The Riverton Golf Club was an exclusive place. Membership included politicians, celebrities, and elite businessmen. Both Senator Lytle and Congressman Reynold’s were members. Many of the military personnel and local businessmen held meetings there, but if you didn’t have a membership you did not get in the front doors unless you were invited and a security guard stood watch at the entrance to protect the privacy of the guests. You had to give your name to the front desk where they checked the list to see if you had been added, and then show proper identification. Julie knew the ropes and easily walked Monica through it all.
It was impressive if not a bit intimidating. Monica loved to golf. And the course she had passed upon driving in had been breathtaking with spectacular views of the ocean. It rivaled any golf course she and Victor had played on.
As they walked through the imposing lobby on the way to the dining area, she could see why these places cost an arm and a leg. It most certainly was a hangout for politicians, the wealthy, and other golf aficionados.
The restaurant inside the sprawling facility that sat on 50 acres of pristine grounds overlooked a large portion of the course. The windows, she presumed must be bullet proof, or at the very least golf ball proof. But it was still spectacular.
“This place is amazing!” Monica whispered, afraid to disturb the other guests. She was glad she was appropriately dressed. Julie had picked up Monica at her hotel dressed smartly in a designer blouse and skirt.
“Yes, it is. The design team did a stellar job.” Stellar was an understatement, but nonetheless, it was a treat to be there with Julie. And, Monica really did like Julie. She had been a lot of fun.
They were already seated when Senator Lytle arrived with Congressman Percy Reynolds. Fiona had not arrived yet.
“Fiona is still joining us, I hope,” he asked as he pulled out his chair and motioned for the girls to stay seated.
Monica saw Julie check her phone for a text message for the fifth time. It was clear her relationship with the other woman was strained. Both of them had been kidnapped by the same group of human traffickers. Julie’s father had used his political influence to get the SEAL team Cookie worked on to perform the rescue. She also knew Fiona had been a captive for months while Julie’s captivity had been brief.
Julie admitted that she had been so anxious to get out of captivity, and due to her sheer panic during the rescue when the SEAL team arrived, she hadn’t alerted them to the presence of another woman. And that other woman had been Fiona.
That alone explained why their relationship was estranged. To allow someone to be left behind. Well, it sounded so wrong. But being a rape survivor herself, Monica knew each woman’s reaction could be different. Would be different. And you didn’t blame the victim.
Fiona and Julie’s abduction had been the fault of her abductors and no one else. Survivors had to learn to place the blame where it belonged, but for a long time both of them took that horrible emotion upon themselves.
Monica had also put two and two together and knew Julie had probably piloted this Rape Crisis Clinic project as a way to make amends. True, it wasn’t just for Fiona, but for all women in this type of situation. But Fiona was a big part of it.
“She said she would be here.” Julie’s father reached across the table to hold his daughter’s hand. He must sense her unease with Fiona. His small action made Monica miss her own father. He had been sensitive that way too and had been good at providing emotional support.
Monica glanced across the table and saw Congressman Reynolds kept looking towards the door. The man seemed anxious for some reason.
“So Congressman, may I ask you a question?” Monica asked to get his attention and noticed he reluctantly turned to her.
“Sure, Mrs. Ciccone. What would you like to know?” He gave her his full attention though he had been hoping the other young woman would be here before they began to chat. When he met her two evenings ago, Fiona had rocked him. Seeing her face, her features brought the past hurtling back. It made him remember things long forgotten. The painful secret he had kept for nearly thirty years. She looked exactly like the girl he had fallen in love with before he had gone off to college in Massachusetts. She was the spitting image of the young gypsy girl he had met in Nevada.
“I know you came to the opening of the Rape Crisis Clinic as a guest of the senator. But I’m curious as to why you want to get involved?”
“I’m always looking to help my constituents.” He noticed the svelte brunette was not satisfied with his answer so he continued. “I only moved to California ten years ago, but I am originally from Nevada. I was elected to office there and moved here to help my aging parents. Politics has been in my blood since I can remember. My father served in various offices for over 30 years before he retired. When he retired, I ran for his office. I followed in his footsteps. I was expected to. But I do love really the work I do. Serving others. That’s why I have so much respect for the military.”
“Good answer,” Fiona stated. She had surprised them all with her sudden appearance.
Both of the men rose quickly and Congressman Reynold’s pulled out the chair next to him for Fiona. She was seated between Julie and Percy.
