Hyde

"Rhys and I are headed back to The City for a while." Jackie told Lolly. Her and Rhys were sitting across from us at the dinner table. They had just finished telling us about Funland and what a great time they had, had.

Lolly dropped her fork and stood up. "What? Why?" She asked, incredulously.

"Charlotte, sit back down." I said, resting my chin on my folded hands. I was tired. It had been an emotionally wrecking day.

She looked at me with a scowl but proceeded to sit back down. "Why?" She asked again.

"Work needs me right now there is a lot going on and they need a decision maker and we will be back. The Water Towers opening is in a few weeks and so is Donna's birthday, but I'm needed in New York. Plus this will give you and your father some time alone." She finished, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"But.." Lolly started but Jackie shook her head and stood up.

"No but, Lolly. This isn't up for discussion. We will be leaving in the morning and we will be back in three weeks." She said taking the dishes to the sink.

Lolly

It had been a week since Mom and Rhys left and I still had no answer as to what had changed to make her run back to New York.

"I just don't get it. I thought for sure our plan was going to work." Betsey said.

"What plan? The plan didn't even have time to take effect before she left." Zach said.

"Yeah, and poor Uncle Hyde, he seems so sad." Kat announced.

He did seem sadder the past week. He tried not to let it show, but I still saw it. We all did. I was confused. It was all going so well before Funland. Mom too didn't seem right, she acted cheerful on the phone, but I knew her way to well. However, when I would I ask her what was wrong she would just deny anything was wrong.

"I'm just tired of the lying and pretending." I told them, as we sat atop the water tower listening to soundgarden and passing a joint around.

"Tell them that, then." Micha said.

I looked over at him and smile that didn't quite reach it's full potential.

"I don't want to hurt them." I replied. "Mom is so sensitive and Hyde is just so.. I don't know. Vulnerable. I don't want to push it. I just want them to be honest."

"Maybe they're afraid to hurt you." Betsey said.

"Maybe." I said, thinking it over.

When I got home later that night Hyde was standing at the stove cooking. "Hey, kid." He said as he place plates on the table. "How was your night? Did you have fun at the movies?" He asked.

"Yeah. It was hilarious." I said.

"What'd you see Batman or Mortal Kombat?" He asked.

"Batman. We're going to see Mortal Kombat tomorrow." I said. "How's Grooves?" I asked.

"Good. Look what came in." He said pulling a CD from behind him.

I took it and started dancing up and down. "YES! Yes, yes!" I shouted going to hug him.

He laughed and pointed to the stereo. "Put it in." He said.

'This is the call' off Foo Fighters debut album started playing and I started jumping up and down again. "I've been waiting all year for this! Thanks Dad!" I said.

We both stopped what we were doing and looked at each other. It was the first time I had called him Dad. Other people had said, Your Father or Your Dad, but I had always called him Hyde. This was a milestone for us and I couldn't help but wish Mom was here for it.

Hyde

I cleared my throat and looked back down at the silverware. "Of course." I said.

I wasn't the kind of man who cried often. Even as this new version of myself developed I hadn't cried much in my life, matter of fact I could count the times with three fingers. Two of them involved Jackie Burkhart. Speaking of. "Oh uh, your mom called right before you came in." I told her. "She wants you to call her after we eat." I relayed the short conversation that had transpired between Jackie and I.

"She did? Did you two talk about anything?" She asked, quizatively.

"No. She just said to have you call her after dinner." I answered honestly. I knew, as well as Jackie that Lolly was curious about us but I had promised her to keep Lol out of it.

"Uh huh." She responded.

After dinner Lolly went to her room to call Jackie as I cleaned up. After an house she came back down and plopped on the couch next to me. "How's New York?" I asked.

She looked at me and sighed. "Okay, I'm just going to risk it." She said sitting up and turning to me. :I have to ask you something". She said. "And I need you to be honest, like seriously. Please be real with me." She asked.

"Absolutely." I answered. "I've never lied to you and I'm not going to start now."

"Okay." She took a deep breath and asked. "What is going on with you and Mom, I mean one minute we're all doing great and the next she's running off to New York. Now you're both walking around acting happy and cheerful but the thing is I know it's bullshit. So what the hell is going on?"

I sat back and crossed my arms. "You want me to be honest with you, you being someone I care about, but if I am I'll be breaking a promise to someone else I care about." I told her.

"C'mon, I need to know. Please." She pleaded.

I thought it over a minute then saw the look on her face. She was truly worried, I sighed and closed my eyes.

"first you should know, everything is cool. No one is angry or hurt, okay?" She nodded and I continued. "Secondly, her leaving for a while was a mutual decision. Also you should know, I love your mother. I do, I have for a long time, but I've done a lot of stupid things in my life. All the stupid things added up has lessened her trust in me and that is fair. I know you hate this, that you want us all to be together, but we just can't. Your Mom has a life all her own in New York, and I have a life here. We can't just pretend to be one big happy family, it would never work." I said.

She stood up and crossed her arms. "So you're both just giving up?!" She asked, venom seeping from her voice.

"What? No. At Least, I'm not… I just want to give her what she wants. I want to do it her way." I said defeated. Truth was, I didn't want her to go, ever. I Wanted her here, them here.