9.11 - 9. Chapter 9

June 30, 2001

“And what is on our agenda today?” Stef asked as we settled into the limousine. The weather here in Claremont was already muggy.

“We’re going sightseeing,” I told him. He waited for me to continue, but realized in the end that if he wanted to know more, he’d have to prod me. He gave me an irritated look.

“And what are we going to see?”

“We are going to tour the Claremont Mills,” I explained. The Claremont Mills were the keystone of the revitalizing project for the downtown area. It was a collection of shops and cafes adjacent to what was being styled as Claremont’s loft district. “There is shopping.”

Stef tried not to smile, but was unsuccessful. “You are trying to make sure I enjoy this visit.”

“I try to make sure you enjoy everything we do,” I said.

“You certainly did that last night,” he said, and winked at me. I felt myself blushing and that irritated me. Of course, Stef laughed at my irritation, which initially irritated me even more, but then I relaxed and smiled back at him.

“I think I enjoyed it more,” I said. “After we go the Mills, we are going to go home to see how well your renovations have gone, and to get ready for tonight.”

“And where are we going tonight?”

“We are going to the amphitheater,” I told him. The Crampton Amphitheater was adjacent to the Claremont Commons, and was designed to allow outdoor performances. The venue would primarily be used to perform concerts and plays. “We are dedicating it tonight. I am talking about the changes we have made since last February. You should probably prepare some remarks as well.”

“You are giving me a few hours’ notice to get ready?” he asked, his brows narrowing and merging as they did when he was annoyed with me.

“If I had told you about it last month, when would you have planned your remarks?” I asked, raising my eyebrow to tell him I knew the answer. He would have procrastinated until now anyway.

He sighed and relented. “Very well, I will write them when we are at your ancestral home.” I’d bought my grandparents old house, a huge Tudor-esque mansion near downtown. It had been pretty run down; to the point that even with the windows closed during the winter one could feel a breeze blowing through the house. Stef had been renovating it for us, and it was finally finished. I knew better than to point out that he had taken longer to renovate a house than Triton Electronics, the key industrial anchor to Claremont’s revival, had taken to build their factory.

We arrived at the Mills and found the mayor waiting for us. Nick Schluter was my cousin, and technically Stef’s as well, but our age differences were so significant, that both of us referred to Nick as a nephew. “Welcome to Claremont! It’s good to see you both,” he said, with the faux friendliness of a politician.

“It is good to see you as well,” I said, and gave him a ‘man hug’ just like my father had taught me years ago. While holding his hand and shaking it, I pulled him in for a demi embrace with my other arm. Our shaking hands kept us at a respectable physical distance from each other.

“The project barely finished on time, but I think it turned out well,” Nick said. There were trails on both sides of the river now, with a respectable greenbelt to accommodate any flooding. On this side of the river, beyond the greenbelt and path were a series of cafes and restaurants. They faced, in turn, a pedestrian street with mostly shops. This retail area linked the old Mill, which had been converted into loft apartments, along with another purpose-built, new section of apartments and condos. This development led seamlessly into the downtown area, which was trying to rediscover itself as well. On the other side of the river, modern office buildings faced this development, linked to it by pedestrian bridges, and beyond them was Triton’s new plant. The objective had been to allow people to live here, and then to easily walk to work across one of the bridges. It appeared to be working.

We wandered down the pedestrian street, stopping to talk to people, and to shop. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and tensed up, because I wasn’t very big on physical affection from strangers. Only when I turned around, I found that the hand most certainly did not belong to a stranger. “Hey JP!” Gathan Hayes said, and wrapped his arms around me, giving me a real hug.

“It is good to see you,” I said, hoping to calm down some of his exuberance. He ignored me and went on to give Stef a similar greeting, only he grabbed Stef’s ass when he did. Stef giggled, of course.

