Dad's Day Out part 2
The ride home from Asa’s was horrible. Matthew cried and yelled at Nora and said he was taking his stuff to go live with Dad. His Dad. His real Dad. And in no uncertain terms, he let both Nora and Sam know that he was going to tell Rachel how his mom made him look at the bad man.
Sam dropped them off and promised Matt he call him later. Nora
tried to put her arm around her son’s small shoulder, but
Matthew ran to the house and bolted in the front door.
Matthew: RACHEL!!!! RACHEL!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!! I NEED YOUR HELP!!! RACHEL!!!!
Rachel runs down stairs as Nora is making her way inside the house. She closes the door and leans against it as she listens to Matthew tell what a rotten day it had been.
Rachel: Little brother! Slow down! Come here and sit with me…(she pats the couch) Now, what is all the screaming about? I was trying to watch a movie…and I couldn’t hear a word! (Matthew sits next to her as she light strokes the back of his head)
Matthew: Oh, Rachel it was terrible! Mommy said the bad man is my daddy and then she made him come out and talk to me and then he said he made lunch and I couldn’t eat it cuz what if it was dog food like you said he would feed a kid dog food before he’d look twice and he was so bad! And mommy just said he was my logical father and I did the finger thing and ran away from him. Just like you told me to do!
Rachel: Ummm…(looking over at Nora, who shrugs) Matty, you have to understand…I was angry when I said those things…
Matthew: But I did like this (he extends his small middle finger)
Nora: MATTHEW HANEN!!! I told you to stop that! (she runs her hand through her hair in frustration)
Rachel: Yeah…Matty, that is not a really good thing for a little guy to be doing…
Nora: It’s not even a good thing for a big guy to be doing! UGH! I need some juice! I’ll be in the kitchen!
She exits the room as Matthew scowls at her.
Rachel: You better not look at Mom like that…you face will stick.
He raises his eyebrow, ala Bo, as if Rachel was crazy.
Rachel: Now (pulling him on her lap) Matty, you know I love you…
Matthew: (slaps his forehead) Not again!
Rachel: Listen up kid! Here’s the deal: Your mom and I love you very much…so does Sam
Matthew: Daddy!
Rachel: No…Sam…you have to listen, you are the biological
son of Nora and Bo Buchanan. The real Bo Buchanan. That bad man
was not your Dad. He looked like the guy that is your father,
but he wasn’t. The guy you saw today IS your Dad. And I will
tell you now there is not a man in the world that could love a
kid more than Bo loves you…
Matthew: (looks as if he has no clue to what Rachel just said) You said I don’t like him…I’m doin’ what you say…
Rachel: OK, now its time to do something new…now it is time to like Bo…your Dad. Can you try and like him?
Matthew: No.
Rachel: For me?
Matthew: No.
Rachel: For Mommy?
Matthew: No way!!!
Rachel: Ok kid…you leave me no choice…(she stands up and carries Matthew over to the desk.) Who’s desk is this?
Matthew: Mommy’s
Rachel: Right…you know what your Mom looks like, right?
Matthew: Duh!
Rachel: Smart aleck. Anyway…(opening the top drawer and rummaging around til she pulls out a wallet photo of Bo and Nora’s wedding picture) Look.
Matthew: (struggling to get away from Rachel) NO!! Put me down!!!! (Closing his eyes) I’m not looking!!! You can’t make me!!!
Rachel: Matthew Hanen Buchanan!!!
Matthew: Its Rappaport!!!
Rachel: No! It is Buchanan! Like your mother and father! Now you look at this picture!
Matthew looks at the picture. He grabs it out of Rachel’s hand and struggles free of her hold, scoots down and runs to the high back chair in front of the empty fireplace. He sits and stares at the picture, turning it around, upside down, examining it very closely. Rachel watches him for a few moments, then goes to stoop down next to him.
Rachel: (Gently rubbing his arm) I know this is very confusing for you. I didn’t make it to easy either. But sweetheart, look at Mommy in the picture. See how happy she is? Matthew…
Matthew: But…why does my dad have gray hair and then now this is my dad and he was mean and now you and Mommy say I should like a bad man…
Nora: (walking into the office) Matthew…(taking a deep breath, picking her son up and carrying him around the room) you remember in your favorite cartoon, how that guy…the prince…
Matthew: Lotor…
Nora: Lotor…well, he’s a good prince, right?
