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May 1990

***On the Summers’ back porch***


“But why do you have to go?” she sullenly asked while kicking at the bottom step.

“Cuz he’s my Dad and the judge made the rules in the divorce, and if I don’t go my mum will be in trouble.”

“Can’t you just tell the judge you don’t want to go?” asked Buffy

“No.”

“Three months is a long time, William. It’s the whole summer, what about all the plans we made? It’s not fair!”

“I know.” He ducked his head and played with his laces to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. “I really wanted to go to the beach with you, but I can’t. I gotta go to London and be with my dad cuz of the stupid custody agreement.” Tears hit the dusty step next to his sneakers, and Buffy quickly sat down next to him and put her arms around him.

“Don’t worry, William. I won’t go to the beach. I’ll stay home, and we can go together next summer. Don’t be sad, OK?”



***At the same time inside the Summers’ house***



“Honestly, Joyce, I was just as surprised as William when his father insisted on his visitation rights this summer.” Anne put her coffee cup down on the table and continued, “Ethan hasn’t even bothered to call for two years, and I just know he’s doing this out of spite. He thought that I would fail on my own and come running back to him.” She looked at the woman sitting across the table from her. “I suppose this is the only way he knows he can hurt me now, and he is going to use it.”

“Oh, Anne.” Joyce reached over and grasped her hand sympathetically. “Maybe he truly wants to rebuild his relationship with William.”

“I truly hope so…for my son’s sake.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

August 1990


“Mom, Mom, Mom!” yelled Buffy as she stampeded down the stairs. “William is coming home today!”

“I know, I know. You’ve kept me updated with a daily status report. Now sit down, eat breakfast, and I’ll give Anne a call to see when we can meet up with them.” Joyce picked up the phone and directed her daughter towards the table.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy wrinkled her nose then sat down next to her friend on the sofa in the Pratt’s living room. She didn’t get it. William was gone for almost three months, and now he didn’t even want to talk to her. She had made her mom rush over here, and he had barely glanced up from the TV when she came in. He didn’t even like Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers.

**********

Anne peered into the living room at the two oddly quiet children before softly closing the sliding doors that separated it from the kitchen, and then sat down at the kitchen table with Joyce.

“I am so frustrated, Joyce. He has been almost unresponsive since I picked him up from the airport. I was really hoping that when Buffy arrived he would snap out of it, but…I’m afraid he has just retreated into himself.”

“Ethan isn’t physically abusive is he, Anne?” Joyce hesitantly questioned.

Anne folded her arms rested her chin in her hand and sighed. “No, that would be beneath Ethan. He would never raise his hand or his voice to me or William. He focuses solely on damaging you psychologically.” She looked up at Joyce. “Disparaging remarks that make you feel like less than nothing are his specialty. I married him when I was very young, when I didn’t realize that I deserved better. My family was poor, and he was an older well-to-do university professor. I thought he was saving me.” She covered her eyes with her hands. “I woke up one day and realized that my son was afraid of his own shadow, and I knew I had to leave Ethan or William would never find himself. I had hoped that the time we’ve spent alone together, and his time with Buffy would have built up his self esteem to a point where Ethan wouldn’t have an effect on him. I see now that I was fooling myself.” She paused. “I really don’t want to burden you with my troubles, Joyce…”

“No, Anne,” hushed Joyce. “We’re friends, our children are friends, and this is what I’m here for. Isn’t there any way to fight the custody agreement?” she suggested.

“I only wish,” sighed Anne. “But like I said he is very well to do and has a lot of powerful friends. It was all I could do to make the move to the states, and if I don’t follow his visitation rights to the letter I’m afraid William could end up back in England permanently. Right now, I can only fight Ethan with love and pray that will be enough to save my son.”

Joyce got up and circled the table to hug her now quietly crying friend, and silently hoped it would be enough as well.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sitting on a bench watching all the other fourth graders run around having fun at recess wasn’t Buffy’s idea of a great time. She glanced over at William who was seemingly absorbed in reading his history textbook. He’d been back almost two weeks now, and all he wanted to do was read and watch TV. Her mom said it was because William’s dad wanted him to be quiet all the time, and he had gotten used to it and needed time to change back to normal.

‘Be patient, Buffy.’

That’s all she heard these days, but she was tired of being patient. Truthfully, if she had other friends she would have left William to sulk by himself and would be off having fun, but she didn’t have any other friends because usually William was all she needed. Right now she was highly irritated at the thought of having to go and make a new friend when a perfectly fine BEST friend was sitting next to her. Her best friend whom she knew was smart enough to know that quiet time was over. So Buffy had come to the conclusion that her mom must be wrong and that something else was bothering her friend.

“William?”

He didn’t even look up from his book, just grunted, “Huh?”

Buffy huffed, rolled her eyes and finally asked, “Are you mad at me cuz I went to the beach without you? Cuz I didn’t want to, but my mom and dad said it was a family vacation and I was too young to stay at home alone. So if you’re mad, I’m really sorry and will you please forgive me and play with me again?”

William finally looked at her, his blue eyes blinking at her in surprise behind his glasses. “I-I’m not mad”

“Then what’s wrong? What did I do?” she implored, her green eyes tearing up. “Why don’t you want to be friends with me any more?”

William put his book down on the bench and grabbed his friend’s hand. “Buffy, you’re my best friend ever, and I’m NOT mad really, I’m just…I don’t know…being with my dad makes me feel…sad I guess…” He shrugged hopelessly, giving up on trying to explain how he felt.

“Well, now that you’re home, you can be happy and have fun again - like we used to - if you want?” She smiled widely at him. “I brought you some sand back from the beach and some really neat shells. Do you want to catch some doodle bugs?”

As William got up and followed Buffy out onto the playground, he realized that he couldn’t quite remember why he had felt so sad a few minutes ago.





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