Author's Notes: Thanks so much for such a sweet welcome back : ) It's so nice to be reminded about how warm and supportive everyone is. Thank you!
"Love Letters"
Chapter 7
The fare had been going for most of the day, showing no signs of tiring. With the sun setting low, children who had just finished school came to the town square with their parents trailing behind.
Food stands and game booths marked the square, each one decorated with blue and red balloons, adding to the festive atmosphere. Sweet scent of crepes and croissant filled the air, along with the aroma of French fries, croque monsieur and quiche.
Max paused mid-way a stride, letting a three year old boy run by. He was eager to take his turn on the miniature golf and get a prize if he put the ball inside the hole. His mom, pushing a stroller with a baby sleeping inside, trailed behind him with an apologetic, but amused, smile.
The teenage crowd tried their luck around the rock climbing, hi-striker and basketball stands. Some had also ventured in one of the large blown-up bouncers; Max admitted that she would have liked to try that as well.
Logan rolled beside Max, eyeing the carnival with a wary expression. There were too many people for his liking. He looked around but saw no signs of Thomas and Helene. Rolling his wheels back so the wheelchair pivoted to face Max, Logan asked, "Wanna have some crepes, Max?"
At a booth behind Logan, Max saw an elderly woman in a loose white shirt. She was cooking on a circular hot plate, using a tool that looked like a squeegee to spread the batter thinly onto the plate without making a hole. The butter she put on the top melted easily in the heat while the sugar she sprinkled reminded Max of a white sand beach during a sunny day. Max licked her lips, "You buyin'?"
Logan looked around the crowded picnic tables, "Only if you find us a place to sit down."
Max grinned, "You got a deal! I want one of those with butter and sugar."
Max looked around, noting no vacant tables. She scanned the area one more time before approaching a couple of teenage boys who were loitering. Both immediately noticed her, "Hey, baby. How's it going?"
Max stared down at both of them, hip cocked to the side, waiting. When they didn't move, Max cleared her throat, "Scoot! You boys are done here."
With disappointed scowls, they trudged away, mumbling things Max didn't bother listening too. She sat on the wooden bench, searching for Logan; he was still the third person behind the line.
Sighing, Max took an envelope from her backpack and re-read some of the materials Logan found about Benjamin Leroux. The most recent article was published last month on Lifestyle Magazine. There was a picture with Benjamin Leroux, his wife Madeline, and their two teenage children. It was a summer edition so the family was dressed casually, sitting in their garden patio and enjoying a glass of lemonade. The caption read: At home with Premier Leroux.
Celebrating his third year as the province's MP, Premier Leroux is hopeful that the work he's doing is making lives easier for Canadians. "We are now experiencing the kind of quality of life that is closest to what we had before the Pulse happened. Although employment continues to be a major focus of our party, we are proud to bring families a much more affordable health care, child care and education." Even official opposition parties have expressed their respect for Premier Leroux whose sincere and tireless efforts have made the province a place where families choose to raise their families. "I love my children dearly, and they inspire me to do the best job I can."
Premier Leroux started his career as a lawyer representing marginalized populations in our inner-cities. An heir to a large fortune, Premier Leroux concentrated his efforts working pro-bono with immigrant families. He was a strong advocate in pushing for legislations that protect the rights of immigrants who come to Canada to work in the factory and domestic arenas.
Logan came and transferred himself on the bench. Max looked at him with sadness in her eyes. "I don't understand it, Logan. How can this man, who's supposedly doing all this amazing things, have abandoned his pregnant wife?"
Logan handed Max a crepe wrapped in wax paper. Gently rubbing his knuckles against her cheek, Logan responded, "I don't know, Max."
Hopeful, Max asked, "Maybe we got it wrong? Maybe he's the wrong Benjamin?"
Shaking his head, "No, Max. I think it's him. The timeline on the love letters match, and he looks very much like Helene."
Sadness turned quickly to anger, "So what, these immigrant women he's supposedly helping are good as charity cases? But when he got one of them knocked up, they're not good enough to marry?"
"Max!" Logan said sharply before putting on a smile for the family approaching them.
Max whipped her head around, seeing Thomas and Helene; they exchanged greetings. Jackie was on her feet, taking tentative steps towards them. Her arms were stretched out, either for balance or in seeking someone to catch her should she fall.
Jackie went straight to Logan, holding on to his knees and giving him a grin. Logan chuckled, "Hey, you did a good job."
Jackie giggled and Helene picked her up, setting her on the table in front of Max. "Yeah, she's a show-off. She just started walking a month ago, and she loves the attention."
Making open-close hand movements, Jackie reached out to Max. Realizing what the baby wanted, Max tore a piece of crepe and blew on it, ensuring that it had cooled down before handing it to Jackie.
"Thanks, Max." Helene sat down beside Logan.
Thomas brought drinks for everyone and settled them on the table, sitting beside Max. "How's it going, you two?"
