Countdown part 3
Bo got to the station as Antonio was pulling up with Matt
and Stacy in the squad car.
Matt looked down at the ground as he climbed out of the car.
Bo: Thanks Antonio…
Antonio: No problem…he…ah…was defending himself…he was jumped..
Matt: Honest Dad…Stace and I were walking to get a slice of pizza..
Stacy: Reinwold came out of nowhere…really Mr. Buchanan…
Bo: Stacy, you and Matt go ahead and wait in the car…(Matt and Stacy walk over to Bo’s car) Antonio (shaking his hand) Thanks for being there again for him…
Antonio: He’s had a hard time…it’s not his fault…he is a good kid…just finds himself in bad situations…
Bo: Thanks again.
Bo drops off Stacy at home. He sits and waits while Matt walks her to the door. He tries not to watch as they say their goodbyes, but he cannot help but beam with pride at how wonderfully his son was becoming a man. At that same moment he was hit with the realization that he had a new child on the way and that he and Matt still had to work through that situation.
Matt opened the car door and climbed in. He couldn’t look at Bo.
Matt: You’re mad at me….
Bo: Actually, no…I am proud of you.
Matt: You are?
Bo: In this instance, yes. And let me tell you, you have my permission to kick Reinwold’s ass any time he takes you on. Defending yourself is not a crime…instigating the fight…that is a crime (they start to drive away from Stacey’s) as I am sure Commissioner Vega is letting Reinwold know as we speak…
Matt: Is he going to juvie?
Bo: Not sure, I’ll find out tomorrow…(pausing) you wanna give your mom a call?
Matt: No.
Bo: Matt…can you tell me what has you this angry with your mom? You goes days without speaking to her and when you do, its grunts and groans…why are treating her like this? She loves you…when Sam was hurting you, who do you think was hurting more? When you were unconscious in the hospital all that time, who do you think was there, morning, noon and night? When we found out you were my son, who so you think wanted to rush into that room with her heart ready to explode?
Matt: Mom…
Bo: Yeah…Mom…the woman that nearly 14 years ago gave birth to you…the woman who pretty much raised you alone, by herself…cuz she sure had no help from me…was there for you through thick and thin, from your first sleepless night right up until your latest antics…that woman has given of herself and never ever asked you for anything in return…and you treat her like she’s doing you an inconvenience by having this baby…
Matt: But…
Bo: But nothing…you better do some serious re-evaluating of priorities when it comes to Nora Buchanan…I never really knew my mother that well, but I’d have considered it an honor if she was half the mother to me that Nora is to you…
Matt: (looking down and playing with his hands) Sorry…
Bo: It’s not me that deserves the apology…
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Week 22
Nora waits anxiously for Bo to show up for the sonogram. She checks her watch again and flips through the magazine sitting on her lap.
Nora: (to herself) Come on…where are you Buchanan?
Nurse: Mrs. Buchanan…they’re ready for you…right this way…
Nora: (looking at her watch and then at the door) But my husband…
Bo: (walking through the door) Is right here…(kissing her on the cheek) Sorry Red…got held up with a phone call….
Nurse: (smiling at them) Right this way…(she shows them to the screening room) Mrs. Buchanan, if you will sit on the table, Mr. Buchanan, you can have that chair…the technician will be right in…
Nora: Thank you…
The nurse leaves and closes the door.
Nora: You know, I thought you bailed on me….
Bo: Never! (standing and taking her hand) I get to see my son or daughter today!
Nora: I thought we agreed we didn’t want to know…
Bo: (kissing her hand) you don’t want to know…
Nora: Bo….
The technician walks in.
Barb: Hi…my name is Barb and I’ll be conducting your sonogram…have you ever had one?
Nora: Yes (looking at Bo)…a long time ago…
Barb: You have an older child? (sitting down in front of the machine and pressing a few buttons)
Nora: Yes…we have a son…he’ll be fourteen soon…
Barb: Very good…ok Mrs. Buchanan (she lifts Nora’s shirt and squeezes the gel on her belly) this is going to be cold…
Nora: (squeezing Bo’s hand and squeaking her voice) Just a little!
Bo smiles.
Barb: (rubbing the gel around and grabbing the paddle) So…what are we hoping for…boy or girl?
Nora: Either…as long as its healthy…
Bo nods in agreement.
Barb: Ok (she begins to lightly press the paddle against Nora’s stomach) where are you baby Buchanan…let’s see…let’s see…Ah!! There you are…
Bo squeezes Nora’s hand in excitement.
Barb: How far along did you say you were?
Nora: Twenty two weeks…
Barb: Give or take a day or two, right on target….baby looks good… wanna look?
Bo: (he looks at Nora) Yes!
Barb: (smiling at his enthusiasm) Alright….(she turns the monitor) this is your baby…
Bo stares at the monitor.
