The Restraining Order

A foreword

Terms used

Old bill -- slang term for the police

Brief -- slang term for solicitor or lawyer

Snogging -- what our American cousins call making out

My editor is sick and unable to work her magic so any errors are all mine. I'm sure the English teachers will have plenty to find fault with. I hope it doesn't spoil your enjoyment.

The Restraining Order

Everyday was the same. Five minutes before the children came out of school the old Volvo would appear. It never came close and the driver never got out of the car. As the days went by other parents started to notice. When one of mums arrived late and saw the driver using binoculars, she called the police. The patrol car arrived just as the children came out. I was bending down to embrace Madeleine and Thomas when I saw him get out of the car. Even four hundred yards away I recognised him. That large frame, the way he held himself, even the way he pushed his fingers through his hair when he was stressed. I watched as he got something from his pocket and showed it to the constable.

"Mummy, why are you crying," asked Thomas "are you hurt?"

"No, don't worry. Mummy's, fine the wind just blew some grit in her eye." I lied to him.

As I gathered them up and walked back to the car. I looked back to see him, still talking to the policeman.

Two days later I went in my friend Penny's Isuzu. Penny went to collect the children with specific instructions to keep them waiting at the gate. It took him all of five minutes. At first he was tentative looking all around and then walking purposefully towards them. He was a hundred yards away when they noticed him. With the window wound down I could hear the shout as Madeleine saw him.

"Daddy!" She cried as she ran towards him.

Thomas pulled away from Penny and followed her. He went down onto one knee and gathered them both in a tight embrace. I watched with tears running down my cheeks as he held them, then got up and slowly walked them back to the gate. He crouched down to talk to them looking up to address Penny. I got out of the car and walked over to them.

"Hello Richard, it's been a long time."

He turned and looked up at me. His eyes were full of anger.

"That was your decision, not mine."

"What are you talking about, I'd never stop you seeing the children."

"What do you call this then?" he asked handing me a bundle of papers he'd taken from his jacket pocket. I looked but could make head nor tail of it. The only words that made any sense, were the words restraining order.

"I don't understand. What is this?"

"You should know you took it out. It's an injunction preventing me from having any contact with you and that arrogant prick living in my house. I'm to have no contact with you and I am banned from coming within four hundred yards of you, him and the house. "

"Tell me Cath, how am I supposed to see my children when I can't contact you and can't come to the house?"

Tears ran down his face as he took the injunction documents back from me.

"I'm sorry Richard I don't understand. I never took that out"

"Well somebody did."

I felt a small hand tugging at me. "Mummy, mummy, can daddy come home with us? Please mummy, can he."

I looked at Richard as he pretended to blow his nose to cover the fact he was drying his eyes. He shook his head.

"Not tonight Darling, Mummy has something she must do first."

Richard turned to leave. "By the way Cath, I shall deny this meeting ever took place." He started to walk away.

"Richard wait, can I have those documents?"

"No, It's my only copy. I'll email it to you.—From an anonymous account of course."

He bent down hugged Maddy and Tom, kissed them both and walked away.

Both children called out to him. He didn't look back but I saw him dabbing at his eyes with a tissue.

We walked back to Penny's car. I buckled Maddy and Tom into their seats and got in the front. Penny looked at me with disbelief.

"Please tell me you didn't Cath. Richard may have his faults but he's a good dad and he's devoted to those two. I can't believe you slapped a restraining order on him."

"I didn't Penny, but I mean to find out who did."

All the way home I couldn't get his face out of my mind. He looked so desperate, so broken and deeply hurt. I tried to tell myself he deserved it. He'd betrayed me he'd slept with another woman. Less than seven years of marriage and he couldn't keep it in his trousers. If he needed to fuck someone what the hell was wrong with me. I'd loved him dearly. There wasn't anything I wouldn't have given him. I kept myself in trim, always looked good for him. I thought he was proud of me when we went out. Just goes to show how wrong you can be.