“I’m so glad you could make it.” His words were sincere when he spoke, and Monica couldn’t help but notice a nervous glance pass between the congressman and the senator. She wondered what that was about.
“I am too. This clinic is very important to our community. Both Julie and I are survivors as is Monica, but here in Riverton there was no place for us to get the help we needed. There were doctors on base who helped us, but for group therapy and the support we needed from other survivors, we both had to go out of town for that.”
Monica was surprised to hear Fiona speak so candidly. So far from what she’d seen, Fiona kept things very close to the vest. But in Monica’s teaching experience and through her own experiences, she knew healing happened when you could talk about what happened and when you helped others. She was glad to see Fiona was on the mend.
The congressman’s eyes were very sympathetic. “I can’t even begin to know what you women went through, but I do want to help. If using my name and the $25,000 annual donation I would like to give to the clinic will help, then I want you to use me.”
“Oh my goodness! Congressman, that’s just so generous,” Julie stated, startled at the sizable donation.
“And that’s not all I want to do. Whenever you have an event, I’d love to be included and I promise to bring in other supporters for you and the benefactors.”
“Congressman, again, thank you.” Julie was elated. This was her biggest single donor yet, and his gift would be recurring, too.
“Yes, thank you so much,” reiterated Fiona. “That money will help a lot of women.”
Senator Lytle spoke next. “Percy, tell them why.”
Congressman Reynolds cleared his throat. He was more nervous now as evidenced by his shaking hands as he lifted his glass of water to take a sip.
“My friend confided in me last night and I know how he can meander. But he has something to tell you, especially Fiona.” The senator was encouraging the congressman to go on.
Julie looked from her father to the congressman. Something was up. What was going on, she wondered, and what did the congressman have to say to Fiona? Before she could voice her concerns, he began to speak.
“I have a confession to make to you ladies today. And for the last 48 hours, my life has been turned upside down. I haven’t spoken about this in well over25 years.”
Monica exchanged a confused look with Julie and sensed something big was about to happen. Fiona’s hands fluttered nervously in her lap.
“But, please don’t be frightened girls,” the senator put it. “This is Percy’s story, and I want you to know that what Percy is going to tell you came as a shock to me as well. Frankly, I couldn’t believe it when he told me. Then he showed me pictures and I can’t deny what I’m seeing.”
“Pictures?” squeaked Fiona as she looked to Julie for clarification.
Julie just shook her head in the negative.
All eyes were on the congressman. He began. “When I was just a young man, fresh out of school, I spent the summer with some friends in Vegas and there I met a woman.”
Fiona gasped and sat back in her chair. Dawning came to her then. She’d noticed him at the gala and felt a strange connection. It had been the eyes. His eyes. Her eyes.
“I didn’t rape anyone if that’s what you’re thinking.” The congressman had no idea what Fiona was thinking, but her body language spoke volumes.
“No, it’s not what I was thinking.” Julie reached for Fiona’s hand and Fiona let her take it.
“What is this about congressman? Daddy, you’re scaring my friend, Fiona, and frankly, you’re scaring me too.” Julie was at a total loss. Fiona suspected.
“I don’t have solid proof but I think . . .” The congressman’s voice broke and his hand shook as he pulled a photo from inside his jacket pocket. He held out the picture to Fiona and with trembling hands she took it. “I think. . .you’re. . .my daughter.”
Julie gasped and Fiona, who had never known who her father was, stared down at a photograph of her mother. Her mother had died of an accidental drug overdose. She had been an addict who neglected her only child most of her life.
“Why? Why do you have this picture of my mother?” Fiona’s voice broke. But inside she knew. Had suspected it even before she had said the words.
He reached into his vest pocket again and pulled out another photograph. Julie took the thin strip this time as Fiona was shaking her head, clearly overwhelmed by the entire situation.
Julie held the photo up for Fiona to see and it was a picture of the same girl and this time a much younger Percy. Both were smiling, and appeared happy and in love in the four images. It was a strip of pictures from one of those photo booths. In the pictures, the young couple was making a series of silly faces, but in the last one, the young couple was embracing and staring into each other eyes. The expression on their faces was one of young love.
“I don’t understand. I don’t understand,” Fiona repeated. Her words were breathy and Julie was worried about her.
She squeezed Fiona’s trembling hand. “Please explain, congressman. My friend here deserves the truth.”
