The Journey's End

By Michael J. Sullivan

"The Journey's End" is book #3 in the "Forgotten Flowers" trilogy

Eddy Pinafore loathed the word. If it had a human form, he would have killed it without a second thought. Dementia had no human form. Eddy Pinafore could only stand helplessly by as the heinous disease ate away the mind of his precious wife, Maddy. Maddy became i

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publish Authority
• Release date: May 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781954000179

Michael J. Sullivan

Michael Sullivan retired from the California Department of Corrections in 2007 as an Associate Warden. He began his career as a teacher at Sierra Conservation Center before becoming a Correctional Officer. He had assignments at Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown, California, Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy, California and California State Prison Los Angeles California in Lancaster, California. In 1969, he enlisted in the US Army serving in Korea. He later served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. He resides in Sonora, California with his wife, Virginia. He is a member of the Sonora's Writers Group.

Book preview

1

The Enemy

Eddy stood silently before the antique maple door that led to the bedroom he had shared with his wife of many years. It was a simple process; he reasoned, opening a door and walking through like he had done countless times before. Just walk in and approach the prone figure lying peacefully asleep on the old-fashioned king-sized poster bed. Simple? Easy? Hardly! What had always been a pleasant moment in the afternoon had grown into an experience of anxiety that he could not mask or shield despite years of discipline and training. For as time had moved inexorably on, there was a change in the woman he had at first coveted and then deeply loved in their years as a couple united in matrimony. Yet, enter, he must!

Placing his one good hand on the old-fashioned glass doorknob, he turned it as stealthily and quickly as he could manage. With his physical limitations, he was not going to move to any location particularly quietly or speedily. Once inside the room, his eyes had to adjust after transitioning from the glare of the brightly lit hallway to the dimly lit bedroom. Squinting a bit, he was just able to make out the peacefully sleeping form of his beloved spouse. She could not have been more serene, lying on her side with a favorite multicolored comforter pulled past her neck. Growing ever so sensitive to declining temperatures, she wore a hand-knitted beanie on her head. Large as this accessory was, it failed to cover all of Maddy's now very gray locks completely.

Still not seeing clearly, Eddy awkwardly moved toward the bed and collided with the heavily formed metal nightstand immediately next to the bed. The resulting noise slightly disrupted Maddy, and she turned toward her anxious husband, though still in a state of slumber. Now seeing more clearly, Eddy gazed upon his wife. Her gaunt face seemed more wrinkled and aged as if to stand witness for every day of her seventy-five years on the planet. One protruding arm revealed long, slender fingers with knuckles demonstrating the telltale signs of advanced arthritis.

None of this was a deterrent to Eddy's affection for his wife. In his mind, she continued to be the beautiful and vivacious young woman that had captivated him decades prior. During that time, her auburn hair was bright and lavish to behold. Her large and lively hazel eyes revealed a soul filled with compassion and tenderness for those around her. Topping all these physical qualities, Maddy was an absolute wit. This was the characteristic that most endeared Maddy to Eddy, even if that wit was sometimes used at his expense.

Further, Maddy was an avid reader, devouring books and newspapers with a relish seldom seen in people. Obviously gifted with a superior intellect, a quality that served her well during her time as director of Magnolia Gardens, it was not what struck most people that came to know Maddy. What stood out in Maddy was her unending compassion for the plight of her fellow man. This characteristic made her so successful in her chosen field of endeavor and rewarded her with a long list of friends and admirers.

Gazing upon his wife, the flood of such memories was nothing if not bittersweet; those attributes that made Maddy the woman she was were slowly and permanently ebbing away. Evidence of the paradigm shift was everywhere. Once so very organized (another characteristic of her success), she seemed incapable of managing her life schedule, often missing appointments no matter how many prompts she created to assist her memory. Telephone conversations, her lifeline to her expansive list of friends and associates, became fewer in number and shorter in duration. Often, and regardless of the importance of the call, she was unable to recall even the most elemental aspects of the conversations. Even worse, Maddy's lifelong compassion for the suffering of others appeared to be vaporizing.

Eddy's attempts to point out these mental lapses were met with a variety of responses, ranging from a rather uncomfortable silence to outright hostility and anger. Unaccustomed to arguing with his spouse and sensitive to the source of the conflict, Eddy chose to avoid these confrontations as much as possible. He could see that any attempts he made to reach Maddy on this subject would be fruitless.