It had been almost a year since those photographs dropped through my door and their content left little to the imagination. A young blonde was on her knees sucking his cock, wrapping her legs around him while he fucked her pussy and on her hands and knees taking him in her arse. In some shots his face wasn't visible but I could see that tattoo and perhaps that hurt more than anything else. I could easily read it, not that I needed to, I knew what it said.

Property of Catherine Thompson

with an arrow pointing down to his cock.

I remembered the day he'd got it done. On our first anniversary I'd told him to do something to show that he loved me. I'd laughed when he showed it to me, I'm not laughing now. When I looked at the pictures I felt sick. How could he do that to me How could the little tart suck his cock while looking at that tattoo? There had been no doubt in my mind. If he loved me he just couldn't do that.

I thought about Penny's words. He had always been a wonderful father, taking an active role from day one. He did his fair share of bringing them up, changing nappies, feeding and bathing them. Maddy and Tom idolised him. Their mood brightened as soon as he got home sometimes I felt jealous of his relationship with them. That's why I was surprised when he suddenly stopped coming around to see them. He never called to arrange a visit. For three months we had no contact at all. Despite the shock of betrayal I didn't hate him and I certainly wouldn't stop him seeing the children.

*****

As Richard walked away he couldn't believe his life had gone so wrong so quickly. A year ago he had a good job, a nice house, a lovely wife and two beautiful children. One by one they had all been taken away. He got into the old Volvo and watched Cathy load the kids into Penny's Isuzu. He banged his forehead on the steering wheel. How could one drunken night lead to this?

He never normally drank much but that night he felt sorry for himself. His employer, Electronique plc. held their annual party in the garden of one of the large hotels in town. They erected a large marquee out on the lawns with a live band and cheap booze. It was a black tie job and more or less compulsory for managers to attend. Normally he went with Cath while her mother looked after the children. That year was different, Cath's mum was recovering from varicose vein surgery and Cath was looking after her. Richard felt very alone and found himself drinking more than usual. From halfway through the evening he could remember nothing. He knew that he'd woken up in a hotel room with the mother of all hangovers. When he checked out he was told him he'd paid the bill when he booked the room. None of it made sense.

Things got worse when he got to work on Monday. His colleagues were all nudges and winks and they called him a sly dog and other such names. Craig, his boss, didn't find it so funny.

"I thought you knew better. Cath's a lovely girl and you two are so right together, I never thought you'd put that at risk for a roll in the hay with some tart."

"Craig, what are you are talking about."

"I'm talking about you leaving the party with the mystery Blonde on Saturday night."

"I can't remember much after the dinner. I woke up in a hotel room that I was supposed to have booked the previous week. I have no knowledge of how I got there and I don't remember booking it. Why would I need a room? It's only a ten minute taxi ride to my place."

"I know you were putting it away but I didn't think you were that bad. Let me fill you in. From about 9.30pm you were keeping the company of a blonde woman. Nobody recognised her, but I'll give you one thing, she was drop dead gorgeous. Anyway about 10.30pm I saw you leaving with your arm draped around the bare shoulder of the mystery woman. There are a lot of blokes in this department from whom I'd expect that sort of behaviour, but not you Richard."

"I assure you Craig I don't remember a thing, if I had the pleasure of the young lady then it was totally wasted because I don't remember."

"Well you'd better make sure Cath doesn't find out, because she'll have your guts for garters."

A week later Cathy returned from her mother's. Two days after that Richard came home to a mad woman, waving pictures at him, and telling him to get out. He threw some clothes in a bag and left to spend the night on his brother's sofa. By the end of the week he got notification of divorce proceedings in his office mail.

He'd never imagined Cath would use the children as weapon against him, but that was exactly what she'd done. This restraining order was the last straw. It didn't ban him from seeing Maddy and Tom, it just made it impossible to make arrangements.

He started the car and headed in the direction of the place he now called home.

*****

We got home and I gave the children a snack and a drink, I used my laptop to check the email. There was nothing from Richard, I set about cooking dinner while Maddy and Tom did their school work. It seems ridiculous setting homework for five and six year old children, but that's the world we live in now.

