The man wrung his swarthy hands nervously, bit his lip. The woman with the tired eyes, she swallowed and rubbed her chapped lips with her hands, eyebrows knitted in worry. Tremendous worry. Their baby, their precious mysterious gift that had been handed to them one cool evening, was so happy, giving off the sweetest scent and Tea smiled at him, rocking him a little in her arms. She glanced up at the couple once again, watched a moment before she told them her decision.
"I can't represent you," Tea finally said, excusing herself, really. She had concerns about this baby ... that she wasn't sharing. "This isn't my specialty. I can get you in touch with some people I know. They'll help you ... but ... in my opinion, you're going up against a brick wall. You've no chance. I'm sorry."
"Damn it ... damn it." The man fumed and he turned to his wife who began to cry. She leaned into him and he comforted her, he setting his serious gaze once again on the lawyer.
Tea explained further, smiling at the little one as she spoke, her voice sounding lighter than what she was saying, "It's a stolen child ... that's the bottom line. I know you didn't pay for him ... that he was basically, simply, dropped at your doorstep ... but ... he does have parents. The man who gave him to you is a known con-man ... he's sold babies before."
"Of course, of course," the man said.
The woman took the child out of Tea's arms, cooed sadly, crying ... "Adios muchacho ... adios precioso."
The police officer standing with Tea sighed heavily, the baby was to be placed into protective custody. The parents ... one of them ... waited anxiously back in Pennsylvania. The little one had been taken from her by a midwife in Mexico. Stolen right after birth ... never even laid upon its mother's bosom. The boy had light eyes, light hair. He kicked it's little legs as the officer took him, the cries of the surrogate mother louder, more pained and agonized. Tea closed her eyes and followed the policewoman out the door. She planned on accompanying the baby to the foster home. Difficult ... disconcerting ... to say the least ... because she knew ... this was Todd's baby with Blair. And even worse, she ... only she ... had reason to believe that the man responsible for the theft of the baby straight from his mother's womb, was none other than the father himself, Todd Manning.
The car jerked and the baby whimpered in its car seat. Tea patted his little head ... patted his little feet wrapped in fleece ... all the while wondering what had happened to her former husband. Who was he? How ... why ... could he have sent his own child, his own flesh and blood, out into the cruel world to be taken up by complete strangers? Strangers who, lucky for the baby, happened to have been kind and loving. My GOD, Tea thought, what happened to you? My GOD, what monster have you become?
****
Monsters ... sporting massive claws and pointy teeth, imposing on everyone around them a terrifying presence. Stuff nightmares are made of, stuff which haunts you even in daylight when you're safe and protected by the sun and the steady lit ground beneath your feet. Such pictures don't leave you easily - they seem to follow and linger and stalk you. To this day, Tea found herself looking over her shoulder in fear of those "monsters." And she knew when her fear had started ... months before ... on the night Tea had left Todd ... one night after a terrible argument, after the realization that her former husband had lost certain sensibilities, certain ... tendencies. Like ... a basic and once-held sense of true remorse for bad acts.
On that particular night, they had had a dinner on the veranda of their California bungalow, they had spoken of their plans for a trip up north to San Francisco to begin a search for a home that would accommodate Starr ... and maybe a nursery for their own baby that would come in time, eventually. But after a while, somehow, for some reason, the conversation veered to the shooting of RJ Gannon. Again. See, for the many months they'd been on the road together, Todd had expressed some feelings about that incident. He'd spoken of it casually, yet he'd say that he felt bad for the near-miss with death. Tea believed his words, but something in his eyes struck her wrong. Couldn't put her finger on it ... couldn't ... quite grasp the problem. Her feelings didn't end there ... it moved into their bed. They had made love several times ... and it had been passionate, eager ... but again, something in his eyes was wrong. She'd cup his cheeks and look at him ... study him ... and he'd bend to avoid her gaze. He'd slip to her side ... curl up ... or ...begin kissing her anew ... more avoidance.
Well, the conversation intensified that evening because, damn it, if they were talking children, future children, she needed to know what she was seeing in those beautiful, cool eyes. Or ... what she wasn't seeing. Then, in a flash, following one turn of a phrase, one misplaced word, Todd had blown up ... exploded in anger ... shocking Tea. You want remorse, he had screamed, I'll give you f-ckin' remorse ... I'm sorry, Tea, I'm soooooo sorry that I nearly killed your lover, that I nearly wiped out the man who'd taken MY WOMAN FROM ME!! I'm sorry that I missed, he had finally spat. And then, and ... then ... he had laughed in a way she had never heard before and had tilted his head like a hawk and grinned at her, "What's the matter, Delgado, you afraid of me? Afraid I might kill you? Afraid you might never see home again?" The grin ... his odd way ... suddenly it had become very clear to her. Todd had worsened over the year they'd been apart, he'd worsened and had never recovered. He'd worsened ... and for the first time, she had lost faith in their love, she had lost faith that he could ever be saved from his demons which still reigned over him.
