Chapter 1
It was a strange feeling, Jim Cliff had, as he pulled into his ex-wife’s driveway, he still loved her, but he knew that his actions of the past, gave no indication of a reconciliation.
He had accepted the results of his infidelity in Rome twenty years ago. It was a moment in time, a passing second of passion, in a cause which had swept him up into an international situation of gigantic proportions.
He had loved, he had sinned, but for that moment in Rome, he had no conception of what his actions would destroy his marriage, not from the ideals of his wife, but in his heart, forever unable to cast off the feeling of beta, not only to his wife, but to the beautiful, Ava, who gave her life that he might live, a feeling which plagued him in the pass, for she had, In his moments of solitude.
There was no wiping it off the pages of eternity, not in his mind, he had been wrong in hisindiscretions with a woman, he hardly knew, throwing away his moral beliefs, for a second of passion.
Opening the door of his 2003 For Taurus, he exited and looked at the house, there were some great moments in the upstairs bedroom, but it was now a thing of the pass, she had moved on, remarried, and raised the children, who were now grown with homes of their own
He had been around to see them age into adults, gave them encouragement as often as he could see them. It was then, he remembered why he had come back to this house, a celebration of his first grandchild. Of this event, he had often thought that he was too young to be a grandfather, but he could do nothing about his daughters first child. Acceptance was the only option now. And to be happy about it, although he was not happy with the thoughts of being 45 years old, and having a grandchild. A smile came to his face, and the simple fact of having another child to love.
“Hey, Jim.” His ex-wife’s husband shouted as he came out the door of the house.
“Barry.” Jim acknowledged.
“Come on in and see the little booger, he…”
“I’m coming.” He said as he took a gift box out of the backseat.
Slowly, he moved toward the opened door, shaking the hand of his ex-wife’s husband. There were no hostile feelings on his part, he just didn’t like the man, he had taken the woman he stilled loved.
“How have you been, Jim.” His ex-wife asked as she came down the stairs holding a small bundle, wrapped in a receiving blanket.
She walked to where Jim was standing, still in the open-door frame. “This is your grandson, Peter James Dorman.”
“Peter James?” Jim said with a little surprise.
“Sara, wanted a part of you in his name.”
“That so?”
“Yes. Hold him, he is so beautiful, he has lots of hair, and…”
“I. I. may drop him.” Jim said rejecting the idea.
“My God, James Cliff, you are not going to break him.” Barry shouted.
“I know. Where’s Sara.” He asked changing the subject.
His ex-wife looked at him, “You’re the same old bastard, you’ll never change.”
“Probably not.” Jim, said nodding.
There was a long period of silence as they looked at each other, somewhat of a stalemate, causing a slight feeling of coldness in the air. It gave Jim a chance to hand the box he had brought into the house. He didn’t really care, for he knew he would be leaving in just a few minutes, and would not be back, he would visit his grandson at his daughters’ home in the future.
“What’s this?” She asked.
“Not a very big box.” Barry said.
“No.”
“Still a cheap skate.” She said sarcastically.
“Yeah, the box cost me fifty cents., but the certificate inside is a deposit on his future education.”
“Bull.” Barry said. “A five-dollar check.”
“A little more.”
“Daddy!” Sara said as came down the stairs in a silk night gown. Quickly moving to her father giving him a huge hug.
“Congratulations, my dear. I hope you and Peter are happy with little Peter James.”
“Oh, Daddy, we love him. He is so beautiful. Makes me want to have another one.”
“Wait a few months, let me get enough to give the next one the same type of gift.”
“Not changing the subject, Jim, but last week, a guy came by to see you, but we told him you were now working in Washington, sorry we didn’t have the address or your phone number.” His ex-wife told him.
“Did he say what he wanted?”
“No.”
“If it was important, he’ll get in touch with me.” Jim said as he turned around and movedtoward the door.
Turning back around he looked at his daughter, smiled, “I love you Sara, and your son. I’ll be in touch.” He said as he exited the door and walked to his car.