“I am so glad you came out for the opening,” Kristin Hendrickson said to me. She and Gathan were dating, although their relationship was somewhat less serious than it had been last summer. Or at least that was my initial understanding; it was hard to keep up with the love lives of teenagers. She gave me a very polite kiss on the cheek. She reminded me briefly of Claire, and that saddened me since we were at odds, but I didn’t let the others see my reaction.

“Your father did a nice job,” I said. I personally didn’t like Chris Hendrickson, but pulling him in to help develop this project had eased Nick’s political burdens somewhat, and he’d actually done a good job with it.

“He’s in such a good mood, he decided that he doesn’t hate Gathan anymore,” she teased.

“Much,” Gathan corrected. “He doesn’t hate me much.” Chris Hendrickson had a hard time dealing with his daughter dating Gathan, who was significantly below Kristin in the social hierarchy of Claremont.

“I would like it if you two would join us tonight,” I said. “We are dedicating the amphitheater, and it should provide the best views of the fireworks. We have a reserved area near the stage.”

“We’d love to,” Kristin said. Gathan looked more dubious. He was the son of the town criminal, or one of them, and his adoptive father was a sanitation engineer. He sometimes found such affairs to be too highbrow. But he was moving in different circles, these circles now. It was appropriate for his future in the city for him to see and be seen by the civic leaders. Kristin had no problems with it at all, as befits a daughter of one of Claremont’s three most powerful families. The Hendricksons had owned the Mill, which constituted approximately half of the land this project was built on. She would, of course, be tuned in to such social events, and that sparked another unpleasant comparison to Claire.

They joined us as we continued our walk. We were constantly interrupted as people stopped to talk to me, mostly, but sometimes to Gathan. Kristin and Stefan were too busy shopping to chat with people. The mood was upbeat; although there were a few people who made sure I noticed their looks of displeasure. I had gone head to head with the fundamentalist religious forces in this city and won; they were unwilling or unable to admit we’d made a positive difference in this community.

During February, 2000, we’d mounted a spirited campaign to change the direction of this city, and to revitalize it. The result of that had been the election of Nick as mayor, and the passage of the Tolerance Referendum, a city initiative that guaranteed the rights of citizens regardless of race and sexual orientation. That had enraged the fundamentalist Christians (who generally vilified gay people), and hadn’t thrilled the rednecks either (they had a special distaste for racial minorities). Those people were less happy with me.

But I was able to separate those people from the mix and not judge the entire city based on them. I think that was something Stef had a harder time doing, and that was probably why he didn’t enjoy these visits as much as I did. I walked along and smiled, knowing that I’d made a difference, that I’d helped turn the fortunes of my home town around. I could feel the positive emotions, the energy from these people, and it inspired me.

“I was hoping I’d get to see you,” an elderly woman said.

“Do I know you?” I asked.

“Mrs. March,” she said. “I was your third grade teacher.” This woman had to be over 80 years old. She’d been really young and attractive when I was in third grade. “I’ve gotten a little older.”

“You are not the only one,” I said, turning on the charm. “I am sorry I didn’t remember you. It is a sign that I am getting old as well.”

“It was a long time ago,” she agreed. “You were such a smart boy. You showed such potential even then. We’re all so proud of you.”

“Thank you very much. I had wonderful educators who inspired me to live my life in the academic world,” I told her, although I couldn’t remember a single moment from third grade.

“Your mother would be proud of you, but not as proud as your aunt,” she said, and patted my cheek. When she mentioned my aunt, she was referring to Tonto.

“She was a formidable woman,” I said.

“I would have used a different term,” she said, then laughed, almost a cackle, as she walked on. I’d come to the center of the pedestrian mall, where a big fountain gurgled away. I paused to just enjoy the atmosphere. Gathan had gone off to track down Kristin, and had gotten absorbed into their shopping excursion. From where I was standing, it appeared he was serving as the pack mule to carry their purchases. I enjoyed the solitude; being alone in this sea of vaguely familiar people.

