This is a little story I had to write. I didn't like how things were going, and if you know the old saying, if you want something done, do it yourself. Well here's my attempt. *This story is for fun only, no profit involved. All character's belong to CBS.
CLOSURE
"Hey"
Mac clears her throat as she approaches Victoria.
"Mind if I sit down?"
Victoria gestures to the other seat on the patio.
"Go right ahead"
Mac sits. "Those were nice words you spoke about JT. I thought you showed a lot of grace, despite of what happened."
"What did you expect me to do Mac? Trash JT in front of Reed, his kids, and parents?
"No, of course not Victoria. I don't want to argue, I'm just saying you did well."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap, it's just been a long day."
"I know, I guess I was just trying to say, after you told me what really happened with you and JT on the night he died, I don't know if I could've been so magnanimous. You showed great courage and fortitude. I was to chicken to even speak. I just felt like I wouldn't be able to not show how disappointed I was with him."
"Believe me Mac, it wasn't easy, but I had to do it for Reed."
"I spoke with Reed before the ceremony. He's such a resilient kid. He's going to get through this. I did, when I was younger. And with him having such a strong support system, I know he will to."
"Mac. Can I ask you a question?"
Victoria moved closer.
"When did it all go wrong? I mean you alluded to some job failures but, please. I need to know more. I just can't wrap my head around how the man I once knew, turned so far from good."
Mackenzie sighed trying to find the words to something that she was still trying to process herself.
"Victoria, it's kind of like watching your kid's grow up."
"Have you ever put those little lines on the door frame charting their growth? Everyday they are growing and changing little by little, but you really don't notice it, until you do. That's the way it was with JT."
"He was without a job for a few months one time. He would sit and stew in his failures. One day just randomly we were watching some singing show, I don't remember which one, but he said, "That could've been me! I have more talent than that guy." He said it with such vitriol in his voice. I almost felt bad for him."
"He just sat, day after day feeling sorry for himself and becoming more and more bitter about the life decisions he made. I would tell him "stop feeling sorry for yourself. If you don't like something, do something to change it."
"But he made me regret those words. Somehow, I became the target. He decided he didn't like ME."
"I was something he could fix. He couldn't fix his life, so fix mine. "I don't like that color on you Mac, it makes you look fat; I don't like how you discipline the children, you should do it this way; I don't like how you cook, you should take a class; You're cleaning wrong; You're away from the house too much; You volunteer too much, you should be paying attention to our kids! It was overwhelming."
"We would argue. We'd slam doors. The tension was thick in the house."
Victoria chimed in, "Where was Reed in all this?"
"Rebellious, and away most of the time. He'd always ask to stay at a friend's house or find any reason to be gone. I couldn't blame him. When JT finally got that job out of the country and Reed ran away to you, I thought maybe it was for the best. I really thought JT would change back to the sweet JT I used to know once he had the new position, but..."
"But what..."
"He hated the job. Said it was tedious. Now I wasn't only facing a bored, restless husband, but a frustrated, angry husband that hated his job. Things got worse. That's when I dragged him to counseling. He refused to let it work for him. He felt like I was just bringing him there to blame everything on him. He could be really vicious in the way he spoke to me."
"Was he ever...physical...with you?"
"Never a slap or punch Victoria. I promise you if it was ever like that I would've warned you. But it was more, grabbing my arm real hard when I was trying to walk away, or blocking doorways to the point I would have to push him to get through. My last straw was when I heard him yelling at DJ, demeaning him. I knew this behaviour wasn't going to get better. So I told him to get out."
"In a weird way I feel like I'm responsible. Like I drove him your way."
"No, no. None of this is your fault. I took him in. I let him back into my life."
"Victoria, I want you to listen to me, and listen real good.
"Victoria sighed, "I'm all ears."
"You can't change a person who doesn't want to change. JT never felt like he had a problem. He always made our issues to be MY problem with him. He never owned any of his faults toward the end."
"My mom told me something similar to that."
"Well, she was right."
They sat a moment enjoying the breeze on the patio. Mac began to smile and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Mac, are you okay?"
She smiled and said, "I was just sitting here remembering when me and JT first moved to DC with Reed. After DJ was born, when we brought him home, JT brought out his guitar and played the lullaby he made up for DJ."
Mac began to softly cry. "That's the JT I'm going to tell the kids about."
Victoria hugged her and said, "As you should."
THE END