A week later Blake sat at the breakfast table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. Her phone rang breaking her revere. Absently she reached for it. "Hello" She dropped the newspaper when she heard the voice on the other end of the line.
"Just what in the hell is the meaning of this Dear John letter, complete with ring in the envelope and why haven't you been to work this week?"
Blake closed her eyes tightly. "Since when have you become interested in human resources? Not that it matters, but I'm taking some personal time. I believe I have earned it."
In his office Phillip leaned back in his chair. "Alright fine, what about that letter and your ring? What does that mean?"
Blake leaned heavily against the counter. "Phillip, I can't marry you. I can't watch you become Alan. I can't watch you steal Rick's baby after he lost his wife. I will not become my mother. I can't wait to see if the next fight would mean you'd strike first. I'm sorry, but I can't."
"Well, well, Blake Lindsey has found her moral compass. How refreshing. Tell me Blake, where was that compass when you bedded my father? Better yet, where was it when you told Meredith to lie about the paternity of my child? It's awfully convenient that it shows up now."
Blake sighed. "Phillip, I wish I had done none of those things. I wish I had never seduced your father. I also wish that I had not convinced Meredith to lie to you, to Rick, to everyone. As the saying goes, if wishes were horses beggars would ride."
Phillip tapped a pen off the blotter on his desk. "We're done here. I don't really want to talk about this over the phone anyway. I will see you in the office at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Enough of this personal time." Phillip commanded. When Blake didn't respond he said her name "Blake…"
She pushed herself off the counter. "No."
"No?" He tensed the area between his eye brows. "You may have decided that I'm not fit to be a fiancé, but I am still your boss. I expect to see you by 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. If I don't, you're fired. Do you understand me, Blake? Fired. Then what will you do? Oh, I know, you'll run to Daddy and Mommy at WSPR and beg them for a job. Well, I suggest you do that pretty damn quick because if you seek employment elsewhere you will be turned away because I will make your name mud. Do you understand me?" He was furious and it was indicated in his voice.
"No, you're not, Phillip, I quit. I don't care how you sully my name. I'm used to it seeing as I am a Thorpe, what more can you do to it? You'll have my letter of resignation on your desk tomorrow morning, probably by 9." She hung up without as much as a good bye.
The next morning Blake arrived at Spaulding and was immediately stopped by a young security guard. He dialed Phillips office with one hand while holding the other in front of her as a means of detainment. He watched Blake like a hawk as he advised Phillip of her arrival, and then listened to his response.
"I understand Mr. Spaulding. Should I escort her up as well?" He asked while Blake shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Very good sir, I will make sure that I don't disappoint." The guard hiked up his pants when he hung up the phone. "Miss. Lindsey, I'm going to need you to surrender your identification badge for me." Blake assumed that word had made it all the way to the mail room that she was resigning. She fumbled around the inside of her purse, producing the badge. "Here ya go Barney" The guard looked at her with a confused look on his face. "My name is George" he told her as he handed her a badge with a purple and gold V on it. She was reduced to visitor status, no longer credentialed with executive floor privileges. "Make sure that is returned before you leave the premises."
Blake saluted him "Yes Sir Deputy Fife" as she reached the elevator bank.
When she arrived at Phillips office his secretary greeted her with an icy tone. She pressed the call button and waited for Phillip to make contact. "Mr. Spaulding, Miss Lindsey to see you."
She stood, motioning for Blake to follow her. It was as if the staff had forgotten that just a week before she had free reign on this floor and Phillips office. She pushed the heavy door open holding on to the gold door knob as she did. "Can I bring you anything Mr. Spaulding?" She asked cordially. Phillip shook his head no.
Blake stood, waiting to be asked to sit as Phillip pretended to be studying a folder on his desk. She reached into her purse presenting him with a legal sized envelope that contained her resignation letter. She slid it across the folder breaking his eye line with it. He looked up at her and grinned before picking it up, slicing it open with a letter opener. Blake continued to stand as he read each line. He set it down, never taking his eyes of her. He picked up his phone and dialed his secretary. "Would you bring me what I requested earlier please?" He leaned back, still not offering her a seat.
The secretary entered with a swagger. "Here you are Mr. Spaulding." Phillip exchanged her paper work for his. "Thank you. Please make sure that HR adds this to Miss. Lindsey's personnel file." Once she disappeared through the door Phillip finally indicated that Blake should sit.
