Commitment (42 page)

Alex winked at the man still seated on the bed. “Just keep your eyes open,” she told her friend. “Farsightedness runs in the family. Another well-kept secret; our father wore glasses,” she told him as she took her leave.

Saturday, January 24
^th

Cassidy emerged from the bathroom looking a bit gray. Rose pondered her daughter’s sluggish pace and the weariness in her eyes. Cassidy was not a morning person. That became evident when Rose had to start waking her daughter for school when she was a child. This morning, fatigue emanated from Cassidy in every motion and expression. Rose realized that the battle Cassidy’s stomach had been waging against food over the last few weeks explained a great deal of her daughter’s exhaustion. She had also mastered deciphering Cassidy’s moods long ago, and it seemed evident to her that Cassidy was on edge. She poured her daughter a mug of tea and took a seat beside her at the kitchen table.

“Didn’t sleep?” Rose guessed.

“Not well. I got a call in the middle of the night,” Cassidy explained.

“Everything all right with Alex?” Rose asked.

“I don’t know. It wasn’t her,” Cassidy said.

“Who called you in the middle of the night?” Rose questioned curiously.

Cassidy traced the rim of her mug with her finger and sighed. “It was Chris.”

“What the hell was he calling here for?” Rose asked. The venom in her voice made Cassidy shudder.

“He’d been drinking; I think. I think it’s just catching up with him,” Cassidy said regrettably. “I don’t know though, if he’ll ever realize that he created this life for himself,” she said.

Rose had always considered herself a compassionate person, but she had no tolerance for her daughter’s ex-husband. For many years, she tried not interfere in Cassidy’s life; never offering unsolicited advice. It pained her to see the emotional toll that Cassidy’s marriage to Christopher O’Brien caused for so long. In the past year, Rose had witnessed the true depravity of her former son-in-law. Cassidy had more than enough on her plate without Congressman Christopher O’Brien’s emotional baggage weighing her down.

“Don’t you give that egotistical bastard one more second of your time, Cassie,” Rose instructed her daughter. Cassidy’s eyes flew open at her mother’s directness. “What?” Rose asked. “Don’t ask me to keep my mouth shut anymore where he is concerned. I did that for far too long. You are my only daughter. I will not tolerate seeing you victimized in any way by that jerk. And that is what he is, Cassie. He is nothing more than a pompous ass. The only thing he is full of is himself. So, don’t you spend one ounce of your energy on his shenanigans.”

Cassidy’s eyebrows shot up. “Shenanigans?” she poked at her mother.

“I am not fooling around, Cassie,” Rose’s mood remained sober.

“I know,” Cassidy said tacitly. “I just feel awful.”

“Awful?” Rose was astounded at her daughter’s statement. “What do you have to feel awful about?”

“I’ve never hated anyone,” Cassidy said. “I don’t know… he shot Alex, Mom….he’s dragged Dylan through hell and he wants me to feel sorry for
him
?”

Rose sighed. “You have every reason to feel the way you do,” she told her daughter.

“Maybe,” Cassidy said. “I just never wanted to be that person.”

“Mom!” Dylan’s voice beckoned his mother from upstairs. Cassidy could tell whatever Dylan needed; he was agitated.

“I’d better go see what he needs,” Cassidy said.

“I’ll go,” Rose offered. “Stay here. You need to eat something…anything,” she observed.

“I can’t right now,” Cassidy said.

“Mom!”

Cassidy shook her head and reached for the back of her neck. “I’ll be back….Hold your horses, I’m coming!” she called back to her son.

Rose picked up Cassidy’s mug and noted that it was still more than half full of tea. She tapped a spoon on the table repeatedly,
mulling over what her daughter had said. There was no reason for Cassidy to feel any guilt over loathing Christopher O’Brien. She huffed in frustration as she looked out of the room toward the pathway Cassidy had just taken. “Oh, Cassie,” she muttered when a crash startled her.

“Grandma!” Dylan’s voice rang out through the house.

Edmond Callier reached for his phone in the hopes of hearing his daughter’s voice. “This is Callier.”

“Edmond?” a woman’s voice questioned. Edmond Callier jumped at the sound. “Edmond, I need your help.”

“Anything. You know that,” he responded sincerely.

“Do you know where Alexis is?” she asked.

“Why would I….”

“Edmond, please don’t think me a fool. I realize how many years it has been, but I am not that naïve. She is with Jonathan. Can you reach her?”

Callier stroked his chin thoughtfully. He had not spoken to the woman on the line in nearly thirty years. He did know that she would not have made the call without a pressing reason. “No, not at present. What’s wrong?” he asked.

“It’s Cassidy.”

Alex looked ahead at the faint lights in the distance. She could tell that the home they were approaching was expansive. She glanced at the younger woman seated beside her. Eleana had her eyes closed. This was a familiar ride to the young agent. Alex looked across to Krause with the raise of her brow. He offered her a solemn smile. She pondered what the man who was awaiting their arrival must be feeling. Alex tried to imagine what it would be like to wait for one
of her children to come home; to know that one of her children was in danger. The thought sent a shiver up her spine.

“You okay?” Krause asked.

“Yeah, just thinking,” Alex said.

“Care to share?” he smiled.

