Chapter 4
Where Did It All Go Wrong?
(same night as the end of the last chapter)
The motel room was pitch black at two forty five in the morning with the exception of the huge red numbers coming from the digital clock on the end table as Eric opened up one sleepy eye. It was a combination of his usual restless sleep and the loud thumping bass beats coming from the next room. You know you are old when loud parties start to annoy you. The room was also hot. He turned on the light as he rubbed his eyes and went to the joint air conditioner/heating unit. No wonder. The automatic shut off wasn't working and
the temperature control jumped from 70 to 80! He turned the heater off, put the room card key in his jeans pocket, put his shoes back on, grabbed his phone off the dresser, and needed to call his Wife outside. Eric walked to where the wooden stairwell was and sat on the middle steps. He hoped Donna wouldn't be too angry at getting a call from him at three in the morning.
"e-eric," Donna mumbled into her pillow, "y-you better not be driving."
"I can't sleep."
"So you figured misery loves company?"
"Somewhat. Don't be mad."
"I'm not mad."
Eric stood up to walk down the stairs to get better reception. His heart started to beat nervously.
"Donna! Oh my God,"
"What is it?"
"I don't want him to see me." He went back to the stairs, sitting on the third one.
"Who, Eric? Mark?"
"He's delivering pizzas."
That explained the t-shirt he had on earlier. His son was STILL delivering pizzas at three in the morning?
"Why don't you want him to see you?"
"Because, I don't know—I don't want him to think I'm stalking him."
Mark must have taken the stairway by the offices because they didn't come in contact with each other or maybe those pizzas weren't for the annoying party in the room next to his?
"That's ridiculous. You're staying at the motel, it's not like you followed him. Say something before he leaves."
"Donna—"
"Eric! I'll tell you what; I'll stay here on the phone with you, okay? Stand by his car."
"What if this alienates him more?" Eric had butterflies in his stomach the size of X-Wing fighters.
"Are you walking to his car, Eric?"
"Yes."
"Take a deep breath, it'll be okay."
"I hope you are right, Donna. How is Megan doing?"
"She's sleeping now—but she was very quiet tonight, and I didn't want to pry and have her accuse me of interfering in her life."
"Donna, I'll call you back—"
"What are you doing here?" Mark asked in a monotone voice carrying two empty red insulated pizza carriers
Eric coughed and he felt his knees buckle. "I'm staying at the motel for the night."
"Good for you."
"Mark, I'm very sorry—"
"Don't even try it, Eric. I'm not
interested in what you have to say. Now
get off my car so I can leave."
Eric didn't know what to do other than move his body off the car.
"If you want to—"
Mark put his key in the ignition and purposely went over the speed limit to get away from his father.
"talk, you know where to find me." Eric finished the sentence and took out his phone about to call Donna back, but then he changed his mind.
Eric walked back up the stairs to go back to his room. Now, naturally the room was too cold. He took his shoes off resisting the urge to throw them against the wall. He turned the ringer off his phone and put it on the end table as he lie back down in the bed, pulling the covers up to his neck, letting his regrets keep him warm for the night.
Next Day
7AM in Pennsylvania
"Are you almost ready for school?" Hyde gently knocked on the closed bathroom door.
"Yes, Dad." Hunter replied
He was happy that he was going to surprise Megan this weekend, when he asked his parents if they wouldn't mind using some of their frequent flier miles. She wasn't answering his emails and he knew it was only because of the cryptic one he sent her as the reason why. He wished he worded it better.
"Steven, it's Eric on the phone for you." Jackie swirled in with the phone and kiss for her Husband to tell him to 'be nice' as she went to see what was keeping Hannah.
"I knew this call was going to come sooner or later, Forman." Hyde walked into his and Jackie's bedroom and closed the door.
"I KNOW that I f***ed up and hurt my son, I don't need you to remind me of that fact."
"Oh, I think you do. Were YOU ever abandoned by your parents?"
"No. Why did you ask a question that you all ready know the answer to? Christ, Hyde. I came to you for help. Now will you just listen to what I have to say---"?
Hyde sighed. Of course, he would help his (debatable) best friend; he knew how PAINFUL it was to be abandoned by both of his parents. And he didn't want this Mark boy to have to go through a lifelong pain like he did. Until all the pieces started to click together when he and Jackie finally married, adopted Tiffany, and the twins were born.
"Donna meant well, but she was wrong to tell you that. First and foremost, go home today—resist any urges to visit him at the garage, okay? Give the kid some space. He's probably very confused." Hyde replied in the gentlest way possible
"But what if he doesn't come around?"
'Man, you don't f***ing get it? Do you?' "Then you'll just have to accept that."
"But—"
"No buts Forman. Step one, give the kid some space."
