Making Adjustments
3
Sam's ready to get back to her life. But how will Alexis react?
Sometimes it's hard to believe this is the home to two small children. There are no handprints on the wall. No residue from spit up or the unfortunate potty mishap on the carpet. There's never even so much as a throw pillow out of place. Viola looks around with a sigh, thanking God she didn't grow up in a stifled environment like this. Sometimes she feels bad for enforcing the strict rules and guidelines Alexis has set up for Kristina and Molly. But it's a job. And she's been with Kristina since she was a baby. She'd hate leave the little girl with Alexis as her only role model.
That's why she was so happy to hear about Alexis' new daughter. Shocked, but happy. Sam is the complete opposite of Alexis. She has the kind of spirit that would be good for the girls to see and emulate. Sure, it may get them into some trouble down the line. But what fun is being good all the time? How many times can a little girl go to an art museum or to a library and still claim the title of 'little girl'? Sam seems like the type to take them to a ball game or to the lake or to Chuck E. Cheese's. Sam seems like the type to encourage them to take karate as well as ballet. Or to let them watch the television every once in awhile. Maybe color in a Barney coloring book instead of a fact sheet on Animals of the Serengeti.
Not that Kristina isn't a perfectly happy and well adjusted little girl. Viola has done all she can to make sure the girl knows how to relate to other children her age and do things normal kids do. But with Sam there, she believes the girl may actually develop a normal personality.
"Good evening, Viola."
Viola looks up as the door opens, Alexis trudging inside with her arms loaded with books and files.
"You're home early," Viola notes, trying to hide her disappointment. She loves the girls. But her patience for Alexis' perfectionist attitude is starting to wear a little thin.
"I promised Sam and the girls dinner. Can you get the little ones ready? And then you can have the rest of the evening off. I'm going to go change and let Sam know we'll be leaving soon."
Alexis turns to go up the stairs, but is stopped by Viola.
"Sam's not here," she tells her. "She said she had to go out and do a few things and that she'll be back later."
"And you let her?" Alexis asks incredulously. "You just let her up and leave here? She just got out of the hospital. The last thing she needs to be doing is running around town on her own. Viola, that was very irresponsible of you. You should have at least called me."
"To tell you what? That your grown daughter decided to go out for awhile? I didn't realize I was here to be her keeper."
Viola tries to keep her tone as respectful as possible seeing as how Alexis is her employer. But she really can't believe the nerve of the woman.
"You're here to watch out for all of my children. If that's a concept too difficult for you to grasp, then perhaps you should seek employment elsewhere," Alexis snaps, the condescending tone almost too much for Viola to take.
But the image of the new car she just bought flashes in her head, causing Viola to bite her tongue. Like it or not, she needs this well paying job. Not only for the car payments, but also to keep her and her grandmother in the comfortable home they've been able to afford. So she just nods and begs forgiveness through clenched teeth.
'God don't like ugly,' she can hear her grandmother say. One of these days Alexis Davis will get what's coming to her. Viola takes comfort in the belief that one day, hopefully one day very soon, it'll happen and that she'll be there to watch.
She turns to leave the room to go get the girls ready when the sound of the door opening surprises her and stops her in her tracks. It's Sam coming home. This ought to be good. Viola finds a spot near the sofa to stand to watch this confrontation.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Sam!" Alexis runs over to the woman and wraps her arms around her, drawing groans of pain from her daughter. "Where have you been?"
"Ow. Watch it," Sam warns her, too much in pain from the unexpected hug to soften her tone. She grabs onto her back and limps over to the sofa, falling down ungracefully on it. "It's still tender. You can't just grab me like that."
"Precisely the reason why you should have never left here," Alexis argues. "Look at you. You look worse than you've been since you got here. I'm calling the doctor."
"No! Please. I'm fine. I really am," Sam tries to assure her. "I just need a few minutes for this ache to go away."
She leans her head back against the arm of the sofa and breathes deeply to settle herself. Alexis' gasp of horror makes Viola look to see what the problem is. Her own eyes widen in shock, but she's more amused than she is horrified at what she sees.
"Sam, what is that on your neck? Where have you been and who have you been with?"
Viola covers her mouth to keep the sounds of her laughter from escaping, but she can't stop her shoulders from shaking at the force of keeping in her chuckles. Sam looks up and catches her eye, realizing what's so funny and starts laughing too.
"Sam, is that a . . . is that a hickey?" she whispers, as if the word itself is taboo and prohibited from being spoken. As if saying it aloud will somehow reach Kristina's delicate mind and give her the same rebellious thoughts.
That only makes Sam laugh even harder, this time taking Viola along for the ride.
"If you must know, yes. It is a hickey. It probably came from the um . .. time I spent with Jason this afternoon."
"Time? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?" Viola asks, renewing both her and Sam's giggle fit.
"Viola, could you excuse us," Alexis angrily snaps, glaring at the woman. "I think you should get the girls and take them to Kelly's. I'll have Ric met the three of you there for dinner. It seems I need to have a conversation with my daughter."
The look in her eyes send a chill down Viola's spine. She knows that look. She fears that look. Bad things tend to happen when Alexis gets that look. Poor Sam won't know what hit her.
