When You Know Ch. 05

Vicky searched her parents' home for several minutes, looking for Joe. She began to fear he had run off, but finally she found him in her old bedroom, looking at her childhood doll collections and various school awards.

"Hey," she said softly when entering. "I was beginning to worry you ran out on me; not that I'd blame you."

"No," he replied with a sad smile. "I just needed a few minutes alone. Sorry if I'm intruding here; I just never saw where you grew up."

"You're not intruding," Vicky answered, hugging Joe tightly. "Anything that's mine is yours now, you know that right?"

"Sure," he said simply, though Vicky could sense his doubt.

"Don't listen to a word he said," Vicky said forcefully, looking into his eyes. "I told off my father, we're done trying to get them to understand. Let's get out of here, baby."

"OK, but let's stay in here a few moments," Joe replied. "I like being in here, it still feels like you somehow."

They both sat on the bed, and held each other. Very few words were spoken in that time; it was as if both were trying to figure out exactly how to move on from the events of the evening.

A few days later, they were making their way up the NJ Turnpike to spend Christmas with Ken and Annie. Joe spoke very little of the disastrous Mullen holiday party, and that worried Vicky greatly. She was afraid it was going to stop him from doing something she sensed he was planning for this trip. Something she now desperately wanted him to do: ask her to marry him.

Vicky wanted to tell him to not worry about her parents; that she would say yes without a moment's hesitation. But she sadly realized he wouldn't want to ask her, at least not right now. The wounds of that night were still too real for him. So she decided not to press it; Vicky remained confident that within a few months he would come to terms with their reality and realize their happiness was the most important thing.

The Chambers home was beautifully decorated for Christmas, with colorful lights on the house and Santa and his reindeer in the front yard. All of the houses in the neighborhood were colorfully and uniquely decorated, which delighted Vicky. This was how Christmas always was supposed to feel, she thought. In her parent's neighborhood such displays were frowned upon; decorations must be "tasteful" and "non-intrusive."

Annie squealed with delight as Vicky and Joe entered the house, hugging Vicky first before even acknowledging her brother.

"Hey, I'm here too," he teased. "You know, the brother you've known your whole life."

"Shut up," Annie replied, reaching out to hug him as well. "I'm happy to see both of you, idiot."

Vicky smiled as Joe came out of his shell around his family. She hated that her parents had crushed his spirit so much, and vowed never to let them do it again. Even if it meant cutting them out of her life; for the first time, she was willing to consider that possibility, and she realized the thought no longer bothered her. As long as she had Joe it wouldn't matter; she just needed to convince him of that.

The family sat around the tree on Christmas Eve opening presents, as was the Chambers family tradition. Joe and Annie were opening and exchanging gifts, Ken took that moment to walk over to Vicky.

"How are you doing?" he asked her softly with concern. "Joe told me about the party."

"I feel so terrible Ken," Vicky lamented. "He's trying so hard, but they just don't want to listen. I've told him I don't care, but I just worry it's going to hold him back; that I'm going to lose him."

"Don't worry about that," Ken said reassuringly. "I know my son; he suffers from the unfortunate disease of needing to be liked by everybody, and he usually is. But it won't stop him from being with you. He loves you; anyone with a brain, anyone who's really looking, can see that."

"Maybe you could tell Henry and Caroline Mullen that," she replied with a sad smile.

"They'll get there," Ken said, though without any conviction. "Anyway, enough sad talk, I wanted to give you something." He handed her a small rectangular box.

Vicky opened it up, finding a beautiful Mont Blanc pen inside.

"It was Olivia's," Ken began to explain. "She used it to put comments on papers she graded. She always said that she used a good pen because the kids deserved to see she put time and effort into reading their work."

"That's lovely Ken," said Vicky with a smile. "But are you sure you want me to have it? It must have a lot of sentimental value to you, to your family."

"I wanted you to have something of hers, you're a member of the family now too in my eyes," Ken replied. "I figured it would be good to give you something from her job. I want you to know that she would have loved how smart and successful you are. She would have been thrilled Joe found a woman like you."

"Oh Ken," Vicky reached out to hug the man she hoped would be her father-in-law, holding back tears. "I'll treasure it always."

