further than him. Just ask yourself what he would have done in this situation, and you’ll know what to do,” she said and walked out.
I spent a long time at that coffee house just thinking about what I would say to Olivia or at my uncle’s funeral. I didn’t have any good ideas, and by the time I went back home, my family had arrived. I made small talk with them and pretended that everything was fine for as long as I could. By the time night had rolled around, I had to get out of there, though. I stepped out to get a drink. I felt like I needed one right about then. When I got to the pub, I discovered that someone else had the same idea as me. Richard was sitting at the bar, and when he saw me, he did not look very happy. He didn’t approach me immediately. I took a seat at a table and ordered a drink. As I sat there, I thought of everything I still had to work out. One drink kept turning into another, and before I knew it, I was drunk. That wasn’t the only thing I was, though. I was depressed. I had always wanted Olivia, but as I looked over at Richard, I saw so much sadness in his eyes. What had I taken from this man, and how terrible of a person was I? As I stared at him, our eyes met, and his sad expression turned to one of rage. He walked over to my table and grabbed me by the collar. Then he pulled me up.
“What are you doing, Richard? I don’t want any trouble,” I said.
“You know exactly what I’m doing. You took her from me in high school, and then you even slept with her after we were married. That’s not even the worst part. She told me . . . she told me . . . he’s not even my son. Haven’t you taken enough from me? I wanted a career in sports, and you became an agent. Then I worked to become a man who was worthy of Olivia’s affection, and you came out of nowhere and took that from me, too. You don’t get to have my son, though. He might not be mine biologically, but make no mistake about it. He’s my son, and you can’t have him,” he said and punched me in the gut.
As I fell to the floor, I heard someone say call the police. This was a matter that needed to be settled between Richard and me, though.
“No, we can settle this just fine. No one calls the police,” I said and rose back up.
Richard hit me in the face, knocking me back down to the floor. I stayed down that time.
“Get up and fight,” Richard said.
“I’m not going to fight you.”
“Why? You didn’t seem to have a problem doing it in high school.”
“I was wrong then, and I’m wrong now. I can’t make up for what I’ve done to you. I love Olivia. I always have, and it will never change. I know that now. That doesn’t excuse what I did to you, though, so hit me as much as you need to. I won’t fight back. I deserve this, and you’re right. You deserved better. I shouldn’t be the one who was successful. I cheated to get to where I was when you were the one who worked for it. A freak injury derailed you, and I’m sorry for that. Even more, I’m sorry that I ever left Green Bay for college. If I hadn’t, Olivia never would have come back to you, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I left, and you were there for her. I have no right to her when you’ve been the man she needed, but even so, I can’t stay away, not now that I know about my son. I just learned that yesterday. I haven’t figured out what to do about it yet, but I know I can’t leave without at least talking to Olivia.”
“You stay away from my wife! You’ve done enough already.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not going to do that. I love her. Do you think . . .” I managed to say before he kicked me in the midsection. Then he kicked me in the groin area. From there, I lost my words.
“I’ve been waiting a decade to do that. You’ve been warned, Eric. Stay for your uncle’s funeral, but then get out of here. If I ever see you again, I’ll kill you. That’s a promise,” he said and walked out.
I picked myself up off the floor and paid my tab. I got some strange looks as I left the pub. We had just aired our dirty laundry out for everyone to see. I figured the looks I was getting were natural. I knew what I had to do that night. It was time to talk to Olivia. As I drove toward her house, I started to feel dizzy. I was extremely drunk, and there was no way I needed to be driving. Just as I was about to pass the lake, I looked up on the hillside. I imagined the house that Olivia had described earlier in her life. I was going to build it for her. I just knew it. We would be happy there. The only problem was that while I was having a fantasy, my car was veering off the road. Just as I regained concentration, I saw that my car was running into the lake. I tried to, but there was no stopping it. I heard the crack of ice and felt cold water flowing into the car. I quickly opened the door as it
began to sink and climbed out. The water was freezing, and I was having a hard time trying to pull myself out of it and onto the ice. For a brief moment, I thought I was going to die, but then I thought of everything I would be losing if I did give up there. I would never get to meet my son or live life with the woman I truly loved. It had been the worst two days of my life, but it wasn’t time to give up just yet. I pulled myself out of the lake and got to my feet. I was literally freezing to death, and with every step toward the road, my body ached even more. I knew I was roughly a mile from Olivia’s house, and I wasn’t going to be okay for much longer, so I jogged as quickly as I could toward it. I felt like I was going to pass out so many times on the way, but somehow I kept going. It was as if every part of me knew that I had to talk to her one last time. It didn’t matter if pneumonia set in after I arrived and I died in some hospital room later on. I had to tell her how I felt at all cost.
When I arrived at the front of her house, I noticed that the living room light was still on. She was up. I took another step toward the door but stopped. I was literally freezing to death, but the fear of walking into that house and finding out if she loved me or not seemed worse than anything else. I didn’t know what to say, and as I stood there, I thought of everything that had led me to that moment. Some things had been sad, and others had been downright hilarious. The best and worst times of my life always started with me at Olivia’s door. This would just be one more. That was what I had determined.
As I walk toward what could be my destiny, I leave you here. My story is over, but it’s really just beginning. One more talk with Olivia to determine our whole future. That’s all that’s left.
Chapter 33
A New Perspective
40 Years Later
It’s been a long time since that night when Eric showed up at my door. My name is Olivia. Yes, the Olivia. You might be wondering why I’m standing out on this hillside in freezing weather. Then again, if you’ve heard the beginning of the story, then I’m sure you know exactly what this place means to me. I used to come here to talk to my father. Lately I just come here to remember. As age creeps up on me, I find it harder and harder to keep the simple things from slipping away, but there are some things you can never forget. Seeing this place reminds me of where it all started. I’m also waiting on someone.
Destiny Page 30