The Courtship Of Nathan's Father
Chapter 1: The Plan
This has been edited better and now expanded. Thanks for the kind words and so here we go with the complete story.
The following story is loosely based on the book, movie and T.V. show
"The Courtship Of Eddie's Father"
It had been almost ten years since Sam had been in Seattle, and so much had changed. She smiled as she drove past the Groovy Smoothie. Those were some good times. That was before real life slapped her in the face.
She'd dated Freddie for almost a year in college. They had been very happy then. She knew he loved her and that she loved him. They were headed for the "happily ever after" when the whole world blew up in her face.
While Freddie was at work one night, Sam went out to eat and ran into Gordon Willis, a guy from one of her classes. They talked and had a few drinks and then they went back to the apartment she and Freddie shared. She never understood why she let it happen, but she ended up in bed with him.
She didn't see him when he came in, but Gordon did and started to laugh as he walked in.
Here she was on top of Gordon and Freddie just stood there. She heard him sniffle and jerked her head around to see him crying.
He never said a word; he just walked out and never came back.
"Hey bitch, we're not done yet," Gordon shouted at her.
"Yes we are nutsack, I just lost my whole world and you're the cause of it!"
"I think you had a hand in it to baby," he said and grabbed her by the arms and shoved her down on the bed, "You little cocktease, I'm not done yet.
He would end up rapeing her twice and beating her up. She didn't try to defend herself at all. In the back of her mind she thought she deserved it for what she had done to Freddie.
After she went to the hospital and talked to the police, Gordon was arrested and then released on bail. The next day Gordon was found in the quad with the shit kicked out of him and the words "rapist" written on him. They never caught the person responsible for it.
Freddie transferred to another school and left everything he had at the apartment. She spent years looking for Freddie, but he just dropped off the face of the earth.
She got married three years ago to Brian Thompson. Everything seemed to be going good. Freddie was always lurking somewhere in her heart and mind, but she really tried with Brian. That is till she came home early one day and found Brian and Steve in bed. She thought it was so ironic that she walked in to the exact same scene that Freddie did.
That was one and half years and one divorce ago. Her friends tried to get her to go out, even going so far as to set her up, but she never did. Freddie loomed large in her mind and heart.
She pulled into the Bushwell apartment parking lot and got out of the car and started to walk in. She had decided Two weeks ago to move back to Seattle and start fresh. Carly had told her that Miss Benson had moved and her apartment was up for rent.
Sam knocked on the door and waited. Carly opened the door and squealed, "Oh my God Sam, I've missed you."
"Same Here Carlotta," Sam smiled back.
The two old friends went to the manager right away and signed the lease of the apartment and went to lunch.
They talked about everything but Freddie. They both tiptoed around the subject. Finally Sam brought him up.
"Ever hear anything about Freddie?"
"Not one peep," Carly answered.
"God Carly, I miss him so much, Sam begins to say, "What the hell was I thinking even talking to Gordon much less sleeping with him?"
"I'm sorry Sam, but that's spilled milk now. We need to go to the park and talk; it was always a place that made you happy."
"Sure Carly, let's go."
When they get to the park they sit on a bench and just talk and laughed. Sam began to smile a little more and relax.
As they talked a big yellow softball came rolling up as a very small boy, maybe three year old tops, came running after it. His cap was two sizes too big and the mit he wore looked to be larger than he was. He was laughing and reaches the ball that had now stopped at Sam's feet.
"Cuse me pretty wady, I need to get my ball. I hope it not hurt wou," the charming little man said.
"No sweetie, I'm fine," Sam said as she smiled at him, "That's a very nice ball you have there."
"Thank wou,"he said, "My dude got it for me."
Sam smiled and asked, "Your "dude?"
"My daddy, he's better than a dad, he's a dude!
Sam and Carly both smiled at this remark. The young man had dark brown hair and big brown eyes and both women thought he looked like Freddie.
"Well, big guy, what's your name?" Sam asked.
"Nathan, Nathan…"
"Hey Nate you get lost dude?" came a voice from the past.
Sam and Carly just stared as they saw Freddie walk up to the boy and pick him up.
"Freddie?" they both said at the same time.
"Hello ladies," he said as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't just vanished for ten years, "I see you've met Nathan, my son."
They both looked from him to the boy (and checked the ring finger, he had one) and spoke almost at the same time, "he's precious Freddie. He looks just like you."
"No he's really cute and handsome, I'm not," Freddie smiled at his son.
"You and your wife live around here?" Sam fished.
"Nate and I do, Noel died a year and a half ago," he said quietly.
"I'm so sorry Freddie, what happened?" Carly asked.
"Cancer, it was very sudden and quick," he stated.
"I'm so sorry. You've lived here all these years and never called me?" Carly asked.
"Oh no, we just moved here four days ago. I've been finishing up from the move and spending time with Nate till I start work on Monday. We opened a new office here and I came to run it."
"Who do you work for?" Sam finally waded into the conversation.
"Myself, I own "Sat Tel" the software company," he told them.
"Isn't that based in France?" Sam asked.
"Yep, I went to France to finish collage and met Noel and we started the company together. After she died I just couldn't stay there anymore, it hurt too much."
"I'm so sorry for your loss Freddie," Sam told him.
"Well you know, life doesn't always give you what you want," he said looking her in the eyes, "but you take it as it comes. You just trust in God and know you get what you need. The three years Noel and I had were worth the pain, besides I got Nathan out of the deal. He saved my life. I couldn't crawl into a bottle because I had him."
Nathan had laid his head down on his "dudes" shoulder and was fast asleep.
"So what about you two, what's up?"
"Divorced," was all Sam said.
"Still looking," Carly threw in.
"Well then some guys somewhere are blind, because you both look great," Freddie smiled.
"Thank you," Carly said.
