In the affluent neighborhood of North Cote hill, London, the elegant of Victorian architecture stood sting and strictly majestic. Mr. Hampton's office, a well-respected lawyer in his area, was nestled in one of these splendid buildings which spoke volumes about his achievement and polished reputation.
Yet, on that day, the serene and quiet atmosphere has been shattered, as Ryan's mother leapt into the room with an air of indignation, her face flushed and her eyes ablaze. She's not the usual mother Mr. Hampton got to know over the years -she looked like a different person, and she wasn't concealing the anger visible on her face either.
"Mr Hampton, did you or did you not inform me every single detail of my son's decision?" She blurted out before the lawyer could stand and acknowledged her presence.
For a moment, Mr. Hampton seemed to be taken aback by her sudden outburst, before he adjusts his leather bond armchair and calmly replied with an offer instead. "I see you are in no good mood, can you at least take a seat, and then we talk this out amicably?" His voice was as still as water, not wavering a bit.
Rather than taking a seat as offered, she glared at him, almost eyeing him in the process -Mr. Hampton could only swallow in. "I asked a question, Mr. Hampton, and you are yet to give me a reply..."Her voice was hard as it was far from friendly, her blazing gaze still fixated on him.
"Mrs Lerman, I assure you that Ryan and I confrere about every matter involving his statement, including his latest decision to share his name with his new wife, Anne." As the professional he is, he tried to sound calm and convincing to her.
Mrs. Lerman demeanor softened at the mention of her new daughter-in-law, but her fury refused to be quelled. "My son's rash decision to share his name with a woman we know next to nothing about is utterly preposterous." She vehemently declared, still fuming. "I expected more from you, Mr. Hampton."
He could sense it, the disappointment that was laced in her voice. Despite how angry she was, the disappointment she felt was reflecting in her voice. Reluctantly, she had her seat, expecting a reasonable reply from him -a kind of reply that would stand as a good excuse at least.
A sudden silence permeated the room, as Mr. Hampton's eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed, contemplating a response to her distress. "Mrs Lerman, I did everything within my capacity to ensure you were informed about Ryan's intention including arranging an investigation into Anne's background. But unfortunately, we found very little information of substance, as I have already shared with you."
Ryan's mother stood up abruptly, gripping the ebony walking stick that was decorated with silver filigree, a family heirloom she cherished dearly. "Do you think I wasn't already aware of that, Mr Hampton? That my heart didn't clench with worry when I got the result of that investigation."
She paused, her voice dwindling to a bitter whisper. "I have spent my life, investigating for my son, ensuring he would take a wise choice and follow a credible path. To watch him throw that away and share his wealth with someone who has no history and no background to be proud of is like a blade to my heart." It wasn't just a bitter whisper only, her almost silent voice was breaking too.
Although, her words were laced with pain and remorse, a broader, more comprehensive emotion seemed to shroud her furrowed brows, as though she was questioning her life and the relentlessly pursuit of her son's success. Ryan was her pride and joy, the embodiment of her hard work and dedication, and she couldn't fathom the possibility that her effort had been for naught.
'How did everything result into this?' That was the question she couldn't stop asking herself -the question she's yet to have an answer to, a good one at that.
"As his attorney, Mr. Hampton, I know you have fulfilled your obligations lawfully." She conceded in a shuddering breath. "But as a man who saw my son grow up in these very streets of North Cote Hill's, as one who had guided him through numerous trials and tribulations, I beg you to reconsider."
Mr. Hampton hesitated, letting out a heart sigh weighted with years of wisdom and culpability. "I understand the gravity of your concern, Mrs. Lerman and I'm empathic to the anguish the decision might have caused you. However, I must remain within the bounds of the law and respect Ryan's autonomy." He told her, sounding very honest.
Mrs. Lerman's shoulder dropped in defeat, her facial expression says it too. "Very well, then, Mr. Hampton." She breathed out, her voice, as usual, was barely escaping a whisper. "I will let my son make this decision and face the consequence. Perhaps he will regret it some day and maybe at that moment, he will come to understand the reason behind my apprehension."
Mr. Hampton was with no words left as he did not know what the best response to give to such words, he could only sigh as he watched her take her leave.
As she left the lawyer's office and walked out into the crisp afternoon air, Mrs. Lerman stared down at the cobblestone street where she had watched her son played and grow, understanding that this was a new chapter in Ryan's life, a chapter that will test the strength of his new marriage.
While she harbored her reservation aboutAnne, her son's wife, Ryan's mother could do naught but hope that Ryan's blind love for Anne would guide them through the tempest that she foresaw on the horizon -she knew too well that such a marriage as her son's never turn out good, not even a bit.
In the austere silence of her solitude, Ryan's mother utters a silence prayer for her son's happiness, realizing that the years she had spent crafting the man he was today would have to be the cornerstone of his new life and the ramifications of his trust in Anne.