Just a short-y buuutttttt...
UPLOAD TIME! Loooooong day today!
But yesterday I got my housing for next year sorted! YAY! :D
More of the PARTAAAYY! :D
So please, sit back on your sofa, bed, office chair or wherever- in fact in your reviews today would you be so kind as to tell me where you are seated? The state of your chair and if you're really *meant* to be on ffn at this point of time? ;) :D
Ahem- I got distracted. Well yes. Sit back and enjoy! :)
Bounty started to growl as more footsteps approached. Becker was immediately apprehensive. With the exception of Jess and Marianne she was a good judge of character on first impressions and there was no-one else she growled at. That meant the person turning up was new to Bounty.
And she wasn't impressed.
"Hey, son."
Becker blinked in surprise at the voice. The last time he heard it the two of them had been slurring insults at each other down the phone; it was not one of his proudest moments.
"Dad? What are you doing here? Bounty Hunter, be nice." She whined softly.
"It's your birthday. Didn't think we'd miss it, did you?"
"Mum?"
"Yes, it's me, honey. We know it's your birthday but your father and I have something to tell you."
"Son, your mother and I have divorced."
"What?"
Horror hit him. Then he realised what he had done. Was this all his fault?
He remembered, through the foggy haze of his drunken memories, the words- adulterer, drunk, cheat, loser: Mother, father, older and younger sister.
Damn, what was wrong with him? Why did he keep forgetting all these stupid things that he had done since the accident? Why hadn't he called and apologised and tried to make it all right? Christ! His family! How had he not given them a second thought? It was bad enough what he'd done to Jess, not thinking about the words he'd said and how she may have interpreted them, but his family? That was bad, even for him.
"No. No. Son, it's okay. We're both happier than we've been in years. And we have you to thank for that."
"How..?" Becker shook his head in confusion.
"Your calls."
"Dad, I'm sorry I was in a really bad place a-"
"No, you were right to say those things. I wish you hadn't felt the need to keep them locked inside for so long. But after seeing how you were coping; you're back at work, back as you were before." Becker heard a smile in the pause. "I'm so proud of you."
"How did you know how I'm..?"
"Ah. Yes. One of your colleagues called. She assumed that our family would have had the same calls as they did. She told us how you were doing and that you-" He broke off. "Son, I'm just so proud. So proud that you have the courage and determination to do that. I- I-" He sighed then gathered up the courage to speak his next words. "I went to the doctors and haven't had one drink since the day she called. You've done that. You gave me the will and determination to stop drinking. You saved me, son. I'm not going to say that I'm never going to drink again. I can't promise that. But I'm taking it a day at a time. I have you to thank for that." A hand touched Becker's cheek before he was pulled into a hug.
The young Becker blinked in surprise. "So, you're not angry?"
"You kidding, son? I destroyed your childhood room after that call!" He had laughed as he spoke, but with a hint of shame in his tone. Then it fell to a more serious level. "I'm so sorry. But no." The hand on his cheek returned. "Not anymore. I'm glad. And your mum has something to share too."
As Becker's father took a step backwards as the puppy nosed his leg, begging for attention. When he lent down to appease the girl, she jumped up and licked his nose. Becker smiled at the sounds, glad Bounty approved of his dad- sensing the resolution between the two- before his mother dropped the bombshell that was her news.
"I'm getting married!"
Becker spun his head in the direction of the happy, squealing voice. "What?"
"You were right. Your father and I haven't been happy with each other for years. It's true, I was having an affair and I'm not proud of it. But when your Dad and I finally sat down to talk we agreed that it was the right decision to divorce. I moved in with my lover and we're getting married in April."
He was stunned. "I- I don't know what to say…"
"It's okay. I know this is a lot for you to take in. Hey, look, isn't that Marianne by the food table?"
"I wouldn't know, Mum…" He left the words hanging as he was sure his mother was pointing to someone in the distance. She had just thrown him some huge news and had changed to something mediocre. It was something she always used to do at parties and it annoyed him no end.
"I think it is. Are you two back together?"
As the conversation moved on, Becker zoned out, giving polite answers when necessary. His mind was spinning from all the news and he just needed something else to distract him. Hearing another Marianne comment he began to wish that his party, thrown by Jess, wasn't being dominated by Marianne.
How good was Jess to invite her? After all the things that Mari says about her. He tried to shake himself from the thoughts. He couldn't think like that. Jess wasn't right for him. He didn't deserve her.
If he's going to continue to be stupid he really doesn't!
*sighs and shakes head*
What are we going to do with him?
ooh- ALP and YHLH don't answer that! I know your minds by now! :P
You know the drill- leave a review and virtual cookies come to you! :D
