Ryan looked up from the car magazine he had found seeing Harold come out, his face was a mixture of worry and pleasure “What?” he asked as Harold sat down.
Harold pursed his lips, they were supposed to be done with having, kids, they were ready to boot Kate out, not really, he was just ready to get out of the mentoring parenting phase. He wanted to travel more, he loved parenthood, he just was surprised it the pendulum was swinging back again, crazy ovulation period.
“Well, she’s out of the clear yet” Ryan heard as his dad looked at him “but she’s definitely doing much better than she was. She’ll be on some pain medication for a little bit.”
“What was wrong?” Ryan asked, he watched the women shrivel before his very eyes he assumed he had the right to know what made her cave so quickly.
“She’s pregnant” Harold answered, “unfortunately she was going through premature pains of an early miscarriage.”
“What are they going to do?” Ryan asked.
“They’ll do a surgery to patch things up” Harold was looking to go into details, the truth – he wasn’t quit sure what was going to happen as far as patching up. Because the development, at least if the fetus was as far along as the doctor had said, would be so small, even it was attached to outside the uterus, he would spare Brian the details though.
“Good you are here” Pete walked up to them suddenly, Harold looked up, a little shaken by the unwelcome surprise. Ryan sat looking up; he didn’t know quite what to think. They were all caught in an awkward moment.
“Pete” Harold said smiling shortly and politely.
“I heard about Jackie, is she alright?” he asked, his blue scrubs were on, and he had his gloves in his pockets.
“Yeah” Harold replied sighing a little “She’s just getting fixed up.”
Pete nodded feeling like he had a bunch of chirping grasshoppers over his shoulder “Hey listen, can I speak with you a moment outside.” He asked looking down “Hey Ryan” he said smiling.
Harold scratched the scruff forming above his lips, he looked over at his son – he could tell he was uncomfortable by the way he moved in his chair. “Is it entirely necessary that we speak now?’ Harold asked, he was feeling disheveled himself, and the last thing he wanted to do was discuss something with Pete.
“Humor me” Pete replied smiling still. Harold nodded and stood up walking out of the room, following Pete into the hallway.
Harold crossed his arms leaning back on the side of the hall. He felt his biceps rubbing them with his hand, trying to decide how much of a bastard Pete was really trying to be.
“We’re calling off the Lawsuit” Pete said looking down at his gloves.
Harold nodded looking down at his sleeves rolling one up to his elbow, then back up waiting to see if Pete had anything else.
“This is hard for my family to, you know” Pete struggled, “I mean. I know what we did was wrong, and you have been more than gracious taking everything into consideration. If I felt any less secure about letting him leave, I would be pushing this the whole way, no matter the cost or the penalties – I guess what I’m saying is I’m going out with my tale between my legs. I don’t want to, because as God is my whines I love that boy, but I know this is only hurting him more, all this confusion and pulling and tugging.”
“Pete, I’m a father, I know that you want something –“
“I don’t. Ok,” he admitted, “I do, occasional visiting rights”
“You know we can’t do that, it’d be like a divorce for him.” Harold sighed looking at him “I’m sorry Pete, it’s not going to happen.”
“I, I just, I can take it, I know after a few months, I’ll know it was the right thing to do. I just – I don’t know about Pam.” He said finally.
“Well tell your wife to put herself in Jackie’s shoes.” Harold replied, Pete was making him sound like a coach or something. “Pete, the rift has been made, there’s nothing that can be done. Five, six years down the road, maybe something, right now, with all this other tension building up. It’s just better.” He sighed “If you really care about Brian, and I’m absolutely sure you do - or else you wouldn’t have tried to pummel me – You will just walk away from this, go in and give him a hug tell him you love him, but he’s back with his family and then leave.”
Pete nodded “yeah” he sighed, “I thought that’s what you were going to say.”
“Well I’m sorry Pete, but I am his father first and foremost, I won’t forfeit that right.”
“Ok, understood.” Pete sighed; Harold could tell this had been weighing on him.
…
Twelve Years Later:
Brain sat in the drivers seat tunneling down the Kentucky road. It was a raining day. He looked down at his hands, they were gripping the sterring wheel for dear life and he didn’t know why. He looked back in through his rearview mirror watching the person follow him again.
“What the hell does he want” He peered ahead again “Get off my tale” he growled pushing the car ahead more. It had been a long road he traveled on the last twelve years. Re-getting to know his real parents, trying to make a relationship with them, and his new life. He was transferred into a school closer to his real families. Soon after he found out from a friend that the Bensons had moved. Now twelve years later he had sat at their funeral.
Pamela and Peter Benson had both died in a plane crash, His Dad read it to him over the phone. The only words Brian remembered other than the announcement was.
“I’m sorry son, I wish there was something we could’ve done.”
Brian slammed his breaks; he was irritated with the stupid driver behind him. He had been in such a fowl mood from the moment he received the call. He cancelled his trip to Virginia to see his parents; he was with the Backstreet Boys now, a group his cousin had called to tell him about a long while back. They were finally taking a break.
He felt his heart punch against his rib cage again, “Move it Looser!” Brian growled watching the car it had stopped with him. The Car’s lights behind him flashed and Brian cut his eyes towards the rear view mirror.
The phone is his pocket rang, he leaned down to look at it to pick it up, it was a foreign number, as he looked back up again he heard the tires spinning on the car behind him. It rammed the back of his SUV.
“What the –“ he felt the car move forward with the force of the other car. He pushed his foot to the gas and started moving again forward, a few miles faster than the sign had requested. He picked up the phone gripping his hands again the steering wheel “Who is this?” he asked frustrated.
“Hey Baby – it’s me. I’m trying out my new cell phone.” His girlfriend answered.
He nodded to himself looking ahead, an intersection was up above and the light was still green he reversed his gaze to the rear view mirror again, the rain was pouring in sheets off the back of his car.
“Brian?” his girlfriend asked again. A Flash of lightning struck the ground, and Brian pushed his foot down, he could see the string of electricity gorge the ground before him, he spun the car hard to the left. The vehicle went spinning.
He gulped, feeling his adrenaline rocket, “Oh God” he managed seeing the pole. He had flung full circle; another car was coming straight at him “Oh God!”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Well I kinda had to post this one.. lol
Enjoy :)
Enjoy :)
