Irene tightly clutched her purse in her hands. "I had to see you
today. I'm sorry for the short notice."
"I'm happy to squeeze you in," Jerry Feldon answered. "Now fill me in on everything that has happened since your last visit. What's gotten you so upset?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.
"It's Gene Johnson," she spat out between clenched teeth, as though the mere mention of his name caused her to become even angrier.
"How'd the party go?"
"Great. It's the garbage he's trying to fill Lita with. She's got enough on her mind without his putting more on her."
"Irene, why do you allow him to upset you?"
"I don't know. He knows the right buttons to push. I went out of my way to treat him well when he was here. And what did I get in return?" she asked as she flung her hands in the air. "Just being ridiculed to Lita. But that's not all. He's putting Serena down to Lita, too." She shook her head in disgust.
"What were the girls reactions?"
"They're both upset and want nothing more to do with him."
"Then it's solved. You have no more problems with Gene Johnson. Cut him completely out of your life."
"How can I do that?" she asked, bewildered.
Jerry shrugged. "He has no control over you, Irene, and you have to let him know that. The more upset you become, the more power he has over you."
Irene gave him a quizzical look.
"Let me explain. What can he possibly do to you? He has to pay child support for Lita. As far as Serena is concerned, you've been supporting her since she turned eighteen, even though you could've gotten support for her until she graduated from college. She has her loans and scholarships and you're helping her with her other college expenses. A year from now, in all probability, you should be financially secure with the new book coming out."
"That's true," she admitted. "It's just that he makes me so angry."
"That's because you let him. My advice is to get on with your life. If Gene Johnson wants a relationship with his daughters, it's up to him. You've done more than was necessary to keep a relationship between him and the girls. They realize all you've done for them. They'll never forget it. If they want to see their father, you don't need to be a part of it. They're both old enough to make the decision for themselves. Don't feel guilty. The choice is theirs. He's the one at fault, not you. Just remember that."
She smiled. "You make it sound so simple."
He returned her smile. "It is. When you have all of this confronting you at once it's hard to look at it objectively. But you need to learn to stand back and look at it, analyze it, and then realize that no matter what you do, you can't change Gene. Only Gene can change Gene. The only thing you two have in common are the girls. There's nothing else. He's part of your past. If he chooses to throw away his role as father, he can only blame himself."
"But he always throws it back on me."
"Of course he does! He refuses to take responsibility for his own actions and until he does, he's going to be a very lonely, unhappy man."
"That makes sense. Now if I just remember what you've told me."
"Engrave it in your memory," he teased.
"I may just have to," she laughed.
"Now tell me what's happening in the other areas of your life."
"The phone calls have tapered off."
"Do you still have the phone tap?"
"Yes, but the caller doesn't stay on the line long enough to be positively identified."
"I'll be relieved when it's over and they catch whoever is doing this."
"Me, too," she said.
"Now," he smiled broadly, "what about your personal life?"
She blushed. "You mean what's happening with Ken Tsukino?"
"Who else?"
"We're taking it slow. I'm still apprehensive."
"How does he treat you?"
"I couldn't ask for a kinder, more sincere man."
"Give him a chance, then. Remember, just because you've had two bad relationships doesn't mean Ken will turn out to be another bad choice."
"I know." Her eyes brightened. "He makes me feel special. Sometimes I feel just like a teenager in love."
"I'm happy for you, Irene." He observed her, pleased that she had found someone to share her life with. She deserved it. "Keep me posted," he said, standing up.
"That I'll do." She smiled self-consciously. "Did I ever tell you how much I value your advice and friendship?"
"I already know," he answered.
"Where are the girls tonight?" Ken asked.
"Serena 's out with Darien and Lita's at the Bakers'."
"So it's just you and me, kid," he teased.
She smiled as she leaned back, resting her head against his shoulder. "This is nice. Just being able to relax and not think about anything."
"What about being loved and protected?"
She sighed. "Twice I thought I was going to be loved and protected for the rest of my life and both times I was abandoned, tossed out with the garbage."
He hugged her close. "I hope someday I can make you forget all that hurt. I'll protect you and love you for the rest of your life."
She stiffened.
"Did I say something wrong?" he softly asked.
"No . . . I mean, I just thought we were going to take things slow, not get too serious too quickly."
He inhaled deeply. "I can't meter out my feelings like that, Irene. If something's not right between two people, then it's obvious from the beginning. But when you're attracted to someone and you know the feeling is right, you can't just sit back and tell yourself not to act on those feelings." He leaned forward, facing her. He fought back the urge to take her in his arms. What could he ever say or do to convince her she was safe with him? He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Would he ever stand a chance or would all of his efforts be futile? He felt the frustration welling within his chest. There was so much pain inside her that he needed her to release to him. "Maybe your feelings for me aren't as deep as I thought." He tenderly stroked her cheek.
