"I'm not surprised you couldn't convince Emily to change her mind," Elizabeth said. "She's always been so stubborn."

"What did you really expect mother?" Theo told her in a sarcastic tone. "She has every right to hate you and you'll be lucky if she allows you to see your grandchildren at all. I mean really mother, you ignored us when we were growing up, but you were harder on Emily then on your sons. Is it any wonder that she at least resents the hell out of you now that she is an adult? How many times have you interfered in her life, even after she was grown? In trying to arrange that marriage for her, something you had to know deep down she would never agree too, you showed a complete disregard for her feelings on the matter, as you didn't even bother to ask her. She told me herself that she had no trust in you that you'd actually arrange to marry someone that she could at least get along with. She told me she'd probably murder the guy within a couple of years, as she had no doubt he'd talk politics every time they saw each other and you know how much she hates them or at least you should."

"I made a lot of mistakes, particularly with Emily," Elizabeth admitted.

"I'd say you did," Theo snorted in contempt and Elizabeth stared at her son in surprise. "The one time Emily asks to invite a friend over when she's seven years old you reacted so critically, as if it was the end of the world and so harshly she never dared approach you again, just knowing she'd be rejected just as harshly. Emily told me your exact words that I still remember to this day. Let little hooligans loose in my house, that's never going to happen. The thought probably never even occurred you to arrange some outings and invite her friends along. You acted like her friends were animals and were going to wreck the house, destroy the furniture, break the antiques." Theo remembered what his sister had told him so long ago now. "You acted like they would deliberately destroy the house mother. Emily came to me in tears, because you had been so harsh, so critical, so mean and cruel. She didn't dare ask to sleep over at the other girl's house, because she just knew you would have the same response and she couldn't take that kind of response a second time. Emily went through her entire childhood without being able to invite a friend over as were my brothers and I, but at least we had each other. Emily had no one her own age to hangout with."

Elizabeth suddenly realized the mistake she had made, even though it was far to late to be corrected. She hadn't been thinking about her children's happiness, to have friends over for a few hours once a week or so wouldn't have been too much of an imposition. She had forgotten that her four were children and they needed others to play with. It was obvious now why her daughter probably hated her and not just resented. She had reacted the same as her father had reacted when she had asked to have friends over. He had been just as harsh and critical. She had never had friends growing up, not outside of school and other activities anyway. She was surprised that Emily hadn't tried to run away. Maybe she had known that she would have been brought back likely within hours.

"You never even remembered our birthdays mother, not really. Did you or father ever wish us a happy birthday even once? Did you ever arrange a party for any of your children's birthdays? We got presents sure, but I know very well you didn't go out personally and buy them. Clothes mother, for all our birthdays. Emily always hated hers, as she always got what she hated most, a dress with plenty of lace and ruffles. It's no wonder that she hates dresses now, especially those kind."

"I can see that," Elizabeth said slumping down in her chair, feeling utterly dejected.

"You didn't pay us the attention you would a dog or any other pet. Neither one of you ever even read us bedtime stories or at least come to tuck us in to let us know you cared. I'm sure you ordered the nanny to never read us bedtime stories, because you probably thought it was too fanciful, even though children outgrow that stage in a few years," Theo continued.

"We were just told go to sleep, no story, no warm milk, just ordered to go to sleep as if that would make us sleepy. You treated us like prisoners instead of like children, mother. Our existence was extremely regulated and we were not allowed to do so many things that normal children do. Every minute of every day there was some tasks to do, even going to a museum or the zoo, wasn't much fun. I'm surprised that Emily hasn't disowned you completely, I'm sure she's thought about it more than once over the years. You treated your children like soldiers, instead of like kids who deserved to have a life, deserved to have friends their own age.

"I know you helped Emily get dressed for parties and I bet you, you never let her choose what she wanted to wear. You always seemed to believe that you know what's best. If that's the case, I'm not surprised Emily hates dresses as much as she does now. You forced us to all go to those political and business parties, when you could've just left Emily at least at home with the nanny, which would've made her much happier, but as usual, you totally ignored how unhappy she was and just dragged her kicking and screaming to them.

"If you thought I could convince her to stay in New York then you are seriously delusional, mother. I wouldn't be surprised if they decide to go somewhere overseas where you have absolutely no influence. I have no doubt that she'll move far, far away where you can't try to influence her life. If my brothers and I hadn't told you to stop you would have tried your best to change our decisions thinking that they were wrong. You can't seem to stop meddling in your children's lives, even though we are all in our 30s now, especially Emily's."

