Charlotte's Tangled Web: L.B. Pavlov (29 page)

“No, I don’t. But I will talk to her. I can talk to her, Jack,” he insisted.

“No you can’t, Daniel. There is no talking to her right now. She has her mind made up. She is stubborn. She believes this is the right thing to do. Daniel, you know more than anybody that she won’t let this go,” I said angrily.

“Dad, maybe she should do what she wants to do,” Jack said sharply.

“Jack, when you’re a dad, you can make those decisions for your child,” I snapped.

“I agree with your dad. Charlotte worked hard to go to Stanford. She should go, but I know I can talk her into it if you just give me a chance. We can stay together and just go to different schools. We can make it work; we love each other. Please just let me try to talk to her,” Daniel pleaded desperately. “She isn’t answering her phone,” he added in a concerned tone.

This kid was as stubborn as she was. He wasn’t getting it. She was going to convince him that this was what she wanted. I had to do something, and I had to do it quickly. I was Charlotte’s father, and I had to look out for her. She was my priority.

“She doesn’t have a phone right now. Or a computer. So please do not attempt to contact her. Daniel, do you know why she wants to go to Notre Dame? Do you want to know what she told me? Because I think it will surprise you,” I said harshly.

“Dad!” James interjected.

“Stay out of it, James! Do you hear me? This doesn’t involve you,” I snapped back at him.

“I assume it’s because she wants us to be together, and she doesn’t want us to be apart?” Daniel said quietly as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

“No. She wants to run for Stanford. She told me so herself tonight, and she said that it is her dream to run there, and it is her dream to qualify for the Olympics.” As the words came out of my mouth, I felt a tinge of guilt at what I was about to do, but it was my duty as her father. “But she is afraid to be away from you. Not because of the reasons that you think. Daniel, she told me that she is afraid that you will cheat on her if you are apart. She doesn’t trust you. She admitted to me that she would give up everything that she wants because she can’t risk losing you. And she doesn’t think you can handle the distance. She doesn’t believe that you can stay faithful.” I looked into his eyes, and I could see that he was devastated.

Daniel was a proud kid. He would never allow Charlotte to give up her dreams, especially for these reasons. I had him where I wanted him now. James and Eric turned and stormed out of the house. They slammed the door behind them. They obviously thought what I was doing was wrong, whether or not they believed that Charlotte had said those things didn’t even matter. They didn’t think that I should interfere. But they were not fathers, and they did not understand my situation.

Jack did not leave. He obviously didn’t trust me to be alone with Daniel. My boys loved Daniel as if he was their own brother, but they did not understand the ramifications of this relationship. They didn’t have a daughter who was born with a God-given gift. It was my job to help her find her way, regardless of who got hurt along the way.

“That’s why she wants to go to Notre Dame?” he asked, and I could tell that he was deeply wounded by what I had told him.

“That’s what she told me,” I said firmly.

“Jack, I don’t know if her dream is Stanford, to be honest with you. I agree with you that she should utilize her gifts, but if she doesn’t want it to be at Stanford, she can run on her own at Notre Dame, can’t she? I give you my word that I will make the time every day to help her train, Jack. I can promise you that. I love her. I love her so much,” he said sincerely.

This kid was as bad as she was. I realized that this situation was out of control and that was why she had made this rash decision. They were two kids; they had no idea what love was. And if it were meant to be, it would work out later in life when they were older. I was justified in what I was doing, but I knew that it was wrong.

“Daniel, do you love her? I mean, really love her?” I asked seriously.

“More than anything,” he said without giving it a second’s thought.

I believed him. I never doubted that they loved each other. But it still didn’t make this right. She needed to follow her dreams.

“Well, Daniel, when you love someone, you are willing to sacrifice yourself. And if you really love Charlotte, you won’t hold her back. You won’t keep her from her dreams just because she is afraid you will be with another girl. She doesn’t trust you. That is not love. And if you allow her to do this, you are being selfish, Daniel,” I said sternly.

“Dad! That is enough,” Jack said frostily.

I looked over at him. He was disgusted with me, and a part of me was disgusted with myself. But I had no choice. “Please stay out of this, Jack. You need to go home,” I said, and Jack turned and stormed out of the house.

The boys were angry, but they wouldn’t upset Charlotte with this. They knew better. They would just be there for her.

“OK, Jack. I get it. She needs to go to Stanford. She wants to go, and I’m glad that she told you that because she hasn’t told me that. And I’m disappointed that she doesn’t trust me because I would never be unfaithful to her. I promise you that,” he said forcefully.

“It’s not me who needs to believe that,” I said, “and unfortunately she doesn’t. And that’s a serious problem in your relationship. Trust is important. Maybe you can take this year to prove yourself, and if it’s meant to be, you will be together when you are older,” I said, staring him down. His eyes were watering.

“So what are you saying?” he asked quietly.

“She won’t leave if you’re together. Daniel, I logged in to her trust account a few minutes ago. She has already transferred one semester’s worth of tuition into her checking account. She was worried her grandfather or I would freeze her account. This is not a girl who is going to give up. You need to do the right thing here if you really love her like you say you do,” I said, and he finally got it.

“You want me to end it and force her to go to Stanford,” he said, and his honest eyes were filled with tears.

I felt a pull on my heart, but the voice in my head said to go for the kill right now. This was for Charlotte. My duty was to protect my daughter. He would be fine. Daniel would have a new girlfriend by next week, I thought, as I justified what I was doing to this kid once again.

“Yes. If you really love her, you will do what’s right. That’s what love is, Daniel, and sometimes it hurts.”