I heard the clomping feet of someone running up behind me, and when I turned around to face the source of the noise, I found Will just running up to me. “We just got here,” he said, panting. Normally in the past he would have lunged forward and hugged me, but this time he hesitated. At times like this, when he was really distraught, he wore his emotions on his sleeves. Brad had told me how much he valued my approval and respect, and while I thought he had overestimated my influence, there was a deep bond between us. Seeing him here like this, unsure of how to approach me because of how he’d damaged our relationship, truly saddened me. I had pondered what a forgiving person Isidore was, but I was just as forgiving, perhaps more so. It was almost impossible for me to stay angry at people I loved once they had expressed remorse for pissing me off. Will’s insecurity spurred me into action. I moved forward to hug him just as I always would and felt the tension fly from his body. “I am so sorry,” he said, almost a sob.

“Sit with me,” I instructed, and grabbed a bench facing the fountain. “You accused everyone at dinner last night of worrying too much about appearances and common courtesies.”

“I shouldn’t have done that…” he began, but I stopped him.

“I did not disagree with what you said, and I did not think it was unreasonable for you to be upset. I was unhappy with how you handled yourself. Your arguments, if framed in a more polite manner, would have made your points just as effectively. In addition, they probably would have elicited change from those whom you sought to elicit change. And most importantly, they would not have left such frayed feelings. So this smooth veneer, this polite coating, has a real purpose.”

Will was very bright, extremely bright, sharper than he realized. It was such a pleasure to have a conversation like this and see the recognition in his eyes, and to cherish this as a learning moment. “I can see that,” he said, validating me. “I let my emotions totally blow away all my restraint.”

“As you mature, controlling your emotions will become easier, but you do not have the luxury to lose it like you did. With your emancipation, you have demanded a place at the table as an adult, so you must act like one. That means it will require you to exert more self-discipline.”

He paused as he pondered my words. “I’ll try to do better.”

I appreciated the way he phrased his words with me, never promising something he may not be able to deliver. He said he would try, and I was confident that he would, just as I was confident that he would not always succeed. That was fine too. I wasn’t demanding perfection. “I know you will.”

“I’m worried that if you ban Marie, Aunt Claire, and Grandmaman from the party, they’ll hate me,” he said. “I wish you’d reconsider, and let them go.”

“No, they will hate me, but I must set things right, and part of that means taking over planning the party and sidelining them,” I told him. “When they were making these poor choices that impacted you, I am sure that they were not being malicious,” I said, to try and reassure him.

“I know they weren’t,” he said. I assumed he thought their actions were designed to hurt him. “It didn’t bother me that they were being mean, because I don’t think they were. It bothered me that they didn’t even think of me. I mean, I wasn’t even on their radar.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, more to draw him out than to clarify his meaning.

“They didn’t even stop to think about Erik and how his being there would bother me. Compare that to how they were all worried about Noah being there, and bothering Marie. And they didn’t even give enough of a shit to talk to me about Noah. It was like I was a non-entity.”

“They made you feel as if you were not part of the family, and that is something none of them has the right to do. As you noted, their priorities were out of whack, and their absence from this party will hopefully focus their attention more clearly on what is important.”

Brad and Robbie came walking up, giving Will an irritated look. “You could have waited for us,” Robbie grumbled.

“You’d think that with all the time you spend in the gym, you’d be in better shape,” Will said, teasing Robbie.

“I am going to see if I can extract myself from this shopping spree and go see how the renovations have gone at my house,” I told them. “Are you staying with us?”

“I will, if that’s OK,” Will said.

“We’re going to stay in the apartment Robbie bought,” Brad said. “You’ll have to come see it.”

“Perhaps we can do that tomorrow,” I told Brad. “You are welcome to stay with us,” I said to Will.

“Awesome,” he said. “I’ll go get Stef for you.”

