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Now is always the time

"Remember then: there is only one time that is important - Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have power." - Leo Tolstoy

Chapter 5

That next day Clay Williamson has every intention of leaving but before his departure from Llanview he has one important stop to make.

(Knock, knock)

"Come in," Clay hears the office's occupant respond.  As Clay enters the room he sees the surprise in the eyes of the office's occupant.

"I hope that I'm not interrupting Lt. McBain but I wanted to see you before I left town."

John had no idea that Evangeline's uncle was in town, but then again how would he know.  He was no longer in her ‘inner circle' of friends.  

"Sir, is Evangeline all right?  Has something happened to her?"  John hurriedly says thinking that something bad has happened to Evangeline and that is why her uncle is here in his office.

Clay smiles at John's concern and he calmly says, "No Lieutenant.  Nothing has happened to Evangeline.  She's fine.  I just spoke with her a few minutes ago.  I would like to invite you to lunch. I would rather not meet here in your office.  That is if you have the time."

John is doubly surprised at the invitation and checks his calendar for any pending appointments.  Seeing none he gathers his jacket and prepares to leave the office and notifies the officer on the desk that he's leaving the building and will return soon.

They arrive at an eatery near the police station and Clay wastes no time in stating his purpose.

"Lieutenant McBain, may I call you John?"

Surprises are evidently the thing for today because once again John is surprised by Mr. Williamson's request but agrees to allow the non-formality.

"John, my family never did thank you for all that you did to bring Evangeline's attackers to justice.  In the past you did not always do right by my niece but your work on the OPP case made up for all of that. Your dogged pursuit of evidence and witnesses was the key to establishing rock solid cases against all of those involved in the gas attack.  I know also that you visited Evangeline regularly at the long-term facility while she languished in the coma. Her mother doesn't even know that part and neither does her sister."

John bowed his head at hearing that Clay knew about his visits.  He didn't tell anyone about them.  He went on his days off and read to hear, talked to her and just sat with her.  It was something that he had to do, no needed to do.  Looking up he sees Clay looking at him with an expression that John cannot decipher.  

Clay's expression is all due to one climactic moment.  Clay remembers visiting Evangeline just when her condition started to improve.  It was late one night and he was the only one there.  Lisa, Evangeline's mother, had left for the evening to get some rest.  Clay heard a sound and looked up thinking that the nurse was returning to check on Evangeline but it wasn't.  The sound was coming from Evangeline.  It was just a whisper but it was said clearly and concisely, J-O-H-N.  In that moment Clay knew that in spite of everything that happened between John and Evangeline while they were together and everything that happened since they broke up, his niece still loves John.  He can personally relate to that feeling.

In the meantime, John remembers his conversation with Clay years ago when he accompanied Evangeline to her great aunt's funeral.  Clay was not impressed with John and didn't think that John was the man for his niece.  At that encounter John told Clay that Evangeline didn't need a man to get where she wanted to go.  He also remembers saying that to Evangeline when she was in the hospital after the rescue from the Killing Club Killer at the Love Center gym fire.  But her response to him surprised him at the time.  She said yes she didn't need a man but at the moment he rushed through those gym doors, at that moment she wanted one.  She wanted him and he failed her.  When she was attacked at Cristian's study he made a vow to himself that he would not fail her again.  John prepares to respond to Clay but not before Clay says,

"John let me tell you something about myself.  I've made mistakes in my life too so I can't judge you for yours.  One thing though, when it comes to my niece, of course I am biased, but I want her to be happy.  She's had enough sadness in her life, especially in the last few years.  Let me not digress.  What I want to say to you is this.  When I was a young man I fell in love with a lovely, generous and kind woman but I left her with her heart shattered.  There were other women after her and the years passed but I didn't have that feeling of peace with anyone else that I had with her.  Fast forward to five years after our breakup.  I see her again and realize my mistake.  Wanting another chance with her how do I convince her to give me that chance?  So I took my heart in my hand and met with her and apologized for my atrocious behavior towards her.  Knowing that I deserved a slap in the face from her, do you know what she did?"

"Did she slap you?" John asked.

Clay laughed and said, "No, she didn't slap me.  She said, ‘Clay we all make mistakes but I'm a believer in second chances. The past is the past and we don't know what the future may hold. All we have is now'. She gave me another chance and I married her within a few months and we were together for over twenty years before she died.  I know about your deceased fiancé John.  I know about your previous relationship with Natalie Vega.  Yes I know that the two of you broke up before Evangeline's attack and have not reconciled.  I do my homework John.  If you want Evangeline John let her know that you do.  Don't risk losing her again.  She's worth it."

John is totally dumbfounded to hear Clay Williamson say these things to him so he asks, "Mr. Williamson, I don't know what to say.  I'm not sure that Evangeline will ever give me a second chance after what I did. During our relationship I told her continuously that Natalie was a non-issue but after Evangeline broke up with me and I rescued Natalie from the Killing Club Killer I entered into a relationship with her and add to that I kept secret that her husband, Cristian Vega was alive.  How do we come back from that?"

Clay looks at John with a determined mind, takes John by the shoulders and leans into him so that they are face to face, "You tell her the truth John.  You can't change the past but you can tell her now that you love her.  None of us are as we were before this attack.  It changed all of us, you, me, her family and most of all Evangeline.  I believe that my niece never stopped loving you and I know that when she was with you that she was happy.  Unfortunately her family didn't share in her happiness but that was our mistake.  So tell me John, what do you plan to do to make this right?"

John knows this is it, the moment of truth.  Blazing blue eyes look into steely brown eyes and John says, "Mr. Williamson I understand what you are saying. Yes I'm quite aware of all that I lost when she walked out of my life.  I can't thank you enough for talking with me because I didn't think that I had any chance of ever getting back into her good graces let alone getting her to love me again.  So many times I have thought of calling her and asking for another chance but the time was never right.  I understand that I can't wait for the time to be right I have to make it right.  As your wife said, ‘all we have is now'."

Clay is pleased and knows that now he can leave assured that Evangeline will be surrounded by those who love her.  But he also knows that Evangeline will not take John at face value because she does not trust him but more importantly she does not trust herself when it comes to John.  Like anyone she doesn't want to be hurt again.  That is why Clay called Evangeline just before he met with John and recounted to her the same story that he told John.  The story about second chances.  Clay didn't specifically tell Evangeline to give John a second chance.  Instead he told her to give ‘love' a second chance.  Clay is confident that John and Evangeline will find each other again just like he and his wife found each other.  They simply have to open themselves up to the possibility and let love take its course. 

(A/N: Well that was a surprising turn of events.  Continue to read to find out if John follows through and how Evangeline responds.)