"Up," Drew demanded, with arms outstretched to his mother. The toddler struggled trying to climb up the chair into his mother's lap. Destiny looked down into the chocolate eyes of her two year old son as he fought for his attention feeling slightly overwhelmed. She was torn between finishing the mountain of homework in front of her or showering her son with affection.
"Who am I kidding," she said as she scooped her son into her arms, "you're just so cute. How could anyone not pay attention to you, but look Mommy has homework to do so we can only play for a little bit." Her son responded with a giggle as if to say, silly mommy we are going to play as long as I want. Looking at her sweet boy Destiny was filled with love and joy. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. There were times when he was going through a meltdown and she was studying, writing a paper, cooking, or canceling plans with her friends that she wished he had come into her life at a later time, but then all she had to think about was the smile on his face first thing in the morning, his giggle when splashing around in the bathtub, or the sweet baby way he tries to fix her problems. Life would be easier if Drew had come around later, but Destiny couldn't see how it could be any better.
"Hey, I'm home. What's for dinner?" her "partner" called as he walked into the small apartment, "I had THE longest day at the office. I mean I know I only work part-time, but Uncle Clint and everyone there just demand so much of my time. I had to work through my dinner break just to make it out on time. It's like they forget that I also go to school." He had made it into the kitchen and Destiny's heart skipped a beat. Matthew Buchanan still had the same effect on her after all this time. She had been in love with him from the moment they met and nothing was ever going to change her feelings about him, but lately she was questioning more and more the status and strength of their relationship. Sure, she had stuck by him during his experimental surgery, they managed to get over his romantic rejection of her and their respective romantic relationships with other people, the possible murder charges that once hung over Matthew, his coma and most importantly the birth of their son Drew.
The two had a bond that rivaled those who have known each other for much longer and yet most of the time Destiny was unsure of where she stood with Matthew. They went from best friends to parents to their current limbo status in the blink of an eye. They had hooked up once and Destiny didn't find out about her pregnancy until Matthew was in a coma. He missed the bulk of the experience and was shocked to find out that the one incident resulted in a child. To say that he was shocked by the news would be an understatement and on more than one occasion he claimed to not want to be there for his child, but ultimately like the Buchanan he was he stepped up and helped Destiny give birth and has been there since day one for their son. Now though it seemed as though he was reverting back to the days when he first found out about the pregnancy.
"Hey there," Matthew said to Destiny with a kiss on the forehead, completely ignoring the child in her lap, "Did you hear me, how was your day?"
Destiny began, "It was okay, I mean I have so much work to do for my classes and little mister right here-"
"Oh Des I'm sorry, look I gotta go back to the office, I left a report there that Uncle Clint wants me to look at. I'll be back in a little bit and we can finish this okay," Matthew interrupted. With a quick kiss on the lips Matthew left.
"Oh Drew," Destiny sighed looking into her son's eyes, "I just don't know about your Daddy sometimes." The babe responded with a hug and a sigh of his own.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Destiny and the kid are sleeping" Matthew slurred a whisper to the door as he stumbled into the apartment. Matthew tried and failed to be quiet as he entered, bumping into the umbrella stand by the door and the sofa.
"Matthew!" Destiny hissed, "Do you realize that it is nearly 3 o'clock in the morning. What are you doing? Are you drunk?"
"Shhhhh Destiny…Destiny and the kid are tryyyingggg to sssssllleep," Matthew slurred.
Destiny looked at the person in front of her with disgust, he was nothing like the boy she'd once known or the man she had hoped he would become. "Get some sleep Matthew, we can discuss THIS in the morning," Destiny stated.
"Uh oh, looks like someone's mad," Matthew said as he managed to wrap his arms around her waist, "Come on. Don't get upset Des. I picked up the papers and went to blow off some steam after that. It was just a couple of drinks." He began to nuzzle and kiss her neck. "Please don't be mad at me Des, you know I can't stand it when you're mad at me." Destiny managed to stop the both of them before things got too far with them. That was always their way, Matthew would do something to upset Destiny and they would kiss and makeup without really solving the problem. This pattern was really starting to wear on Destiny and she knew it was not a healthy environment for her son.
"Matthew, we can't do this," Destiny said as she broke the hold he had on her, "We have important things to discuss, and it looks like we will be doing that in the morning when you are sober enough to have a real conversation."
"God Des, why can't we just-" Matthew began.
Destiny interrupted with fire in her voice, "No, Matthew we can't "just", at least not anymore. I refuse to stoop so low and I refuse to do that to our son. Now, like I said the couch is right there. Sleep it off and we will discuss this in the morning. I'm going to check on our son and go back to bed, while you lie on this couch and sober up."
"Ahhhh….gahhhh! What is that stop, my head is KILLLLLING me, " Matthew exasperated. He was hung over from the night before and the little hands beating on his face accompanied by giggles were not helping him recuperate. "Please stop, just stop. I'm up…I'm up." Taking the child's hands into his own Matthew stopped the drumming on the outside of his head, in hopes of ending the rhythmic beat that was taking place inside of his head.
"Oh Drew, don't pay your grumpy old Daddy any attention. This is his own fault," Destiny told the child as she scooped him into her arms with a tickle.
"I love you Momma, Daddy funny," the child responded with a giggle.
"Come on now we have to finish getting you ready to go to Shaun's for a little bit while Mommy and Daddy have a talk and then how bout we go get ice cream," Destiny told her son.
"Well good morning to you too Destiny, do you think you could get me an aspirin or something. My head is pounding" Matthew muffled as he pulled a blanket over his head. A few minutes went by and there was still no response. "Des, PLEASE will you get me an aspirin," Matthew pleaded. A few more minutes went by with still no response and he forced himself off the couch. Warily he padded his way to the medicine cabinet and to take some aspirin. The pills provided a short lived reprieve as there was a knock at the door.
"Go away!" Matthew lamented.
"Is that anyway to talk to your big brother, godfather to your child, and best friend of your wonderful lady love," David replied as he stepped inside.
"David, now is not really a good time…what do you want?" Matthew quietly questioned.
"Cheer up baby bro, I just wanted to stop by to see my not-so namesake on my way to see Pa and Step Nora. So, where is the little tyke and by BFF," David responded.
"I don't know, I think Destiny said something about taking him out for ice cream and going to Shaun's. Look David, like I said I'm not feeling too good right now and I would like a little alone time." Matthew patiently told his older brother. He had been rudely waken up by his son, Destiny had shown him no sympathy and left before they could have their big talk, he was definitely not in the mood to deal with his zany older brother.
David, having one of his few moments of true insight looked at his brother and attempted to give him some advice, "Now Matthew, I can tell just by looking at you that you and Destiny are going through something and I want you to know that you may always right, but you just have to let her think that she is. My BFF is one spunky and smart young lady. She is kind of like a young Dorian, what with her no nonsense attitude and her love for a certain Buchannan, don't worry though she would never leave you for me and I would never leave Dorian. You need to learn from my mistakes and make sure that your lady knows how much you love her."
"David, Destiny has been my best friend for years. She knows that I care about her, we have this bond so I don't need to constantly tell her how I feel" Matthew said.
"That's what you think little brother, but trust me I am a wise man of the world, I know these things. You can't expect a girl like Destiny to hang around forever with "I care about you", even IF you guys have a child together.