“He may succeed where I most assuredly would have failed,” I said to Brad and Robbie as he scampered off toward Gathan, Kristin, and Stefan.

“You really have a remarkable influence over him,” Brad said. “It almost makes me jealous, to see how much he respects you.”

“Yeah, and because he actually listens to JP,” Robbie said, giving Brad shit.

“We will see if we can eradicate some of his more volcanic tendencies,” I joked.

“Good luck with that,” Brad said. I watched Stef interacting with Will and noted how differently we treated him. For some bizarre reason, seeing them interact so well made me feel guilty for being so hard on Marie. I pushed those feelings aside, secure in the knowledge that when Marie figured things out, and was truly remorseful for how she behaved, I would forgive her just as I’d forgiven Will.

“Stef invited us over to see your remodeled home,” Kristin said as they came up to me.

“I have decided that you can speak for both of us tonight,” Stef said. “As that is the case, I no longer need to allocate time preparing a speech, and I can instead spend time with such charming young people.”

“He’s talking about me,” Will said to Kristin, giving her a bad time.

“Wrong,” she said. “He said charming. That can only be me.”

“I don’t know,” Will said with an evil expression. “I’ll bet he finds Gathan the most charming of all.” Will was referring to a brief tryst Stef had with Gathan last year. To all accounts, it was more of a sexual counseling session than anything, but that didn’t stop Stef from being a convenient target. I laughed as I saw Stef blush, a rarity, and laughed even harder when he gave me a truly evil look.

“Dude, you are so sexy,” Gathan said, as he put his arm around Stef and leaned in to nibble on his neck.

“You are merely stating the obvious,” Stef said, getting his mojo back. I led them out to our limousine for the short ride to my house. It had originally been built in the late 1800s, and was a massive edifice. The exterior had not really changed all that much over the years, but it had gotten dilapidated. An attorney had bought it from my brother Jim when he moved up into the hills, and that unfortunate man had evidently never had the money to keep it updated. So while the red brick was the same, it was clean and newly tuck-pointed, and while the white and black Tudor accents were the same, they were repaired and newly painted. The massive old trees in front remained, but they were trimmed, and new landscaping had livened up the grounds.

We went inside and Stef took us on a lengthy tour. He had left the formal rooms on the ground floor with the same basic footprint they’d had before, with the exception of the kitchen, which he’d expanded considerably. It was inevitable that it would become the central focus of this house. We walked into my grandfather’s old study. For posterity, I’d asked him to leave it much as it was, and he’d honored my request. There were new chairs and some new furniture, along with new carpets and rugs, but they were all carefully chosen to be as close to the originals as possible. “You have done an amazing job with this room,” I said.

“I did nothing more than update it,” Stef said grumpily, as if leaving this in a similar state were some massive oversight on his part.

“You updated it while keeping it incredibly close to its original design. That is not easy,” I said. Stef thrived on flattery, and he was especially sensitive where his tastes were brought into question. He smiled to thank me, and then led us up to the second floor.

Here, he’d taken a warren of smaller rooms and created three large bedroom suites. Each had a king-sized bed and its own bathroom, which was as sophisticated as you’d expect to find in a spa. On the third floor, he’d created two more bedroom suites, but these each had a pair of full-size beds in them. There was also an open area, with a television and various computers and video game systems that kids would enjoy. This was clearly the area he’d developed for children and teens.

“This is simply amazing,” Kristin said. “You have worked wonders!”

“Why thank you,” Stef said. “I would have thought you’d have seen most of it already.” Gathan had come home to Claremont now that college was out for the summer, and he was staying here at my invitation. Kristin was staying with him.

“Gathan banned me from the other bedrooms and the upstairs,” she said, giving him a dirty look.

“You only really want to go into one room anyway,” he said, leering at her. She scowled at him, as if to protect her reputation.

