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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they are the property of many people besides me, including NBC and MGM entertainment. This was written without permission, but please do not sue me, as I am making no profit, and only love the idea.
Author's note: From all the positive response I received from the first one, I decided to write another. Hopefully another good one. So either enjoy...or not.
Ordinary Encounters II
Jarod
By Spectra
"Excuse me, Miss, could I sit here?"
"It's Mrs., and sure, do whatever suits you." I added underneath my breath, "everyone else does."
"What was that?" he asked, sitting down.
I looked up at him. "Oh, I'm sure you don't want to be bothered." He really was handsome, with dark hair and eyes, and that look...something about it was bothering me. Haunting, I guess you'd say. Or haunted. So he had demons of his own. I said, "It's just that everything in my life appears to be falling apart."
"I'm sorry." One look into his eyes and I knew he truly was sorry. Surprised at myself, I said, "It's my family."
The reaction I got surprised me. The man, who had only met me two minutes ago suddenly sat up, and became more interested in every word I said. It was actually kind of strange, considering we were total strangers, sitting in a subway beneath one of the largest cities in the world. However, it wasn't a bad kind of attention, just...the look in his eyes got so painful I had to look away.
He noticed, and said, "Do you want to talk about it?"
I think he thought I was looking away because I didn't know whether or not I wanted to go on. And I didn't know, either, but I said, "My husband had an affair with one of his co-workers, and we have to settle on the custody of the kids, but he's got the kids until we go to court."
Again, his reaction surprised me, because at this he withdrew and didn't speak. He seemed to focus inward, and his eyes squeezed shut, as if he were trying to get rid of a memory.
Hesitantly, I said, "I'm sorry, I knew I shouldn't have said anything, but it's just, no one really seems to understand how I feel, and I wanted to tell someone."
Suddenly he spoke, "You feel alone, confused, angry, sad, vulnerable, and betrayed." I wondered at this man who knew exactly what I was thinking, and said, "how did you know? Have you gone through divorce, too?"
He smiled thinly. "No, but my family...wasn't too close when I was growing up. A lot of lies were told to me by people I trusted, and they betrayed that trust." He fell silent again.
I sat silently for a minute or two, then said, "I didn't mean to gripe, but, Michael and I seemed so happy. And then, to find out like I did, it just was devastating. And the kids don't understand, they think that we don't love them, but it wasn't their fault."
He interrupted me. "How'd he even get temporary custody?"
I laughed bitterly. "He had a better, more expensive lawyer who used the fact that I'd been an alcoholic to create a story with my nearly-ex-husband as the victim. But I haven't touched the stuff in six years, not since I was pregnant with Alex! They made it look like I had been buying alcohol secretly, and the judge bought it."
He leaned forward again. "What's your name? I'll try to help."
I laughed again, "What are you? Some kind of police officer?"
"No, but I am a lawyer." I thought I heard him mutter something under his breath, but when I asked him, he said nothing. I'm still not convinced, though, because it sounded a lot like, "sort-of." That made me nervous, but I gave him my name anyway. I was pretty sure he could be trusted. Of course, my judgement in character isn't the greatest, as illustrated by my choice for a husband, but this man, he was so straightforward, I was sure of him, at least.
"Anne Gordon. That is, until the divorce is finalized. I'm not sure whether I'm keeping the name or not." I smile ruefully. "And your name is...?"
"Jarod," he said, taking my hand. "Don't worry, we'll get your kids back."
And I believed him.
Author's note: From all the positive response I received from the first one, I decided to write another. Hopefully another good one. So either enjoy...or not.
Ordinary Encounters II
Jarod
By Spectra
"Excuse me, Miss, could I sit here?"
"It's Mrs., and sure, do whatever suits you." I added underneath my breath, "everyone else does."
"What was that?" he asked, sitting down.
I looked up at him. "Oh, I'm sure you don't want to be bothered." He really was handsome, with dark hair and eyes, and that look...something about it was bothering me. Haunting, I guess you'd say. Or haunted. So he had demons of his own. I said, "It's just that everything in my life appears to be falling apart."
"I'm sorry." One look into his eyes and I knew he truly was sorry. Surprised at myself, I said, "It's my family."
The reaction I got surprised me. The man, who had only met me two minutes ago suddenly sat up, and became more interested in every word I said. It was actually kind of strange, considering we were total strangers, sitting in a subway beneath one of the largest cities in the world. However, it wasn't a bad kind of attention, just...the look in his eyes got so painful I had to look away.
He noticed, and said, "Do you want to talk about it?"
I think he thought I was looking away because I didn't know whether or not I wanted to go on. And I didn't know, either, but I said, "My husband had an affair with one of his co-workers, and we have to settle on the custody of the kids, but he's got the kids until we go to court."
Again, his reaction surprised me, because at this he withdrew and didn't speak. He seemed to focus inward, and his eyes squeezed shut, as if he were trying to get rid of a memory.
Hesitantly, I said, "I'm sorry, I knew I shouldn't have said anything, but it's just, no one really seems to understand how I feel, and I wanted to tell someone."
Suddenly he spoke, "You feel alone, confused, angry, sad, vulnerable, and betrayed." I wondered at this man who knew exactly what I was thinking, and said, "how did you know? Have you gone through divorce, too?"
He smiled thinly. "No, but my family...wasn't too close when I was growing up. A lot of lies were told to me by people I trusted, and they betrayed that trust." He fell silent again.
I sat silently for a minute or two, then said, "I didn't mean to gripe, but, Michael and I seemed so happy. And then, to find out like I did, it just was devastating. And the kids don't understand, they think that we don't love them, but it wasn't their fault."
He interrupted me. "How'd he even get temporary custody?"
I laughed bitterly. "He had a better, more expensive lawyer who used the fact that I'd been an alcoholic to create a story with my nearly-ex-husband as the victim. But I haven't touched the stuff in six years, not since I was pregnant with Alex! They made it look like I had been buying alcohol secretly, and the judge bought it."
He leaned forward again. "What's your name? I'll try to help."
I laughed again, "What are you? Some kind of police officer?"
"No, but I am a lawyer." I thought I heard him mutter something under his breath, but when I asked him, he said nothing. I'm still not convinced, though, because it sounded a lot like, "sort-of." That made me nervous, but I gave him my name anyway. I was pretty sure he could be trusted. Of course, my judgement in character isn't the greatest, as illustrated by my choice for a husband, but this man, he was so straightforward, I was sure of him, at least.
"Anne Gordon. That is, until the divorce is finalized. I'm not sure whether I'm keeping the name or not." I smile ruefully. "And your name is...?"
"Jarod," he said, taking my hand. "Don't worry, we'll get your kids back."
And I believed him.
