"Sam!" Lorraine ran forward, her long dark hair pulled into a ponytail, a
baseball cap on her head.
"Lorraine, hi. I was just coming to look for you," Sam smiled and pushed his hands into his pockets. "We need to talk."
"Sure," Lorraine seemed much more relaxed and comfortable, like the woman Sam remembered her as. "Everything OK?"
"I'd like to think so," Sam said as they took a seat on a bench by the water. "Where are Ryan and Luke?"
"Oh, they went with Eddie and Pepper to test out some bagpipes." Sam groaned and buried his head in his hands with a strained laugh. "What?"
"The bagpipes..nevermind. That's beside the point," Sam's throat seemed suddenly dry, but Donna was right. He had to face his past. "Lorraine, why are you really here? Don't tell me it was just to see Donna perform." Lorraine paused and sighed.
"Alright, I won't say that. You know me too well." Sam made a sound in his throat, but said nothing. "I'll come right out with it."
"Okay." Sam said slowly.
"I'm going to Paris to pursue my dream of being an artist," she said firmly. "You came to Greece to pursue your dream-Donna."
"Hey, I didn't know." Sam protested.
"Give me a break! You saw an invitation from Donna Sheridan, and you left so fast one would think you had fire on your heels."
"Lorraine, please. We were divorced!"
"But you still had two boys who adore you," Lorraine shot back.
"Don't turn this on the boys!" Sam scowled.
"This is about the boys!"
"How so?"
"Because.you need to take care of them!" she shouted finally.
"What?!" Sam jumped up.
"I'm going to Paris ALONE, Sam. And I'm staying there. I'm starting a new life, as you have. I love these kids with all my heart, but there's a piece of me missing. I'll come back for them soon," Lorraine said in a soft voice.
"Sophie isn't even back from the mainland. I need to spend time with her. And Donna. I have a family now, Lorraine," Sam's voice toned down.
"Ryan and Luke are still your family. You're going to turn them away?"
"Of course not! I need to think this over."
"Translation: I need to talk to Donna," Lorraine said.
"Well, yeah, but."
"Save it, Sam. I can't believe you're going to refuse your own kids!"
"I NEVER said that!" Sam exclaimed. Lorraine stood up.
"I'm going to unpack," she said simply. Sam could only stare after her retreating back. He was NOT turning his back on Ryan and Luke. How dare Lorraine make him out to be some kind of monster? How could he say no? These were his boys, after all. Donna couldn't turn them away. She wouldn't.
Then, there was Sophie.
Sophie had such a good heart. She was inquisitive and good-natured. Sam doubted she would mind two kids, but it was the fact that they hadn't been able to spend time together since the wedding. She seemed thrilled with the aspect of gaining a father.
Ryan.
He was smart, and had great perspective on life. He was quick to catch onto anything. Ryan was friendly, had a great sense of humor, but was reluctant to accept a lot of change. Luke.
Luke was Ryan's shadow. Whatever Ryan did, Luke would. Luke was a mush, always eager for hugs and love.
Sam sighed, and raked a hand through his hair. He suddenly felt drained. He trudged back toward the Taverna. Ryan saw him and raced up to him.
"Dad!" he was beaming from ear to ear. "Watch this!" He ran back and returned dragging the bagpipes. The sound filled Sam's ears, and he tried hard not to wince.
"Great, Ryan." Sam smiled.
"And that SOUND is what I come home to?!"
"Lorraine, hi. I was just coming to look for you," Sam smiled and pushed his hands into his pockets. "We need to talk."
"Sure," Lorraine seemed much more relaxed and comfortable, like the woman Sam remembered her as. "Everything OK?"
"I'd like to think so," Sam said as they took a seat on a bench by the water. "Where are Ryan and Luke?"
"Oh, they went with Eddie and Pepper to test out some bagpipes." Sam groaned and buried his head in his hands with a strained laugh. "What?"
"The bagpipes..nevermind. That's beside the point," Sam's throat seemed suddenly dry, but Donna was right. He had to face his past. "Lorraine, why are you really here? Don't tell me it was just to see Donna perform." Lorraine paused and sighed.
"Alright, I won't say that. You know me too well." Sam made a sound in his throat, but said nothing. "I'll come right out with it."
"Okay." Sam said slowly.
"I'm going to Paris to pursue my dream of being an artist," she said firmly. "You came to Greece to pursue your dream-Donna."
"Hey, I didn't know." Sam protested.
"Give me a break! You saw an invitation from Donna Sheridan, and you left so fast one would think you had fire on your heels."
"Lorraine, please. We were divorced!"
"But you still had two boys who adore you," Lorraine shot back.
"Don't turn this on the boys!" Sam scowled.
"This is about the boys!"
"How so?"
"Because.you need to take care of them!" she shouted finally.
"What?!" Sam jumped up.
"I'm going to Paris ALONE, Sam. And I'm staying there. I'm starting a new life, as you have. I love these kids with all my heart, but there's a piece of me missing. I'll come back for them soon," Lorraine said in a soft voice.
"Sophie isn't even back from the mainland. I need to spend time with her. And Donna. I have a family now, Lorraine," Sam's voice toned down.
"Ryan and Luke are still your family. You're going to turn them away?"
"Of course not! I need to think this over."
"Translation: I need to talk to Donna," Lorraine said.
"Well, yeah, but."
"Save it, Sam. I can't believe you're going to refuse your own kids!"
"I NEVER said that!" Sam exclaimed. Lorraine stood up.
"I'm going to unpack," she said simply. Sam could only stare after her retreating back. He was NOT turning his back on Ryan and Luke. How dare Lorraine make him out to be some kind of monster? How could he say no? These were his boys, after all. Donna couldn't turn them away. She wouldn't.
Then, there was Sophie.
Sophie had such a good heart. She was inquisitive and good-natured. Sam doubted she would mind two kids, but it was the fact that they hadn't been able to spend time together since the wedding. She seemed thrilled with the aspect of gaining a father.
Ryan.
He was smart, and had great perspective on life. He was quick to catch onto anything. Ryan was friendly, had a great sense of humor, but was reluctant to accept a lot of change. Luke.
Luke was Ryan's shadow. Whatever Ryan did, Luke would. Luke was a mush, always eager for hugs and love.
Sam sighed, and raked a hand through his hair. He suddenly felt drained. He trudged back toward the Taverna. Ryan saw him and raced up to him.
"Dad!" he was beaming from ear to ear. "Watch this!" He ran back and returned dragging the bagpipes. The sound filled Sam's ears, and he tried hard not to wince.
"Great, Ryan." Sam smiled.
"And that SOUND is what I come home to?!"