Moving directly next to the bed and careful to maintain his footing on the dainty and flowered throw rug beneath his feet, Eddy placed a loving hand on his sleeping wife. As he did so, she slowly escaped from her state of sleep. This gave him the opportunity for further thought, and he quickly concluded that this matter must be brought to the attention of their daughter—the sooner, the better for Maddy!

After leaving her attorney's office, Tina Pinafore had doubts about telling her father and mother about the meeting. After all, Matthew Adams had not exactly laid out a compelling strategy to force Trevor Barrington to support their daughter. In fact, his only strategy, if you could call it that, was a biblical reference to David and Goliath. Eddy and Maddy Pinafore had raised their daughter to believe in God. They provided her with a minimum of religious training by sending her to Catechism class at Saint Michael's, a local Catholic grammar school. Once a week classes over a few years was hardly fertile grounds to make a firm believer in the Word of God. Tina had never developed that ardent, deeply felt faith in the Scriptures commonly found in those steeped in their Christian faith. Regardless, Adams' biblical reference was all she had to tell them. Upon leaving her attorney's office, Tina was perplexed by the course of events, so much so that she was disinclined to inform her parents of the outcome. Also brooding beneath the surface was her frustration when the school bus dropped Missy off at the Recreation Center for the Handicapped, where Tina worked for the Executive Director, Edith Monroe. Little Missy's blue flowered dress had several grass stains on it, and the child's white and yellow tennis shoes were smeared with grassy dirt. She dared not think about Missy's answer when Tina asked her about her dress and shoes. Didn't anyone at that school have a lick of sense about letting a small child wearing a leg brace run? Tina thought to herself. With a sleeping child in the back seat, Tina would save her rant for her father.

Eddy had taken advantage of his wife's afternoon nap to prepare dinner. It had been a Friday family tradition that he would make spaghetti with his family's deeply guarded secret sauce. Growing up, it had been Tina's favorite meal. It delighted Eddy and Maddy whenever Tina would bring her friends home from college for the weekend after bragging about her father's famous spaghetti. There they would discuss the burning political issues of the day over a large pot of homemade spaghetti, loaded with chunks of Italian sausage, a green salad, and loaves of garlic bread. Eddy and Maddy would joyfully watch as their passionate debates were interrupted with swallows of spaghetti, requests to pass the salad, and demonstrative waving of wine glasses, leaving plentiful stains on the white table cloth as if to emphasize their arguments. Turning his attention to the sauce, Eddy added a final sprinkling of oregano, put the lid atilt on the pot, and turned the burner down to a low simmer. The kitchen and living room were soon filled with the aroma of Eddy's secret sauce.

There was a gentle rapping at the door. Eddy hastened his awkward gait lest it awaken Maddy from her nap. As he opened the door, he saw his daughter holding her sleeping child in her arms. Clutched in the child's arms were finger paintings from school. Tina managed to get one finger to her lips to signal she wanted to let Missy continue her sleep. Eddy nodded. His daughter's furrowed brow and pursed lips made Eddy feel ill at ease. Something was bothering her. Without saying a word, Tina went through the living room, and down the hallway, to the extra bedroom she and Missy used whenever they stayed overnight with her parents. Once she had Missy on her bed and covered with a pink afghan knitted by her mother, she returned to the kitchen. Awaiting her was a glass of a Wendy Oaks Pinot Noir, her father's favorite to serve with spaghetti. Tina slowly twirled the glass, mindlessly watching the legs form on the inside of the glass. Noting her absent-minded stare, Eddy asked, Your day didn't go so well, did it?

You wouldn't believe it! Tina exclaimed, indicating a volcanic eruption of emotions was imminent. If her elevated voice didn't catch Eddy's attention, the slamming of her fist on the tabletop certainly did. She had been so self-absorbed in her own emotions that she had failed to notice her mother was not in the living room when she first entered. Tina quickly changed the direction of her tirade.

Where's mom? she asked, glancing at the empty spot on the living room couch.

Eddy looked at his daughter, thinking to himself, Was this the moment to tell her? He bit his lower lip contemplating whether or not to share with Tina her mother's current plight. Sensing his daughter's unhappiness, he blurted, She's resting. Tell me what's bothering you.

Before he could ease himself of the burden that had been preying on his mind, the self-centered Tina announced in a rather defeatist tone, My visit to that attorney was hardly uplifting. He seemed in awe of having to deal with Paris Barrington and his army of Wall Street attorneys. He even tried to be humorous by referring to himself as my David.

