Travelers

On the way up the elevator to my attorney I once again found myself staring at the brass plaque for the offices two floors above the floor of my attorney's office. I knew I had seen that design, three interlocking M's somewhere before.

Tarnhauser could not hide his shock when I walked into his office. "You've lost weight!" was his first comment.

"Yes, I have. The last few months I have more or less been a recluse in Martin's, I mean my, apartment." I answered.

"Well I think the trip to Stockholm will be a good way for you to get back out in public." Tarnhauser said with enthusiasm.

"Midsommars Afton in Stockholm is a beautiful time, but going there to spread Martin's ashes where he spread Ulla's is not my idea of a fun time." I said dryly.

"Well I won't keep you long. I just have a few papers for you to sign and you can be on your way." He responded.

After I had signed all the necessary documents Tarnhauser asked me if I had a financial councilor and I told him that since inheriting Martin's portfolio I had simply been living off less than half the dividends and interest and in fact a large cash balance had built up in my savings account.

Tarnhauser suggested that I have the portfolio reviewed and when I asked him if he knew someone good he told me that a lot of clients used the firm two floors above him. "I can call and make you an appointment." He said.

...

When the elevator doors open I suddenly knew where I had seen the three interlocking M's before. And when I approached the receptionist and said that my attorney, Mr. Tarnhauser, had made an appointment for me to see a financial counselor and she said, "Please have a seat, Mr. Michaels will see you in a few minutes," a shiver went up my spine. The last time I had seen Dave's father was in Paris just before I became his son's first love.

When Paul Michaels walked out to meet me he could not hide the shocked look on his face when he recognized who I was. He shook my hand and smiled and said, "Small world isn't it."

I said nothing and after he shut the door I could not contain myself one second longer and immediately said, "That was a difficult time in my life and I am no longer the same person I was then. The time I spent with your son was the happiest time I have spent with anyone in my entire life. You worried that your son would fall in love with me, but what happened was that I fell in love with your son."

"My son did fall in love with you and afterwards when he got back to the states and could not find you he licked his wounds and got on with his life. Thanks to you he gained the self-confidence he always lacked and he realized that beautiful and intelligent women were not all looking for empty headed pretty boys for mates. He still does not know that your time with him was purchased and if he did that would devastate him."

"If you never tell him he will never know, I am in love with Dave and I want to see him again. Will you tell me where he is?"

"Suze he is happily married now and has a little boy. Don't ruin his memories of your time together, because if you contact him I will tell him that you were nothing but a hired whore and that would take away all the self-confidence you gave him and it would also make it impossible for him to ever think of you in the same way."

When he said that my heart felt crushed in my chest and I turned away from him because I did not want him to see my tears and that was when I saw the picture on the credenza behind me of Dave and a beautiful young blond woman smiling in total happiness and holding a small child.

"What is his name?" I asked pointing at the picture.

"Stephen," he answered, "but for some reason my son always calls him Skivy."