“While your conversation has been enjoyable, and this tour was truly exciting, I have to go get ready for this evening. We leave in an hour,” I announced. I went down to our room and Stef joined me. “You really did a nice job. Thank you.”

“You are welcome,” Stef said. “Let me show you how this shower works.”

I smiled and followed him into the shower, and that led to an incredible lovemaking session. We didn’t have sex nearly as often as we used to, a sign of our advancing years, but we made up for the lower frequencies with an increase in quality. I ended up having to hurry to get ready and meet my own deadline.

I smiled to see everyone dressed similarly. As it was an evening event at a festival on a hot, muggy Claremont night, the dress code was relaxed, yet we all wore khakis or chinos and a short-sleeved dress shirt. Well, except for Kristin, who wore a stylish skirt, and for Stef, who wore one of his less garish designer outfits. The limo took us down to the Claremont Commons, the main park where most of the festival’s activity would take place, and then on to the new amphitheater. We went in the back entrance and the staff showed us the extensive area they used to store and manage props, and actors. For an amphitheater, it was quite the big deal, and that explained much about the huge costs that my brother Jim and I had funded.

There was a band playing tonight, so we took our seats to the side of the stage and waited for them to end. The organizers of this year’s festival had wanted to bring in some big named talent to perform, but the budget hadn’t been sufficient to do that in addition to three nights of fireworks. Members of the committee, including me, had prevailed on them to enlist local talent instead, and it had made for some interesting performances. I had fortunately managed to miss the country-western band, which would have been like so many fingernails on a chalkboard for me. I suspected that the heavy metal alternative band scheduled for tomorrow would be no more pleasant.

When the band was done, there was a lull while they cleared the stage and set it up for the dedication. My brother Jim arrived, conveniently missing the last performance. “Good to see you, JP,” he said affably.

“It’s good to see you as well,” I said.

“I talked to Nick, and we figured we’d let you do the honors tonight,” he said.

“You don’t want to talk?” I asked them, surprised.

“You’ve done more to make this happen than I did,” he said. Jim and I had had our battles in the past, but we did love each other. When he made that statement, though, I didn’t see that love, so much as I saw pride. That was very flattering.

“It was a team effort,” I corrected.

“You ready?” the master of ceremonies asked me. I nodded. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are pleased to have with us one of Claremont’s most distinguished sons, JP Crampton, to dedicate this new amphitheater.” It was a brief introduction, just as I’d requested. He’d wanted to rant on about my academic achievements and the like, but I’d put my foot down. This wasn’t about me, and I didn’t want it to be about me.

I walked up onto the stage and was surprised by the applause I got. I was not naïve, so I knew I was a popular figure in town, and to be honest, I’d worked hard to make sure that I was. I’d maintained ties with Claremont even as my career had taken me first to Chicago, and then on to California. I’d built a new life and a new family in Palo Alto, but Claremont was my hometown. It was simple to do, really. Up until recently, all I’d had to do is visit, and be willing to write a modest check for the latest charity effort. That and I’d conveniently stayed out of the morass that was Claremont politics. But when I’d decided to join the team dedicated to the revitalization of this town, my involvement had increased exponentially. I could see now why Nick wanted me to talk. I wasn’t a politician like he was or a mogul with vested interests like my brother, who ran Crampton Construction Company. Crampton Construction had benefited greatly from the projects here in Claremont, and the people would know that and could see Jim as an opportunist.

I thanked the audience, and then got on with my remarks. “It is truly a pleasure and an honor to be here tonight to dedicate the Marie Crampton Amphitheater. My mother loved this city, and would have been flattered to have such a fine cultural venue named after her. I am mindful that this amphitheater complements the Gail Schluter Performing Arts Center. Having my mother and my aunt as active promoters of Claremont’s culture and arts makes seeing these venues with their names on them just that much more meaningful.”