"What's going on over here?" Joe quizzed as she saw the hug.

"Your father just gave me something very special," Vicky replied with a smile, showing him the gift.

"The pen?" Joe said with a smile. "It has a lot of miles on it...I have some papers of my own with marks all over it from that thing."

"I wanted to see it in good hands," Ken answered his son. "I can't think of anyone else I'd rather see it with now."

Joe reached out to hug his father, then Vicky, tears in his eyes. "Well, I guess I should give you my big gift," he said to Vicky. "I was going to wait until later, but we might as well let these two see." Joe reached into his bag of presents and pulled out a small box, small enough for a ring.

Three sets of eyebrows were raised at this, none more than Vicky's. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest at the thought he dream would be realized. But she immediately saw Joe's reaction to all their stunned looks; he looked sheepish and somewhat embarrassed. This wasn't what they all were hoping for, she quickly realized.

Upon opening the small box, Vicky saw sparkling diamond...earrings. She immediately hid her disappointment; they were beautiful and undoubtedly cost her boyfriend a great deal of money.

"They're beautiful," she beamed to Joe, giving him a kiss. "You shouldn't have spent all this on me."

"I wanted to," he replied, relief flooding his features as he saw Vicky genuinely loved the gift. "Anything for you, Vic."

Ken and Annie stood off to the side, trying to hide their own disappointment that the gift wasn't a ring. Annie moved to say something, but her father stopped her, and gave her a look which said "It's not our business." Annie nodded reluctantly and went back to her own gifts.

Soon, all was forgotten as the rest of the gifts were exchanged. Joe loved his gifts, especially the new briefcase he received from Vicky. It would make him look super professional when he returned to the DA's office after Christmas.

A few days later, Joe found himself admiring that very same briefcase at his desk at work. The week between Christmas and New Year's was typically slow for the court system, but still people were needed to man the office during this time.

It gave Joe some time to think, away from Vicky, about how he would proceed. Though she had told him she no longer cared about her parents' approval, a large part of him was still unsure. There must be a way to win them over, he thought. But as he racked his brain he couldn't think of anything. Suddenly his thoughts were broken by his office phone ringing.

"Is this Joe Chambers?" the voice on the other end asked after Joe said hello.

"Speaking," he replied.

"Joe, this is David Reynolds, of Lang, Darcy & Reynolds in New York." Joe recognized the name; it was a large firm that worked on a lot of social and environmental cases. They were known as the "Firm with a Conscience" by many in the field; that term wasn't always used as one of endearment.

But Joe respected their mission; it was the kind of firm he dreamed of working for, but as far as he knew they only recruited from the Ivy League schools. He had no idea why they were calling him.

"Yes, can I help you?" he asked confused. "Are you working a case with our office?"

"No, Joe, I wanted to talk with you," Mr. Reynolds replied. "We have a program here we think you'd be perfect for. I created it for young lawyers from smaller law schools. I put myself through Hofstra law and graduated at the top of my class, but found none of the big Manhattan firms even wanted to interview me once they found out where I went. I was lucky to have a family friend who worked here or else they never would have given me a second glance."

"So when I became a I senior partner here, I wanted to make sure others like me; smart people who are every bit as qualified as any Ivy League graduate, got an opportunity to work at a place like this," he continued. "The program starts here in New York, and then there is a 3-year residency program in Europe, 18 months in London, and then another 18 months in Brussels. You'll learn what we do from the ground up, work on many of our domestic and international environmental cases, and make all sorts of contacts both here and overseas. By the end of it, you will have more opportunities to advance your career than even someone with a Harvard diploma."

Joe didn't know what to say; he still thought he was dreaming. "Are you sure you want me for this? How did you find out about me anyway?"

"Yes, you were referred to us by several prominent lawyers in Philadelphia," Mr. Reynolds replied.

"Who recommended me?" Joe asked curiously. "Was it someone affiliated with Temple?"

"No, I believe they worked for Henry Mullen," Mr. Reynolds explained. "I'm sure you've heard of him."

Joe's heart raced at the news; could he have misjudged Vicky's dad? But just as quickly, it sank as he thought about the description of the job and realized what the real motivation was. And Joe didn't want to get it that way, even if it was a dream job.