"I don't like that advice." Eric admitted
"Well, then you shouldn't have asked for it in the first place. And before I hang up on you, Hunter wants to surprise Megan this weekend, so make sure she's home. Goodbye, Forman."
"Nice talking to you too, Hyde." Eric replied to the dial tone.
He decided to call Donna to apologize for not calling her back last night and to tell her that he would be coming home this afternoon.
Hyde might have been partly right, but it was only right to tell Mark to his face that he would be giving him 'some space', so he wouldn't think that he was ignoring him.
Eric thought as he phoned Donna that maybe Mark would not need the requisite space.
'Who am I kidding?'
30 Minutes later
Donna was understanding that Eric didn't call her back like he said he would earlier this morning, however she wasn't all that understanding that Hyde didn't like her advice. The last thing Eric needed was to lose focus on the situation. He took a bath in that godforsaken small tub which was why whenever they stayed any place they had to make sure the bathrooms were handicapped accessible for Megan. He quickly brushed his teeth, got dressed, and checked out. He changed his mind for some reason and was on the interstate and then he changed it back and drove for fifteen minutes out of his way just to get back to the garage. He almost hoped that Mark wasn't in and that he could leave a note for him, because he was out very late last night delivering pizzas.
He could leave a note for him and that might be easier for all concerned. Eric walked in as the little bell that was attached to the door rang. No one was in the front.
"May I h---oh, it's you. You can't take a hint can you?" Mark started to go back to the garage
"Mark, I just wanted you to know that I'll give you your space, if that's what you want. I'm going back to Wisconsin now. If you want to talk, you know where to reach me."
Mark kept his back to Eric and his hand on the doorknob to go back into the garage.
"You said your peace now go." Mark replied as he opened the door leaving Eric alone.
"I'm sorry son, you have to believe me." Eric replied in a whisper, it was going to be a long drive back to Point Place.
Home
Nothing used to make Megan happier than when her Dad came home from a business trip. But now it was all mixed with lies and cover-ups. If her father was on a business trip how come he didn't have his briefcase with him? He only had his carryon bag. She wanted to take another nap, but Donna said she was sleeping in the afternoon too much and did the old doctor threat. And if her father was just on a routine business trip, how come he looked so sad when he walked through the door?
"Hi, lollipop," Eric dropped his carryon bag on the floor and hugged his daughter, "I missed you, Megan."
"I missed you, too, Dad. How was your business trip?"
'Please don't lie to me, again.'
"All right, sweetie," He kissed her on the cheek. "I can help you with your math later."
Then he and Donna walked up the stairs and Megan was angry with Hunter because she didn't like that mysterious email that he wrote her so she was punishing him by not logging on at all. And she didn't phone him, because she wanted him to phone first, and it was starting to p*** her off when he wasn't calling her. She didn't know what that email meant about her not to be angry, but it wasn't working because she was getting to just that feeling. She could only imagine what her parents weren't sharing with her upstairs. Screw them ALL, Megan decided, if she wanted to take an afternoon nap after school then she was going to take an afternoon nap. They didn't own her.
"I'm so tired------" Eric loved the feel of being back in his own bed.
"You did all that you could, Eric." Donna took off her shoes and decided if anyone needed a back massage at this moment it would have been her Husband.
"No, Donna—Oh, that feels good---I don't know what to do next? How much space do I give him?"
"I can't believe Hyde said my advice to you was wrong. You needed to talk to Mark this morning, running away and hiding would not have been a good option."
"You have to be nice this weekend because Hunter is coming over this weekend, he wants to surprise Megan."
His little girl looked so sad earlier. He was going to have to talk to her later.
"Oh, well, I'm not afraid to tell Hyde so."
"Don't," Eric tried to keep himself awake by blinking his eyes, "Slee-p."
Donna kissed his neck as she gently undid herself from his body. She covered him up with a blanket noticing that the once sweet Mama's Boy by default face seemed to age overnight by a deep pain that might never be rectified. She could only hope and pray now that the ball was in Mark's court that he would actually do something positive with it.
Megan Snaps
All Megan wanted to do was eat her supper, finish her homework, and sulk about Hunter and her parents until she fell into a teary eyed sleep.
"Megan, did YOU take ANOTHER nap before supper again?" Donna asked, eating her brown rice.
"What if I did?" she asked tiredly
"Are you okay, lollipop?" Eric asked, trying to eat, as he had nothing all day, not even anything to drink. But he didn't have much of an appetite.
"Dad! STOP calling me THAT! I'm sixteen years old."
And she saw the hurt in her father's eyes knowing that it wasn't going well between him and Mark and she wanted to take the words back.