I paused, the pressed on, but in a different vein. “What makes this dedication even more inspirational is that it represents the end of the first stage of the revitalization of Claremont. Almost two years ago, my nephew, Nick Schluter, approached me with a plan and a vision to turn Claremont into the best small city in Ohio, and possibly even the country. I did little more than support his actions, and offer the occasional piece of advice. Now, almost a year and a half after his election as mayor and after the passage of the Tolerance Referendum, true change is happening in Claremont.”

I heard some grumbling in the crowd when I mentioned the Tolerance Referendum, but I expected no less. “The centerpiece of our beautiful city is the river, but it certainly didn’t look that way when we started. It was bordered by abandoned and decaying warehouses and by the long-dormant mill. Today, I witnessed the dedication of the Claremont Mills, a mixed use residential and commercial venture, one that has transformed the downtown riverfront.” I was interrupted by applause. Clearly the citizens liked their riverfront mall.

“In addition, for the first time in decades, the population of Claremont actually increased. We have seen an increase in funding to the schools, money that was available due to the increase in economic activity, and we have seen dramatic reductions in crime. We can attribute that to increased funding for the police force, along with new leadership, as well as a reduction in unemployment.” I was compelled to pause again as the applause interrupted me.

“Nothing has driven Claremont’s economic revival more than the new Triton Electronics plant. My son Bradley, as the chairman of Triton, worked hard to make sure their new plant was located here in Claremont. That plant opened this past winter, and now employs more than a thousand people. Projections for Triton’s growth here make it likely that number will double in the next year, and with the other businesses Claremont is attracting, we project that this city will have the lowest unemployment rate of any similarly sized city in Ohio.” I gestured to Brad, who stood up and waved, getting rousing applause from this crowd.

“But as much as we have achieved, we must keep moving forward, and the way forward is paved by educating the populace of Claremont. It would appear to be self-serving for me, as a professor, to so blatantly advocate the importance of an education, but this is one situation where self-interest and the truth merge. We need to do more for Claremont’s grade schools, and not just financially. And we also need to do more for our colleges and universities. With Claremont Community College, we have an excellent two-year institution, one that prepares our students for future careers, and for matriculation at other institutions. And for the Claremont Institute of Technology, we have a bold plan, one that we plan to put into motion starting Monday.”

“It was not too long ago that the Claremont Institute of Technology, or CIT as we locals know it, was renowned for being on the cutting edge, and for having some of America’s brightest minds as alumni,” I said. I recited a number of famous graduates. “But like our city, CIT had become moribund and decayed. Now, with a new purpose, and new industries to support, we plan to build CIT into the premier technical institution in Ohio. To that end, I have accepted the position of Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and will head up my first meeting on Monday.” That got more applause.

“Claremont has a storied past. It is a beautiful city, with a blossoming cultural and night life, and a whole new type of opportunity for its citizens. All of the indicators, from falling unemployment, rising incomes, lower crime, and a better quality of life, point to a stunning renaissance. While it is not yet paradise on earth, it is close to being paradise in Ohio.” That got some laughs. “And so I formally dedicate the Marie Crampton Amphitheater, knowing how proud my mother would be of all of us and of the city that she adopted and loved. The future of Claremont is as bright as the skies above you,” I said. And with that last word, which we’d planned out in advance, a single firework fired, soaring up into the night sky, and burst out into golden sparkles. It was followed by more and more fireworks as the sky lit up with their display. The sight was inspiring, while the noise and smell assaulted our noses in a pleasant way.

“Well done, JP,” Nick said, as he stood next to me, watching the show. When it was done, the applause from the crowds was deafening. And when the applause ended, the traffic became just as problematic. We finally managed to get back to our house, although it would have been easier to go on foot, and it was a very exhausted group that poured ourselves into our beds that night.

July 1, 2001

“I will call you when I am done with my meeting,” I promised Stef as I climbed into the limousine. While my board meeting at CIT wasn’t until Monday, I was going to have a brief discussion with the President and the Provost. Stef merely nodded; he had enough of his own things to do today. The car had just begun to drive me to CIT when my phone rang.

