Chapter 10
The next evening they sat through two hours of out of tune children but it didn't detract from how cute they all were. Hannah and Katie executed their parts perfectly and Samantha, Jack and Maria beamed with pride; even if they did make a bit of an odd trio.
They went for some refreshments in a classroom and waited for the girls to come out.
"Mrs Malone!" a small, bookish-looking lady came up to Maria apace.
"Mrs Walters, how are you?" Maria said.
"Oh, out of breath as always running around here all night. Hannah and Katie insisted that I met their father, I take it this is him?" She said looking expectantly at Jack and looking somewhat confused at Samantha's place in the family tree.
"Jack Malone, it's a pleasure to meet you. You must be the principal; I've heard the girls talk about you." Jack extended his hand to her and she shook it so violently Samantha expected it to fall off.
"All good things I hope!" She said, looking slightly worried.
"Oh yes, always good, I promise. May I introduce you to my girlfriend, Samantha Spade."
"Hi, pleased to meet you. Congratulations, the pageant was wonderful; it was obvious everyone put a lot of effort into it." Samantha said as she had her hand shaken equally as violently.
"Oh thank you dear. So you are the famous Samantha that the girls always talk about."
"I don't know about famous…" Samantha said blushing.
"Well you're quite the celebrity in their eyes I assure you."
Samantha couldn't help but beam, but it was clear that Maria was less than impressed.
Just then the girls arrived.
"Samantha come and see my classroom." Katie exclaimed grabbing her hand and pulling her forward.
"I want her to see my classroom first." Hannah got her other hand.
"Ok you guys. I want to see both your classrooms. Ok, whose is closest?" Samantha said overwhelmed as the principal and Jack laughed at their enthusiasm. Maria looked on with venom.
"Mine!" Katie cried out and both girls pulled her away.
"Take it easy you guys, you'll split her down the middle!" Jack called after them, shaking his head.
A woman appeared and began to talk to Maria. Mrs Walters led Jack over to some chairs at the side of the room. It was clear that she had something to say.
"Mr Malone, I hope you're not going to be offended by what I'm about to say but….may I speak freely?" she said, nervously ringing her hands.
Jack nodded, "Of course, go ahead."
"Well, I can see that your situation is a difficult one. What I mean is that there seems to be a lot of bad feeling and I'm sure that your separation from the children has been as difficult for you as it has been for them. Let me be clear, I'm not interested in parental popularity contests but I feel I should tell you that it has come to my attention that your ex-wife has been badmouthing Miss Spade. Not to the children, to some of the other parents, branding her as some kind of home-wrecker."
Jack took a deep breath, resisting the urge to get up and rip Maria's throat out.
"I don't want to appear to be telling tales on your ex-wife, especially when she's new to the area. However, I wanted you to know that the girls are delightful and have settled in here wonderfully considering what a wrench it's been for them to be away from you. They seem extremely attached to you and Miss Spade, you are all they talk about."
Jack smiled.
"Thank you ma'am. It has been difficult and I have to thank you for your honesty. There is a little truth in it, I did have an affair with Samantha while Maria and I were still married but I fell in love with her. I went back to Maria for the girl's sake but by then I was too much in love with Samantha for it to work. I'm glad they have you in their corner."
"If there is one thing I have learned after twenty years in this school, children are resilient Mr Malone. They can get over things like you wouldn't believe, trust me. As for whatever else may be going on my main concern is them and they are blossoming into fine individuals."
Jack nodded and they both stood up.
"If you'll excuse me, it was nice to meet you both finally. Please feel free to call me anytime for an update on their progress."
"I will thank you very much."
As they drove back to the hotel, Samantha gabbed on about the guided tour she had gotten from the girls. Apparently they had shown her every inch of the school. As Jack watched the road, what the principal had told him about Maria was still bothering him. He shook his head and it bothered him that he didn't know who she'd become.
"Have you been listening, Jack?" Samantha broke off what she was saying, aware he wasn't listening.
"Yep, posters about animal rights."
"Very good, what's up honey?"
He thought about his answer. He wondered if he should tell her. It would only upset her, he thought, so he lied.
"I have indigestion."
"Oh dear, that's ok I have some tums in my wash bag."
He sighed, having lied to her and made up his mind to have it out with Maria the next day.
After a restless night's sleep which Samantha had automatically put down to the indigestion he had claimed to have, they took the girls out to the movies.
When they dropped them off, they both insisted on giving Samantha once again the guided tour of the house.
Jack went out back to find Maria on the deck doing paperwork in the sunshine, obviously not wanting to cross paths much with Samantha.
"Hey, "he said, squinting at the bright sun.
"Hey yourself. Where are they?"
"Upstairs giving Samantha the guided tour."
"Well isn't that peachy." She said sarcastically, Jack frowned.
"All right Maria, that's enough." He said coming around to face her.
She was taken aback and looked at him, her eyes flashing with rage.
"No it's not; it will never be enough to make up for what she did."
"She did nothing. It was my choice, I pursued her. Yeah, she knew I was married but she also knew I was far from happy. Jesus, Maria, we hadn't been happy well before Samantha even got transferred to my unit. I can handle you blaming me, I'll take it because I deserve it, but she doesn't. Don't you see how desperate you seem? I had to hear from a complete stranger that you're badmouthing her all over town like a high school kid. Grow up."
She had stood up now, her fists clenched, looking like she could hit him at any moment.
"Don't you tell me what to think, how to feel or how you think I should be handling this. All right, fine; I'll admit it. She's younger, blonder and suits you more than I ever did and yes, it kills me to see that the girls love her so much. One night after a bottle of wine, I may have mentioned her to some of the other parents. Not my finest hour perhaps but like she's never said a bad word about me."
"Not to me she hasn't and certainly not in the vicinity of our children. Do you know that a couple of weeks ago, Katie didn't want to come back here? Samantha sat with her and told her that if she didn't come back here that you would be sad and that you'd miss her too much if she stayed with us. Don't you see? She just wants to be with me, that's it. She's put up with a lot. She knows what you think of her and probably what you're saying about her judging by some of the frosty looks she got last night. She's never said a word."
Maria softened in a small way.
"I appreciate the effort she has made with the children but don't ask me to fall in love with her."
"You don't have to love her but you don't have to hate her either. In the end what happened between us was about us and no-one else. Let it go and move on. Please Maria, I hate what we've become.
"You mean what I've become." She said bitterly, looking away from him.
He lingered a moment and went back inside the house. As he walked through the kitchen Samantha emerged from the living room and looked towards the screen door at Maria who was crying. She had heard every word. It was shocking to hear Jack talk to her like that and it was equally shocking to hear her confess to badmouthing her.
In the cab on the way to the airport they were silent. Jack was debating whether or not to tell Samantha about his and Maria's conversation. Meanwhile Samantha was debating whether or not to tell Jack about the fact that she'd heard everything.
"I was uh -" They both spoke together and then laughed nervously.
"You go first baby," Jack said chivalrously.
"I just wanted to say that I overheard what happened at the house. Not eavesdropping, I promise. But I appreciated you sticking up for me like that. You didn't have indigestion last night, did you?"
Jack looked at her sheepishly and shook his head as she nodded at his admission.
"I didn't know how to tell you." He admitted.
"That's ok, "She said reaching across to rub her hand up and down his leg reassuringly.
He shivered and said in a lowered tone, "Stop that!"
She smiled and stopped resting her hand on his and sighing as she looked out of the window at the approaching airport.