One Eyed Victor Part 2

Victor stirred from his sleep, and tried to put an arm around Opal but met only air before reality came crashing back down around him. “Oh… Right.” He winked back tears from his good eye and got to his feet. He put his lab coat on and headed over to Eliza’s room. She was asleep in her bed when he came in and he managed a smile. She’d started to sleep peacefully again, and he was thankful for that. Gingerly, he lifted her out of bed and cradled her in his arms. She slowly stirred and smiled at Victor. “Morning daddy.” A grin spread across his face and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Morning sweetheart. You want some pancakes?” Eliza grinned and hugged him. A moment later he set her down and they headed into the kitchen. “Are you gonna burn them again daddy?” He smirked. “No, I’ve been improving. These ones are gonna be edible, if not good.” Eliza just stuck her tongue out at him. He shook his head and laughed before turning on the radio for her. Once they were done he slid one onto he plate just as there was a knock on the door. “Give me one second, sweetheart. You just enjoy the pancakes.” He quickly buttered and syruped it before opening the door to the mailman. “Hey Chuck.” He took the mail and the mailman left. Bills, magazine subscriptions, a letter? He looked at the front. It was from some part of the govern- “Daaaaaaaaaad!” Eliza yelled from the kitchen happily. He ran in to see what happened. She had a fork in her hand and was smiling. “Is something wrong with the pancakes?” She shook her head. “They’re really good!” He couldn’t help but grin, although it faded into a look of sadness after a moment. With those wide eyes and her happy grin, she had looked just like her mother for a moment. He shook those thoughts away and started on his own pancakes. “You better hurry up girlie or you’re gonna be late for school.”

He collapsed into the couch. Today was going to be rough, he could already tell. He ripped open the letter to see what it was. ‘Dear Mr. Angelo, it is our duty to inform you that some concerns have been raised by a Mr. and Mrs. Thompson that your home may not be the most suitable place for your daughter. They are requesting that she be placed in their custody. Whether you comply with their request or not, you will both be investigated to ensure Elizabeth is placed in the absolute best home for her. We apologize for any trouble this might cause. Expect a representative from CPS to be there within the week.’ He stared at the letter for a moment before crumpling it between his hand and throwing it at a wall. “Goddammit!” His neck craned towards the ceiling and he closed his eyes. “They can’t do this to me. My life is already falling apart enough as is. She’s the only reason I get up in the morning anymore.” A few tears streak down his face as he looked at one of the photos on the wall. It was Victor and Opal standing on top of the Eiffel Tower. He was kissing her on the cheek while she blushed and just looked overall flustered. “I wish you were still here. I don’t want to go through this alone. I’m sorry, that’s selfish. You’re in a much better place than here. Besides, you’re still with me, I know that.” He wiped his tears and got up. “That’s enough moping for now. It’s time for action.” He walked over to the phone and punched in the numbers for his in laws. It rang for a few moments before he heard the click of a connection. “Thompson Household.” A familiar male voice answered. “John, may I ask why I got a letter from Child Protective Services saying you want to take Eliza away from me?” His anger was very thinly veiled. There was a long pause before he answered. “Victor, I love you like a son, don’t get me wrong. You made my Opal very happy for a long time and I thank you for that. But it was one of your scalpels in her neck, and she never showed any signs of mental instability when she lived with us. I just want what’s best for my niece.” John’s voice shook as he talked, and it was easy to tell he was crying on the other side of the line. Every fiber of Victor’s being shook with pure rage. “You’re blaming me for what happened. Really?! I loved Opal more than anything else in this world, and I tried my absolute hardest to save her! If you insist on going down this route Mr. Thompson, I will fight you every step of the way! I will not let you have my daughter!” He slammed the phone back onto the rack before John had a chance to respond. He punched the wall hard. SLAM. “I can’t believe him!” SLAM. “I did nothing but try my best to make Opal happy, not hurt her!” SLAM. “I even attacked the woman I loved to protect our daughter.” Slam. Tears started to roll down his cheeks as his blows got weaker. “And now I might lose the most important person in my life to some dried up mortician.” Slam. He fell to his knees and braced himself against the wall. slam. He sat there with silent tears rolling down his face for a few minutes before grabbing his car keys and heading out the door.

    “I’m sorry, I know you don’t want me to sit here moping, but I just need to talk to you. John is trying to take Eliza away from me. He blames me for everything that happened too. I don’t hate him, I know he isn’t trying to be malicious, but he is still trying to ruin my life. I know I can pass the inspection, but this still might end up going to court. And the questions they’re going to ask Eliza are going to be so painful. Everything used to be so easy. I would wake up every morning next to the most wonderful woman in the world, and fall asleep next to her every morning. That’s all I ever wanted, and it’s gone now.” He wiped the tears that were streaming down his face as he held himself. “You don’t want to see this, I know that. I guess I came here to get a bit of clarity. And I think I’ve found it. Talking to you has always made me feel better, thank you.” He got to his feet and wiped the grass off his pants. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to roll over and let him take Eliza, I will do whatever it takes to keep her in my home and be a father to her. I learned how to make pancakes recently. When she tried some she was so happy. It was nice to see her like that. I want to keep giving her moments like that.” He smiled sadly. “I just wish you were here to share them with her. With us. With me. I would do anything to get you back. This has been the hardest month of my life. The hardest part is waking up and hoping you’ll still be there next to me. Seeing you in the mornings was my favorite part of the day. It reminded me that I was one of the few people who got to marry the love of their lives. That I got to start a life with you. You might be gone, but I still want you to know that my time with you was the happiest time of my life.” He set the rose down and wiped a bit of dirt off Opal’s headstone. “I love you. Forever and always.” He wiped the last tears out of his eyes and headed back to his car to pick up Eliza from school.