“Hello,” I said formally, even though the caller-ID had told me it was Claire.

“Good morning,” she said, being pleasant. “And how did last night go?”

“It was very nice. The amphitheater is lovely, and the fireworks show was quite good. Stef is enjoying the new shopping center,” I said, forcing myself to be upbeat.

“That is good to hear. I will have to get out and see it some time,” she said. I said nothing. Claire had all but refused to get involved in my efforts here, all but divorcing herself from this city. That was fine, in that I understood that she considered herself to be a child of the Bay Area, but I would be lying if I said her unwillingness to help out didn’t upset me. I’d never said anything, but it bothered me that she didn’t even try to contribute to the effort, even after I’d asked her to. And it disturbed me that she made no effort to be here for the dedication of the amphitheater named after my mother, who had always doted on her.

“I think you will be pleased,” I said.

“I have talked to Marie, and she has promised me that she will apologize to Will when he gets back,” she said. “We had grounded her, but we’ve lifted that now. I would like to ask you to reconsider allowing her to attend the party.” I felt myself frowning, knowing that despite all that had happened, I’d really made no progress with Claire and Marie at all.

“She has promised to make things right, something which she pledged to do before but did not actually do,” I noted severely. I made a mental note that I even sounded as grouchy as my grandfather. “I see no great breakthrough, no great effort on her part.”

“Can’t you give her a chance?” Claire begged.

“I will be happy to give her a chance after she atones for her wrongs. Regardless of how that turns out, she will not be allowed to attend the Bastille Day party. Her ban from that event was not put out as an incentive for her to do better; it was put out as punishment for truly reprehensible behavior.”

“I see,” Claire said, irritated that her sales pitch had not worked.

“I would like to share with you my recent conversations with Will,” I said. “He called me the evening after he left, as soon as he arrived in Malibu, to apologize to me for the way he acted at dinner. He was unable to sleep until he had set things right.” Claire knew damned well that Marie had made no such effort. It may have been unfair to compare Marie and Will, but I rationalized that she’d been doing that to me since Friday night.

“That was very thoughtful of him,” she said insincerely.

“Then yesterday he flew out here with Brad and Robbie to be here for the opening, and to support me in that effort,” I said. Again, the contrast between Marie’s lack of effort and initiative and Will’s desire to work things out was too apparent to need comment. “Interestingly enough, the first thing he asked me to do was to allow you, Marie, and Isidore to attend the party.”

“He did?” she asked curiously.

“He did. I told him that while I would not do that, I did not think that the three of you intended to harm him with your actions.”

“We didn’t,” Claire confirmed. “That wasn’t the issue at all. It was just an oversight.”

“He already knew that. He told me that for him that actually made it worse. He said he felt as if he were so insignificant to the three of you, lower in priority than mere acquaintances, that you didn’t even think about him and what these issues would mean for him. In effect, you treated him as if he weren’t a member of the family.”

“I’m sorry he felt that way,” she said, but with some real sincerity this time.

“As am I,” I noted. “You called me to plead Marie’s case, yet all she has done is whine to you and promise to do something she had already committed to and did not do. You have said nothing about the core issue here, which is her inability to mirror herself, and her lack of action seems to suggest that is not even a concern for her.”

“I cannot believe you are being this cold and unyielding,” Claire said.

“And I cannot believe you are being this blind, and this stubborn,” I replied. “I am very disappointed in you, your mother, and your daughter. None of you have given me reason to think that disappointment was in error.” She said nothing, so after a brief period of time, I ended the call. After I did, I grimaced at the effort and the emotional pain it had caused me to do that, but then I buried it just as I had in the past, just as I always had done, and forced myself to focus on this latest meeting, and this latest project. Sadly, the more I dealt with this issue, the more my grandfather’s coldness seemed more and more reasonable.