Dad's Day Out part 13
The newest Buchanan abode was nearing completion. Nora was pulling double duty, actually she was pulling triple and sometimes quadruple duty what with picking out the decor of the house, readying herself for the upcoming trial, preparing Matthew for his summer with Grandma and Papa Hanen, and nervously awaiting her and Bo's first session with a counselor.. She was taking a moment alone in the empty new house; she was daydreaming a few years into the future. She was watching Bo and Matt playing in the spacious yard, while she sat in the kitchen feeding a beautiful little girl a bottle. She was wakened out of her daydream by a kiss on the cheek.
Nora: Oh! Bo...I was just
Bo: Just sitting there looking incredibly beautiful...
Nora: Are you sure you want to go with me...to the counselor? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to…
Bo: Nora...baby...sweetie...(holding her in a bear hug) I want to go with you. This is for us...for our future...(he kisses her sweetly on the lips and holds her for a few moments)
Nora: I could get so used to this...(closing her eyes and allowing herself to get lost in his touch)
Bo: Get used to it...I'll never let you go...
Nora: Where’s Matthew?
Bo: With Rachel and Uncle Hank...So we are all alone...you...and me...and this big empty house...
Nora: Whatever could we do to kill the time?
Bo: (placing his index finger to his lip) I'm sure we could think of something...(he kisses her passionately)
Nora: Oh...Bo....
Bo: Dance with me...
Nora: The way we did when we were moving into our house...
Bo: You remembered that?
Nora: Do I remember??
Bo: Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe we're really here...(he takes her hand and begins to move around the cavernous living room) that I'm not still in that apartment, in that bed...wanting you...needing you...
Nora: I love you...(she looks right into his eyes)
Bo: So you've said...
They stop moving. Nora puts her hand on his face.
Nora: There were so many nights when I lay in bed, I pictured your face, kind and gentle, your warm smile and those eyes that bring me to my knees...I kept this face burned in my mind forever. Now, it still amazes me that I am able to look into these eyes and see all that I love...
Bo: You'll make me blush...
Nora: Bo...
Bo: Hmmm....
Nora: Let's do it...
Bo: Don't beat around the bush, Red...(pausing) "let's do it"? Honey...where's the romance?
Nora: No, no, no...not "it"
Bo looks dejected
Nora: Oh! (realizing what he thought she meant) Not that I don't LOVE doing "it" with you...I do...but I mean, let's do it, let's have another baby...
Bo: (surprised) You mean it? You really want to have another baby?
Nora: Yes! I mean it! (hugging him around the neck) I've been thinking about it since you brought it up a couple months ago...I've thought about it every time we've made love since then...actually, I've kind of secretly hoped each month that I was...
Bo: But you take those...
Nora: I stopped nine weeks ago...
Bo: This is great!!! I'm gonna be a Dad again!!! (he picks her up and spins her around)
Nora: Hold on! (easing herself back onto the ground) I'm not pregnant yet!
Bo: (kissing her neck) I think I (kissing her near her ear)
can take care of that! (kisses
her heatedly on the lips)
Nora: Let's start now...
They work their way down to the floor, losing clothing along the way, and make love for the first time in their new house.
Bo: (afterwards still lying on the floor next to her) You are incredible...(tracing lightly around her face) You make me feel alive...
Nora: Oh Bo...(touching his chest) you're pretty incredible yourself...
Bo: (rolling on top of her) how bout another round...
Nora: You're on (she wraps her arms around his back and lightly running her fingernails along his skin)
They continue to move together in perfect rhythm that culminates in an explosion of passion that leaves them exhausted and breathless, but extremely content.
Nora: Bo...(cuddling in his arms)
Bo: Yes...(holding her tightly)
Nora: We're home...we're finally home...
Bo: We are, my love...
************************************************************
A few hours later at the counselor’s office.
Counselor: And because of the paternity issue, you've had quite some challenges in raising Matthew...is that right Nora?
Nora: Yes...I, um...I can't seem to let myself accept Bo's help with Matthew...
Counselor: Well, as long as he has decided to be a part of Matthew's life, I think that should remain top priority...until you both work together as a team, and not as two individuals, you will continue to have those periods of uncertainty. Mr. Buchanan, you do have joint custody of the child, correct?
Nora: We...um...never had any formal papers filed regarding Bo's custody only paternity...Sam just assumed responsibility.
Counselor: You may want to have documentation...
Bo: You think we'll have a problem?
Counselor: I don't believe so, but it's always better to be safe. Now...lets talk a little about you two, as a couple...you were married...and divorced, and now you look as if your headed down the path to matrimony again...
Nora: We are...
Counselor: So it is safe to say that you have resolved the past differences and begun to build a new foundation...
Bo: I think that would be a safe assumption...
Nora: Now we have...well, I have these new differences bringing up Matthew. I feel like he's intruding on that part of my life.
Counselor: Are the things Mr. Buchanan...
Bo: Bo...(the counselor looks at him) oh...you can all me Bo..
Counselor: (looking at him as if he interrupted a great thought in progress) Are the things (seemingly forcing herself to say his name)… Bo suggests or (pausing) brings to the parenting table...(pausing again) against the way you see yourself rearing your child?
Bo was getting irritated with the way the counselor would emphasize the words "your child" to Nora, almost down playing the fact that Matthew was his son also.
