"Hey, Nicole, over here," Rusty stood up and called out, waving at the door. He watched and waited for Nicole to either hear or see him. The coffee shop was loud and rather crowded. He continued to wave, and she finally turned toward him. After he was certain they'd made eye contact, he put his hand down and dropped back into his chair, waiting for her to join him. It would be a few minutes; she gave him a nod and small smile before she got in line for a cup of coffee. Rusty sat there, nursing his own cup. He'd been trying different things, ruling out others, such as espresso. Today, he liked the flavored coffee he'd tried. He sipped on it and looked up a few minutes later when Nicole joined him.
"Whew," she said, sitting down in the chair. "Hey, Rusty, sorry, running late today. It's been crazy, and I got cornered at the ballet studio dropping off the boys. One of the moms wants me to help with the fall kickoff since the summer program is ending, but," she smiled at him, "you aren't here to hear all about that."
"No, but sound crazy," Rusty said giving her a sympathetic smile. "It's been a couple months since I've seen the boys. Tell them I said hi. So," he eyed her, "why did you want to meet if we aren't discussing ballet moms?" Rusty grinned and sipped his coffee.
Nicole sighed and rolled her eyes, "Yes, why part of the reason I wanted to meet is exactly what you just said-we haven't seen each other in awhile. I know; I know," she gestured with her hand in the air, speaking quickly while she tried to sip her coffee. "It's not exactly like we are friends or hang out, but I was seeing you somewhat often, and now, it's nothing."
"Yeah, well," he frowned, still not sure of what she was saying, "I mean, I was really tagging along with Sharon. She was around because your dad would invite her, and then, the two of them would drag me along with them, like some domino effect. I guess I haven't been around because Sharon hasn't been dragged along with Lieutenant Flynn to anything."
"Right," Nicole nodded, dragging out her words. "That's my point."
"Huh," Rusty said, pondering that idea as he said it. "Work has been like crazy busy. Plus, I just graduated last month and am trying to do my own thing. Wait," he put his finger to his mouth, "is this about my graduation party? If it is, that's not my call, and I mean that Sharon set up that whole party. Look, if you thought I should have invited you, I didn't do any of it. Your dad was there, but I mean, I didn't plan it."
"No, no, no," Nicole waved. "Dad told me that you graduated, and yes, he told me that Sharon had a party, but he also mentioned that the whole team was there. Congratulations by the way," she said with a smile.
"Thanks," Rusty shrugged. "I told Sharon I didn't want to do anything, but she didn't listen. She was all like in party mode. She has this crazy sense of occasion."
"Rusty," Nicole sighed, sitting forward and shaking her head, "my point is that something seems to be going on or really, not going on with my dad and Sharon. I thought they were dating, aren't they?"
"Like old people dating?" Rusty made a face and shrugged. "I don't know. They hang out together, I guess."
"Something changed," Nicole told him and continued to shake her head at that statement. "Recently."
"I'm not following," Rusty frowned.
"Dad called me last week," Nicole explained. "We were just talking, normal conversation," she said with a slight shrug, "and he mentioned that he'd registered for a dating website."
"What?" Rusty said, grimacing at the idea. "Lieutenant Flynn is on one of those?" Rusty started to laugh.
"It's not funny," she said, reaching over and gently swatting at him in a sibling-like fashion. "I'm worried about him and let me tell you that a dating website is about the last thing I ever saw him trying. Someone at his AA group has been trying to get him to try it, and he finally did. He said Lieutenant Provenza has been bad luck enough for him for too many years, and he said now, it's about time he gets back out there. I asked him about Sharon, and he told me that she was his friend, which is always the response I get." Nicole pointed at Rusty, "I just feel like something is wrong. The way he said it, this time," she frowned again, "something seemed off."
"Okay," Rusty said slowly with a long, drawn-out statement. "I still can't get over the idea Lieutenant Flynn is on a dating website."
"I know!" Nicole exclaimed.
"Like he's old," Rusty frowned. "He and Sharon just go to dinner sometimes, even some with me."
"Yes, exactly," Nicole nodded, seeing that Rusty was starting to understand the problem. "Rusty, I think they broke up or something similar. He won't say anything, but when I suggested bringing Sharon over for a cookout, like he's done before, he waved it off and said she wouldn't be interested."
"When was this?" Rusty asked, frowning again.
"Just last weekend, maybe a day or so after he told me about this dating website. He's talked about Sharon for the last year, and suddenly, that's changed. Even before when he kept telling me they were friends, he wanted to invite her to things, but now, suddenly, he's saying she's a friend, but he won't invite her. Have you noticed anything?"
Rusty pursed his lips while he started to think. He spent a few moments thinking, and then, he sat forward, giving her a slight shrug, "I mean, Sharon doesn't tell me much. She definitely doesn't discuss her personal life in that area. Like, she's in the middle of divorcing Jack finally, but that's no surprise."