He sighed heavily. It was hard to remember all he had lost. “That was my last summer of freedom before I was sent off to college. That’s where I met your father.” He spoke those words to Julie but then he was looking at the girl named Fiona who looked just like the girl he had fallen in love with all those years ago. The girl his parents wouldn’t let him be with because she wasn’t one of them. She wasn’t blueblood enough. She was the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. A girl who had shown him fun and excitement and taught him to live every day like it was your last. He’d forgotten to do that a long time ago.
The girl by his side was definitely her daughter except for the eyes. Those eyes, full of tears, looking at him were identical to his. In the moment when he first laid eyes on her at that gala, he knew he had found the daughter he didn’t even know existed until that very moment. And that’s why he was here now telling her about his secrets.
“You have my eyes,” he told her.
“Why?” She said the word tonelessly. She was in shock. It was all too much.
“I didn’t know she was pregnant when I left. Please believe me. I loved her, but my parents convinced me they knew better and I was too young to give up Harvard for a girl. They convinced me I needed to stay the course and finish my schooling. I came back for her though, and tried to find her but I couldn’t. I searched. But she was gone.”
Fiona’s finger traced the image of her mother. She didn’t have any photos of her mom. Only memories. It would be nice to have one of her smiling. Her mother’s face had nearly faded from her memory. “I don’t know much about that time. My mom moved to New Mexico when I was just a toddler. She never married. She was a drug addict. She died when I was just a kid and she had no family that I knew of. That’s why I went into foster care, and later group homes.”
“God, I’m so sorry, Fiona.” The expression on the congressman’s face was pained. All these years, he had a daughter. A daughter who needed him desperately and he hadn’t known. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to accept me, but I want you to know I’d like to be in your life, if you’d let me.”
More than anything. He was lonely. Had always wanted children, but his life had been so full and so busy there hadn’t been time. And he hadn’t been able to find a woman to share his life. Well, no one like Corrine. Fiona’s mother.
“I don’t know. I don’t know.” She was still staring at the photo. Lost in the past. Thinking about her mom. Those memories were painful.
Julie gave her friend’s arm a gentle pat. “Congressman, my friend has been through a lot and you’re going to need to give her some time to process this.”
He’d expected as much. “I completely understand. She can have all the time she needs. And if any of you have any questions, just ask.”
Fiona spoke again. “My mind tells me it’s not your fault, but Julie is right. This is a lot to process.”
“I understand.” He cleared his throat, hope rising within him that she hadn’t flat out rejected him. “You look like her. Your mom. It’s how I recognized you.”
“C-can, I keep the photo?” she asked. “If it’s your only . . .”
“No, please do. I have others. I can send them to you. But, I’d like a copy of that one sometime.”
Fiona nodded, still staring blankly at the images before her. It was a quiet, poignant moment. It wasn’t every day you met your father for the first time.
The congressman pulled out a card from a different pocket and slid it across the table to her. “These are my numbers and I wrote my address on the back. Call me when you’re ready?” he stated, breaking the silence.
Fiona slipped the card into her purse. “I don’t feel much like eating now. I think I’ll go.”
“We’ll walk you to your car, Fiona, or you could leave your car here and I’ll drive you home,” Julie offered.
“No, I’ll be fine,” Fiona insisted.
“Please let us walk you to your car,” the congressman spoke again. He knew his daughter had been through a lot in her young life and guilt racked him for not being there to protect her. He wanted to be there now in whatever capacity she would allow.
Fiona agreed this time and he was there in instant to pull out her chair for her. She allowed him to guide her as she curved her arm around his forearm and held on. Strange, she thought, holding this man’s arm, and he claimed to be her father. Her thoughts were so muddled.
Percy helped to steady his daughter as she walked through the restaurant and lobby to the parking lot. She had parked quite a distance away. “I want you to know one more thing, Fiona. I loved your mother dearly and I regret every day of my life that I didn’t take her with me, or that I didn’t tell her I’d come back for her. I never married either because she was the only one for me. I’m so glad you found that kind of love with Hunter.”
“I did,” she whispered and indicated her car. He opened her car door for her.
“Daddy, I’m going to follow her home just to make sure she makes it. Okay?” Julie explained to her father and he gave her a quick kiss.
“Sure sweetie, and call me when you get home, and let me know everyone made it home safely today.” He glanced at Monica once before walking to his friend and standing beside him to see the girls off.
“I will, daddy.”
Again, Monica missed her dad in that moment. She felt like a fly on the wall watching these two men acting so protectively over their daughters. She was so caught up in the moment she didn’t even realize they all were being watched.