"Thanks Freddie and you look great, well maybe a little thin, but good," Sam smiled.
"I get the thin a lot,' he smiled.
"Listen, let's have dinner together, tonight," Carly suggested.
"Ok, mind if Nate tags along?" Freddie asked.
"Sure, then we'll have two good looking men with us at dinner," Sam said as she touched the sleeping boys back.
"Ok, say six-thirty then?" Freddie said.
"Good we'll meet at the Bushwell then."
As he walked away Sam felt something inside her that she thought she had lost.
"Sam, SAM," Carly called her out of the trance she had fallen into.
"A little less drool, and put your eyes back in your head. We need to go get ready."
"He looked really good, didn't he Carly?" Sam said.
"Yes and his son is so sweet. Sam you've got that look in your eye," Carly complained.
"Just wondering."
The dinner went well and Nathan was the star. He was very charming (like his daddy) and took a big shine to Sam. They talked for hours catching up. They then went back to Carly's apartment and Nathan curled up in his father's lap and fell asleep.
'I need to go; little man has pooped out on me. This has been fun."
"Let's do it again, soon," Carly suggested.
"Sure he said, but please don't be trying to set me up on dates Carly, I'm not ready for that," He told her.
"You mean you think I would…"
"Yes, and don't."
"Good night, Sam," he said and gave her a big hug.
She felt a warmth and static charge from his touch even after all these years. She breathed in his scent and longed to kiss him, but she knew this wasn't the time or place. 'God I was so stupid! I let him slip away from me and now it may be too late,' she thought.
After he left Carly smiled at Sam.
"Carly, now you're the one with a gleam in her eye. What the hell are you planning?" Sam asked.
"It's going to take some time and a few bad dates, but we're going to get Nathan a new mom. A blonde, blue eyed one," Carly smiled.
"Carly, he just got through telling you NOT to fix him up," Sam reminded her.
"Really," Carly smiled and winked at Sam, "I must have missed that part of the conversation."
"Carly, I refuse to take part in this plan. Freddie isn't looking for a wife or anything else and you damn well know he wouldn't be coming to me for that anyway!"
"Sam, the only thing you have to do is be available to babysit; I'll take care of the rest."
Oh my God Carly," Sam looked at her friend in amazement, "you'd use that sweet innocent boy as a tool to try and get Freddie married? Carly, he does not now, nor will he every want to marry me. That ship has sailed!"
"Well that boy needs a mother and if not you, then I'll find someone who will marry him. All I need from you is babysitting services… and maybe a little time spent with Freddie to find out how the land lays as I get him out in the dating world."
"Carly!"
"Sam," Carly flashed the puppy dog eyes and sad pout that she knew would make Sam cave, "I have no sex life, no boyfriend or prospects of one, and I need to meddle in this and fix him up for my sanity. PLEASE!"
"Shit Carly," Sam sighed, "I need hip boots for all the bullshit your slinging, but ok."
"Yah," Carly smiled and clapped her hands.
"Now, since I have no stuff yet, may I sleep on the couch tonight?" Sam asked.
"Oh sure, but take my bed, I'm off tomorrow and I've got some planning to do"
"You sure?" Sam checked again.
"Sure, I've got work to do," Carly smiled.
As she walked up the steps Sam said more to herself than anyone else, "I can see this blowing right up in her face."
Carly heard what her friend said but she smiled as she thought to herself, 'If it kills us all, I'll get those two together and married.'
"Good night dude," Nathan whispered as Freddie tucked him in.
"Good night dude," Freddie kissed the boy on the forehead and said.
"Dude?"
"Yes Nate."
"I like the pweety lady"
"Oh you did, did you? Which one?"
"The lady with yellow hair, I had fun with hur," the young boy said.
"Yes, she's very nice. Now you need to sleep, ok."
"Ok," the boy said, "but dude, how come you smiled at hur all night?"
"I tell you that when your older my man, now sleep. I love you," Freddie smiled down at his son.
"Night dude," Nathan said as his eyes closed.
Freddie walked out of the room, turning on the "Booger Bear" night light, and quietly closed the door.
He walked through the hallway toward the master bedroom. He got undressed and took a shower. He then dressed in his sweats and tee-shirt and sat on the bed.
"Hi Noel," he said to the air, "Well we're all unpacked. I ran into my old friends Carly and Sam today. We had dinner and I think Nate likes Sam. He really does take after me I guess. I haven't had a chance to tell Sam that I'm not mad at her anymore or what I…You figured out as the reason she did what she did, but I will, I can use all the friends I can get.
Nate and I played in the park today. He's really doing well. He's growing like a weed. His laugh is just like yours."
Freddie laid down on the bed and kept talking, "I miss you. Even with Nate here, I'm lonely and scared. So far it's ok, but what if I screw up Nate's life because I'm not a good father. Honey, I feel lost without you here. I try, but I can't move on. I still wear my wedding ring. I feel like I need to. It keeps women at bay and I want that. I would feel like I was cheating on you if I went out with anyone. I know Carly is going to start on me about dating and I don't know what to do," he begins to cry, "I miss your warmth, your laugh, the way you would touch me, but most of all I miss you! You made me a better man and a better person in general and I feel lost without you."
He laid there for a few minutes and then dried his eyes and climbed into bed and turned off the lights. "Good night Noel, I love you and will talk to you tomorrow," he said to the empty space beside him.
Sam showered and dressed for bed, sweats and the old "Hard To Die" tee-shirt she took from Freddie. She wore the shirt to bed every night and had for ten plus years. He looked good, maybe a little sad, but good. Nathan was adorable! He was almost a mini-me of Freddie. It made her want to cry, to know that that could have been her life and her child if she hadn't have blown it. God, why had she been so stupid. Spilt milk indeed.
Let me know what you think.