Tarnished Armor
Part 115

The Valley Inn. The dining room.

Liza is sitting at a table alone.

The waiter comes over.

Waiter: Are you ready to order yet?

Liza: Not yet. I’ll just wait a little while longer.

The waiter goes to the next table.

Belinda enters the room. She sees Liza and goes over to the table.

Liza: I’m glad you came.

Belinda: Now where else would I be?

Belinda sits down.

Belinda: Did you see Colby?

Liza: Briefly.

Belinda: Briefly?

Liza: I got there very late, and then Jake wouldn’t let me stay past the schedule.

Belinda: Oh.

Liza: I’ve been such a jerk. Thinking of myself all this time. You should have seen her. Tugging at my hair. Making silly faces. She was beautiful. And the tooth!

Belinda: The tooth?

Liza: It feels like she’s been working on that thing for five years, but it’s almost completely in.

Belinda: How did she seem?

Liza: Perfect.

The waiter comes over.

Waiter: Ready to order?

Liza: We haven’t --

Belinda: I know what I want. Medium well steak. Ranch dressing for the salad.

Liza: You know something? This is strange. I think I want everything on the menu.

Belinda: She’ll have the broiled chicken. Oil and vinegar.

Liza: I will?

Belinda: Yes.

Liza: Okay.

The waiter takes the menus and leaves.

Belinda: How was Jake?

Liza: Let me tell you something, Belinda. Colby isn’t my baby. She isn’t Jake’s. She isn’t Adam’s. She’s her own person. And I am sick and tired of seeing her being used as some sort of game prize. I’m sick of... Well, right now, I’m sick of seeing Jake’s face hovering over her like she’s some precious jewel which he spirited out of a safe -- and that no one else could possibly touch without ruining her. He’s sitting there, giving me advice on how to hold her, telling Junior to keep away, and he didn’t even care when he was told new information about her.

Belinda: He’s probably just over-protective because he hasn’t had her to himself for so long.

Liza: Well, he’s wrong. Let me tell you something about my daughter. She loves people. She loves playing. She loves teasing you, and being teased back -- as long as she knows you know it’s a game. She may not have any words yet, but she’s a great communicator. She has fifty different sounds which tell you which food she’s in the mood for. And Jake sees none of that. I guess I’ve known that all along, but all of sudden, I’m infuriated. He thinks he can pick her up, and say, “Daddy’s here,” and she’ll be happy. Because he’s getting what he wants. And she’s generous enough to try and please him most of the time. Who knows where she got that gene from. But it’s not right that an infant is doing all of the work to make a grown man feel good about himself. That’s not love. That’s manipulation of the worst kind. I should know. I lived with the master manipulator for years.

Belinda: What are you saying?

Liza: I’m saying that I want Colby to have a fighting chance. She deserves that, and much, much more.

Belinda: You want her back.

Liza: I want her to be with someone who understands her, and loves her for who she is. Right now, I see two people who feel that way about her. And Junior is a little young to be adopting her. So yes. I want custody. And I want her to have custody of me.

Belinda: We can do it.

Liza: Do you think so? God, I’ve made a mess of things. I can’t believe I’ve been so completely self-absorbed. What was I thinking?

Belinda: You were dealing with something else. Now you’re dealing with the mess. Give me my dollar back.

Liza: What?

Belinda: Let this be a lesson to you, Liza. There is no way to make a buck off a lawyer. Give me my dollar back.

Liza: But ...

Belinda: But what?

Liza: But you’re Trevor’s partner.

Belinda: It will keep. I’ll just remove myself from our partnership and worry about the rest later.

Liza: I can’t ask you to do that.

Belinda: You didn’t ask. I’m volunteering. Give me my dollar.

Liza: You’re sure?

Belinda: It’s a pride thing. I should have never let you have that dollar in the first place, but I couldn’t risk you double-crossing me. Give it back.

Liza reaches into her purse. She takes out her wallet and takes out a dollar. She hands it to Belinda.

Belinda: Give me a pen.

Liza: What?

Belinda: Give me a pen. I’ll give it back.

Liza reaches into her purse and takes out a pen. She hands it to Belinda.

Belinda scrawls something across the face of the dollar bill.

Liza: What are you doing?

Belinda carefully folds the dollar and puts it in her pocket. She hands the pen back to Liza.

Belinda: I just want to make sure that I remember exactly what that dollar is for.

The waiter comes over with Liza and Belinda’s food. He places it down on the table.

Liza: Thank you.

Liza looks up at Belinda.

Liza: I’m putting you on a diet.

Belinda: What?

Liza: It’s your turn to talk. Do it while I’m eating.

Belinda: What are you talking about?

Liza: Any relationship is about two people, right? So what’s up with Adrian? Am I in the way by staying over at your place? And since you seem to be into the whole baby thing, why aren’t you working on a few of your own?

Liza picks up her fork and begins to eat. Belinda stares at her.

Liza swallows.

Liza: What? I’m butting in. I have a right, don’t I? Friends butt in. You do it all the time.

Belinda: But --

Liza: I’m hungry. Start talking.

Belinda: Okay. Well... you’re not in the way. I spent the whole day with Adrian.

Liza nods.

Liza: But you’ll let me know if it becomes a problem?

Belinda: It won’t. Besides, I think it might be good for Adrian to miss me a little.

Liza: Takes you for granted?

Belinda: I thought you were eating and I was talking.

Liza: Sorry.

Belinda: He doesn’t take me for granted. I think he’d just like for things to stay the way they are. Two consenting adults -- that sort of thing.

Liza: Is that what you want?

Belinda: I’d like more, but not if it’s too soon for Adrian.

Liza: Too soon? You love him. He loves you. And I could hear your biological clock ticking from New York.

Belinda: Liza...

Liza: Do you want me to talk to him?

Belinda: Definitely not.

Liza: Give him the Liza lecture on knowing a good thing when he sees it?

Belinda: You don’t lecture, Liza. You strong-arm.

Liza: Don’t be ridiculous.

Belinda: I’m being honest. Don’t meddle.

Liza: I don’t meddle. That’s my mother’s job. I ... finesse.

Belinda: Finesse? Well, don’t finesse this time. Let me handle it, or I won’t tell you anything else.

Liza: Aw, come on, Belinda!

Belinda: It’s true.

Liza: Okay, okay. No finessing. For now. Give me more to work with. Are you sharing a toothbrush?

Belinda: No.

Liza: Have you given him a shave?

Belinda: Yes.

Liza: Progress. Has he cooked you dinner?

Belinda: Several times. More than I’ve cooked for him.

Liza: Excellent. Have you met his parents?

Belinda laughs.

Belinda: Yes.

Liza: You’re almost home, Belinda. Keep plugging. What kind of strollers are you looking at? These things are important.

Belinda laughs again. She picks up her fork and begins to eat.

Tarnished Armor Index
Part One Hundred and Fourteen
Part One Hundred and Sixteen