So Tea left ... because she understood that had she stayed, she indeed might have become his victim. Again. And THAT was something she swore would never happen again.
***
Midnight, the clock chimed to Tea in an uncomfortable manner. Llanview from the Palace hotel room still looked the same, quaint yet progressive. Asher, the baby, was securely in the care of a local foster family. DNA tests were to be run in the morning ... lawyers most likely would start a battle ... but Tea knew that within a few days, the precious one would be back in the arms of its mother. Rightly so.
Tea wasn't sure how she felt about the fact that Asher was Todd's child. It didn't phase her much that Todd had made his made his way back to Blair - most likely because something had made him send the baby away. Obviously the relationship ... had much to be desired even at the pinnacle moment of childbirth. Beyond that, though, Tea had actually expected such a reunion. No surprise that once alone, that he would search out another familiar face, a familiar body. No surprise that Blair would end up pregnant either ... because that was just her way. Tea tapped her coffee cup with her pen, counting out ten beats. She sniffled and rotated her ankle, studying her painted toenails. Read again the report of the private investigator suggesting Todd as the likely kidnapper.
"What to do?" she asked aloud. Without hesitation, she stood up and re-dressed herself. Pulled on some warm boots ... and left the room. Heading towards the Manning residence ... the one which Todd occupied alone, now. Again. She didn't know what she would accomplish ... but she thought to peek in on him. Thought to assess him, to determine what, if anything, she should do with the information she had.
***
The house loomed at the top of the hill, a country home washed in yellow. Cheerless lights within outlined the many windows, music swirled about the grassy surroundings having escaped through the cracks of the house, from beneath doors - the sounds lifted and lilted and soothed. Chords of a piano pinged and pounded gently, reminding Tea of the old saying that music tames the beast. The scent of winter and a lingering chill made her pull her coat tightly around her. She shivered as she stepped onto the darkened porch, her steps masked by the concerto inside. She looked then through a window inadvertently unshaded. And saw him. She couldn't help but smile ... it had been a long time since she's seen him.
Sitting deep into the cushions of a wide armchair, clothed in nothing but a pair of black slacks, Todd cradled a glass of scotch. Babied it, drawing small sips, as he stared into what was clearly comforting, unfurnished space all around him. Tea took a step forward and pressed her hand against the glass. Still beautiful, she thought, there alone. He leaned his head back and seemed to doze off, the tumbler falling over slightly. Liquid about to spill ...
All of a sudden, Tea sneezed and Todd popped open his eyes ... the beast clearly stirred awake. Before Tea could run to safety, before she could hide, the door pulled open and bright lights lit up the porch and she was caught. Standing in front of her, Todd chuckled, "Come to watch me, Tea? Come to spy?"
"No, it's business."
"Mmm."
The two stood apart and Tea felt small, smaller than she remembered. Not possible he'd gotten taller. Nope ...
"So tell me your business," Todd said. He wasn't unfazed, Tea could see it. A tremble of his lip, a twitch of an eye.
She took a deep breath, breathing in strength. "Are you alone?"
"Yeah ... yes. You want to come in?"
"No ... no."
"I'll give you something warm ..." The way he said it spoke of an earlier time between them. A hushed kiss, a pressing of their bodies together beneath linen ... they looked away. Tea remembered why she was here ... how could she forget the silky hair of the infant, his two lower teeth, a wrinkle of his nose. So far away from its mother.
"No," Tea repeated. "I don't think there's any warmth in this house."
"Oooh ... psychoanalyzing me? So soon?"
She grinned back, dug her hands into her pockets, feeling a tiny revolver she carried with her. At all times. "I have some information ... I wanted to talk to you about it."
"Tell me ... Delgado."
Tea caught her breath at that. They looked directly at each other. He was so cold, she thought. Where was that fire he'd once had - even that last night. She decided to be direct. "I have your son, Todd. The baby you sold ... on the black market. He's here in Llanview and he's going home to Blair within a couple of days. I have proof you did it, Todd ... your baby ... taking it from his mother. I have proof ... but I don't know what to do with it." The night got a bit darker and an overhead bulb went off suddenly. The concerto had ceased playing, coincidentally.
"I don't have a son - it was Blair who had one and it belonged to Max. Your ... evidence is wrong." He looked away ... and seemed hurt. "You came here to blackmail me?"
"No ... I came here to know you. I came here to understand. You gave away your own child."
"Not mine."
"You gave away a child."
"You don't know what you're talking about." He turned on his bare heels, walked towards to door to go inside.
"Todd, explain it to me. Explain it ..."
"She was mine, Tea ... and she betrayed me. Just like you did, just like they all do."
With that he went inside the house ... the door shut softly and lights went off. And Tea was left alone in the dark ... with the moon warning her, with the stars whispering caution, her journey just beginning. She took steps, walked back to her car. She was mine, Tea, and she betrayed me. Familiar, familiar wording ... my GOD ... how powerless he'd become, how powerful.