Nora: (a tear runs down her cheek as she watches Bo’s reaction) close your mouth Buchanan…
Bo: (looking at her as if he’d been startled awake) What? Oh! (a huge grin spreads his face) That’s our baby….
Nora: Bo…do you know what you’re looking at?
Bo: Sure I do…I mean…that’s our baby…that’s our…no…I haven’t the foggiest idea…
Nora: (to Barb) he wasn’t able to make the first one…
Barb: (smiling) No problem…this here (pointing to the gray and black images) this is your baby’s head…and this…oo…squirmy lil’ one! (pausing and turning some knobs) this is the baby’s stomach and here are the legs…and….
Nora: (blurting out) I don’t want to know!
Bo: (chuckling to himself) Red…you’re killing me! (to the tech) can you tell me what it is…I mean if you can tell…after she leaves the room…
Barb: I’m surprised Mrs. Buchanan can’t tell for herself…it’s quite obvious…
Bo: Just tell me before we leave…
Barb: Fair enough…so so you want to look again?
Bo: Just for a few more….
Barb: Oh!! Look! Baby’s waving to mommy and daddy!!
Bo: Red! The baby just waved!! Did you see it? Did you? (he kisses her on the forehead)
Nora: Did you see it…that, I think, is more the question (she smiles)
Bo: I saw it…(staring at the monitor) I saw it…
Barb: Well, I have all the information the doctor will need,
so..if you want to clean up…
(she hands Nora a warm washcloth) We can schedule your next appointment…if
you want to step out to the main desk…
Nora: Thank you…
Barb: You’re welcome…your baby looks fine, healthy and right on schedule…
Bo: Honey, I’m going to walk out with my friend Barb here…
Nora: (waving him off as she sits up on the table and wipes the last of the gel from her stomach) go…go cheater…
Bo: I love you too…(he kisses her and follows Barb
out of the room)
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Walking out to the car…
Bo: I know…I know…I know…
Nora: Goody for you….I choose to wait…the way God intended me to…
Bo: If God truly intended for you to wait, he’d not have invented sonograms…
Nora: God didn’t invent them Dr. Ian Donald did…well, he pioneered them…
Bo: Is that a fact?
Nora: Yes…that is a fact (*author’s note: That is a fact, I researched 10 years ago when I was pregnant my first time!)
Bo: Thanks for sharing…want me to share my information?
Nora: No!
Bo opens the door for her and walks around the front of the car, stopping to do a little happy dance before continuing around to the drivers’ side.
Nora: Are you going to do this the next four and a half months?
Bo: Like what?
She mocks his dance while sitting in the car.
Bo: You’re turning me on…(he raises his eyebrow) do that again…
She smiles and playfully hits him in the arm and then does the dance again…
Bo: I have to have you! (He grabs her and kisses her) you make me crazy!
Nora: (laughing) Bo!
He sits back up properly and starts the car
Bo: (touching her hand on her lap) I love you…
Nora: (smiling back at him and touching her stomach) I love you too…
Bo: Hungry?
Nora: Famished!
Bo: Let’s go get the boy and grab some grub…
Nora: Sounds like a plan….they gave me a picture of the baby…
Bo: Really? Can I take it to work?
Nora: (scrunching up her nose) I guess…you can’t even tell what it is…
Bo: It’s our baby! Silly!
Nora: You want it framed?
Bo: If ya don’t mind
They head home…
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They are discussing restaurants as they walk up towards the house. Bo unlocks the door and lets Nora walk in first…
Crowd: Surprise!!!!
Nora: What the!!!
The house is decorated for a baby shower. Matt is standing in front of the party with a bouquet of roses for Nora.
Matt: Surprise Mom…
Nora: Matthew….(she turns to look at Bo) Bo…
Bo: This was totally your sons idea…I was merely the financial backer…
Nora: Matthew! What did you do…
Matt: (walking over and hugging her) its kind of a baby shower-I’m sorry for being an incredible jerk party…I’m sorry mom…
Nora: Matthew…I love you…
Matt: I love you too mom…come on…I think there are some people here that want to see you…
Rachel: Momma!!!!
Nora: Rikki!!! When did you get in??
Rachel: Little brother here called a week ago and asked if I could help him from my end….
Nora: From your end?
Selma: Nora!!! How’s my baby??
Len: There’s my princess!!
Nora: (totally shocked) Momma….Daddy!!! (they both hug her together) Did Matt do all this?
Selma: That’s one heck of a grandson I’ve got…I am only too thrilled to know another grandchild is on the way…
Bo: I could tell you…
Nora: (to Bo) you shut up!
Nora enjoys her party that her son has lovingly planned, with the help of his sister, his father and Stacy. Of course his grandparents, Renee and Asa and his uncle Hank…and, well, everyone had a great time.
Bo promised to start planning a nursery; he had no excuse now that all the baby necessities were here. Matt was only too happy to cater to all of Nora’s requests throughout the evening. He was nothing less than the perfect son. She was proud of him and she was proud to be his mother.
To be continued
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