Tony got home around 5.30 pm. His arrival was greeted by grunts from the children and a kiss from me. Tony had been my rock. Standing by me, and advising me through all the turmoil of the divorce. He'd found me a good divorce lawyer and helped work out a settlement. Richard never put up much of a fight my solicitor only had to threaten restricted access to the children and he just caved in. I don't feel good about the settlement, it seems I have everything and he has nothing. He even has to pay the mortgage on the house he can't live in. Tony says it's his own fault for not putting up a fight and for cheating in the first place.

I met Tony, or Anthony as he is known there, at work. Pendleton, Syms and Woodcock is a law firm. They specialise in corporate work, drafting contracts, ensuring their customers don't get caught out in mergers and takeovers. It's a big money company. I work in their accounts department and Tony is one of the solicitors. We met when I had to ask him to explain some of the items on his expenses claim. We often went to lunch together and we would talk about our lives outside work. He told me he envied Richard having a stable home life and a family of his own. I, of course, told him he would meet the right person one day. Over the months he became a close friend and my confidant, I told him everything, I even told him about Richard's tattoo.

I looked at my children sitting watching cartoons while Tony went up to change out of his work clothes. Richard's tear stained face sprung into my mind. It hadn't been a fair fight everything we had against access to his children. I felt myself welling up as I put the dinner on the plates and set the table.

Tony noticed that I was not my usual self.

"What's up babe? You seem a bit down tonight."

"Oh nothing really, I just saw a face from the past today. They don't seem to be doing that well. I was wondering if there was anything I could do."

"The only person that can help you in this world is yourself. There are winners and losers the important thing is to always be on the winning side. I'm sure your friend could do something to get them out of the hole they're in."

"You may be right. My worrying certainly won't help"

I got up and cleared away. Tony read his paper while I got the children ready for bed.

"Now you two go up and brush your teeth and I'll come up and read you a story."

"I want Daddy to do it," yelled Thomas.

Tony folded his newspaper, got up and walked towards the staircase.

"Not you," said Maddy. "We want our real Daddy."

"Well if your real Daddy loved you he'd be here, wouldn't he? But he's not and I am."

"TONY" I screamed as I ran over to them.

Maddy's tears were running down her face. "It's not true is it Mummy? Daddy does love us he told me so."

"Of course he loves you sweetie, more than anything in the whole world. I don't know why Tony would say such a thing."

"He doesn't love us and he doesn't like Daddy."

"I'm, sure Tony loves you too. He's just got things on his mind."

"Well I don't like him. I want to see my daddy again."

"I'm working on it sweetie, really I am. Now let's get you tucked up in bed and you let mummy worry about Daddy's visits". I put them to bed and read the little princess before kissing them goodnight.

I was fuming as I went back downstairs to confront Tony.

"Don't you

ever

talk to my children like that again"

"Oh they're your children now are they? I thought we agreed when I moved in that they were going to be our children?"

"Richard will always be their father there is nothing either of us can do about that."

"OK, I could have put it better but sooner or later they have to know. He's made his choice. He doesn't want to be a part of their lives anymore. I mean when was the last time they saw him? Three months ago?"

"Today, they saw him today. I was late picking them up from school so Penny met them at the school gate. When I arrived he was there with them."

"Did you speak to him?"

"No when I arrived he left."

"Wimp"

"What did you say?"

"I called him a wimp, because he is. He hasn't fought anything. You got the house that he's paying for. You got more than generous child support. You even got some maintenance payments. Every demand we made he just rolled over."

"As I recall Tony, we said give me what I want or you'll never see your kids again. We had the only thing he wanted. Of course he rolled over."

"So why isn't he taking up the access he has, if they are so precious to him?"

"I don't know but I saw the heartbroken look on his face today. There'll be a reason I'm sure."

I don't know why I didn't tell him about the restraining order. I had the feeling that Tony knew more about it than he was letting on. Still I kept it quiet at least until I could read it thoroughly. I checked my email, still nothing from Richard. In desperation I looked in the Junk folder. There it was, a single file called injunction. No message, just the attachment. I printed it out and put it in my briefcase. Tony came in with an overnight bag.

