Stanton Box Set

I sit for five minutes while she gets herself together and finally she takes a seat on the lounge and Cameron sits next to her and takes her hand in his. He’s such a soft touch.

“When I was twenty-one and after I had Scott…” she pauses.

“Yes,” he whispers.

“I… it… was a very difficult time for me.”

I should have more empathy for her but I just don’t. I lean on the desk with my arms folded in front of me.

“Your father was away for months at a time and had lost interest in me. I was quite sure he was involved with another woman and his heart was somewhere else.”

My stomach drops.

“Go on,” Cameron whispers.

“I had a friend that would come to the house and check on Scott and me.” Her eyes rise and meet mine. “Don’t hate me, Joshua,” she sobs.

I drop my head.

“His marriage had ended and we relied on each other for support. Your father was away for four months.”

I feel sick to my stomach and my eyes close in pain as I imagine the scenario she is setting.

“After much resistance I fell in love with this man and we began an intimate affair.”

Cameron pulls his hand from hers and she drops her head.

“I thought he loved me. I was going to leave your father for him,” she sobs.

The room is silent except for the sound of her crying.

“How long?” I say in monotone.

“Six weeks,” she whispers.

More silence…She sobs. “I told him of my plans to leave your father, but he was outraged and told me that he didn’t love me and not to be a fool—it was just sex to him.”

I rub my hands through my hair as nausea fills me.

She starts to cry uncontrollably. “I was crushed. I had thrown my marriage vows away on a man who didn’t love me. I ended it immediately.”

She becomes inconsolable and starts to really cry and I can see Cameron’s heart breaking with every tear that she sheds.

“Go on,” I reply.

“When Robert came back he admitted that he had been having an affair and that he wanted to start again. I was so grateful to be given another chance.”

My eyes watch her as my fury starts to reignite.

“We knew we had problems but were determined to work them out for the sake of Scott. We were so young, Joshua. We made mistakes. Both of us, your father and me.”

I stand and go to the window behind my desk and look out onto the pool area. I just want this conversation over.

“Eight weeks later I found out I was pregnant. I had always worn condoms with this man so I knew it couldn’t be his. I was overjoyed. I was being given a second chance with my husband.”

Cameron’s eyes meet mine as my eyes cloud over. We both know what this means. I drop back into my seat as pain starts to fill me. I’m not a Stanton.

“Joshua, remember when you were seventeen and you fell off the horse?” she asks.