Dad's Day Out part 11
Everyone continued to hug Nora and Matthew, reveling in the happiness that he was back. Asa put a half asleep Matthew on his shoulders and paraded him around the living room like a star quarter back that just passed the winning touch down in the Super Bowl. Nora and Rachel had tears of joy streaming down their faces. It took Nora about a half hour to realize Bo was not celebrating their sons’ return with her. She looked out the front window, his truck was gone. She raced to the kitchen and looked out the back to see if he was in the yard, maybe pulling his truck in the garage. The garage was wide open, but no truck. She got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She went back into the living room and scanned it again. Nothing. No Bo.
Nora: (to Asa) Did Bo ever come in?
Asa: Not that I recall…probably went to the station to wrap up the case…
Nora’s gut instinct told her Bo was not at the station.
After securing Matthew in bed and making sure Asa and Renee would
stay at the house with him, she took off. She knew exactly were
to find him.
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As she pulled up to Asa’s front gates, she saw the dark green E250 4x4 pick-up parked up next to the multi-car garage. Her heart jumped. The thought of how in tune with him she was, to be able to find him, it made her feel warm. She entered the gate and drove up to the front door. She got out of her car, walked to the front door and rang.
Nigel: (opening the door) Ms. Buchanan…how lovely to see you, at (looking at his watch) one thirty in the morning…
Nora: Is he here Nigel?
Nigel: (rolling his eyes sarcastically)He’s here…(Nora walks in and heads up the stairs) you know what room…
Nora: (calling down the stairs to Nigel) Thanks!
Nora walks around the hall and finds the room Bo is staying in. His bag is on the floor, still packed, but he has a picture of Nora and Matt on the nightstand.
Nora: (picking up the picture and speaking quietly to herself) Bo..
She runs her finger on the smooth glass of the frame, she is lost in thought and doesn’t hear Bo come into the room. He stands in silence. He wants to take her in his arms, but he waits.
Bo: (clearing his throat) That’s my family…
Nora turns around startled. She sees him standing in the doorway, all he’s pretty much wearing is a pair of sweat pants, no socks, shoes or shirt, just sweats and the towel around his neck. He just got out of the shower. He looked incredible. She could feel herself falling under his spell. Just the way he stood there looking at her, turned her insides to mush.
Nora: (deeply sighing and returning the picture to the stand) Um…hi.
Bo: Hi yourself…you..uh..need something? (he tosses the towel on the bed)
Nora: Well, yeah. (pausing) why did you leave? (she shifts uncomfortably, she wants to run to him and feel his arms around her, his lips on hers) tonight.
Bo: Why did I leave?
Nora: Yes…
Bo: (exhales loudly and sits on the bed) Nora…something is not right with us…I mean…I don’t feel like you want me around…like I am interfering in your raising our son…
Nora: Don’t beat around the bush now…
Bo: You wanted to know right?
Nora: Yeah, but…
Bo: But what? (he turns on the bed to follow her as she walks around the room) You want to know why I moved out of your house, and into my father’s….so I tell you…and now you don’t want to hear it? (she paces the room) you want it all sugar coated?
Nora: So… this move back to your father’s house is a done deal. (she crosses her arms)
Bo: Right now I think its best for us. Or are you the only one who can make decisions for us?
Nora: What did I do to deserve this onslaught?
Bo: What did you do? Ha! What did you do? Where do I start?!
Nora: Well! You sure didn’t have to seem to have any complaints in bed two mornings ago!
Bo: (sarcastically smirking) Come on…you know as well as I do that the sex has always been over the top for us…that doesn’t even factor…
Nora: Yes it does…hang on a minute…(she does her trial attorney jaunt across the room, as if she is trying to win over a jury) You can’t just judge me on bits and pieces of my behavior…
Bo: But you can do it to me….
Nora: How do you figure?
Bo: I laid in that apartment for a year…a year! All I thought of was you…how bad I screwed up…how wrong I was to walk out on you…how all I wanted was us back…I finally come back…I get to make it all up to you…I find out I have this wonderful little boy…who I missed so much time with…I want to make it up to him…and at every turn, I am met with a disconcerting glance, a disapproving stare…or worse yet a lecture…(Nora can’t believe he is tearing into her like this) oh the lectures!
Nora: I didn’t realize I was such a problem to you!
Bo: Go ahead…take it out of context…you’re great at that!
Nora: You know Bo…maybe we have changed…I wasn’t aware when, but at some point in time I became this horrible person that you despise…
Bo: Ok! Defense mechanism two! Putting words in my mouth! I shoulda put money on that! (she just stares at him)
Nora: Are you sure you are Bo Buchanan? I mean…you’re not Hesser right? Cuz…it’s like you pulled a page outta his book of “let’s torture Nora”
Bo: Give me a break! Poor you! (pausing) maybe you outta step out and look at what I am dealing with here…
Nora: You’re dealing with? What you’re dealing with? (she feels her fury building, it is taking every ounce of restraint to not turn and walk out on him) And what, may I ask, are you dealing with?