"I think Henry Mullen may have ulterior motives for recommending me," Joe said sadly. "I'm dating his daughter, and he's made it clear I'm not a suitable match for her. I think he gave them my name just to get rid of me for 3 years."

"That sounds like something he would do," Mr. Reynolds said with disdain. "I've been involved with many cases against companies he owns pieces of, so I know him well. But I'm not looking to hire you because Henry Mullen wants me to; in fact, I almost didn't even bother to look into you because it was his recommendation. But I have done my research and I think you are destined to do great things. You would be hired because of you, not because of Henry Mullen."

"Even if I was interested, I just started here at the DA. I don't think they'd look kindly on me leaving so quickly." Joe was looking for an excuse to turn this opportunity down, because he already knew what it might portend for his personal life.

"We can work that out," Mr. Reynolds countered. "We do a lot of government work; your boss has a very favorable outlook to our program. They won't stand in your way, trust me."

"I'm still not sure, I'm just putting down roots here," Joe stammered. "Three years is a long time to be away."

"I'm guessing those roots are heavily entwined with Henry Mullen's daughter," Mr. Reynolds said with a chuckle. "I understand the ways of the heart, but there are ways to work around that. If you're meant to be with someone, you'll figure it out. I'm sure she'll feel the same way."

Joe realized Mr. Reynolds was right, Vicky would tell him to take the job, and in truth she probably wouldn't respect him if he turned it down. Plus, he knew her parents, especially her father, would only treat him with more disdain if he did.

In truth, Joe knew no one in his position, and in their right mind, would turn down this opportunity. But Joe didn't like the odds of a long term, long distance relationship lasting. He didn't want to have to ask Vicky to put her life on hold and wait for him, and she wasn't in a position to move to London.

"Listen Joe, why don't you take the rest of the holidays to consider the offer," Mr. Reynolds said breaking Joe from his thoughts. "You can come up here right after the New Year and have a formal interview. I think we can make it worth the trip for you."

"OK, sir," Joe replied. "Thank you again for the opportunity."

"It's my pleasure, Joe. I look forward to meeting and hopefully working with you in the future."

Joe hung up the phone and sighed. He didn't see how he could ever explain turning this down, even though he suspected Henry Mullen's motives. He needed to talk with Vicky; maybe she would tell him to stay. Most of him hoped she would do just that; as good as this job was, it wasn't as important to him as being with her.

Over the next few days, Joe tried to figure out the best way to approach things with Vicky, but couldn't bring himself to do it. It finally came out on New Year's Eve; Joe and Vicky were spending a quiet one with Emma and her family. Vicky could tell something was bothering Joe; she figured it had to do with her parents, but she wasn't prepared for what she was about to be told.

"I'm going to kill my father," Vicky fumed, after hearing of his role in everything. "He thinks he's a puppet master and we're just puppets he can keep on a string."

"Mr. Reynolds told me that your father didn't influence his decision," Joe replied quietly. "He said he wants to hire me because of me."

"Of course he does, baby," Vicky replied, her heart dropping as she began to really take in what Joe had told her. It was a great opportunity; a once in a lifetime one. Joe's entire career would be set if he took it. "You would be great at it, I know it."

"What do you think I should do?" Joe asked pleadingly. "I won't take it if you don't want me to."

"You have to go listen to him," Vicky said sadly. "See what you think of it, what you think of them. Then you can make a decision."

"But what about us?" he sighed. "I'd be away for a long time."

"We'll figure that out, baby," Vicky said, plastering on a fake smile. But inside she was shattered; she couldn't imagine being able to keep a relationship going through that. And it only deepened her anger at her father. After New Year's, as Joe traveled to New York to meet with Mr. Reynolds, she decided to confront him in his office.

"I swear I didn't have any ulterior motives," her father told Vicky as she stormed into his office. He figured this conversation was coming and had prepared for it. "They asked me if I knew anyone who fit the description and I mentioned Joe. You should be thanking me; it's a wonderful opportunity for him."

"Yeah right, like you care about that," Vicky sneered. "We both know why you did it."