Viola gives her a sympathetic smile, a bit of a warning for her to be on her guard, but she can see that Sam is already wary of Alexis. Sam nervously twists a ring around her finger, a ring Viola doesn't remember seeing when Sam first moved in. She assumes it's from Jason. That definitely won't make Alexis any less angry. Suddenly, Viola feels very, very sorry for Sam. And suddenly, she's no longer curious about this confrontation between mother and daughter. In fact, she can't get away fast enough.
- - - - - - - - - -
Sam can't help but feel abandoned by the fleeing Viola. She was an ally of sorts against Alexis. Now, she's all alone. Although, she can hardly blame the nanny for leaving. The look on Alexis' face doesn't lead Sam to believe this 'conversation' will be any more pleasant than any of the other 'conversations' her and Alexis have had. She'd just as soon put it off to another day.
"I'm tired," she says with a fake yawn. "I'm going up to rest. So if we can just . . ."
"Sit down," Alexis says, her voice cold and controlled. "You're not going anywhere."
Sam lifts her eyebrow and crosses her arms defiantly across her chest. Yet, her back is aching too much to move, so she just sits there, as Alexis ordered.
"You went to see Jason? Even after he dumped you? What did you do? Go beg him to take you back? Sam, do you have any self respect? Any dignity?"
"I love Jason and Jason loves me," Sam says, defending her actions. "I don't see why we can't be together. If you don't agree . . . well, that's your choice. But this is my life and it's my choice how I live it. And I choose to spend it with Jason."
"And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" Alexis tries one last time.
"Not a thing. Jason's coming by in the morning to help me pack my things and move back home."
"Home? You call that penthouse your home?" Alexis scoffs, scrunching her nose is disdain. "Your home is here with your family. Not over there with that mobster who's going to get you killed one day."
"You just don't get it," Sam sighs. "Jason is my family. You, Alexis, are just the woman who gave birth to me and then gave me away."
"I had to, Sam. You can't be mad . . ."
"I'm not mad. And I don't hate you for that decision. I came very close to making the same decision when I was pregnant," Sam confesses. "So I understand why you had to do it and I appreciate you caring enough about me to want me to have a good life. But that's really where it ends with us. There won't ever be that mother/daughter bond between us. There won't even be a bond of friendship between us. Too much has happened with us for that to ever happen. I can try to respect you as long as you respect me. I can try to be cordial for the sake of the girls, but that's really all I can offer."
"Okay, then," Alexis says, an eerie calmness to her countenance. A slight crazed look flashes in her eyes for a moment, but when she blinks, it's gone. Sam can almost believe she only imagined it. "I guess that means this is our last night together like this. We can just sit and relax. Maybe have a cup of tea and be . . . how did you put it? Cordial."
Before Sam can agree or not, Alexis is up and in the kitchen. Sam hears dishes clanking around and almost feels sorry for the woman. Nobody likes to hear that their child wants nothing to do with them. But she can't help it. It's the truth. She and Alexis can't get back what they missed out on these past 26 years. All she can do for Alexis is to try to endure these last few more hours with the woman. Hopefully they'll be the last they'll see of each other for awhile.
She sits back and uses these moments alone to think about Jason and how different their life will be. She knows there's going to be a period of adjustment when he gets out of the business. They've already agreed she'll go away for awhile, probably to one of the islands, just to make sure she's safe.
Then there's the situation with Manny. While coming up with her list of people who might want her dead, his name was the last to occur to either her or Jason, but the more they thought about it, the more obvious it became the he was responsible for her shooting. Before he gets out, Jason intends on making sure Manny is dead once and for all. Then they can finally get on with their lives.
She looks down at the ring sparkling on her finger. Jason gave it back to her earlier that day, slipping it on her finger after they had made love.
'This is the last time this ring leaves your finger,' he said to her when the ring was returned to its rightful place on her hand.
'I promise,' she vowed. 'Don't let anyone separate us again.'
'I promise,' he whispered softly, repeating her vow and sealing it with a kiss.
She doesn't even notice Alexis return and just stand there, staring at her with that crazed look again. If she did, then she'd know to be very afraid.
- - - - - - - - - -
Her eyes closed and a gentle smile on her face, Alexis hates to disturb her. But this must be done. She has no other choice. She's Sam's mother. She has to protect her . . . no matter the cost. Why can't Sam just understand that?
"Sam," she says softly, breaking into the woman's daydreams. "The tea is ready."
She hands her a cup before taking a seat next to her with her own cup. Not knowing what to say, they just sit in silence sipping their tea.
Seconds, minutes, or even an hour later, Alexis finishes her cup, places it on the table and turns to Sam with tears in her eyes. She takes Sam's still half filled cup from the now unconscious woman and places it on the table next to her own.
She didn't want it to come to this, drugging her own daughter, but she had no choice. Sam left her with no other options. Hopefully one day she'll understand. Maybe not now, but one day. One day Sam will see that Alexis is only doing this for her good. She may not ever forgive her, but at least she'll be alive to make that decision. That's all that's important.
To be continued . . .