A Twist of Fate

Author's Note: This is a really random and different idea for a story. I came up with it a day or two ago and I just had to start writing it. This first part is just a little bit of a teaser, to see if anyone will actually want to read this. Like I said, it is a very different idea.

Summary: Helga and her family move to New York City when she was ten. Now eighteen years later Helga is recently divorced moves back to Hillwood with her four year old son, who was conceived via sperm donor when she and her ex were struggling to conceive. As she settles back into her hometown she reconnects with old friends and the boy, who is now a man, that she had been in love with during her entire childhood. She is thrilled when she sees how well Arnold and her son get along, though she cannot help but notice the similarities the two share. The fact they both have green eyes is just a coincidence…Isn't it?

A Twist of Fate (Teaser)

"Mommy? Are we almost there?" Four-year-old Adam Pataki whined from the back seat of his mother's car. "I'm sick of driving."

"We are almost there baby, ten more minutes. I promise." Helga looked into the rearview mirror and saw that the boy looked bored out his mind. The batteries to his portable DVD player died about an hour earlier and she had stupidly packed the car charger for it in one of the boxes that was in the moving van that had moved all of their belongings the day before.

The boy yawned loudly, rubbing his eyes. "I'm hungry."

"We'll eat as soon as we get into town." Helga promised. "What are you hungry for?"

"Meatloaf." Adam answered after a few seconds of thinking. "And mashed potatoes." He added after a short pause.

"Meatloaf and mashed potatoes?" Helga asked with a chuckle. She had expected her young son to say McDonald's, like he usually requested when they would go out to eat. "Hmm…" She thought for a moment about what restaurants that would have meatloaf and mashed potatoes on their menu. "We can go to a diner that I used to go when I was little…If I remember right they had really good meatloaf." She frowned, "I hope it is still open." She had only been to Hillwood once since she moved eighteen years earlier. She was only there for a day to see the newly built brownstone that she had been looking at online in person.

It was the perfect home for her and Adam. It had three bedrooms and a small backyard that was just big enough for Adam to play in. Best of all it was close to P.S. 118, where Adam would be going to school and P.S. 218, where Helga would be working as the creative writing teacher when the school year started up again in September.

Somehow, even after eighteen years, Helga still knew the streets of Hillwood like the back of her hand. She pulled against the curb in front of Sal's Diner. She smiled, "We're here bud." She undid her seat belt and got out of the driver's seat. She opened the backseat door and took Adam's hand as he got out of the car.

"How's your meatloaf?" Helga asked after she swallowed her bite of her pastrami on rye bread sandwich.

"It's yummy." Adam told her as he squirted extra ketchup onto his plate. He dipped a piece of meatloaf in the ketchup before popping it in his mouth.

"Are you excited to see your new room?" Helga asked as she grabbed a few French fries from her plate.

Adam nodded, "I wish Daddy moved with us."

Helga felt her heart break a little at her son's words. "I know sweetie. I am so sorry that he isn't…"

"When am I gonna see him again?" Adam asked with a hint of sadness in his voice, his large green eyes looking straight into his mother's blue eyes.

"I don't know baby." Helga answered honestly. She swallowed a drink lump in her throat as she felt her heart break even more. Gaining custody of Adam and moving several states away had been incredibly easy because Jason didn't want anything do with either Helga or Adam. Jason had claimed he never felt like Adam's dad. He never had that connection with the boy. Though Helga was thrilled she had sole custody it broke her heart knowing that Jason didn't want anything to do with Adam. She knew all too well what being unwanted felt like. Adam was only four and he was way too young to understand what divorce and sole custody meant. She didn't know how to explain to him that he might never see the only dad he had ever known again.

"Let's get eating so we go home."

Arnold Shortman yawned as he walked up the block to Sal's Diner. He was getting old, he decided. It was only seven and he was already exhausted. Though he could contribute his tiredness to all the hours he had been putting in at work lately. It was only Wednesday and he had already put in a forty hour work week. Normally he didn't work this much, but he had deadlines he needed to meet.

He opened the front entrance to Sal's just as a blonde woman and a blonde child were just about to exit the diner. He stepped aside, opening the door for the woman and the boy Arnold assumed when her son. "Thank you." The woman thanked him as she walked past him and took the young boys hand.

The boy looked up at him and smiled. Arnold watched the pair for a moment as they walked to their car. The boy had his head turned the whole time, looking back at Arnold.

Arnold made his way into the diner. "Hi Anne." He greeted the waitress behind the counter with a smile. "Is my order almost ready?"

"It should be. Let me go check." Anne told him before disappearing into the kitchen. She returned seconds later, a white Styrofoam take out container in hand. "Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, right?"

Arnold nodded as he pulled his wallet out of the pocket of his blue jeans. "That's right."

Since this is such a different idea I would really appreciate if you take the time to review if you enjoyed this little teaser.