"Victoria, deep down, you know he can't pass this opportunity up," Henry replied. "And perhaps after this program is over, you can pursue your relationship. By then, he truly will have earned the right to be with you."

"By then, I'll be over 40..." Vicky stopped herself; she didn't want to give her father the satisfaction. But she knew he was right about the job; Joe couldn't pass it up and she wouldn't let him. He would just grow to resent her if he didn't take it.

Henry smiled to himself as he saw his daughter's mind turn. They might not believe it now, but he was doing what was best for both of them. His daughter could give up this fantasy and find a more suitable mate, and Joe would be on his way to a wonderful career. Everyone would win, once their hearts got out of the way and let their heads take over.

Later that night, Joe returned and talked about what he learned about the job. Vicky could see the excitement in his eyes as he described the job and the kind of cases he would be working on. It broke her heart, but she knew what had to be done. She had to let him go and pursue this.

"So, what did you tell him, about accepting the offer?" she asked softly.

"I told him I had to talk with you," he said, grabbing her hands. "I won't take it if you want me to stay. Do you want me to stay?"

"Of course," she replied. "In an ideal world, I'd want you to stay. But this job is too great to pass up. And I can tell you want it, it's written all over your face."

"But I told you, I want you more," he replied honestly. "Please, tell me not to take it."

"I can't do that," she answered sadly. "You have to take it."

Joe's heart sank as he listened to her; he knew right there that his worst fear was true.

She wouldn't respect him if he didn't take it, and certainly her father wouldn't.

"But where does that leave us?" he said, fighting back tears.

"I think you know where it leaves us," she replied through her own sobs. "You need to dedicate yourself completely to this; you can't be worried about me. I have to let you go."

"No, Vic, we can make it work," he pleaded. "I'll travel back on weekends..."

"No," she stopped him. "That'll never work, and you know that."

"I'm not giving up on us," Joe stated definitively. "Please don't give up on us. We'll figure out a way."

"Tell them you're taking the job," was her reply. "Make me proud; I know you'll do so well. I can't be the one to keep you from it. In three years, we'll see where we are." Vicky knew this was just lip service though; after a few months she had no doubt Joe will have moved on from her.

"So what are you saying?" he asked fearfully.

"I think we need to make a clean break," she stammered through more teats. "It'll be too hard any other way."

"But I'll be in New York for 3 months," he pleaded. "We still have time to work it out."

"It'll only make it more painful," she lamented. "Better to stop it now."

Joe continued to plead with her for a few minutes, but he realized it was futile. She didn't love him enough to ask him to stay, he concluded. It broke his heart, but the next morning he called Mr. Reynolds and accepted the offer. He would start the training program the next week in New York.

Vicky and Joe had an emotional goodbye that weekend, as they packed up his things to send back to his father's house. Both secretly hoped the other would make a grand declaration to stop this madness from happening, but both feared the other didn't really want that. So they parted sadly that Sunday, as Joe packed up his car for the trip back to North Jersey.

"Make me proud, Joe Chambers," Vicky said, kissing the love of her life one final time. "Go change the world."

"I'm coming back here when this is over," Joe answered definitively. "I don't care what else happens, I promise you that."

"Take care," was her simple reply. She knew better than Joe; Vicky had no doubt he meant that now, but he would come to see it differently in time. After his car pulled away, Vicky retreated to her apartment and cried like a baby all night, until she prepared herself for work that Monday. That was the only thing that would keep her sane; so she was determined to focus on it completely.

The first month apart seemed to crawl by for both Vicky and Joe. Like Vicky, Joe focused on his new job and the orientation training in New York. He found himself feeling momentarily excited at the various cases he would be working on, only to feel guilty afterwards. But he reminded himself, he was doing it for Vicky, and their future. Despite everything she said about them being over, he was determined to win her back.

Joe was in a meeting with Frank Reynolds on a Friday, a month into the program. They were going over his progress to date. Mr. Reynolds thought Joe was the star of the program, the one with the most potential. But he could tell Joe wasn't completely sold yet, and he knew why.

"What's on your mind Joe?" he asked him, after going over his positive reviews from the other partners and associates. "Actually, don't answer, I know what it is. Why don't you go down this weekend and see her."