The Letter - Chapter 23

Dad picked up the legal papers that Mom had handed him and slowly walked back to his study.  He put the pile of the mail on the side of the desk and sat down in his desk chair.  He opened the envelope, put on his reading glasses and started to read.  I quietly sat down in the chair in the corner of the study and watched him.  His face looked like the winter sky in Pittsburgh – leaden gray and desolate.

“Dad?  What does it say?” I ventured.

He sighed and laid the papers on the desk.  “She’s seeking sole custody until your eighteenth birthday.  I suppose she’s trying to make up for lost time.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that if she’s successful, you will live with your mother in her Sewickley Heights mansion at least until you turn eighteen.  The law considers you an adult at 18.  After that, it will be up to you where you decide to live.”

“One of my friends at school has parents that divorced.  She lives with her mom during the week and with her father on weekends.  Wouldn’t I at least be here on weekends?  If mom wins, I mean.”

“No.  If she wins, I’d get to visit with you, but you’d be living full time with her.”

“What about school?  And Liz.  When would I see Liz?”

“You’d transfer to a school near your mother’s home.  She seems hot for Nickerson Academy.”

“What? That’s crazy.  I’m in my last semester at Bethel.  Don’t I get a say in this?”

“The legal standard for custody actions is what’s in the best interest of the child.  Based on your age, the judge will listen to you, but that is only one of the things that a judge would consider in rendering a decision.  Of course, these things are often settled before any hearing in court.”

“So what do you plan to do about this, Dad?”

“I suppose I’ll have to engage a lawyer.”

“But you’re a lawyer.  Can’t you do this yourself?”

“Jennifer, there’s an old saying: ‘A lawyer that represents himself has a fool for a client.’  Besides that old adage, I just don’t know enough about this area of the law.  I was a corporate environmental lawyer.  Divorce and custody are a whole different universe.”

Dad flipped to the last page of the document.  “Just as I thought.  This was prepared by one of the minions in Richard’s firm.  Richard will make sure to throw a lot of firepower into this – probably Sidney Lutz.  He’s their marquee lawyer for domestic relations.”

“Who will you get?” I stood up and started for the door as I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes.

“I don’t know.  I’ll probably go back to the firm I used to handle the divorce.  They’re small, but they do a lot of this type of work.”

I rubbed my eyes with the sleeve of my robe.  “Anyway, I have a bit of good news for you, Dad.”

“What is it honey?”  He smiled at me, but I could see he was also fighting back tears.

“The mystery letter writer.  Liz and I found out who it is.”

“Jennifer, seriously?  Tell me about it.”

I explained the detective work that Liz and I had done.  “And last night, Liz and I went to the basketball game at TJ and met her nephew who seems like a very nice boy and he texted me her name, address and phone number and I know you probably thought I had gone to the Bethel game and if you want to punish me I’ll understand and . . ..”  I started bawling and couldn’t stop.  Dad got up from his desk chair and enveloped me in a warm hug.

“Jen, it’s ok.  Thank you for being so concerned with my happiness.  You are such a blessing to me, and this house would feel so empty without you.”

I could feel his body shake as he hugged me.  We stood there for a minute just holding each other.  Then he stepped back and smiled.

“So who is this mystery lady, anyway Nancy Drew?”

I laughed and wiped my eyes again.  “Eleanor somebody.  I’ll go get my phone and show you Jeff’s text.”

“Jeff is it?  Maybe you’re the one that will find romance here. The only Eleanor I remember was Ellie Kosko.  She was a cute one for sure, but we really didn’t travel in the same circles.”

“Jeff does seem very nice, but I think ours is a purely professional relationship.  Anyway, what do you mean you didn’t travel in the same circles?”

“Well, I was in the college prep track, and she was business, which in those days meant typing, shorthand and that sort of thing.  Mostly, it was girls who planned to be secretaries and weren’t going to college.”

“I see.  Let me get my phone - I’ll be right back,” I turned and ran up to my bedroom and then ran back downstairs where my father was waiting.  “Jeff’s text says her name is Eleanor Barnhart.  She lives in Seattle.  Would that be the same woman?”

“Probably a married name.  I really can only remember one Ellie in my class, so I’m guessing it’s her.”

“So are you going to write or call her?”

“I don’t know.  She sent me an unsigned letter – maybe she doesn’t want me to contact her.  Perhaps I’ll wait to see if she sends me another purple letter.”

A subliminal memory of lavender flashed in my mind.  Where had I seen it?  “Well, it’s your life, Dad.  I wouldn’t wait too long if I were you.  Anyway, I’m going to get dressed and have some breakfast.”

“Better hurry,” he called as I walked back upstairs.  “It’s almost time for lunch.”

That flash of lavender was still bothering me.  Where had I seen it?  It seemed like a very recent memory.  Had I been dreaming about it just before I woke up?  I opened my closet to get my clothes, and it hit me.  My mother’s purse!  I had seen something lavender peeking out of my mother’s purse when she handed the mail to my father.