Tina stiffened herself against the kitchen counter and took a rather healthy sip of wine.

Some obscure reference to David and Goliath, I guess, she shrugged.

The tone in her voice told Eddy she had totally missed the implicit power of the biblical reference. He tried again to introduce the subject of her mother, but once more, Tina's self-interests took precedence. After another sip of wine, she continued.

Then, when the bus dropped Missy off at my work, I found out she had been running at school. The bus driver said they had been practicing for the Special Olympics being held next month. I can't believe the school would allow Missy to run. They know how I feel about that.

Eddy realized he would have to be more forceful if he was to get his daughter's attention.

Tina, have a seat. There's something I need to talk to you about, and it's not about your attorney or Missy.

Oblivious to the urgency in her father's voice, Tina replied, I'm just too wound up to sit, Dad.

Oh, you'll sit, and you'll listen! He thought.

That wasn't a request, young lady! Set aside whatever is on your mind, sit down, and listen to me. It's your mother. She's not doing well.

If the stern rebuke from her father to sit down wasn't enough to get Tina's attention, the subject of her mother's health certainly did. As if numbed by her father's declaration, she pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and slowly sat down. What did he mean not doing well, she thought? Her mother seemed perfectly fine to her, some age issues, but nothing that warranted the urgency expressed by her father. She struggled to contain the panic she felt in her heart.

Daddy, what do you mean not doing well? she asked, hoping her premonition of impending bad news was wrong.

Eddy settled back in his chair, trying to compose his thoughts so that what he was about to tell his daughter was factual and not some emotional rant by a disconsolate husband. It tore at his heart to have to talk about Maddy's decline.

For some time now, your mom's memory has been failing her. At first, it was small things, a hair appointment, or a missed meeting with her book club. Then it got worse. She once called me from outside your house. She didn't remember where she was or why she was there.

His words weighed so heavily that Eddy found himself taking deeper and deeper breaths of air. Tina now found herself defending her mother's behavior.

Really, Daddy, after all, mom is in her mid-seventies. A little memory loss is to be expected.

Eddy knew what he was about to tell Tina would strike at her heart. Maddy's failing memory wasn't just with dates and appointments. He took his daughter's hand in his, as much to strengthen his resolve as to comfort her for the impending news.

Honey, it's more than that, he said. He squeezed her hand as he said, It's people. She's struggling to remember people.

You mean like old friends? Honestly, Daddy, I run into people I went to school with all the time, and I can't remember their names. I just don't think this is that big of a deal.

If only it were old friends, he thought. His mind fought to think of an easy way to tell her, but there wasn't one.

God, I wish it were that, honey.

Her face grimaced at his words. Her pulse rate began to rise. Tina had never heard such desperation coming from her father. He had always been a paragon of strength and determination. Growing up, he never allowed her to doubt her ability to succeed at anything she tried. He never allowed her to quit anything she had started. Eddy was the quintessential source of parental encouragement. In his own life, he had never allowed his status as a double amputee to stop him in pursuit of his dreams. The appearance of this most basic of human failings shocked Tina to her very core. She put her other hand over his. Like a child frightened by an unknown sense of fear, her eyes filled with tears. Her breathing became rapid. She starting crying, Daddy, what's going on? Who is mom having trouble remembering?

Eddy now wished he had told his daughter of her mother's condition long ago. What started as minor and occasional memory lapses had now progressed to repetitive short-term memory issues. Most alarmingly, her long-term memory began to have huge gaps. Oddly, Maddy could remember some past events, but other significant events seemed to have disappeared from her memory. His hand tightened its grip on hers. When he first recognized the signs, Eddy's spirit sank both physically and spiritually at the reality facing him. Maddy was the love of his life, a love that had helped him endure horrible injuries and years of lost time together. The thought of losing her was unbearable to the once superhuman Navy Seal. Maddy's years as the Executive Director at Magnolia Gardens and his own stint as Executive Director when he retired from the Navy had not fully prepared him for it. He had that same feeling again as he faced his daughter. The answer to Tina's question was simple, not long-winded or complicated, yet as painful as any injury he had ever endured. Through reddened eyes and tears that rolled down his own face, Eddy's lips uttered but a single word.

Us.

