When I reach Phillip's room, I walk inside. He is sitting at his desk writing his cursive alphabet out on paper. When my child notices me in the door he stands, pushes his desk chair in, and opens the door wider so I can walk in. I sit on his bed and he sits next to me. "What were you doing to those sheets, mother?" He questions me.
He takes after his father when it comes to his words, "I was throwing them away because there was an awfully big hole in them."
"Where is Father?" He ask me next.
"Your father did something very wrong, so he is not aloud to see me right now, okay Phillip."
"What did he do?"
"Well," I think for a moment, "he kissed another woman."
"Father said that he 'penetrated your love by having sex with another woman.'"
"Is that what he said?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Will you excuse me for a moment, Phillip?"
"Yes, I'm going to finish my cursive alphabet!"
"That is great honey!"
I walk down the hall to the creaky wooden stairs. As I run down the stairs, I think of how I am going to yell at Alexander. I walk down the hallway to his office and barge in. "You told our 10 year old child that you 'penetrated our love by having sex with another woman'?"
"He wasn't supposed to tell you that." Alexander states defensively, as if that is going to help his case any.
"You still told our child that you had sex with another woman?"
"Yes, I thought he was old enough."
"You know when I learned about this stuff? When I was 14, and I had a good reason to learn it. You told our 10 year old that you had sex with someone that isn't me. You told him that you did it anyway. He wasn't supposed to learn that, but you told him everything!!!"
"Whoa, everything? He doesn't know what it actually is."
"Whatever, Alexander. You can just shut up." I walk out of his office and to the bathroom. I look in the medicine cabinet below the sink. I find a bottle that has the most pills in it. I take the bottle back to my room. I sit down at my little desk in my room and write:
Dear Angelica,
By now, you have probably heard what Alexander has done. Since I know you are in town, I need you to pick up the children right away so I can take care of the mess that Alexander made. You are all the help I need right now, and I assume John is willing to help with the children if you can't handle it. Thank you for helping me out in my time of need.
Love, Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton
I put it in an envelope and write down her address and mine. I lick the envelope closed. Once that is done, I look at the pills. I don't need to do this I think. I set the pills down on my dresser and walk back to Phillip's room. "Phillip, it's time to go to bed."
He gets up from his desk and hops into his bed. I give him a kiss on the forehead, "Goodnight, my child."
"Goodnight Mother." He says, and I blow out his candle.