"I forgot to tell you. I've got to go down to Southampton tomorrow. I won't be back until Friday evening."

"Just the one night? You'll be back on Friday?"

"Yeah definitely. Tell you what Cath why don't we go out to dinner Friday night?"

"OK I'll book a table."

He stepped up behind me and put his arms around me and his hands on my breasts and squeezed them. "How about a little loving on account?"

"On account of what?"

"On account of me not being here to get it tomorrow."

"Not tonight Tony, I'm really not in the mood."

I pulled his hands off of my breasts and started to walk away from him.

"Oh come on Cath you're not still angry because of what I said to Maddy."

"As a matter of fact Tony, Yes I am. I can't believe you'd shatter a little girl's image of her father because of jealousy. I thought you were a bigger man than that."

"Jealous? You seriously think that I am Jealous of that wimp?"

"Why else would you react like that, just because she preferred her father. Of course she prefers him she's known him all her life. She's known you less than six months."

"I'm sorry Cathy, really I am. You're right, we need to give it more time. Give it long enough and she'll come around, especially now he's not visiting."

"I don't want to talk about this Tony. I'm going to bed."

*****

Robb knew something was troubling his brother. He could see the redness in the eyes that seemed to have sunk further into their sockets. He noticed the amount of times Richard's hands slipped from the spanner.

"OK what's the bitch done now?"

"Sorry, I don't know what you're getting at."

"I may not be as bright as you Ritchie, but even I can see something's happened. Only yesterday I was telling Vicki that I thought you were getting over it, but tonight were back to square one."

Robb stood up straightened his back and looked down at his brother. They'd been trying to remove the engine and transmission from one year old Volkswagen Passat so the body shell could be burned out and crushed.

"She claims she knows nothing about the restraining order. She acted all mystified when I showed it to her."

"You've spoken to her? What sort of fool are you Rich? I was there when your brief told you to stick to the letter of that damned injunction until he could get it lifted."

"It's alright for him, they're not his kids. You know how quickly they change at that age. I had to see them Robb, I just had to."

Robb moved over to his brother and put his arm around his shoulders.

"Come on mate, we're not going to get this done tonight. Let's call it a night and go in a have beer."

The two men walked back to the bungalow and were soon sitting at the kitchen table, one holding a glass of beer, the other a cup of coffee.

"OK so what happened today?"

"Well I've been waiting outside the school every day for the last couple of weeks. Just so I could catch site of Maddy and Tom as they came out."

"You want to be careful. These days, that sort of thing gets you arrested."

"Yeah I know. I've already had old bill come and check up on me. I showed the copper the injunction and he understood everything, he was divorced last year."

"Stick to the point Ritchie. What happened today?"

"She didn't come, well at least her car never came. Her mate Penny collected the kids and I thought it was a good time to go and talk. So I hurried over to them. You should have seen them Robb, they were so pleased to see me."

"I'll bet they were, it's been, what? Three months?"

"More or less, Yeah. Anyway while I'm hugging them and talking to them she walks up, bold as brass and says it's been a long time. Of course, I tell her it's her fault not mine and she acts all mystified. Well I showed her the injunction and she says she knows nothing about it. I mean she stood there, looked me in the eyes and told me she knew nothing about it. If I hadn't seen her signature on that pack of lies, I would have believed her. Where did that monster come from Robb? The Cathy I knew wouldn't lie like that. She wouldn't take every penny I had and make it impossible for me to see my own children. Did I do that to her Robb? In one drunken night, did I turn her from a kind loving woman into a hard nosed bitch?"

"I doubt it was all you, I think the arrogant prick she's living with has something to do with it. So what happened after you showed her the injunction?"

"Like I said, she claimed she knew nothing about it. I decided to get out of there in case it was some sort of set up. Maddy had other ideas and wanted me to go home with them. As I walked away Cath called out saying that she wanted a copy of the injunction. Why would she do that? She must have her own so why ask for mine?"

"I don't know mate. I don't understand any of this. I always thought you two were solid. Never dreamed she would react like that to one mistake. It was just the one wasn't it?"