Her head jerked from side to side as if to deny what she had just heard. Her defensive explanations for her mother's behavior seemed to crumble before her. But it was the word us that caused Tina Pinafore to think the impossible. Her heart screamed for her to run to her mother's bedside and say, Mom, it's me, Tina. You remember me, don't you? Please say you remember me! She sat silent, staring straight ahead until Eddy finally said, Tina?

Awoken from her frozen state of disbelief, Tina could only mutter, I just can't believe it. Not mom, not her!

Eddy knew exactly how his daughter felt. When he first began to notice the episodes of forgetfulness, like his daughter, he attributed them to aging. However, when forgetting began to encompass more than dates and appointments, Eddy feared the worst. He had seen this same scenario played out many times during his tenure as Executive Director at Magnolia Gardens. Soon dreams of his screaming, Not my Maddy, not her! became frequent nighttime occurrences. Morning stares into the bathroom mirror reflected the depth of emotional energy his dreams demanded. A splash of cold water could not revive his gaunt face or tired eyes. He began to recount several incidents to Tina of her mother's failing memory.

We used to keep a small picture in a silver frame of you and Missy on the end table next to the couch. One day I noticed it was gone. When I asked Maddy about it, she said, 'We don't need pictures of strangers cluttering up the house.'

In disbelief, Tina quickly turned to look at the end table. The picture her dad spoke of was there. Eddy recognized the sense of relief on his daughter's face.

Later, I found it in the garage. When I put it back, your mom would smile at it like it was never gone in the first place. Another time I got a call from the pharmacy. They had called to say medication for Mr. Pinafore's high blood pressure was ready to pick up. Your mom told them there was no Mr. Pinafore. They were concerned about her state of mind.

It had been years since Tina had focused on anything but her own problems. The issues of a special needs child were always front and center. Years of denial of any parental responsibility from Missy's father ever preyed on her mind. If she needed something else to worry about, there was Missy's medical issue with her knee. Her father's emotional purging over her mother's mental failings had revealed a vulnerability in him Tina had never seen before. The impact on her was undeniable. She had never wanted for anything because of them. She had never had to ask for anything because they thought of it first. With an emerging reversal of focus, her parents' physical and emotional welfare took on new importance.

We're going to take this one day at a time, Tina said. First, let's get mom seen by a neurologist. Maybe we can even find some support group for families whose loved ones suffer from memory loss. I promise you, daddy, whatever else is going on in my life right now, you and mom will always come first. she reassured him.

Her father smiled then nodded. His throat clogged with emotion. The sound of Missy's awkward shuffle on the tile floor coming down the hallway came as much needed relief from the emotional conversation that had just taken place. Her curled hair was matted from her nap. She rubbed her eyes as she made her way into the kitchen and into her mother's arms. Tina swayed slowly side to side, speaking softly to her still drowsy child.

So, my baby is finally awake.

A simple nod of her head was all the child could muster. She cuddled deeper into her mother's arms.

Shall I wake up mom, dad? Otherwise, she'll sleep right through dinner time.

You two do that. I'll start the pasta.

Eddy turned the knob to high after setting a pot of water on the stove. Even such mundane tasks as setting the table with silverware and glasses and folding the napkins gave Eddy a brief respite from the mental agony of the call he knew he would have to make. The hissing sound of boiling water spilling over the top of the pot told him he had ignored the pasta water. He quickly moved to the stove and lowered the heat. From a blue canister on the kitchen counter, he took out a handful of pasta, broke it in half, and then placed it in the simmering water. He added a pinch of salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. He gave the sauce one final stir, then turned off the flame under it. He had just taken the chilled tossed green salad from the refrigerator and set it on the table when Tina and her mother appeared. Maddy was holding Missy in her arms.

Look, sweetie, Papa's made his famous spaghetti for dinner.

The tone of her voice and alertness in her eyes were certainly not indicative of someone with mental failings. Eddy had alerted his daughter to enjoy any moments of mental clarity.

Here, mom, let me take Missy.

Tina took the child and placed her in a plastic riser strapped to a kitchen chair so Missy could be at table level. Eddy transferred the pasta from the colander to a large platter. Then he poured several large ladles of sauce over it. He minced up several leaves of fresh basil and sprinkled them over the pasta. He deftly carried the platter to the table along with a jar of grated Parmesan cheese. This Friday night's meal would be like those of old; no corrections of Missy's eating habits, no snide remarks to her father's questions, or shrugs of annoyance to her mother's inquiries. There was laughter about her father's latest sojourn on the golf course, encouragement about Tina's plans to finish her degree, and excitement about Missy's first Special Olympics competition. Through it all, Maddy was an active participant. Tina prayed her mother's alertness was more permanent than transitory. By dinner's end, reality took over. Maddy's concentration faded. She no longer participated in any conversation. Tina attempted to draw her mother back to the conversation. When Maddy failed to respond, Tina looked at her father. The sense of loss was unbearable. Where is she, her eyes pleaded. Eddy leaned over and gently caressed the back of his wife's hand. Softly he answered his daughter's question, tapping his heart.

