As I parked the car in the lot around the corner from the coffee shop, I paused to look at Maddie’s picture again. She is so beautiful and from what I have found out about her and the life she has had, she’s a good person as well.
She volunteers at an area nursing home a few days a month spending time with the residents and she’s been involved in literacy programs with area libraries since she was fifteen. Impressive for a teenager.
This woman has accomplished her goals without the assistance of her father or his money. She was an orphan who climbed her way out of the situation she found herself in and I couldn’t be prouder of her or her accomplishments.
I exited the car and began the walk toward a meeting that has been too many years in the making. I just hoped I could keep Jason from going off the deep end and trying to find her today. She deserves to find out the truth about her past, but I don’t want it to ruin her birthday. Hopefully, Jason would give it some time before he beats down her door to see her.
I walked into the coffee shop, grateful for the air conditioning. That’s the one thing I haven’t become accustomed to living in Georgia for the last 12 years, the ridiculous humidity. Today was going to be a hot day in the city and it was only April. I’ll take the cool breeze from the ocean any day.
I looked around and spotted Jason sitting in the back of the coffee shop, starring at his hands. His body full of tension.
He looked up and motioned for me to sit down.
“I grabbed you a coffee, black, one sugar. I hope that’s okay.”
I’ve never seen Jason like this. Nervous and anxious. He’s always been in control of the room and the people in it. His ability to read people led him to becoming a pioneer in media and communications but the man in front of me appeared broken. Lost.
I knew that meeting his daughter and setting the past right has weighed on him for the last twenty-one years and I hope the news I’m going to give him will help settle his restless soul.
I’ve known Jason since I was a little kid. My dad and Jason were best friends before I lost him suddenly to a car accident when I was fifteen.
My mom tried everything she could to keep me from getting in trouble, but I was angry at everyone and everything for losing my dad. I started skipping school and experimenting with drinking and marijuana.
At the end of her rope, mom contacted dad’s friend Jason and he agreed to let me move in with him. I needed male guidance and structure that my mom couldn’t give me, while taking care of my younger brother and sister. So, I moved from California to Atlanta and my life completely changed.
Jason took me under his wing and helped me to achieve success that I would have otherwise not had access to. He guided me through my anger, taught me constructive ways to channel the frustration, and eventually, I was back on track for a successful future.
I wanted to make my parents proud and I wanted to show Jason that all his hard work and guidance had been put to good use.
He helped me earn my degree, showed me the ins and outs of his business, and put me to work right out of college.
I wouldn’t have the life I have if it wasn’t for Jason. I felt like I owed him and set out to find his daughter for him. He talked about her when I was living with him. How he had screwed up and just wanted one chance to make things right with her.
One evening a few years ago, after a few too many scotches, Jason told me about Sara. His love for her was deep and brightly burning, even after all this time. He’d had to eviscerate himself when he pushed his one true love away. He broke himself to protect her and their precious daughter.
I’d had to find Maddie, but it hadn’t been easy.
Sara definitely wanted Maddie as far from Jason as possible. It was almost like Sara was hiding Maddie from Jason and the rest of the world. I wondered if she knew the real reason Jason pushed her away, the dangers that were associated with his family all those years ago.
Thank God he was able to put all those problems to rest. Immediately he started looking for Maddie, but was never able to find her.
It took scouring social media, cross checking birthdates and investigating Sara’s past before I got a lead on Maddie.
“First things first.” I said to Jason as I slid the picture of Maddie across the table to him.
He took it from me with shaking hands and as soon as he looked onto her perfect face, his eyes began to fill with tears.
“She looks just like Sara. She is so beautiful. Tell me all about her. I need to know she has been taken care of, Lucas. Please,” he begged, his finger stroking the photo.
“Let’s start at the beginning and I’ll tell you everything that I know. Shortly after that night at your house…” I faltered, looking at Jason, not wanting turn the knife into his heart any more than it already was.
“It’s okay. I’ve excepted that I was a bastard to the one person I loved and sent my only child out to face the world alone. For that, I hope that she and God can forgive me,” Jason mutters sadly, never taking his eyes of her picture.
“Sara left Metro-Atlanta and moved about an hour and a half south to Columbus. Her best friend Lisa and Joe lived there and opened their home to Sara and Maddie. They went through all the legal proceedings to allow Lisa and Joe to adopt Maddie when Sara passed away, as I told you this morning.”
He moved his head up and down in acknowledgment, wiping the tears that were rolling down his face. Thank goodness his back was facing the room and we were tucked discreetly into a corner. Knowing Jason like I do, he must be walking an emotional high-wire to cry in public.
