Chapter 7
Andy stood silently in the doorway to the kitchen. Seeing this woman reach his son made him feel many things; happy, sad, and even a little anger. He could never get Ephram to listen to him without making him angry in some way.
He listened as Hayden had played. The music seemed much more that notes on paper, it seemed to come from inside her somewhere, and it had called out to Ephram, but it also called to him.
Andy watched in amazement as she got Ephram to play the piece he had convinced himself he could play.
"See, I said you could do it." Hayden said as Ephram finished playing. A smile crept across his face, and it was evident that Ephram was proud of himself for this accomplishment, and so was Andy.
"It's getting late." Andy called from the doorway, drawing their attention. "You've got school tomorrow." "Sure." Ephram said, getting up from the piano. "Good night, Hayden, and umm, thanks." He said, turning to go upstairs. "Night, dad." He called. "Good night, Ephram, and tell your sister I'll be up in a minute." Andy called after him.
For a moment, Andy just stood there. Hayden said nothing; she knew his thoughts were racing.
"I have to put Delia to bed, but I'd like you to stay." He said.
Hayden smiled as she rose from the bench. "I'll warm the tea again. Tell Delia I said good night, and that we'll finish that project later." She said as she walked past him into the kitchen.
Several moments later, Andy came back down stairs, to find Hayden sitting on the couch waiting for him, a hot cup of tea in her hand.
"Sorry it took so long." He called as he sat down on the end of the couch.
"'Tis alright." She said, pouring him a fresh cup of tea. Hayden watched him, she knew his thoughts were racing; she could feel the tension that had edged it's way in. "Now," she began as she looked at him, "go ahead and finish telling me what's up with you and Ephram."
For just a moment, Andy stared silently into his cup. Lifting his eyes, Andy looked directly into hers. Hayden held his gaze, looking deep into his eyes, she could see the pain that was there, could almost feel it. Blinking back the unshed tears she felt rise within her own eyes, Hayden lowered her gaze from his.
"Ever since Julia died," Andy began, "Ephram makes a point to burn any bridge I try to build to him. I know I haven't always been there. I used to always put my patients first, just like I didn't have a family. I'm sorry for that, and I'm sorry Julia died, and I'm sorry for all the things I never did for him." "These things don't make you a bad father, Andy, they make you human." "Tell that to my 15 year old son."
"He's still hurting from loosing his mom. Give it some time, he'll come around."
"I wish I could be that sure, it would make things a lot easier to handle."
"Maybe you try too hard, Andy, did you ever think of that?" Hayden paused for a moment, as if lost in the past. "At least you try." She said softly, thinking back to her own childhood, if you could call it that. "I just want to make up for all the times I lied to him." Andy's words were full of emotions, full of deep regret of the things that could have been.
"Well," she said, looking again into his eyes, "I think you should just act like it doesn't bother you, trust me, Andy, things will work out. You're not a bad father, I can tell that much from just being here. Ephram's hurt, he feels like he needs to blame someone, and you just seem to be the catch all, so to speak. First his mom dies, then you move him her to the middle of nowhere. He's 15, what did you expect?"
Andy listened to her words, and somehow she made him feel better about it. "You really think so?" he asked.
"Yeah, I really think so. I understand what he's going thru; I've been there. I was younger than Delia when my mother died, and it was almost 3 years after that that my father's plane crashed. I had a hard time with that. But Ephram has you, and he'll see that, and he'll understand things better one day."
"I hope you're right." Andy said, drinking the last of his tea.
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AN: Thanks for the reviews, please keep reading and reviewing.
More to come.
Andy stood silently in the doorway to the kitchen. Seeing this woman reach his son made him feel many things; happy, sad, and even a little anger. He could never get Ephram to listen to him without making him angry in some way.
He listened as Hayden had played. The music seemed much more that notes on paper, it seemed to come from inside her somewhere, and it had called out to Ephram, but it also called to him.
Andy watched in amazement as she got Ephram to play the piece he had convinced himself he could play.
"See, I said you could do it." Hayden said as Ephram finished playing. A smile crept across his face, and it was evident that Ephram was proud of himself for this accomplishment, and so was Andy.
"It's getting late." Andy called from the doorway, drawing their attention. "You've got school tomorrow." "Sure." Ephram said, getting up from the piano. "Good night, Hayden, and umm, thanks." He said, turning to go upstairs. "Night, dad." He called. "Good night, Ephram, and tell your sister I'll be up in a minute." Andy called after him.
For a moment, Andy just stood there. Hayden said nothing; she knew his thoughts were racing.
"I have to put Delia to bed, but I'd like you to stay." He said.
Hayden smiled as she rose from the bench. "I'll warm the tea again. Tell Delia I said good night, and that we'll finish that project later." She said as she walked past him into the kitchen.
Several moments later, Andy came back down stairs, to find Hayden sitting on the couch waiting for him, a hot cup of tea in her hand.
"Sorry it took so long." He called as he sat down on the end of the couch.
"'Tis alright." She said, pouring him a fresh cup of tea. Hayden watched him, she knew his thoughts were racing; she could feel the tension that had edged it's way in. "Now," she began as she looked at him, "go ahead and finish telling me what's up with you and Ephram."
For just a moment, Andy stared silently into his cup. Lifting his eyes, Andy looked directly into hers. Hayden held his gaze, looking deep into his eyes, she could see the pain that was there, could almost feel it. Blinking back the unshed tears she felt rise within her own eyes, Hayden lowered her gaze from his.
"Ever since Julia died," Andy began, "Ephram makes a point to burn any bridge I try to build to him. I know I haven't always been there. I used to always put my patients first, just like I didn't have a family. I'm sorry for that, and I'm sorry Julia died, and I'm sorry for all the things I never did for him." "These things don't make you a bad father, Andy, they make you human." "Tell that to my 15 year old son."
"He's still hurting from loosing his mom. Give it some time, he'll come around."
"I wish I could be that sure, it would make things a lot easier to handle."
"Maybe you try too hard, Andy, did you ever think of that?" Hayden paused for a moment, as if lost in the past. "At least you try." She said softly, thinking back to her own childhood, if you could call it that. "I just want to make up for all the times I lied to him." Andy's words were full of emotions, full of deep regret of the things that could have been.
"Well," she said, looking again into his eyes, "I think you should just act like it doesn't bother you, trust me, Andy, things will work out. You're not a bad father, I can tell that much from just being here. Ephram's hurt, he feels like he needs to blame someone, and you just seem to be the catch all, so to speak. First his mom dies, then you move him her to the middle of nowhere. He's 15, what did you expect?"
Andy listened to her words, and somehow she made him feel better about it. "You really think so?" he asked.
"Yeah, I really think so. I understand what he's going thru; I've been there. I was younger than Delia when my mother died, and it was almost 3 years after that that my father's plane crashed. I had a hard time with that. But Ephram has you, and he'll see that, and he'll understand things better one day."
"I hope you're right." Andy said, drinking the last of his tea.
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AN: Thanks for the reviews, please keep reading and reviewing.
More to come.