Bo: You! I have waited forever to be with you again…before I even knew Matthew was mine.
Nora: Is there a point here?
Bo: Yeah…I have never stopped loving you…and I come back to find you, saying you love me, but its just not…I don’t know…something isn’t right…(he runs his hand through his hair) forget it.
Nora: No.(walking over to the window and looking out) you opened this can of worms…
Bo: I don’t want to say anything I might regret…
Nora: I think you passed that threshold about twenty minutes ago…
Bo: Fine…you want it all…I’ll give it to you…
Nora sits in the chair, staring at Bo. He feels her eyes looking into his heart; in to his soul…it unnerves him, to say the least.
Bo: Don’t stare at me like that.
Nora: Sorry…(she stares at the floor)
Bo: (rolls his eyes at her over exaggerated gesture) please. (he wipes his mouth and begins) Something is not right. I want so much to be a part of Matthew’s life, but right now..
Nora: (starting to cry) I asked you this Bo! I asked you before I ever let you back into my heart…
Bo: Asked me what?
Nora: If you were serious. If you really wanted us back…me back…you told me yes…I told you Bo, I didn’t want to put everything in to this to have you change your mind…
Bo: Who said I changed my mind?(frustratingly pausing) Nora! I love you. (pausing) I love Matthew. (pause) My God! I love you more than life itself!
Nora: Then why do you say something’s not right?
Bo: Because…something’s not right, with you…you seem to have this penchant for keeping me at a distance…
Nora: That’s crazy.
Bo: Is it? (he gets up and walks to the other side of the room, her eyes follow him) I feel like my actions and feelings and reaction to Matthew are under constant scrutiny. Every time I want to buy him something, I have to approve it through you. (he looks to see if he can read her expression before he continues) I go to scold him, you scowl at me, I hug him…you’re watching in the distance…Nora, he is my son too!
Nora: You don’t understand…
Bo: What? That you have been a single mom for so long you can’t get used to having to share the responsibility…you feel out of control when I take some kind of authoritative role in Matthew’s life. I am an interference in the way you plan to raise him.
Nora: Bo…calm down…it’s not…
Bo: Well…(standing up) I can’t be a full time nanny to him…I want to be his father. I want to help mold his upbringing. I want to be with him. (pausing) but I feel as if I don’t fit into your plan.
Nora: (raising her voice slightly to counter what he has said) There’s more to being a father than buying him everything his hearts desire…
Bo: Christ Nora! Have a little faith in me! (he watches as she walks toward the dresser) I mean…you’ve known he’s my son for almost a year now…I found out what? Three and a half months ago? I missed how much of his life?
Nora: You were there when he was born! (getting very angry) YOU CHOSE TO WALK OUT ON HIM!!! AND ME!!
Bo: Oh fine! Throw that in my face!!! I make one mistake! Like your perfect!
Nora: I know what you are eluding too…Lindsey may have wiped out my memory…but your evil twin has spent countless hours letting me know just what a slut I am! ( she picks up a hair brush and slams it back down)
Bo: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT compare me to him!
Nora: Why? (thinking to herself, “do I really want to say this?”, too late) You act like him!
Bo: Thank you…are you finished?
Nora: Why? You have a date?
Bo: Well, if we were married…I’d be hurt, and forced to say no…but since were not married and barely together at this point…and I am a confirmed bachelor…maybe I do!
Nora is completely taken back by this. She stares at Bo for a few seconds then walks out of the room. Bo watches her leave; he falls back on the bed.
Bo: Handled that really well…really well
Nora rushes down the stairs and to the front door. She stops to see if he follows, then figures she rather not deal with him anymore tonight, she walks out the front door, slamming it behind her. No sooner had she slammed the door, then Bo appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He didn’t want to fight anymore tonight either.
Bo: (to himself) Go home and sleep this off Red…we’ll
fix it in the morning
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Nora put her car in drive and screeched out of the driveway and headed home. She thought about what Bo said, she thought about what Hank said earlier. She thought she was thinking too much. She decided to go home and deal with it in the morning. Besides she wanted to see Matthew anyway. When she got home, she found Asa watching television, Matthew asleep on his lap and Renee asleep on the recliner.
Asa: You find him?
Nora: (depressed) yeah…I found him.
Asa: Well?
Nora: Asa (sighing) I am screwing up what I wanted most in life…a family with Bo.
Asa: Honey, you ain’t screwin’ up anything…you are trying to adjust to a life you only dreamed of. Problem is, the dream didn’t count on my son being so pig headed…
Nora: He’s right though…I do tend to treat him like the built in nanny. I watch his every move with Matthew…
Asa: Honey, it’s normal to be over protective of you son…you’ve gone through so much to get where you are now…you lost the first precious years of life with Matty due to that snake of a woman, then you had to rely on the vermin Rappascum to fill in the rest, not to mention what Hesser did to you…honey, it is normal to protect what is yours…why do you think I keep such a mindful eye on you?
