Time passed, though not swiftly. Spring became summer & on the final day of June, Elaina finally gained the nerve to do what she had been longing to for many weeks. After cleaning up after lunch, she hesitantly walked through the open door of the office, clearing her throat to get Clayton's attention. The moment he looked up, she spoke:

"Clayton, I want out."

"What?" the man said, undoubtedly surprised, "It's only been a a few months. Why on earth would you want out??"

Elaina took a deep breath & looked Clayton straight in the eyes,"You're going too far with this. I thought I could handle it, but I- I just can't."

Clayton looked up from the many papers sprawled across his desk,"'Too far'? Elaina, the kid has hit a few convenience stores & a practically deserted arcade. We made enough cash to purchase a day-pass to Disneyland & a chocolate bar."

"That's not what I'm referring to, Clayton," Elaina said, gritting her teeth,"I'm talking about the effects it has on the boys. They're broken. They're confused. You don't see it, but... I do."

Clayton sighed,"They're young, they'll get over it. Besides, they look pretty damn happy to me."

"They act happy around you because they're scared of what you might do if they do otherwise," Elaina countered, then under her breath muttered, "Hell, I'M scared."

"Look," Clayton said, leaning over his desk & positioning his face mere inches away from Elaina's,"I don't give a damn what you happen to think."

Elaina quickly rose from her sitting position & stepped back a few feet.

"I'm leaving, Clayton. I don't care if I have to walk, bare foot, in the middle of a thunderstorm. I can't be a part of this."

Clayton shrugged,"Fine, Elaina. I'm not going to try to stop you."

Elaina paused, her hand on the office doorknob. He's not? she thought. She turned to face him once again, but saw he had returned to his work & was paying her no attention whatsoever. Elaina quickly stepped out into the hall & towards her bedroom, which was so tiny that it could hardly be called that.

As she removed articles of clothing from their drawers, Elaina felt a sudden pang of guilt.

Sure, she could up & leave, but Taylor & Simon had no choice. And it was, though not largely, her fault that they were in the situation in the first place.

Elaina remembered how even though Taylor had been incredibly bewildered upon arriving here, he still had a spark in eyes that showed he was not one to give in easily. Now that spark, though it remained, was burning low. Taylor attempted to show high spirits, despite the situation, but Elaina could see through it, as she assumed Simon could as well.

Simon.

Now that was one charming boy.

Elaina could not believe that a boy of such kind yet resilient nature had led such a difficult life. Perhaps it was overexposure to the numerous prime-time television dramas she had watched so religiously at one point, radiating a false yet intriguing view of life on the streets.

Elaina didn't have any real-life experiences of that calibre to look back on, and was, in all honesty, somewhat perplexed about the thought of being partially repsonsible for the care of Simon in the beginning.

But now she felt nothing but pity for him. Late night talks, with Clayton & Rod fast asleep, had allowed Simon to reveal many things to Elaina. As he spoke of his childhood & the situation with his mother, Taylor listened quietly & nodded, having heard the story before. At first, Simon was very reluctant to share his feelings, but as his trust in Elaina grew, he found immense relief in being able to spill out everything that was bottled up inside.

The conversations that tore Elaina's heart to pieces were those that occured the nights after Simon returned from yet another 'outing' with Clayton & Rod. Many times, Simon wouldn't speak a word for hours, but would rather lie on a bed, unmoving. In these instances Taylor & Elaina to partake in a quiet card game- not wanting to leave Simon, nor pry him for details.

When Simon eventually did slide off of the edge of the bed to form a sitting triangle with Elaina & Taylor, he was the first to break the uncomfortable silence - usually with some sort of joke. If neither of the two responded quickly, but rather gave him sympathetic looks, Simon would ignore them & continue to make wise-cracks. He would even produce a bag of chips, as Taylor had jokingly requested before the first hit, as though they were a rare prize.

However, it didn't take long for his funny-guy exterior to give way. Simon was soon revealing, in great detail, the events of the evening. If he reached a particularly difficult part - such as when he spotted a police car in the near distance after hitting his third convenience store, and was barely able to dash behind a dumpster before it slowly made its way past - his voice would begin to shake. Simon made no attempt at stopping himself from doing so, no longer having the energy or heart to worry about the risk of embarrassment.

A handful of times, Simon had begun to tremble so horribly that Elaina had quickly scooted next to him & flung her arms around him. It was then and only then that Simon would cry. Huge sobs that somehow remained virtually silent.