He stared at her in silence before sliding the first layer of papers he had just received towards her. "The first is your severance package. I think you will find it very generous." He slid the second group across next. "This is your standard non-compete clause. We're asking for a year." He looked at the third and grinned. "The final set is a non-disclosure agreement. You may not discuss anything you've learned about the Spaulding Family or Spaulding Enterprises either in our personal or professional relationship." He paused before handing them over. "Blake, that includes the fact that you called off our wedding. I will have the public relations department issue a statement. I trust that you will be discreet with Holly and Roger as I do not want to see anything disparaging coming out of WSPR."
Blake signed the non-compete and non-disclosure orders without even reading them. The severance package however confused her. "Phillip, I resigned, you don't owe me a severance." Blake said, holding the paper in front of her. For the first time Phillip's face softened, showing her a glimpse of what made her fall in love with him. "Springfield is a small town. As I said yesterday you will find it difficult to find work, so I decided to make it a little easier for you. You'll also find that we paid out your vacation time, and will carry your health benefits for the same period."
Blake knew this was being done purely out of guilt, not loyalty. "Phillip, you don't owe me this."
He stood and sat on the edge of his desk. "Blake, you're right I don't, so if I were you, I'd sign it before I change my mind. She slashed the signature line with her pen before handing them to Phillip.
"Thank you" he said, heading towards the door. "We're done here." He told her. "Don't forget to return your visitors badge to security. George keeps a tight inventory on them." It was meant as a joke but Blake didn't so much as crack a smile.
Not wanting to go back to an empty house she drove to the light house. She was ready to turn and leave when a disheveled Rick with a molten faced Matthew in his arms answered the door. "Come on in" he said over the cries.
"I'm sorry I should have called first" Blake said loudly.
Rick shook his head "I wouldn't have answered. I have at least 10 messages from Dad" Rick shrugged. She followed him into the living room space. He bounced the baby causing him to scream even more loudly. Blake couldn't take her eyes of the reddish-purple face.
"Is he alright? Is that normal?" Her voice dripped with concern.
Rick frowned "He has a touch of colic. Nothing much soothes him."
Blake laid her purse on the table behind the couch. "Let me hold him. Why don't you go take a shower and run a razor over that what, a three-day beard?" She reached her hands out and wiggled her fingers.
Rick rubbed a hand over his face. "Try four." His shoulders slumped in defeat. "Alright, if you're sure. I won't be long. There is a warmed bottle on the stove. He might want to eat. "I won't be long" he said as he headed for the stairs.
Blake held the baby at arm's length studying him as he continued to cry in a continuous staccato.
"I know what you need" She went over to the stereo and looked through the CDs on the table next to it. She found the one that she heard Meredith playing while Matthew was in utero. "It calms him down" she remembered Meredith whispering dramatically to her. Blake placed the disk in the tray and hit play. Nearly immediately Matthews screaming dialed down, his face turned from purple to red and finally to pink as he settled in her arms. Blake found his pacifier and sat in the rocking chair with him. As his weight settled in her arms she studied his face, still seeing nothing of Phillip in it. He was the spitting image of Meredith, but she thought that she could find Rick in it too.
"What did you do?" Rick whispered upon his return.
Blake smiled at him. "I just remembered a little trick Meredith once shared with me." She pointed to the CD case lying on the table and then clapped eyes on the baby again. "He has changed so much, but he still looks just like her." Blake whispered solemnly "Oh Rick, I miss her" Rick reached in and gently eased the sleeping baby into his arms. He tiptoed to the bassinet placing Matthew gently inside. He barely breathed as he took a step back.
"Can I make you a sandwich or something?" Blake asked.
Rick lifted his head. "You're my guest, I should be offering nourishment to you"
"Nonsense. You're exhausted. " It wasn't her place, but she risked it. "Rick, have you thought about getting help?" He watched her move with great interest.
"I have a few weeks before I'm due back at the hospital, but I suppose I should call a few agencies" By now Blake had completed Rick's lunch and delivered it to him. He took a bite and swallowed.
"This is really good!" He said as if surprised.
Blake stopped at the foot of the bassinet on her way back to her chair. Matthew had replaced his pacifier for his hand. She wrinkled her forehead. "Rick, what about me?" She asked.
Rick took another bite "What about you?" He asked with a full mouth. He swallowed "I'm sorry, but this is so good. What about you?" He asked again.
Blake moved to the coffee table across from him. She leaned in "I could take care of Matthew."
Rick coughed, pretending to have choked on a bite of sandwich. "You? Forgive me Blake, but don't you have a full-time job and a fiancé? How do you think you can take this on too?"
She held up her left hand. "No job either." She whispered. There was a loud knock on the door, and then Matthew started to cry. Rick wasn't sure in which direction to go. Blake stood. "You go get the door; I'll get Matthew."
Rick bound up the three stairs "He's probably hungry, grab him his bottle please." He pulled the door open to reveal Phillip standing on the other side of it.