Nora: Thanks…why can’t your son be as open minded as you?
Asa: Don’t get me wrong…you have a valid reason
for what you do, but to be fair (shifting Matthew to his other
arm) Bo has reasons too. He knows he screwed up with you, when
all this began…he knows he should have stood by you…he
kicks himself every minute of every day…
So when he came back, he saw he had another chance with you, he
jumped on it. (pause) and when he found out he had a son…Nora,
I don’t know if you realize it, but you are what he has looked
for his whole life, he wanted nothing more in life than to have
a family with you…he finds out his dream has come true…he’s
just reaching for his dream…don’t be so hard on him.
He does love you with all his heart…and he loves this little
boy here more than anything!
Nora: You are a smart man Asa Buchanan…I am so very privileged to know you.
Asa: Honey, the honor is all mine…now, if you could do me a favor…
Nora: Anything.
Asa: You think you could put my grandson to bed? (wincing) my arm’s asleep!
Nora laughs quietly as she removes Matthew from Asa’s arm and carries him upstairs. She lays him in his bed and runs her hand lightly on his cheek.
Nora: I love you Matthew. (a tear runs down her face) I don’t want to ever know life without you.
She returns to the living room to find Asa trying to wake Renee.
Asa: (lightly shaking his wife) Come on woman…let’s get goin’
Renee: Huh? (realizing where she is) oh…ok…ok…
Nora: (to Asa’s) You are a dear friend…(kissing him on the cheek)
Asa: And you are a dear daughter…take care of my grandson…goodnight.
She sees them to the door. After they leave she begins to
turn the lights off around the living room. She hears the wind
howling outside. She remembers the storm last week when Bo held
her as she drifted to sleep. She missed him. But she wasn’t
going to call him tonight. She just hoped he knew in his heart
that she loved him. She looked around the empty living room, turned
off the last light and headed up to bed.
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After helping Renee up to their room, Asa went to the study to pour himself a drink. He found his son brooding on the couch.
Asa: (pouring a drink) What’s your problem?
Bo: As if you didn’t know…
Asa: Boy, you are letting a good thing slip away..
Bo: (turns and looks at Asa then looks away) like I don’t know that…I just don’t know what to do…Pa, she just ignites a fire in me like you wouldn’t believe…
Asa: Yes I would…why do you think I’ve gone back and forth for nearly thirty years with hat red head up there? (taking a sip of his drink) I know I haven’t always been the best role model for you, but I am going to give you some expert fatherly advise, do not let her get away…you fight for that woman with every breath in your body…I can see she is deep in you…you can’t just let that go…
Bo: Believe me Pa…the last thing I want is to let her go…I spent so much time in that apartment waiting to get back to her…but…
Asa: But nothin’! There ain’t no reason for you not to be with her right now. If it means you down some of that stubborn Buchanan pride and go to your wife…go to your son…
Bo: Pa…she’s not my wife…
Asa: Technicality…go home boy…go to your family.
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Nora was lying in her bed staring out the window. She couldn’t sleep. This was the third night he wasn’t with her. She reached over and touched his pillow, then grabbed it and hugged it, trying to fool herself into thinking he was there. It was no use, she missed him. But she knew that for as much as she missed him now, was as angry and hurt she would be when she saw him again. Ugh! This emotional roller coaster was driving her nuts! She decided to go down and get something to drink.
Nora: (to herself as she walks down the stairs) Warm milk..momma always says that helps a person sleep…ugh! It just sounds gross…
As she hits the bottom stair, she hears the front door lock turning. She walks over to the door, she couldn’t believe her eyes! It was Bo! She unlatched the safety lock and opened the door. They stood in silence, staring at each other. He loved how the moon light shone through the hall window and highlighted her delicate features. She was breath taking.
Bo: Um…I’m sorry…
He moved slowly towards her, putting his hand up to her cheek and lightly caressing it. She tilted her head and nuzzled his hand, enjoying his touch.
Bo: (quieter) I’m sorry…
He moved his hand softly around to the back of her neck while moving closer to her lips. He began to tilt his head and bring his lips to meet hers.
Bo: (whispering) I’m sorry.
He brushes his lips against hers, and proceeds to lightly kiss her many times before fully taking her in his arms and kissing her deeply. He maneuvers them both inside the house and closes the door behind them, all the while continuing the kiss. Once in the hall, he picks her up, never breaking their intense connection, and carries her to the couch. She begins to unbutton his shirt as he moves to a position with her on his lap, facing him. He kisses her neck, and up to her ear. Other than his apology, they have said nothing else. They both understand how loud the silence speaks, how a touch washes away a thousand stinging words. What started on the couch wound up in their room, where they made love in to the morning hours.
To be continued
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