Elaina recalled how awkward and out of place she had felt, a middle-aged woman cradling a teenager that was not her own. But if she made the slightest attempt at ending the embrace, Simon only clung to her more. Anger towards Clayton... and the world in general... filled Elaina from head to toe, as she watched this young, strong man crumble to nothing in her arms.

When he finally regained control of his emotions, Simon would give Elaina a small smile, all the while busily wiping tears from his face. No more words were exchanged, with Taylor & Simon trudging off to yet another restless night's sleep, & Elaina leaving the room with a heavy heart.

Elaina's thoughts were broken by a pounding on her door. Clayton, without bothering for her to invite him in, barged through the door.

"Uh, packing?" he said, nodding towards Elaina's open suitcase laying on her bed.

"Yes."

Clayton sighed,"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't let you go."

"What?!" Elaina cried, her hands finding their way to her hips,"You said you weren't going to stop me!"

"I know, but I've given this a lot of thought..."

Elaina snorted. A lot of thought? In 10 minutes?

"... and for your sake, I feel it's best for you to stay here. Don't you remember what your life was like when I first found you? Burger joint, minimum wage, never seeing Eliz-"

"Yes, of course I do," Elaina snapped, interrupting him. She returned to the task of packing, hoping that Clayton would see that she was entirely serious.

"And I'm scared of what might happen to you," Clayton said, his voice dripping with false-concern.

Completely disgusted, Elaina began to retort,"Oh Clayton, cut the bull shit-"

"Don't you DARE talk to me that way!" Clayton growled, grabbing hold of Elaina's wrist,"You brought all of this upon yourself. You're just fortunate that I'm so understanding!"

"Understanding? Of what?!"

Clayton crossed his arms across his chest,"In court, I agreed to a divorce settlement when I had the grounds to leave you with nothing! NOTHING! If it weren't for me, you'd be rotting in jail cell right now!"

Elaina was speechless. Clayton, seeing he had struck the right nerve, swiftly exited the room.

With her eyes watering, Elaina slowly lay down on her bed. She had been caught entirely off-guard. She & Clayton had said nothing about their failed marriage. Several months ago, their divorce papers had been signed, with an underlying agreement to not speak of it from that point on. No one in the entire operation knew, which suited the two just fine.

Their relationship was fairy-tale like in the beginning & had remained that way until a mere year ago, two weeks after their 5-year wedding anniversary. It was then that Elaina confronted Clayton on a growing suspicion - that he was cheating on her. When Clayton sheepishly admitted to doing so, Elaina was filled with immense grief & hurt. But she was desperate to maintain their marriage, and made no threats to leave him, but rather begged Clayton to stop seeing the other woman, if not for her, then for their one year old daughter, Elizabeth.

Elaina believed his words when he told her, over and over, that his wandering days were over & that he wanted to be with no one but her. So, it came as an incredible shock to her when several weeks later, her beloved husband announced that he had been lying &continued to see his mistress.

Then, in all its soap-opera glory, it was revealed that Elaina's lone sister, Aurora, was the other half of the adultery-equation. She, too, was married, but had recently left her husband to be with Clayton.

This was the breaking point for Elaina. She whirled into a constant fit of rage, taking aim at Clayton, while entirely ceasing to communicate with Aurora. The next day, Elaina swiftly packed up her personal belongings & moved into a small apartment, taking Elizabeth with her. When Clayton threatened to infringe on the one thing she had left, the one thing she could hold onto, their daughter, by announcing he was going to go after gaining full custody, Elaina was stunned. And when it was uncovered that her soon-to-be-ex-husband planned to marry her very own sister, and raise the child as their own, Elaina transformed her anger & fear into one goal: victory over Clayton.

A few days later, as late afternoon gave way to night, a detachment of the Tulsa Fire Department was dispatched to a large home ablaze in the city's west side.

By the time the remains of Clayton's house were barely smouldering, Elaina & Elizabeth were hours away from the city. When police came to their apartment for questioning, only to find it barren, a warrent was sent out for Elaina's seizure.

In less than 24 hours, Elaina found herself in police custody. Weak attempts at delivering a legitimate alibi soon found her charged with grand arson. A later court date resulted in a guilty verdict, with the implications to be set the following day.

Much to everyone's surprise, Clayton immediately consulted everyone he could think of, asking for Elaina to receive intense counselling rather than a jail sentence. He claimed that he felt some responsibility for her actions & had the resources to cover the loss of his home. In return, however, Clayton requested full custody of his daughter as well as almost entire control of the couple's finances, citing Elaina's unstable mental condition as the reason for such a demand.