"I see that now," Elizabeth sighed. "I suppose it's much too late to try to build a closer relationship with any of you."

"With Emily, definitely, because that attempt at an arranged marriage was one step too far for her. She'll never trust you again, because of your actions mother. How many times have you betrayed her? How many times have you ignored one of your children in pain, even if that's only emotional pain, because you didn't pay attention? We didn't get normal childhood experiences. Playing with our friends, the girls having sleepovers at each others houses, having friends over to our house. Clothes for our birthday instead of toys or something fun, mother, no birthday parties, no hug or kiss on the forehead, because you loved us, no affectionate pat on the shoulder or a well done. Hell! You never even sat by our bedsides when we were very, very sick. You just left us in the care of the servants. We might've been well taken care of monetarily, but that doesn't make up for the lack of love, care and affection when we were children. The nanny was closer to us then our own parents and that ought to tell you how you failed mother and I'd tell father the same thing if he wasn't dead. I say good riddance. I mean you didn't even share dinner with us, so we could discuss what we had done that day as you and father ate later. You certainly never let us know that you cared about us either one of you, but Emily came off the worst. I know being the only girl amongst four children was hard on her, as she was very lonely for her entire childhood. She had her brothers of course, but there are some things you don't share with a male. You don't share girlish secrets with your brother after all."

"I have no doubt Emily celebrated when she went away to college that she was away from the parents who didn't show the slightest bit concern for any of their children. You think Emily is stubborn and hard headed look in the mirror."

Finally, Theo fell silent and Elizabeth stared at oldest son. She had heard some of this from her daughter when they had been planning her wedding, but now she was well aware of what Emily thought of her, likely what all her children thought. She had failed as a parent and she knew it. She had never done anything to let her children know she loved them. As Theo had said she'd regulated their every breath. It was no wonder that at least Theo and Emily resented her so much now. She couldn't really blame them either.

"You can't stop Emily from moving mother. You kind of are forcing her to, because of your attitude and your interference in her decisions. She's just been waiting for the other shoe to drop, probably ever since she came of age. I have no doubt that she's very eager to leave the political scene here in New York behind, as well as a woman who never showed her, not once, that her children were loved. My sister, just wants to live a life like she wants to. Despite your interference she met a man that adores her. I got an invitation to come and visit her and Aaron in their new home whenever I want to, something I'm sure you will not be receiving, mother. I'm looking forward to the birth of my niece, but I doubt you are. You don't have any positive emotions though, do you? I have no doubt you won't care about your granddaughter, just like you never cared about any of your children. To you, they are a way to carry on the family name and get father's inheritance, not little lives that are depending on you for support, love and protection."

"I am looking forward to it," Elizabeth protested, sounding hurt, though she knew deep down she deserved everything her son was throwing at her.

"Well, that's a surprise," Theo said sarcastically. "Emily will never believe me it if I ever tell her, as she thinks the only emotions you have are negative ones. Being hard uncompromising, uncompassionate, unloving...well, you get the idea."

"I suppose I can't blame Emily or any of my sons thinking that," said Elizabeth with a heartfelt sigh. "I made so many mistakes with her, with all of you. I did overreact all those years ago when she asked me to have a friend over. I reacted exactly like my father did when I asked to have a friend over, though I think I was nine at the time. He reacted almost exactly the same."

"While I sympathize you should've thrown out all your father's teachings," Theo said. "I'm glad I never met the man that was my grandfather."

"Emily said the same thing," Elizabeth admitted. "She said they would've been at constant loggerheads."

"That wouldn't have surprised me in the slightest, since we both know how strong willed Emily is. I have no doubt the only reason you didn't butt heads more is you were never around," Theo said, as he knew his sister and knew that her and their mother would've butted heads much more than they had, if their mother had been around more.

"Being surrounded by wealth doesn't make up for your lack of caring, your love, your attention. We weren't children to you we were soldiers," Theo told her. "Emily has the right to live her life, the way she wants and if she wants to move to the other side of the world then she has the right to do that."

Theo left a very thoughtful Elizabeth behind who was now well aware of two of her children's feelings towards her and she had no doubt the other two felt the same, but then, she also knew she deserved their scorn and derision for her lack of parenting skills when they had been young.

~~~Dave and Penelope~~~