"Megan, if you are only going to be rude you can leave the table." Donna said
'Daddy, I'm sorry.'
"Well, I wouldn't be rude if you people didn't lie to me in the first place."
Megan wanted to cry herself and wheeled herself to her bedroom as fast as her chair could take her.
Eric stood up to help Donna clear the table.
"I am quite the father of the year, aren't I?"
Donna put her arms around her Husband and gave him a hug and a kiss on the lips.
"Go talk to Megan, I'll take care of the dishes."
Eric walked to Megan's room and found her crying in her wheelchair, she didn't even make it to her bed.
"Megan," Eric kneeled down to hug her, "What's wrong?"
"You're not the same, Daddy."
It took him awhile to register what she was getting at as he pulled a chair next to her wheelchair so that they could sit next to each other and talk.
"I was never perfect. I'm only human. But I love you very much."
"If you love me Dad, then why did YOU lie to me? You didn't go on a business trip, you went to find Mark."
"Did your Mother tell you?"
She put her hands through her hair. "No! I'm not stupid."
"I'm sorry. Your mother and I didn't want you to worry about the situation."
He handed her a box of tissues so she could wipe her own tears away.
"I think that's what ruined it the first time between you and Mark," Megan hoped she wasn't crossing a line and she never had to worry about that with her father before, "You and mom don't have to protect me so much."
"You really aren't my little girl anymore." He tried letting go once before and he couldn't; now he knew he had to let her go even more or she would leave them at eighteen never to be heard from again.
"I still like being your little girl—sometimes. I know you made a mistake, Dad, but if Mark never wants to know you then it's his loss."
He tried to smile, "I love you, lol—Megan."
He hugged her and she hugged him BACK, he almost was forgot what that felt like.
"I love you too, Daddy, you can call me lollipop, sometimes—I'm sorry for snapping at the table, I know you've had a rough two days."
"We're all entitled to snap occasionally," He kissed her on the cheek, "Now what would make me happy is if you and your mom would get along better, because she loves you, too."
"I know—but we disagree on so many things."
"You've realized that I'm not Superman, it would be a great place to start if you realized your mother wasn't the Wicked Witch of the West, either. We're all human beings trying to do our bests."
"I know—I need to finish my homework."
Eric smiled, "Do you need any help?"
"No, not right now."
"Okay," He put the desk chair against the wall, "See you later, Megan."
"Later, Dad."
It seemed like only yesterday she was this helpless baby who clung to him, but despite her handicaps she was a smart and well-adjusted young woman. Who didn't need her parents in the way while she carved out her adult life. He watched her for a few seconds before walking back up the ramp, it was time to cut the strings and let her fly before she started to resent him the way Mark did. They really were two sides of the same coin, Megan was a result of a former Coke user who got the chance to finally be a parent by adopting her, the drug addicted baby and Mark was the result of probably a hazy, powder filled one night stand that he did not remember. He walked up the ramp and into the kitchen as Donna turned the dishwasher on.
"Is Megan all right?" she asked
"She's grown up, Donna, I don't want to let her go—and now I understand how difficult it was for my mother to let ME go, but I know I have to. She's a young woman. It's time to treat her as such."
"Do you want tea or coffee?"
"Neither," he went to the refrigerator and took out a bottled water, "Did you drop off your article for Travel Wisconsin?"
"Yeah," she poured herself a cup of tea and sat across from him at the kitchen table, "Eric, my heart has not been in writing for a very long time."
"Why don't you take a break then?"
"Because between your job and mine we barely make it. We don't have the money that Jackie has, if it weren't for Hyde she'd be spending her time between four houses."
"Donna, if you are burned out from writing, maybe you should look for another job?"
"I'm too old to start something brand new—"
"The Donna I know wouldn't use age as an excuse."
"Eric take a look in the mirror, you aren't young anymore, either."
'No fight. I'm too tired to do the Donna vs. Eric thing tonight.'
The phone rang and Eric nearly jumped out of his skin. Could it be? Could it be Mark?
"Hello?"
"Hi, Eric, put Donna on please."
He sighed, "It's Jackie for you, I need to check my business email." Eric took his bottled water after he handed Donna the telephone.
"Hello," the computer voice said, "You have 90 new messages."
Eric turned the volume off, "Shut up."
He only had one thought on his mind as he went through his business email with only a faint interest, ('join the club and get in line Donna, you're not the only one with a career that isn't fulfilling.') and that was would the time EVER come that his son would want a relationship with him? And if Mark never did want to know him ever again was Hyde right that he'd have no choice but to accept it?
Eric couldn't work like this so he logged off his computer and went upstairs to read a book half-heartedly before going to bed. Hoping that tomorrow for the sake of both of them would be the day that Mark would throw it back to him.