Matthew: Sometimes…in Flip Flop In The Speed Of Light he was made a prisoner and the bad ruler of Kalzar took over and made himself look like Lotor and tried to make the Galaxy Enforcers bad like him…and they believed it was Lotor so they started to act bad…then the good and real Lotor came back and had to make the Galaxy Enforcers believe he was the real Lotor and they didn’t…(over exaggeratingly and raising his small index finger) AT FIRST…then they did and they caught the bad ruler and shrunk him down and put him in a tiny capsule thing and shot him into space and they think he’s gone…but I know he’ll come back…they always make the bad guys come back…
Nora: Your TV watching is going to be a bit more monitored!
Anyway…just like the whole Lotor deal…your real daddy,
Bo, was made a prisoner, and a bad man pretended to be him…
And just like the Galaxy Enforcers, Mommy and all the rest of
the people here believed the bad man was Bo…then we found
out he wasn’t and Bo and Office Sykes and Uncle Hank took
the bad man away…now Bo has to make everyone believe he is
the good man…
Matthew: He’s a prince?
Nora: Kinda…his Daddy is Grandpa Asa…and sweetie, Bo and Asa and Renee and Clint and Vicki, they are all your family…
Matthew: What about daddy? He’s not my family anymore?
Nora: Matthew, things are going to be different. And confusing, for all of us. No, Sam is not your daddy, but (pausing) he will always be a part of your life. (kissing the top of Matt’s head) Sweetie, Sam loves you very much and he wants to still be part of our family, so when we get all of this very grown up stuff settled, Sam wants to be like…well, like Uncle Hank…
Matthew: He’s gonna be Rachel’s daddy?
Rachel: No! (pausing as Nora shoots her a glance) Um…no Matt, Uncle Hank will always be my dad, but he’s your uncle…and Sam wants to be your uncle too.
Matthew: But he won’t be able to play with me any more (sounding dejected)
Nora: Sweetheart, Sam will always play with you. So will Will when he comes home and Jenn. Sweetie, they will all still love you, and know there is one more guy who you know loves you…
Matthew: But Mommy, what if he won’t like me after he knows me? What if he goes away and then can I have my daddy back?
Nora: Ok, I think we need to work on this slower. So…why don’t you and Rachel go into the kitchen and have some ice cream, and then we’ll have a bath and bed. We’ll talk more about this in the morning.
Matthew: Just us, ok? Not him. I think he should be slow too.
Nora: (looking at Rachel) Go have some ice cream…we’ll talk later.
Rachel and Matthew leave the office and Nora picks up the wedding photo, she smiles and begins to tear up. She walks over to the chair and plops down, still looking at the picture. She touches Bo’s image and talks to herself
Nora: How are we ever going to get him to adjust? This is like being torn in half. (looking upwards) only me! This can only happen to me! Finally have the man I have loved with my whole being, more than anything, I get to tell him that the child we thought was…was…is… is his son…and now the son I love more than life can’t accept his father…as a father that loves him so much…
She is reduced to complete tears and is sitting having a good cry when the phone rings.
Nora: Hello?
Sam: How is he?
Nora: Confused, but ok. Rachel has been talking with him a lot. She showed him Bo’s and my wedding picture…I don’t know Sam…why does this have to be so hard for this little boy?
Sam: Because he is a little boy…answered your own question Stinger…
Nora: I know…this is so strange to talk about (pause) . With you and with Bo. I talk to you about Bo and I feel so weird….then when I discuss you with him…
Sam: Nora, we knew that if this day ever arrived, which I personally thought it never would, that it was going to be hard on all of us…and remember what we said?
Nora: We would work as a team…to get us all through it.
Sam: Exactly. So, taking that into consideration, think of me as the coach. And as the coach, I can tell when my players have been crying. And you have…
Nora: (starts crying) Sam…I never meant any of this to happen…and now the cruelest part is a small boy is the center…
Sam: Alright…now I see the end of the pity parade…yes I do…and look! There is the ever-powerful attorney, Nora Buchanan…riding the last float. Oh she looks stunning parade fans! Eyes all red and puffy…nose running and nary a tissue in sight!