Seeing that it was after six, Tina knew she had to be going. Missy needed a bath before going to bed, and no doubt would be irritable when she had to be awakened after the car ride home. Tina fought the flood of tears from seeing the reality of her mother's decline. She desperately needed her own alone time.

Daddy, let me help you with the dishes before I have to go, she said as she stood up from the kitchen table. Her offer was as much to break her concentration on her mother's situation as it was to help her father.

Eddy smiled at the offer. Little Missy was fidgety, trying to get out of her seat. Maddy sat silently, staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. No, this was a good time for her to go, he thought.

That's not necessary, sweetheart. You get that precious little one home and in bed. I'll handle things here.

At least I can help clear the table, she insisted.

Taking Missy's plate and hers from the table, Tina headed to the kitchen sink. Preoccupied with thinking about her mother, the small collection of silverware on the top plate slid off and on to the marble tile kitchen floor. The harsh crescendo of metal on tile startled Maddy. Tina had dropped to her knees to retrieve the fallen utensils. Maddy's head twitched slightly left then right, searching for the source of the noise. She called out to her husband.

Eddy, what was that?

No worry, Maddy. Tina's helping me clear the table, and she dropped some silverware on the floor.

Tina got to her feet, hoping her father's explanation would return her mother to her prior state of tranquility. As she put the utensils and plates in the sink, Tina heard her mother ask, Do I know her?

Tina could not bear to turn around.

2

A Daughter's Choice

Shortly before Christmas break of her second year at the University of South Carolina, Tina Pinafore told her mother and father that she was bringing her boyfriend home to meet them. Maddy had the front of the house adorned with Christmas decorations; icicle lights hung from the eaves, letters spelling Merry Christmas glowed on the lawn. A large evergreen wreath was centered on the front door. Its dozen silver bells rang out with every opening and closing. In the far corner of the living room stood an eight-foot-tall Douglas fir Christmas tree. They provided a majestic aura with strings of multicolored lights blinking randomly, reflecting through strands of silver and gold tinsel. Several Nativity Scenes were set out on the living room coffee table and smaller versions on each end table.

Tina was sitting at the kitchen table, helping her mother decorate a batch of Christmas cookies. She took this opportunity to break the news to her.

Mom, I want you and Daddy to meet Trevor. He's really special. He's a grad student at Furman working on his MBA, but I don't want Daddy to stress over it. We're going to stop by Saturday for a few minutes before we have dinner with his parents at the country club. So please don't make a big deal about this.

Maddy burst into laughter at the colossal lack of understanding her daughter displayed about her father.

Oh sweetheart, he'll more than stress over it. He'll examine the boy's every word, every nuance, and opinion, to determine if he'll treat you to his expectations.

Eddy was sitting in his nearby favorite easy chair, intentionally eavesdropping in on the conversation between mother and daughter. She's got that right, he thought to himself, returning to the article on the sports page about his favorite football team, the Carolina Jaguars.

Failing to heed her daughter's advice, Maddy had labored several hours preparing several exquisite appetizers with imported cheeses and crackers. She even prevailed upon Eddy to purchase a couple of bottles of expensive wine, one red, one white.

Tina's text, We’re on our way, was Maddy’s signal to put out the display of appetizers and for Eddy to open the wine. Knowing his daughter’s propensity to make rash judgments in affairs of the heart, Eddy mumbled, I hope he’s worth it.

What? Maddy asked, as her attention was focused on where to place the wine glasses.

Nothing, replied Eddy. His hope for worthiness would soon be crushed.

At the sound of the doorbell, Maddy said, Eddy, would you get that?

Maddy had chosen to wear a particularly attractive cocktail dress with matching pearl necklace and earrings, at least Eddy thought so, and he reluctantly wore a blue blazer, white shirt, and red tie. When he opened the door, he hardly recognized his daughter. Before him stood a stunning blonde in six-inch heels, dressed in a form-fitting off-the-shoulder black satin dress with sufficient cleavage to turn heads. It made Eddy a bit uncomfortable.