“From what I gathered, Maddie adjusted to living with the Johnsons pretty well. She was top of her class every year and graduated high school with enough credits to be a college sophomore.”
Pride. That’s what I saw when I looked at Jason. Pure pride for the daughter he never knew.
“She and Lisa’s daughter, Caroline, attended the University of Georgia together. They both have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a specialty in non-profits and charitable work. She graduated top of her class in two and a half years. They currently live in Downtown Atlanta on Peachtree North. You know that big complex that has the beautiful balconies?” Jason nodded. “That one.”
“How do they afford a nice place in downtown Atlanta? You said they just graduated from college and what little I remember about Lisa and Joe, they weren’t exactly well off financially.” He looked truly perplexed.
“Sara had a life insurance policy that paid out when she died. Lisa and Joe put the money into an account for Maddie and she has access to it for necessities. She and Caroline both received full scholarships so college was basically free. When they graduated a few months ago, Maddie used the money from Sara to buy a two-bedroom apartment for her and Caroline.”
“How much money did Sara’s life insurance pay?”
“She had a policy for half a million dollars. Apparently, she took the policy out when she found out she was pregnant with Maddie. Paperwork shows she changed the beneficiary to the policy about two weeks before she died.”
“Who was the original payee?” Jason asked, knowing the answer before he uttered the words.
“You, Jason. She wrote a letter that was attached to the policy. I’ve seen a copy of it. Sara stated she hoped you would have changed your mind about taking Maddie, but when she knew there was no chance you would return before she died, she ensured that Maddie would be taken care of.”
With that bit of news, Jason closed his eyes and silently wept. I gave him a few minutes to gather himself, wishing I didn’t have to tell him all the details, but he deserves to know everything. That way, when he finally meets Maddie, he may understand why she probably won’t be receptive to him.
“Look, I don’t mean to make you feel worse, but you have to understand that Maddie may not want to meet you. She’s gone her entire life thinking you don’t want her, only to lose the one parent she had left. Add to that, she lived with a family that loved her dearly, but she never knew where she came from. Sara had no family, and you walked away. Maddie may feel alone and not want to accept you or the truth,” I tell my mentor without allowing the emotion to show in my voice.
Be strong and never show weakness to your opponent. That’s what Jason taught me. To see him so emotional was a little unsettling for me. I understood why he was feeling the way he was, but it was still tough to witness.
“I’m okay, Lucas. Please continue.” Wiping his face with a handkerchief discreetly.
“She volunteers at an area nursing home spending time with the residents and assists with the literacy program at local library. This is something she has done since she was fifteen years old. When she graduated high school, she received an award from the library system in her hometown for 1000 hours of volunteer service in three years.”
Jason quickly does the math and looks shocked.
“She was volunteering 25-30 hours a week on top of high school and college classes?”
“Looks like it. From what I surmised, Maddie is all about giving back and connecting with others. The people I spoke with have all told me how immensely kind she is. She goes out of her way to help others and she spends time with people who are generally alone. I would say she has a good heart.”
“How did she do it all?”
“She had a good support network in the Johnson family. They took her in and raised her like their own. They stressed the importance of living a life of service to others and kindness in all matters.” I said, a bit of pride in my voice.
I need to calm down or Jason will see right through me and realize I have fallen for his daughter.
“When can I meet her? Do you think you can make something happen for today?” He excitedly said “I would love to take her out for her birthday and spoil her.” For the first time since I walked in, he was beginning to sound like the old Jason.
“Slow down. I need you to really think this through. How do you think she is going to feel when she opens her apartment door, only to find the father that abandoned her waiting on the other side? If she is anything at all like you, she will slam the door in your face and your chance will be gone. You need to let me make contact with her and gently start the process of you two meeting.”
“Damn it! I hate that you’re right. I can’t screw this up! I just can’t.”
“Let me see what I can do and I’ll be in touch in a few days.” I tried to reach across the table to get her picture, only to have Jason snatch it and slide it into his suit pocket.
“I’ll keep this until I can get one of my own of her. Hopefully.” He replied, standing up and extending his hand in gratitude to me.
I tried not to show my discomfort with him keeping her picture, only to realize that I have another one at home.
“Absolutely. I’ll see what I can do to extend the olive branch to Maddie in the next few days and see what I can get worked out. I just need you to be patient.”
“I’ll do my best, but please hurry. I need her in my life, Lucas. You have to make this happen. I need to explain….” He lets his thoughts taper off and I know he is thinking about Sara again. She is constantly on his mind. The mistakes he made with her that time never allowed him to fix. I just pray that we can save his relationship with Maddie.