She couldn't escape his eyes penetrating her own. She turned, trying to look away, but couldn't. Her heart quickened. "I do care," she whispered. "I care more than you could ever know." Tears filled her eyes.
"Then share your pain with me," he said, stroking her hair. "I need to know every part of you. I need to share your joys and sorrows."
A tear fell from her eye. Ken pulled her toward him, gently kissed her, and then cradled her in his arms. "I want to love you and protect you forever. I'll never let anyone hurt you again. Just let me love you."
Irene knew the sincerity of his words and how difficult it must be for him. She sensed his fear of rejection and she had to convince him of her desire to be with him, but also her fears. She looked up at him. "Ken, I can't deny my feelings for you. I'm just so afraid."
"Don't be," he said quickly. "I love and accept every part of you-- past, present, and hopefully, future with me." He cupped her face in his hands. "Tell me that you love me," he said, searching her face.
"You know I do," she whispered.
"I want to hear you say it," he insisted.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I do . . . I do love you, Ken," she choked as tears flowed freely from her eyes.
He enclosed her in his arm, kissing away the tears on her chin, cheeks, then lips. "I need you, Irene."
Before she could answer, the phone rang, jarring them both. She grabbed the phone. "Maybe it's one of the girls."
A strange expression came over her face. Ken put his head close to hers as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. The voice was raspy and almost incoherent, making it obvious that the caller was disguising his identity. Ken strained to make out the words.
"I warned you, Irene. Now you have to pay for what you've done!" the voice hissed.
An eerie feeling crept over Irene, sending chills down her spine. She looked desperately at Ken. He pointed to his wristwatch. She knew that she needed to stall for time. "What . . . what did I do?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"He's there right now with you, isn't he?"
"Who?"
"Don't play games with me, Irene."
Irene looked questioningly at Ken. He pointed again to his wristwatch.
"I'm alone," she answered.
"Liar!"
"Why would I lie to you?"
"He's there. I know he's there with you right now!"
"Who?"
"Your boyfriend!"
"No. No one is here. I'm alone."
"Don't lie to me! You know I can't stand liars."
"I'm not lying."
"Irene, listen and listen good."
"What?"
"Your days are numbered."
Her palm grew sweaty, and she almost dropped the phone. "Who are you?" she demanded.
"It doesn't matter. You've hurt too many people and you have to be stopped."
"Who have I hurt?"
"Your lies are going to stop!" he hissed.
Ken pointed to the time and gave thumbs up. "Say what you want to," he whispered. Relief flooded through Irene.
"I'm not afraid of you," she said confidently.
"You should be. You better keep a close eye on your daughters, too!"
"I know who you are."
The caller laughed sarcastically. "I don't think so."
"I know it's you, Alexander."
There was a brief period of silence, followed by the phone being slammed down. Irene quietly replaced the receiver, and then turned to Ken. He put his arm around her. "It's over."
"Why would he do this to me?" she asked. "Why?"
Ken shook his head. "I don't know."
They both turned when they heard the door slam. Seconds later Serena walked into the room. "What's the matter, Mom?" She looked at Ken, then back to her mother.
"You look like you just saw a ghost," Lita said as she joined them, throwing her jacket over the back of a chair.
"Hi, girls," Ken said.
"Hi," they answered simultaneously.
"What's going on?" Serena demanded.
"Your mother received another phone call tonight. She was able to keep him on the line so the police will be able to arrest him."
"Alexander?" Serena asked.
Ken nodded.
"I knew it was him!" Lita exclaimed.
"I hope they lock him up for the rest of his life," Serena said bitterly.
"I have to call the station," Ken said.
Irene turned her attention to her daughters. "I can't believe Alexander would do this to us."
"I can," Serena said firmly. Ken walked over to them.
Irene saw the bewildered expression on his face. "What is it?" she asked.
"Let's all sit down." He led her to the sofa. Lita and Serena sat on the love seat. All eyes focused on him.
"Irene, you need to go down to the station to sign some papers."
"Sure," she nodded.
"I'll take you in a few minutes, but first I have to tell you something."
"What?" she asked.
He shook his head in disbelief. "It's not Alexander, Irene."
"What!" she exclaimed. "But you said the call was traced to his house."
"It was," he explained. "But Alexander had nothing to do with the phone calls. It's been Stephan from the beginning."
Irene's hand flew to her mouth. "Why?"
The girls sat in stunned silence.
"I know it's difficult to comprehend. The kid must be pretty messed up, bu
"I don't think that would be a good idea, Irene."
"See if you can arrange it," she insisted.
"I'll try," he promised, "but what do you hope to accomplish?"