Sweetheart, you look absolutely gorgeous, he said, hugging her while taking a sideways glance at her boyfriend.

Wearing an expensive custom-made Armani suit, Trevor Barrington looked like a storefront mannequin. He had piercing blue eyes, a George Hamilton tan, and teeth so perfectly formed that they looked a bit unnatural. His brown hair was meticulously layered to the degree that it looked artificial to the eyes.

You must be Trev, Eddy said, now turning his attention to Tina’s companion.

That would be Trevor, Sir. Trevor Barrington.

The smugness of the correction riled Eddy Pinafore’s sense of social equality to the point that he thought the better of extending his hand and merely said, Well, please come in.

Maddy, the kids are here, Eddy announced as Tina and Trevor entered their home.

Maddy came to Eddy’s side and echoed his sentiment over Tina’s appearance.

You look like a queen, honey, and you look like a king, Trev, isn’t it?

Annoyed at the overfamiliarity of strangers using his nickname, young Barrington stiffened his shoulders and was about to correct Maddy as to the proper pronunciation of his name when he saw the look in Tina’s father’s eyes. They were squinted and filled with the protective glare of one about to defend his loved one. Wisely, Barrington said nothing.

He prefers to be called Trevor, Maddy, Eddy said, unwilling to hide the Well, la-de-dah feeling swelling inside him.

Displaying an incredible naiveness to the tension between the two men, Maddy merrily continued, Please, Trevor, you and Tina have some of the appetizers I made, and perhaps a glass of wine.

Having told her mother not to go to any great length over their visit, Tina was visibly annoyed.

Mom. I told you we could only stay a few minutes. This is really unnecessary. Tina said.

Clearly, she was more concerned about being late for dinner with Trevor’s parents than acknowledging her mother's efforts to make them feel welcomed.

We really shouldn’t, cautioned Trevor. Mother and Father have ordered a very expensive meal for us at the country club.

Maddy sensed Tina’s awkwardness at not partaking in her mother’s hard work.

Of course, Maddy acknowledged. I should have known better. Can we sit for a while?

Eddy was not so quick to forgive his daughter for her rudeness. His focused stare quickly told Tina she had crossed the line.

Grabbing a couple of napkins, Tina gathered several of the appetizers for her and Trevor. Glancing at his expensive gold Rolex watch, Barrington wisely conceded to giving Tina’s family a few precious minutes of his time. He found the Christmas decorations gaudy, adding nothing to what he considered a cookie-cutter home. Everything was a bit plebeian for his tastes.

At least Tina took time to peruse the Christmas decorations her mom and dad had set up. Mom, you and Dad have the house looking so Christmassy, what with all the decorations.

Two long brown faux leather couches faced each other with a wrought iron glass top coffee table in between. Tina and Trevor sat on one, Eddy and Maddy on the other. Once seated, Eddy tried one more time to make nice with the young man. His brain told him to take his daughter into the kitchen and scold her with a You’ve got to be kidding me. This is your choice for a boyfriend? Recognizing that two stubborn minds were a recipe for disaster, Eddy thought the better. Trying his darnedest to be accommodating, Eddy asked, So Trevor, you and Tina are meeting your parents at Beaufort Greens? referring to the local country club.

No, Sir. We’ll be dining at Barrington Fairways. My grandfather founded it as a private golf course over eighty years ago.

His snobbery made Eddy want to vomit. When had his daughter become so attracted to such superficiality? He thought to himself as he fidgeted in his chair till Maddy finally asked, Are you okay, honey? Is your leg bothering you?

No, I’m fine, he replied. Turning his attention back to the boy, Eddy asked, It sounds like your family has a long history here in South Carolina, as he continued to make small talk.

My family’s bloodlines go back to the colonization of America, Barrington said with a sense of unbridled superiority.

Oh, your ancestors were on the Mayflower? asked Maddy.

"Oh, hardly. My ancestors financed the expedition to settle the colonies. My great great grandfather was the Duke of Essex and a very close friend to King George of England.

It sounds like bloodlines are very important to your family, Trevor? Eddy asked.

His stomach now churned at the thought his daughter was in love with this sanctimonious cardboard cut-out of a man.

Casually crossing his legs and leaning back into the softness of the couch, Trevor responded as if he had just been