Nora: (laughing between crying) Stop it.
Sam: Listen to that parade fans…she is blubber speaking…wait…let’s listen in…
Nora: Alright! Point taken. (pausing long enough to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand) I needed to get it out of my system. And I couldn’t think of a better friend to have listening.
Sam: Stinger, we’ll be ok…all of us…you deserve to be happy, Bo deserves to know his son..
Nora: And you deserve both of our gratitude…you did something extremely difficult.
Sam: Nah…I just loved a little boy and cared deeply for his mom…til the real man in their lives came back to them…can I talk to Matthew?
Nora: Let me get him…he’s having ice cream with Rachel. Hang on….
Nora gets Matthew. He talks with Sam, never once brings up the day’s events and decides he’s talked enough and hangs up. Nora takes Matthew up for his bath. While he is in the tub, playing with his scuba guys, Nora listens to his play.
Matthew: (to the scuba guy) You’ll never have to worry about your dad! Cuz he’s a fish, so go see your fish dad! (to the other fish guy) His dad’s not a fish! I’m his dad. (making the toy fish talk) No! I’m his dad and you can’t talk to him anymore!
Nora: Matthew, honey listen to mommy. I know you are confused. But your dad loves you. And he’s not a fish, and he is not going to say Sam can’t talk to you! Bo is a good guy and he will let you be with Sam. Honest Matthew, we are all going to be together on this.
Matthew: Mommy…I decided something.
Nora: And what would that be?
Matthew: I don’t want any daddy…just you, me and Rachel…
Nora: (getting him out of the tub) Sweetie, you have a daddy…and a mommy…and lots of uncles and aunts and grandparents that love you…(she walks him down the hall and tucks him in)
Matthew: I love you mommy, I’m sorry I was scared. I will try to not be scared next time. Maybe Rachel can be with me?
Nora: That would be a great idea. I love you…goodnight.
Matthew: Night Mommy.
He rolls over and looks out the window and talks to himself, Nora listens in the hall
Matthew: God, it’s me, Matthew Rappa…oops, I guess Buchanan now, I don’t know for sure. Please God, let me be brave for my Mommy. She must be ok with my dad and my other dad and now I havta be ok too. Please let me be ok. Night God.
Outside the door, Nora has tears in her eyes. Rachel walks up behind her.
Rachel: Mom, you ok?
Nora: I don’t know Rikki. I don’t know.
Rachel: Mom, Bo is on the phone. Do you want to talk to him? I can tell him you are with Matthew, you wanna call him back?
Nora: No, (wiping the tears before she turns to face Rachel) I’m coming.
She heads downstairs and grabs the phone.
Nora: Hey.
Bo: Hey, how’s it goin’?
Nora: Mixed.
Bo: What’s the matter, baby?
Nora: Matthew. Oh, Bo…he’s so confused, so frustrated. He doesn’t understand, and he doesn’t want to, and I don’t know…
Bo: Nora, we talked about this. You knew it was going to be difficult, but we have to face it. He’s my son, and I want to know him, I want to be his father. I am his father!
Nora: I know. It just hurts to see him confused…
Bo: It will get better. I promise, it will. Ok, time to
get your mind off difficult and on to easy.
I miss you. So very much! How bout if I come over and sneak in
and…
Nora: And you better stop before I forget myself and tell you it’s a good idea…
Bo: Mmmmm…it’s a fantastic idea. I can be there in less than ten minutes…I’ll make you forget today…oh will I make you forget today…I’ll even pick up something to eat on the way…
Nora: Bo…I can’t…
Bo: You can…
Nora: No really, Matthew could…
Bo: We’ll lock the door…Rachel’s there…you want me…
Nora: I know I do…so bad…
Bo: Ten minutes…tick…tick…tick…
Nora: Anything I want to eat?
Bo: Name it.
Nora: Soretelli’s
Bo: Mmmm, excellent choice Madame! Would you be ordering the Rigatoni or the Manicotti?
Nora: Manicotti heavy on the ricotta, light on the mar…
Bo: marinara…I know, I know…give me an extra ten
minutes and I’ll be there
to wine and dine you, my love.
Nora: I’ll be waiting…
To be continued!
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