"I just need to know why."
"I'm happy to squeeze you in," Jerry Feldon answered. "Now fill me in on everything that has happened since your last visit. What's gotten you so upset?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.
"It's Gene Johnson," she spat out between clenched teeth, as though the mere mention of his name caused her to become even angrier.
"How'd the party go?"
"Great. It's the garbage he's trying to fill Lita with. She's got enough on her mind without his putting more on her."
"Irene, why do you allow him to upset you?"
"I don't know. He knows the right buttons to push. I went out of my way to treat him well when he was here. And what did I get in return?" she asked as she flung her hands in the air. "Just being ridiculed to Lita. But that's not all. He's putting Serena down to Lita, too." She shook her head in disgust.
"What were the girls reactions?"
"They're both upset and want nothing more to do with him."
"Then it's solved. You have no more problems with Gene Johnson. Cut him completely out of your life."
"How can I do that?" she asked, bewildered.
Jerry shrugged. "He has no control over you, Irene, and you have to let him know that. The more upset you become, the more power he has over you."
Irene gave him a quizzical look.
"Let me explain. What can he possibly do to you? He has to pay child support for Lita. As far as Serena is concerned, you've been supporting her since she turned eighteen, even though you could've gotten support for her until she graduated from college. She has her loans and scholarships and you're helping her with her other college expenses. A year from now, in all probability, you should be financially secure with the new book coming out."
"That's true," she admitted. "It's just that he makes me so angry."
"That's because you let him. My advice is to get on with your life. If Gene Johnson wants a relationship with his daughters, it's up to him. You've done more than was necessary to keep a relationship between him and the girls. They realize all you've done for them. They'll never forget it. If they want to see their father, you don't need to be a part of it. They're both old enough to make the decision for themselves. Don't feel guilty. The choice is theirs. He's the one at fault, not you. Just remember that."
She smiled. "You make it sound so simple."
He returned her smile. "It is. When you have all of this confronting you at once it's hard to look at it objectively. But you need to learn to stand back and look at it, analyze it, and then realize that no matter what you do, you can't change Gene. Only Gene can change Gene. The only thing you two have in common are the girls. There's nothing else. He's part of your past. If he chooses to throw away his role as father, he can only blame himself."
"But he always throws it back on me."
"Of course he does! He refuses to take responsibility for his own actions and until he does, he's going to be a very lonely, unhappy man."
"That makes sense. Now if I just remember what you've told me."
"Engrave it in your memory," he teased.
"I may just have to," she laughed.
"Now tell me what's happening in the other areas of your life."
"The phone calls have tapered off."
"Do you still have the phone tap?"
"Yes, but the caller doesn't stay on the line long enough to be positively identified."
"I'll be relieved when it's over and they catch whoever is doing this."
"Me, too," she said.
"Now," he smiled broadly, "what about your personal life?"
She blushed. "You mean what's happening with Ken Tsukino?"
"Who else?"
"We're taking it slow. I'm still apprehensive."
"How does he treat you?"
"I couldn't ask for a kinder, more sincere man."
"Give him a chance, then. Remember, just because you've had two bad relationships doesn't mean Ken will turn out to be another bad choice."
"I know." Her eyes brightened. "He makes me feel special. Sometimes I feel just like a teenager in love."
"I'm happy for you, Irene." He observed her, pleased that she had found someone to share her life with. She deserved it. "Keep me posted," he said, standing up.
"That I'll do." She smiled self-consciously. "Did I ever tell you how much I value your advice and friendship?"
"I already know," he answered.
"Where are the girls tonight?" Ken asked.
"Serena 's out with Darien and Lita's at the Bakers'."
"So it's just you and me, kid," he teased.
She smiled as she leaned back, resting her head against his shoulder. "This is nice. Just being able to relax and not think about anything."
"What about being loved and protected?"
She sighed. "Twice I thought I was going to be loved and protected for the rest of my life and both times I was abandoned, tossed out with the garbage."
He hugged her close. "I hope someday I can make you forget all that hurt. I'll protect you and love you for the rest of your life."
She stiffened.
"Did I say something wrong?" he softly asked.
"No . . . I mean, I just thought we were going to take things slow, not get too serious too quickly."
He inhaled deeply. "I can't meter out my feelings like that, Irene. If something's not right between two people, then it's obvious from the beginning. But when you're attracted to someone and you know the feeling is right, you can't just sit back and tell yourself not to act on those feelings." He leaned forward, facing her. He fought back the urge to take her in his arms. What could he ever say or do to convince her she was safe with him? He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Would he ever stand a chance or would all of his efforts be futile? He felt the frustration welling within his chest. There was so much pain inside her that he needed her to release to him. "Maybe your feelings for me aren't as deep as I thought." He tenderly stroked her cheek.