The court granted his request, and on the following Monday, Elaina was admitted to the South Winds Psychiatric Assessment & Treatment Institute. A brief divorce trial resulted in Clayton receiving his requests, though he announced, in a charming & uncharacteristically giving moment, that he would be sure to see to Elaina's well-being upon leaving the facility.

Clayton & Aurora, newly married, built a new home in the same location as the previous one, complete with a massive, fully-equipped toy room for Elizabeth. In the beginning, the trio made the two hour drive to South Winds each weekend, allowing Elaina to bond with Elizabeth, even on a minimal level. But as time wore on, any compassion that Clayton felt towards his ex-wife diminished. Weekend jaunts to the the treatment center became monthly events, if that.

Four months after being admitted, Elaina left South Winds & found temporary shelter in the guest room of an old friend's apartment. She was intent on starting a new life free of Clayton, but found herself without the financial backing to do so. Elaina had never thought to set up her own bank account or to set aside emergency money. She had naive ideas that Clayton would always take care of her, always be there for her. Her parents lived in Montana & barely made enough pension money to keep themselves afloat, let alone support Elaina. And turning to her sister Aurora was definitely not an option. So, with great bitterness but seeing no other way out, she called Clayton and arranged for a meeting the next day.

After hearing her requests, Clayton gave her two options: Receive substantial monthly payments & a small home, fully paid... Or to be granted partial custody of Elizabeth. She would have to decide by week's end.

Elaina was stupefied that he could place such a decision in her hands. She had previously felt that, despite his affair, he still felt some sort of love for her. Clayton had saved her from jail time & complete financial ruin, yet now he offered their child, their own flesh and blood, as though she were an automobile or all-expenses paid trip to Australia.

Elaina pleaded with Clayton to give her just a few weeks to find a job & a place to live. She wanted to have a somewhat respectable living situation, rather than bring Elizabeth home to a guest room.

But Clayton showed no mercy, and on Sunday afternoon, Elaina agreed, in between sobs of guilt and shame, opted for his financial support. A house had already been acquired & was ready for her to move into as soon as she wished.

Elaina quickly set to finding a job, refusing the offered money, & figuring that Clayton couldn't keep her from seeing her daughter if her life was in order. He would have nothing new to hold against her, she reasoned.

But having a criminal record, as well as having recently been released from psychiatric treatment, did not bode well with potential employers. Elaina found herself being offered menial, low-paying jobs, one of which she ended up accepted.

She spent her days asking patrons of a fast food restaurant if they wouldn't mind having Coca-Cola instead of Pepsi, & cleaning up after young kids who just couldn't seem to keep their large cups of orange soda from spilling all over the tile floor. At the end of each work day she made sure to take bus route number 4, which made the commute to her home 30 minutes longer but passed the home of Clayton & Aurora. She peered anxiously through the window, often catching a fleeting glimpse at Elizabeth toddling around in the front yard. On particularly nice days, she would travel the long distance home on foot, slowing substantially as she passed their home, but being careful not to be spotted.

Meanwhile, Clayton's prominent job at a once-prospering investment firm was at risk, due to company downsizing. His wages suffered a notable decrease & the stress this placed on his relationship with Aurora was evident. Making matters worse were the daily messages left on their answering machine... Elaina begging just to see her daughter, asking for Clayton's forgiveness, and occasionally lowering her pride so much as to agree that he was better off with her sister - stating Aurora was an incredibly gracious and loving woman.

Clayton soon found out the truth about Aurora, however.

After only 17 months of marriage, shortly after Clayton lost his job & was forced to sell their palatial home, she filed for divorce. It was very apparent she would stop at nothing to be granted custody of Aurora, more to spite Clayton than out of pure love for the 2 year-old.

Showing his caring & kind-hearted side, Clayton was also determined to win custody of Elizabeth, though not to triumph over Aurora, whom he had truly loved. Filled with remorse & shame, he contacted Elaina, asking her to make a statement in court, attesting to his love for their child's well-being. If the settlement ended in his favor, Clayton told her that he would grant Elaina half-custody.

Seeing it as her final chance at being a true mother to Elizabeth, Elaina agreed and gave the best Praise-of-Clayton performance she could muster, shooting harrowing glances in his direction often.

The look of utter disbelief that crossed Aurora's face when her request for custody was denied was pure elation for Elaina. Close throughout their childhood, the sisters' bond was broken beyond repair.