Nora: Well...
Counselor: You don't sound sure of yourself...
Nora: It's just some things, well...
Counselor: You can say it here...this is an open forum...
Bo: (a bit sarcastic) by all means...(crossing his arms and sitting back in the chair, looking quite annoyed)
Counselor: Mr. Buchan...Bo...is there something wrong?
Bo: Well, if you’re askin'
Counselor: I am...
Bo: Yeah...there is something wrong...I spent a year of my life trapped in a filthy apartment, I finally break free and come back to the woman I love, the live I love, the family I love. I find out I am the father of a child that I wanted more than life itself, and the woman I want to spend my life with has some aversion to my parenting style, I come here in good faith to try and resolve the problem and I get nothing but attitude from you! "Your child"! You say it as if I had no part in it...or..or...or I purposely hid from him...or...or...ah forget it! This is crazy! I love this woman...I love my son...I want my family and I will stop at nothing to get them! So you can sit there and pass judgment or look at me like some kind of deadbeat dad or what have you...I'm outta here. Nora...I'll meet you in the car! Take your time.
With that, he leaves.
Counselor: I would understand if you wanted to postpone this session for a later date...Mr. Buchanan has some issues he needs to deal with.
Nora: Ah... thank you...I'll call to reschedule...
Counselor: That's fine...
Nora leaves. As she walks through the parking lot, she feels her anger with him starting to take over. She counts to ten as she opens the car door.
Bo: Nora, I
She holds up her hand to signal him to not say a word.
Bo: But I...
Again she holds up her hand and begins to count in her head.
Bo: Fine.
They ride home in silence.
************************************************************
Rachel and Matthew had just gotten back to the house and were packing some boxes as the front door flew open and Bo stormed in.
Rachel: Hey! How'd...
Bo: Terrible...ask your mother.
Rachel: Where is she?
Bo: (walking through the living room and up the stairs) coming.
Matthew looks at Rachel who shrugs. Nora walks in the door and slams it behind her.
Nora: Oh! That...that...that man! (pointing upstairs)
Rachel: Matty...why don't you go pack your Playstation and the games...
Matthew: Ok!
He runs up the stairs. Rachel walks over to Nora.
Rachel: (putting her arm around her mother's waist) Now
mom...come on...let's have
something to drink and we can talk...
Nora: You think we can talk? (yelling toward the upstairs) It would be refreshing to be able to talk and not have SOMEONE get defensive!
Rachel: Uh-oh...
They walk into the kitchen, Nora sits down as Rachel pours
them both a glass
of wine.
Rachel: (handing Nora a glass and sitting down across from her) Ok...from the beginning...
Nora: We weren't at the counselor's office but fifteen minutes
when HE decided
the tiny bit of conversation was an attack on HIM!!
Rachel: Say what?
Nora: (sipping the wine) The counselor had barely said ten words, I said hardly anything and he just started to shout about how Matthew was his and how he spent all that time at the apartment and the counselor was biased and passing judgment, yadda yadda yadda...I was so embarrassed!
Rachel: Well...let's hold on a moment here...did the counselor seem to act that way?
Nora: To be honest...I really don't know...I was focusing on me and what I wanted to accomplish...I never paid it attention...
Rachel: Could the counselor's tone maybe been misinterpreted by Bo, or perhaps maybe the counselor was biased? I mean, this was a counselor recommended by the advocates office, and they do tend to deal more with women's rights...
Nora: (scratching her temple) I don't know...
Rachel: Back to square one...with a little damage control...
Nora: What...
Rachel: Go up there and apologize...and both of you decide on a way to work on this...if it means you both find a counselor or therapist, then you do it...if it means you go to Andrew...then you do it...
Nora: Thanks doctor...
Rachel: No problem...pay my receptionist on the way out...
Nora heads upstairs and finds Bo in Matthews room playing Playstation while Matthew hangs upside down off his bed watching...
Matthew: Daddy is the best Tomb Raider ever!!
Nora: I'll bet (smiling at her son’s pride in his father)...Bo...
Bo: Yes (acting totally entranced with the game)
Nora: Bo...can we talk...
Bo: I'm busy...
Nora: I'll be in our room...thinking about THINGS...
Bo: Alrighty...
Matthew: Yeah! DADDY!!!!
Nora smiled as she walked down the hall and thought about how soon she'd be leaving this house and all its reminders of the way life shouldn't have been. Her and Sam...sure she would be grateful to him...but that gratitude was fading as the trial got closer. Colin chained in the attic...Bo hiding up there...Hesser trying to attack her...the sooner she was out of this place...the faster she could focus on her and Bo and how to fix them... she was tired of living on a balance beam...she just wanted a normal life...she plopped down on the bed and thought of the nights of passion she and Bo had shared...how good it was to have him back in her life...why could she break through this one last barrier of him sharing a life with her...she thought of earlier in the day when she told him she wanted to have another child with him...maybe that was it...maybe she needed him to be involved from the beginning? That was very selfish on her part...her head ached at all that was going on inside of it…
Bo: What did you want to talk about?
Nora: Huh?
Bo: Talk about...you said you wanted to talk about something?
She knew what had to be done.
Nora: Close the door and lock it...I don't want Matthew to hear us.
To be continued
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