She couldn't escape his eyes penetrating her own. She turned, trying to look away, but couldn't. Her heart quickened. "I do care," she whispered. "I care more than you could ever know." Tears filled her eyes.
"Then share your pain with me," he said, stroking her hair. "I need to know every part of you. I need to share your joys and sorrows."
A tear fell from her eye. Ken pulled her toward him, gently kissed her, and then cradled her in his arms. "I want to love you and protect you forever. I'll never let anyone hurt you again. Just let me love you."
Irene knew the sincerity of his words and how difficult it must be for him. She sensed his fear of rejection and she had to convince him of her desire to be with him, but also her fears. She looked up at him. "Ken, I can't deny my feelings for you. I'm just so afraid."
"Don't be," he said quickly. "I love and accept every part of you-- past, present, and hopefully, future with me." He cupped her face in his hands. "Tell me that you love me," he said, searching her face.
"You know I do," she whispered.
"I want to hear you say it," he insisted.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I do . . . I do love you, Ken," she choked as tears flowed freely from her eyes.
He enclosed her in his arm, kissing away the tears on her chin, cheeks, then lips. "I need you, Irene."
Before she could answer, the phone rang, jarring them both. She grabbed the phone. "Maybe it's one of the girls."
A strange expression came over her face. Ken put his head close to hers as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. The voice was raspy and almost incoherent, making it obvious that the caller was disguising his identity. Ken strained to make out the words.
"I warned you, Irene. Now you have to pay for what you've done!" the voice hissed.
An eerie feeling crept over Irene, sending chills down her spine. She looked desperately at Ken. He pointed to his wristwatch. She knew that she needed to stall for time. "What . . . what did I do?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"He's there right now with you, isn't he?"
"Who?"
"Don't play games with me, Irene."
Irene looked questioningly at Ken. He pointed again to his wristwatch.
"I'm alone," she answered.
"Liar!"
"Why would I lie to you?"
"He's there. I know he's there with you right now!"
"Who?"
"Your boyfriend!"
"No. No one is here. I'm alone."
"Don't lie to me! You know I can't stand liars."
"I'm not lying."
"Irene, listen and listen good."
"What?"
"Your days are numbered."
Her palm grew sweaty, and she almost dropped the phone. "Who are you?" she demanded.
"It doesn't matter. You've hurt too many people and you have to be stopped."
"Who have I hurt?"
"Your lies are going to stop!" he hissed.
Ken pointed to the time and gave thumbs up. "Say what you want to," he whispered. Relief flooded through Irene.
"I'm not afraid of you," she said confidently.
"You should be. You better keep a close eye on your daughters, too!"
"I know who you are."
The caller laughed sarcastically. "I don't think so."
"I know it's you, Alexander."
There was a brief period of silence, followed by the phone being slammed down. Irene quietly replaced the receiver, and then turned to Ken. He put his arm around her. "It's over."
"Why would he do this to me?" she asked. "Why?"
Ken shook his head. "I don't know."
They both turned when they heard the door slam. Seconds later Serena walked into the room. "What's the matter, Mom?" She looked at Ken, then back to her mother.
"You look like you just saw a ghost," Lita said as she joined them, throwing her jacket over the back of a chair.
"Hi, girls," Ken said.
"Hi," they answered simultaneously.
"What's going on?" Serena demanded.
"Your mother received another phone call tonight. She was able to keep him on the line so the police will be able to arrest him."
"Alexander?" Serena asked.
Ken nodded.
"I knew it was him!" Lita exclaimed.
"I hope they lock him up for the rest of his life," Serena said bitterly.
"I have to call the station," Ken said.
Irene turned her attention to her daughters. "I can't believe Alexander would do this to us."
"I can," Serena said firmly. Ken walked over to them.
Irene saw the bewildered expression on his face. "What is it?" she asked.
"Let's all sit down." He led her to the sofa. Lita and Serena sat on the love seat. All eyes focused on him.
"Irene, you need to go down to the station to sign some papers."
"Sure," she nodded.
"I'll take you in a few minutes, but first I have to tell you something."
"What?" she asked.
He shook his head in disbelief. "It's not Alexander, Irene."
"What!" she exclaimed. "But you said the call was traced to his house."
"It was," he explained. "But Alexander had nothing to do with the phone calls. It's been Stephan from the beginning."
Irene's hand flew to her mouth. "Why?"
The girls sat in stunned silence.
"I know it's difficult to comprehend. The kid must be pretty messed up, bu
"I don't think that would be a good idea, Irene."
"See if you can arrange it," she insisted.
"I'll try," he promised, "but what do you hope to accomplish?"
"I just need to know why."