The Guy in the Glass
When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.
For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgment upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.
He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.
~Dale Wimbrow, © 1934
It was just Booth and Parker at the apartment tonight. Hannah had a lead and would be out of town for a couple of days following a story. They both stare at the television, in silence. Parker had met Hannah earlier today when she stopped by the lab. He had accepted her as Booth had hoped. Besides, everyone liked Hannah, everyone approved of her, and the boy was use to his mother having boyfriends. So why should it be any different for him? The question had run through his mind more than once since he and Hannah had become a couple.
"Dad?"
"Hhhmm?"
"I heard Bones talking to Angela today about… about stuff."
"You have to be a bit more specific Parks." Parker looked hesitant to share what he knew. Booth was interested now.
"I dunno." Booth sighed to himself.
"It's o.k."
"I don't think it was."
"What?"
"What they were talking about, I don't think it was o.k."
"Why do you say that?"
The hesitant look was back, whatever he knew he wasn't sharing. "Cause I just know, you know when sometimes you just know?"
Booth knew about gut feelings, but lately he didn't want to acknowledge them. To accept the feeling he recently felt coming from his partner scared him. The look in her eyes had changed, a twist of fate, but the change was too late. "Dad?" he was pulled out of his thoughts, back to reality.
"Hhmm?"
"I have a play in school soon, we practiced it today."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah for Thanksgiving, at first it was fun to pretend to be someone I wasn't, then it got old. Plus, remembering everything was kinda hard too."
Kids. Parker's choice of words had been so simple, yet so true. Living a lie, pretending to be who you're not, became old quick. Pushing away memories was hard, but denying his feelings was the hardest, his gut had always been right. He had a feeling that what Parker overheard was talk of him, talk of Bones own feelings for him. He had a stronger feeling that whatever Parker had overheard, not only wasn't o.k., but neither was Bones.
"Time for bed bub."
Parker now asleep Booth finished brushing his teeth and shut the faucet off. He stares into the eyes of the person in the mirror and it scared him when he didn't recognize the eyes that stare back at him. He rolls over in bed closing his eyes, maybe if he just avoided looking into his eyes he could fool himself into thinking everything was o.k. Ignorance is bliss, right?
Parker's voice echoed in his mind. You know sometimes when you just know? He knew, he knew deep down the one person who could help him find himself again. Just by looking in his eyes when he couldn't and without saying a word she could save him and… it wasn't the one he was with. At first it was fun to pretend to be someone I wasn't, but then it got old. Booth rolls over, realizing just how blind he had become to his partners now open eyes and bleeding heart...and to his own.
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