“I don’t know if I can,” he wailed, and I could hear the devastation in his voice.

I had known Daniel since he was five years old. What had happened to me that I could justify what I was doing to him? But I somehow did it. “You have to do what you have to do, and I believe you can figure this out.”

He was frozen on the couch, his hands in his hair, looking completely shattered.

“I spoke to Coach Little tonight, Daniel. Charlotte hadn’t said anything to him yet. We worked it out, and she is leaving Sunday after graduation for California. He is getting her housing arranged. She will train at Stanford over the summer. You just have to get through the week. Then you will both have some distance for the year, and you can give her a chance to live her dream,” I said quietly.

“Does she know that she is leaving?” he asked.

“Not yet. We will speak tomorrow. Lenora and I will drive her to and from school this last week. I am canceling the graduation party. You are welcome to have your own, but Charlotte will not be attending or taking part in it. Please respect that, Daniel. You can end it with her on Monday at school and then just stay away from her. I think she’s proven what she’s willing to do for you, and we don’t need any more crazy stunts from Charlotte,” I said, turning away toward the door, and I left him with one final thought. “And, Daniel, don’t make me cut that tree down. Do the right thing and stay away from her,” I said, and I walked out the door.

I had done what I needed to do for my daughter. Now I would have to handle Charlotte, and she was stubborn.

I was still sitting on the couch when my parents walked through the door. I hadn’t moved since Jack Sr. had left thirty minutes before. I was numb from what all had happened. Five hours ago I had been the happiest I had ever been, and now my world was crashing down around me.

“Hi, sweetie,” my mom said as she walked through the door. They both stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of me.

“Daniel, what’s wrong?” my dad said, sitting down to face me.

“It hasn’t been a good night,” I said unnecessarily. I explained to my parents what had happened at dinner, and how Charlotte had informed everyone about her acceptance to Notre Dame.

“Did you know about it?” my mom inquired quietly.

“No, she hadn’t told me,” I said. “I would have talked her out of it, and talked her out of telling her dad, that’s for sure,” I added, and my tone grew angry. “Jack says that she wants to go to Stanford and that she told him it’s her dream, and that she was only going to Notre Dame because she doesn’t trust me,” I said, and even I recognized the hurt in my voice. “He said she is not going to leave if we’re together, and I know he’s right, but I don’t know what to do.”

“I think you need to talk to Charlotte,” my mom said and paused before continuing, “Daniel, don’t let Jack bully you into thinking you have done anything wrong.”

“He’s not bullying me, Mom, he is protecting his daughter. He’s not going to lie to me about what she said, and I have to listen because I can’t talk to her right now. I just wish I could have talked to her before all of this happened.”

“Can you call her now?” Dad asked hopefully.

“No, he took her phone and computer away, and he is going to be driving her to and from school every day for this last week of school. He wants me to stay away from her for a while. She is leaving Sunday for Stanford. Jack is moving her away,” I said with despair in my voice.

“What? How did this happen? What is he thinking?” Mom shouted.

“He is thinking of what’s best for his daughter, and it’s definitely not me. He is canceling the graduation party. And I don’t want to celebrate anything without her, OK?” I said, and now I could feel the tears collecting precariously in my eyes. I didn’t know what to do.

“Oh my goodness, Daniel, Jack is overreacting,” she decided, and her voice was shaky and upset.

“Daniel, you have not done anything wrong. You did not encourage her to go to Notre Dame. Jack needs to let his daughter make her own decisions. And he can’t blame you if she wants to be with you,” my dad said sternly.

“She isn’t going to go to Stanford just because he tells her to go. I know Charlotte better than anyone. Apparently she has already accessed her trust fund and transferred the first semester’s tuition into her account. Charlotte is stubborn. She will give it all up, and for what? Because she is afraid I will leave her? How can I let her do that? I can’t be that selfish,” I said, still struggling with what to do. “Jack said that when you love someone you sacrifice your own happiness,” I said sadly.

“Yes, but none of this sounds like Charlotte. It sounds like a desperate dad making decisions for her!” my mom said angrily.

“Mom, she’s the one who told him that she was only doing this because she was afraid I would leave her, and I do believe that Charlotte would sacrifice everything for me, and I would do the same for her,” I said growing frustrated.

“Well, what are your options, son? It doesn’t sound like Jack is giving you any,” my dad said, sounding angry too.

“I just think that when two people love each other, that should be enough,” Mom said, grasping my hands.

“It should be, but this is complicated. I mean, she could go to the Olympics. Can I live with myself if I’m the reason that she gives that up?” I asked rhetorically, even more upset and resting my muddled head in my hands.

“You are both young, Daniel. If you love each other deeply, that won’t go away, son. Maybe this just needs some time. Maybe you just need to try to talk to her and make her understand,” Dad said quietly.

“Let me ask you both something. Will you answer me honestly?” I asked in a resolute voice.

“Of course,” they both said in unison.

“Would you do whatever it took for the other to be happy,” I asked, “even if it meant that you would be miserable?”

They both looked at each other, and they didn’t need to answer me with words. They had said enough with their eyes.

“Mom, please cancel the graduation party. I just want to get through this week,” I said dejectedly, and I went to my room to think things out. I would have to talk to her on Monday. I had no way to contact her before then. I would try to make her see that we needed to go to different schools and be apart this first year. I would have to try everything that I could to convince her to leave.

It would be difficult because there was an enormous part of me that wanted Charlotte and I to just run away and ignore everyone’s advice. I would love to go to school together and have her at my games and spend every day with her while she was training. I was a selfish person; Jack was right. How do you rob someone of her dream and call that love?