They chatted for a while about the past and present, telling stories about how each couple met, and funny anecdotes that kept them together. Thomas claimed that meeting Helene on a blind date set up by a friend was not as exciting as Max breaking into Logan's apartment. They talked about the college days when Thomas and Logan were a force to be reckoned with, and how they had both became devoted and loyal men. Max and Helene faked gagging, rolling their eyes and telling the two men to "Shove it!" They also told tales of their adventures for Eyes Only, and how Thomas wished he could meet him because he admired the work he did.
Finally, Logan looked at Helene, handing her the envelope and squeezing her shoulder for support. "We found something about your dad."
Helene's eyes darted between Logan, Max and Thomas. She held her husband's eyes the longest, seeking reassurance. He smiled, taking Jackie off the table and placing her on his lap to give Helene some room. "Go ahead."
Helene read the documents, passing each paper to Thomas as she finished reading each one. She was silent, almost expressionless, as she went through the file.
This spring, Premiere Leroux came back to his Alma matter to receive a Governor General Award for Excellence. In the audience, his wife and children sat proudly. In his speech, he stated, "Almost thirty years ago, I stood on this stage as I graduated from Osgood Law School. At that time, I promised my fellow graduates that I would make them proud and uphold good citizenship. I am quite honored to be here today to receive this award."
Thomas increasingly became upset, stopping to read as he crumpled one of the pages and threw it on the floor, "That lying bastard!"
Jackie sensed the tense atmosphere, her big hazel eyes watering. When she heard her father's yell, she burst out crying.
Helene pressed her lips together, taking deep breaths as she collected herself. "Thomas, watch your language, you're upsetting the baby."
She stood up and Thomas met her halfway, hugging her close as Jackie continued to wail between them. He whispered something in her ear, and the first visible sign of her upset became evident as tears fell. She leaned in her husband's embrace, wiping the tears off his shoulder.
"I'm okay." Stepping back, she took Jackie in her arms. In a motherly tone, Helene cooed, "Baby, don't cry. Shhhhh…it's okay. Wanna go on the swing?" Kissing her daughter on the cheek, she added, "Shhhh…come on, we'll go play."
When Thomas followed her, she shook her head. "You stay. I'm just gonna settle Jackie and come back."
Thomas sat back down. He confided, "I didn't want her to go looking for her father. We've got a good family; she doesn't need him for anything."
Sensing that Thomas would appreciate a private time with Logan, Max slid off the bench. "I'm going to see if Helene needs help."
Both men nodded.
Thomas continued, "I was afraid something like this would happen. I think she got hopeful, that maybe her dad loved her mom…the love letters were quite passionate."
Logan clapped his friend's shoulder, "I'm sorry."
"I hate seeing her hurt. If I knew it won't hurt her more if I hunt that bastard down, I'll do it, Logan."
Max crossed the street to a small park lighted by moonlight and street lamps. Max had her hands in her front pockets as she walked towards Helene who was pushing Jackie on the swing. "Hey. Are you okay?"
Helene nodded, but her agreement was contradicted by a tear that rolled on her cheek. "Yeah. Thanks." When more tears fell, she sighed. "I thought I was going to be okay. Thomas and I talked about it before we asked Eyes Only to look into my father's identity. I told him I was curious, that was all."
Max agreed, "I would be curious too, if I were you." She bent down to pick up a bootie that slid off Jackie's tiny foot.
Shaking her head, Helene admitted, "Thomas didn't want me to look for my dad. He was mad at him, you see, for leaving me. But I wanted to find out…and now I have. My father is this wonderful family man who has an influential political career. It would have been easier if he was a bad person, and he left us. But according to those articles…"
Helene wiped the stray tears, sniffling as she walked behind the swing so the baby wouldn't see her cry. "I got hopeful…when I read the love letters, I thought he really loved mama. And me…he knew about me, Max."
Max, unsure of how to comfort Helene, allowed her to continue talking. She hoped that she was doing enough by listening.
"I don't understand how he could be this wonderful man and leave us."
Helene continued to push the swing lightly as Jackie clapped her hands with glee. "I'm happy, Max. I've never wanted for anything, you know? Mama gave me everything I needed. More, even. I think she always wanted to compensate for my father being absent in my life. It shouldn't matter that he left me, I shouldn't care that he doesn't love me. But it does matter, and I do care." Helene gave Max a watery smile, "Silly, huh?"
Max felt Helene's pain, having lived her entire life wondering how her own mother could leave her at Manticore. She didn't know how to help Helene, so she instinctively did what she would have wanted someone to do for her. She stepped closer, giving Helene a comforting hug. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you, Max."
Max nodded, sitting on one of the swings with a loop and lightly pushing herself with her toes. "I've always thought that my…my mother left me too, but recently I found out that she didn't. Having that knowledge didn't change my life, but at the same time, it changed everything about it. Do you know what I mean?"
Startled at the revelation, Helene looked at Max "Do you think I should go to my father, ask him why he left?"
"I won't tell you what to do…but if I ever find out where my mother and siblings are, I will be at their front steps, knocking on their doors. But that's just me."
Helene was silent for a while, being soothed by her daughter's gleeful squeal as she tried to reach up to the sky. "I wish it's that easy, Max."
Max replied, "Why can't it be?"