#flashback 002

“The truth hurts but secrets kill” 

“Dear have a seat” when the woman’s secretary had called her cell phone and requested a meeting she’d known right away that nothing about this little visit was going to be a good idea. “I’m sure you are aware of the situation at hand Lucy…” Elliott’s brow furrowed for a moment, she’d been around for literally seventeen years and yet the woman sitting in front of her still couldn’t remember to call her the right now. This was how involved the ex-senate woman was with her family and at home priorities. “Pardon me, Mrs. Dubois, my name is Elliott.” she interrupted and saw the older and sickly woman’s face turn to rage for a moment over the fact that Elliot had dared to talk out of term. For heaven’s sake, she didn’t understand how anyone could talk to this woman and then wonder why Oliver had turned out the way he had. Of course, it was no excuse for all of the mistakes he made, but it also wasn’t anywhere near a surprise as to why he was the way that he was. “Oh right, my apologies. Elliott, as I was saying before, I’m sure you are aware of the situation that is going on right now. Benjamin has explained to you that I am in fact going to die in a couple short months.” abrasive to no end, even in times of illness it didn’t seem to stop the woman from speaking exactly what was on her mind. “You are surely not what I would have chosen for my only son.” Elliott’s eyes grew wide for a moment and she looked away for a moment to compose herself. It was just a good thing she’d learned a long time ago how to put up with Dubois antics.

“I do apologize for that Mrs. Dubois” with an attempt to hide the question in her voice she painted a smile on her face before looking back at the woman again, brushing away her hurt. “I don’t mean anything against you dear, I just mean that Benjamin could have always had anyone he wanted and yet somehow he’d always picked you. There is clearly nothing that I’ve ever been able to say about this.” Kathleen Dubois hardly even knew her son, she’d skipped every holiday from the time he was ten years of age on. Elliott had been with him for all of them and yet here went his mother, pretending like she knew what was right and what was wrong when it came to Oliver’s wishes and needs. She hadn’t even bothered to show up the day he’d graduated. It was not Elliott’s place to point out any of these things, of course, she knew how and when to hold her tongue which was probably the best way to deal with the Dubois family. “The point of this meeting is that I need to know that you return my son’s feelings implicitly.” if she’d been around more she would have known that this conversation was the most pointless thing that could have been arranged. “Ol - Benjamin, has been my best friend since the day I was born Mrs. Dubois. I don’t believe that there’s ever been a day that I haven’t been in love with your son.” that was the honest truth even when he was both unfair and pigheaded towards her. Ollie had done things that most girls never would have stood for, and yet somehow she’d always found a way to stick right with him.

Sitting back in the chair she attempted to relax herself a little bit. Not that that was going to be possible in the woman’s stuffy office. Kathleen was quiet now, studying her almost it seemed. What else was she going to assess next? Elliott’s lack of designer clothes? Her mousy blonde hair? How she wasn’t sitting like she’d taken any formal classes. Elliott had prepared herself best she could before walking into the familiar house, these people didn’t see their neighbors or anyone in their tiny town as people, they were simply servants who’d gotten her elected into office years prior. “Now Elliott, I must ask - what are your intentions with my son? Can you be the one to take care of his every need? Even when he becomes like his good for nothing father? This is not the first time that Hank has done something like this and I know that it wouldn’t be the last time if I wasn’t dying.” Elliott’s eyes went wide again, how could a person stay with someone through any of that. that was something that Ollie had never done. He’d hurt her so many other ways but being unfaithful, that was something he clearly spoke out against, never wanting to be like his own father or mother. She’d had her indiscretions as well, that had been splashed across all newspapers when Ollie had been thirteen. she’d sat beside him slightly confused but being as understanding as an eleven-year-old could have been. “Excuse me for speaking out Mrs. Dubois, but you don’t know your son as well as you believe you do” she couldn’t believe the words as they came out of her mouth. What was she doing? This was dangerous water to tread and she attempted to never even do it to Ollie, never mind the woman who’d given birth to the storm. “Did you know that your son graduated the top of his class? That when he gave his speech he did it for you, he thanked you - and not because the media and press told him that he needed to. But because he has always credited his brains to you.” there was a hit of energy then, Elliott wasn’t sure she was going to be able to stop herself from speaking, even though she knew that she probably should have right away.

“He was accepted into every college he applied to - only he didn’t go because he didn’t know what it would do to you. He didn’t know what would happen if he wasn’t here to play the go-between for you and Mr. Dubois. Because he knew that if your, excuse me for saying this, sham of a perfect family came to light you’d never recover from it.” Ollie probably would have been proud of her for speaking up against anything, she was always the quiet kid that knew when to smile and nod her head. In this case, she was losing grip of everything. “He knows about the coke you both hide in secret places in the house just to make it through your days. His father’s gambling issues have never been lost on him either, just like your drinking. You may think that I’m not right for your son, but and excuse me for saying this, you’ve never been right for your son either.” she was pretty sure she hadn’t come up for breath once since she’d begun talking, but once she’d started she knew that if she stopped she’d find herself apologizing for everything she’d said and more. “I want to see him happy, I’ve never wanted anything more than to see him happy. For the most part, I see it every day. But there’s also this sadness to him that he’ll never get over because you and his father broke him day one.” that was it, she was done and she needed to get out of there as fast as she could before this tough girl persona cracked and she was left with pieces all over the floor.