Alex paused for a moment to take in the grandeur of the building as it grew larger. “I was thinking about what he must be feeling,” she explained.

“Edmond?” Krause asked.

“Mm. I can’t tell you that I agree with all of these secrets…. all of these lies,” Alex groaned. “I don’t. But, there is a part of me that understands.”

“Understands all this deception?” Eleana asked without opening her eyes.

“No,” Alex replied flatly. “I don’t understand the deception. I understand the fear.”

Eleana opened her eyes to regard Alex. “Fear?” she asked.

Alex nodded. “I can’t imagine….if it was one of my children,” Alex’s thought trailed off. Her lips began to curl into a smile as she considered the motivation in her statement.

“Alex?” Krause called to her softly.

“Yeah,” Alex smiled in earnest. “I’m still here,” she chuckled. “Guess I was just thinking about that….my children,” she explained. Krause nodded.

“I’m clearly missing something,” Eleana interjected.

Alex laughed. “With all the excitement and recent
revelations
,” Alex looked at Krause, “I haven’t had much time to think about home. I guess I’m missing my family.”

“You mean Cassidy and her son,” Eleana surmised.

Alex nodded. “I mean Cassidy and our son, yes,” she corrected her friend. “Haven’t talked to them in almost a week. Never been that long. Just hoping that they are all right, and Cassidy is feeling better.”

“Is she sick?” Eleana asked.

Krause turned to look out the window to hide his knowing smirk. “No,” Alex answered. “She’s pregnant,” she said with a smile.

Eleana’s surprise was evident. “Congratulations. I assume it was planned,” Eleana said lightly.

“Well, if it hadn’t been I’d have been a lot more surprised than you were just now,” Alex joked.

The car pulled in front of the grand stone structure. Alex shook her head at its extravagance, musing silently that the inside must be something spectacular to behold. As the door opened, she noticed the figure swiftly moving down the stairs. Alex had yet to meet Edmond Callier in person. She had wondered if the Frenchman was deliberately avoiding such a meeting. After hearing Krause’s news, she was certain her assessment was correct. Eleana’s pace increased as her father approached. Alex could not stop the swell in her heart when she saw Callier embrace his daughter gratefully. It made her ache for home.

“
Eleana. Je souhaitais que vous choisissiez pas cette vie
(Eleana. I wish you would not have chosen this life),” Callier spoke softly to his daughter as he held her tightly.

“Je vais bien, mon Père
(I am all right, Father),” Eleana reassured him. Callier stepped back and regarded the woman his daughter had become. Eleana was no longer a child. She was a beautiful, intelligent, and capable woman. He touched her cheek affectionately and turned his attention to Krause and Alex.

“Edmond,” Krause greeted the older man. “We have a great deal to talk about,” he motioned toward Alex. “My sister and I have some questions,” Krause raised his brow.

Callier nodded his understanding to the younger man and then turned to Alex. He took her hand and looked into her eyes compassionately. “We have much to discuss,” he agreed, “but now is not the time.”

“Edmond!” Krause interjected.

Callier kept his gaze on the young woman in front of him. “Not now, Jonathan,” he cautioned. “
Ne faites pas nos même erreurs
(Don’t make our mistakes),” he told Alex. Alex studied him carefully as he continued. “You have a plane to catch, Alexis.”

“I don’t….” Alex began.

“Your family needs you now,” Callier said. “Cassidy…”

“Cassidy? What’s….” Alex’s asked desperately.

“Stop,” Callier spoke gently. “Call home,” he handed Alex his phone.

Alex could feel hear heart racing as she waited for Cassidy’s soothing voice to answer. The voice that greeted her was calm, but it was not her wife’s. “Mom?”

“Alexis,” Helen greeted.

“Where is Cassidy?” Alex asked as a wave of panic began to take hold.

Helen let out a detectable sigh. “She’s at the hospital with Rose,” she explained.

“Why? What happened? Is Rose….”

“Rose is fine, Alexis,” Helen said. “It’s Cassidy.” Krause watched as Alex became unsteady and stepped in to support her.

“Mom?” Alex begged fearfully.

“She’s all right. She collapsed earlier. You need to come home, Alexis,” her mother said firmly.

“The baby?” Alex’s voice cracked.

“They are both all right, Alex. Cassidy is not fine though, and neither is Dylan. They need you here more than you need to be saving the world,” Helen said a bit more sharply than she had intended. Alex could only nod. The lump in her throat seemed to prevent any speech. Krause took the phone from Alex’s quivering hand.

“Helen?” Krause asked.

“Jonathan,” Helen answered him bluntly. “She needs to come home. Now.”

Jonathan Krause knew a parental demand when he heard one. “She’ll be on the next plane,” he assured the older woman.

“Thank you,” Helen said earnestly.

“Helen...” Krause began.

“Cassidy will be all right, Jonathan,” Helen assured him. “You take care of my daughter right now. Alexis likes to think she can carry the weight of the world. She can’t.”

Krause looked at Alex and smiled. “I understand,” he said.

“Good. I’ll see you both soon,” Helen told him.

“Alex,” Krause directed Alex to look at him.

“Jonathan….” Alex tried to make the words come. “What have I done?” she whispered.

Edmond Callier stepped between them. “Alexis, stop this. I have my plane waiting. You’ll be home by morning,” he told her.