Chapter 26

“So, you did go over there then, talked to them?” said Victoria.

“Yes, and it was a battle. You were right; they hate us,” said Selena.

“In retrospect, I can’t blame them. I guess my words hurt the woman real bad. I didn’t need to do that, say the things I said. It was just selfishness on my part. I see that now. The man has done so much for me and for your dad ... well, I just don’t know what I was thinking,” said Victoria.

“Yes, and he is my dad too,” said Selena. “He was really hurt and I mean hurt bad by my referring to him as mister Steele and not as my dad; I mean hurt real bad.”

“I don’t know, Selena. Yes, he was your sperm donor. Yes, he did kind of get to know you a little before ... well, before. But your real dad, and yes I mean in spite of everything, is Nathan Grimes. He has loved you, and worried over you, and provided for you like...”

“Mom, I know. But listening to the man this morning. I began to realize that while he was in prison that his dreams were all about me and you being there for him when he would ever get out, and when he did, and realized that everything he’d dreamed about all of those years was lost to him; well, it had to have been absolutely stunning for the man; and not in a good way,” she said. Her mother nodded.

“I know what you’re saying, Selena. But there was no denying the love that came over me; I mean for your real dad, Selena. And we did everything we could to make it good for the other man. Do you know there’s a ten million dollar bank account already set up for him to make life good for him. Your dad set that up for him before I even married him,” said Victoria. “We wanted to do right by him. But, as you do seem to understand, the man didn’t care about any of that. He wanted things to be the way he wanted them to be, and there would be no negotiating with him on that score, not on any level.”

“Mom, you keep referring to daddy as the man. He’s my daddy, not just some man. He sacrificed everything to help you out and me too if it comes to that. And he sees it, his doing what he did, killing that crooked cop, as meaning nothing to me or to you. I didn’t know about the bank account, but he wouldn’t care about any of that. He would only see that as thirty pieces of silver; but unlike Judas he would never take it. I don’t know if there is ever going to be any way to make things right by him, but I have to hope that maybe there is,” said Selena.

“If there is it’s going to be me somehow making things right, and not even by John Michael Steele, but by Henrietta Steele,” said Victoria. The young woman across from her gave her a look.

“Yes,” said Selena. “If Henrietta could be convinced that we really do want to include her in the family, I mean really include her; well, then daddy might be convinced to give us a break too.”

“Yes, well that’s a true thing for sure,” said Victoria. “But, how to go about getting that done is the question.”

“Mom, you’ve got to go to her and try to get her talk to you, but it has to be when daddy isn’t around. Hearing his words and tone of voice today; well, he’s not going to bend even a little unless Henrietta is onboard and helps us kind of gang up on him,” said Selena.

Her mother nodded, but she did so with a wrinkled brow.

It took almost no time for Gilbert Hoskins to find out the work schedules of the Steeles; and, they did not have the same schedules. Thank you, Drover B&G, thought Victoria Grimes.

It was Wednesday 4:00 p.m. John Michael was working and Henrietta was not. Victoria Grimes was parked across the lot from the Steeles’ apartment. She took a deep breath, got out of her car, clicked the locking mechanism on her key, and strode purposefully across the lot toward her goal. A minute later she stood in front of the door to the Steeles’ apartment and took another deep breath. She hesitated for the briefest of moments and pushed the buzzer.

The door opened. “You!” said Henrietta Steele. “What are you doing here. Don’t you talk to your daughter. We’ve already done this dance.”

“I’m very sorry for what I said at the restaurant,” said Victoria Steele. “But, if you will, I’d like to have a word with you. I promise to not take up too much of your time. I promise,” she repeated.

“Let me guess, asshole, you knew before you darkened our door that my husband was working tonight. Right? We really do not have even a smidgen of privacy when it comes to you big money people do we!” said Henrietta. Her visitor looked down.

“Yes, I need to talk to you personally. I knew, that if he were here, that he wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise. And, Henrietta, I need to get a word in edgewise. Please!” she said.

“I can’t say I’m not curious as to what you think you can say to make me like you,” she said. She stood aside essentially allowing the visitor entry.

Victoria, waited to be invited to sit down. Henrietta, motioned for her to do so.

“Thank you,” said Victoria. “Let me start off by saying that, after talking to my daughter about things, that I now realize that I have been a complete asshole when it comes to the way I’ve treated you.”

“Get to what you’re really here for, Victoria. I don’t believe for a New York minute that you give a damn whether I live or die. No, make that I’m more than certain that you would prefer that I die,” said Henrietta. Her visitor looked horrified.

“My God, Henrietta, that is just not so! Really!” she said.

“Yes, right,” said Henrietta.

“First off. I know that Selena told you that we want to move on and start over,” she said.

“Well, since you mention it yes. But first. You want John and me to forgive and forget the unforgivable and unforgettable. Do I have that right?” said Henrietta.

“Yes, for sure, absolutely,” said Victoria. Henrietta nodded.

“Okay, but the price will be high,” said Henrietta.