"Wait, what?" Nicole asked, her eyes widening. "Sharon is divorcing her ex? Dad has told me that situation is a mess, but knowing Dad and knowing Sharon, I figured neither was being out of line or anything. I just knew the separation had been going on over 20 years."
"Yeah," Rusty laughed. "Jack is quite interesting. She's been married to the guy closer to 30 years, maybe longer," he shook his head, separated over 20, and now that she wants to adopt me, she'd divorcing him. She had to, I mean, to adopt me. I told her she didn't have to do that, but she said it's what she wants. We got into it a couple weeks ago, I mean, with Ricky home, not Sharon and me, but Sharon and Ricky about me. Ricky is her son, I guess her other son," he said with a slight roll of his eye. "Ricky doesn't, or I guess didn't, want Sharon to adopt me. Ricky came home a couple weekends ago, told Sharon he thought I was bad news and the idea was a terrible one, but by the end of the weekend, he was at least civil to me. I don't know all the details, but I know Sharon had it out with Ricky. I told her I don't want to cause trouble, but she said we're family. From what I can tell, it's finally working out."
"Ok," Nicole frowned as she nodded, trying to piece the timeline together. "That would fit with some of this, but how? Dad got on this dating website a week ago, all determined to find a date. It doesn't even sound like him," she sighed. "The only thing that makes sense is that he and Sharon called it quits, or whatever you want to call it," she waved her hand. "Have they been fighting or weird around each other?"
"No, not at all," Rusty said as he tried to remember any sort of incident. "That graduation party wasn't long ago now, and they were like all chummy there, you know, their normal stuff. Since then, we haven't spent much time with him, any together I guess."
"Hmm," Nicole said as she thought. "Maybe something happened there, even after it. I'm sorry, and I know Dad is Dad, a grown man, but something is off. He has never wanted to use a dating website, and for over the last year, he's been all about Sharon. I was surprised when he brought her to my wedding, but since then, the two have been together a lot. I really thought they had something, still could have something. I like her a lot, and she's good for Dad. Dad is really blossoming, if that makes sense," she smiled at Rusty, "with Sharon. I feel like he just is happy, content, and just a better person. I really like my dad, the version I'm seeing. It's like this 'Sharon Effect' if you will."
"I guess I haven't thought that much about it, at least the dating part. I mean, it just kinda seemed natural, seeing them together at work, and then, sometimes, he'd go to eat with us after work, like it was no big deal. That turned into going to a couple baseball games, and then, we were invited to his house for a cookout. That's when we started seeing you and Dean there with the boys."
"Right," she said jumping in, "and from that point, the cookouts with all of us were a regular thing."
"Yeah," Rusty shrugged again, "I guess. Now that you mention it, Sharon hasn't said much about him, and she hasn't been out to the movies or anything with him the last couple weeks. I just thought it was work."
"I think it's more," Nicole nodded.
"I can just ask her," Rusty thumbed his finger, as if gesturing to the door.
"NO!" Nicole yelled and blushed as she realized she was being loud. "You can't do that! The two of them have been so weird about this, dad always trying to clarify she's a friend, getting all clammy about it."
"Yeah, you're right," he nodded. "Sharon has been the same. I mean, she's been really clear about the fact she's married to Jack, but," he eyed her, "she's almost divorced."
Nicole frowned, "I'm afraid that might have been the problem, that maybe Dad asked about that and was turned down. I'm worried Sharon said she wasn't into him."
"Look," Rusty said waiting for Nicole to look at him, "Sharon hates, and I mean hates," he emphasized, "people messing with her personal life. She hates it," he repeated. "Maybe we should just leave this alone. I'd just ask her about the lieutenant, but other than asking, I'm not sure what you want me to do."
"I want my dad to be happy, and he's not right now. I can tell," Nicole frowned. "I'm sorry. I probably should let the adults be adults, but I am finally seeing what my dad has gone through over the last couple of decades himself. I'm not sure I gave him a fair shake over the years, and he's really changed. I'm happy, and I want that for him. He deserves it, and yes, I can admit that. For a long time, not even that long ago, I wasn't sure my dad deserved to be happy, but we've been through a lot of therapy. I think Sharon makes him happy."
Rusty grimaced, "I'm not sure what you want me to do. I try to stay out of things like this, especially regarding Sharon. You didn't see what she was like when Jack was hanging around last year. She like shut down on me and wouldn't talk about it."
Nicole nodded, "Okay, so she did, but," she said, holding her hand in the air, "she clearly didn't want to discuss Jack because she has a lot of baggage with him."
"So?" Rusty questioned. "I'm guessing you have some plan."
"Maybe," Nicole said. "It's a long shot, and I feel stupid for suggesting it."
"I'm guessing I can't opt out?" Rusty grinned.
"Just hear me out," Nicole pleaded. "We're two kid-grown kids- who want their parents to be happy."