Clayton, a huge smile across his face, approached Elaina in the parking lot & invited her to come by his house the following day.

Elaina was taken aback at the prospect of finally seeing Elizabeth... not from the bus window, or the sidewalk across the street. When they were reunited, tears of joy ran down her face, though at first she was almost scared to touch the precocious toddler who didn't seem to recognize her own mother. As time wore on & Elaina visited daily, Elizabeth's face lit up everytime she entered the room. Elaina would sweep the child up into her arms, a constant smile on her face, while Clayton watched from across the yard.

The two adults had arrived at a point of mutual respect. Clayton wouldn't intrude on Elaina's personal space if she didn't intrude on his. And at this time, Clayton's personal life was incredibly mangled. Though he was able to find a decent-paying job, he was finding it increasingly difficult to make mortgage payments on both his & Elaina's homes, as well as budget for monthly alimony payments to Aurora.

Finally, on a blustery January afternoon, Clayton made a proposition to Elaina: She could move into his house & quit her job, leaving her to take care of Elizabeth full-time.

Suspicious of his sudden 360º change of heart from a few months previous & still full of disdain towards Clayton, Elaina questioned his motives. At first, he claimed only to want what was best for his daughter, which he felt would be having her mother around all of the time. It didn't take much grilling on Elaina's part, however, to get him to admit to his financial difficulties.

Realizing that denying Clayton's wish would only place him in a state of bankruptcy, as well as the foreclosure of her home, Elaina agreed. So from then on the three of them - mother, father & daughter - lived under the same roof in semi-quasi harmony.

One morning, seeing that Clayton had not yet left for work & would surely be late, Elaina ran upstairs to inquire, leaving Elizabeth safely sitting in her play-pen. She found him working busily at the computer, numerous files strewn about. He was in the midst of a very stiff and business-like telephone conversation, stopping sharply when seeing Elaina enter the room. Clayton quickly said good-bye & hung up. Elaina, no longer feeling as intimidated by him, narrowed her eyes suspiciously and asked what was going on.

When Clayton replied with a hesitant "Nothing." Elaina pressed on. As Clayton spoke lie after lie, she non-chalantly glanced over a pile of neatly-typed papers.

"What's this? Project objective as observed by chief organizer Clayton Behr: To attain large profits in the form of money and/or other goods through various well-planned criminal acts... " Elaina trailed off, setting down the page & fixing her eyes on Clayton.

"It's none of your business..." he stuttered, quickly stacking all of the papers and placing them in the bottom drawer of the computer desk.

"None of my business? I live in this house now, and you're the father of my child. I think I have the right to know what shit you're up to," Elaina huffed.

Shifting uneasily in his desk chair, Clayton opened the drawer and retrieved the stack of papers. He hesitantly handed them to Elaina, telling her to read them. They would explain everything.

As she turned each page, Elaina's face grew longer and longer. She knew Clayton was quite the schemer, but didn't realize he was stupid enough to get himself involved in the plot described. She told him so upon reading the final page.

"You do you realize you stand a good chance of going to prison, don't you?" she inquired, to which Clayton nodded.

"I... don't give a shit about you... You could fall off the face of the earth, for all I care," Elaina cried, her voice shaking with anger,"But I will not let my daughter grow up without a father!"

"What about her mother?" Clayton asked pointedly. Elaina's eyebrows furrowed.

"Have you forgotten about a certain fire incident?" he continued,"YOU could be the one in jail as we speak, leaving Elizabeth without a mother."

Elaina was unsure of how to respond. Finally she used the only verbal weapon she could think of.

"I'm calling the police," she announced, holding up the papers,"I'm sure they'll enjoy reading these."

Clayton smiled smugly,"Well when you're done, would you mind keeping them on the line?"

"Wh-what for?" Elaina asked, her confidence slightly shaken.

"'Dear Mr. Policeman. I'd like to report an abuse situation. Today I discovered my two year old daughter at the base of a staircase, crying while her mother stood at the top of the stairs. I quickly rushed to my child & found several large bruises on her legs and arms, obviously the result of a large fall. Naturally I was incredibly upset & asked my ex-wife if Elizabeth had fallen down the stairs, to which she smiled smugly, all the while shaking her head. Elaina, my ex-wife, has a history of mental illness..."

Clayton paused, shooting a devious grin at Elaina, whose mouth was wide open with shock.

~Chapter 37~
~Chapter 35~
~Chapter Index~
~Home~