"Mommy?" A little voice called. Sydney quickly headed to the sound of the
voice, and disappeared around the corner. Vaughn smiled at the chance to
meet Ryan, her son. He could hear their conversation from where he sat.
"Mommy I missed you!" The boy said jubilantly.
"Oh Sweetie, you know what I didn't miss you at all because you were with me in my dreams all might."
"I lub you Mommy."
"Oh Ryan I love you too. Hey there is someone I want you to meet."
"Who is it Mommy?"
"Well, it's one of Mommy's friends. His name is Michael."
"Hey that's my name. Michael Ryan Callaway."
"Yes you're right sweetheart, now are you ready for a bagel and to meet Mommy's friend?"
"Yay!" he said ecstatically, as he ran around the corner. Vaughn watched as the little man came barreling around the corner into the kitchen. As soon as Ryan saw Vaughn a wave of shyness overcame him and he backed right into his mother.
"Ryan can you say hi to Mommy's friend Michael?" The boy shook his head. "Oh come on sweetie, Michael was wondering if you wanted to sit down and have breakfast with him." She said picking the boy up and looking him in the eye. Reluctantly Ryan looked over at Vaughn, and then buried his face in Sydney's neck.
"We're being a little shy this morning." She smiled at Vaughn.
He smiled back. "That's alright, I'll just sit here and eat this yummy looking bagel then." That got Ryan's attention, and he peeked out from his hiding place on his mother's shoulder.
"Hey that's my bagel!" He shouted fully letting go of Sydney's neck. She carefully put him down in his seat at the other end of the table from Vaughn.
"Alright but you'd better eat it before somebody else does." Vaughn smiled at the little boy, who looked to him mother for a smile of reassurance. Sydney sat down in a chair between the two. She looked over at Vaughn who was completely mesmerized by her son. Vaughn caught her gaze and they spent a moment looking at each other. Vaughn had a look of wonderment in his eyes. Sydney one of strange satisfaction.
"Mommy can I hab some or-ge juice." Ryan said through a huge bite of bagel. Sydney broke free of Vaughn's stare and got up to pour Ryan his juice.
"So Ryan I heard you are going to school today." Vaughn said. Ryan nodded happily, and continued to smear his face with cream cheese. Sydney walked back over to the table and set a sippy-cup down in front of Ryan.
"Your welcome," she said with extra emphasis.
"No, Mommy fank-you then your welcome!" he said through even more bagel than before.
"Oh so you do know your manners, I knew they were hiding somewhere." She said smiling at the boy, who smiled right back at her. Vaughn watched their little interaction in awe. He'd always know she would be a wonderful mother, he just had no idea how great she was; Or how wonderful any kid of hers would be. He was falling in love with the little boy across the table from him, and they'd been together only a few minutes. It was because he was Sydney's. He wondered suddenly about Ryan's father, but knew that Sydney had no idea, so decided not to bring it up.
Ryan finished his bagel. "All done he said jumping down from the bench. Sydney caught him before he ran off and sufficiently wiped off his face.
"What happened next?" She asked.
"Go up stai-ws, and get on clothes for sk-ewl." He said as he wriggle free of her grasp.
"I'll be right up, I better find a dressed little boy when I get up there." She yelled after him. She then turned to Vaughn, "He's getting there, but he is always distracted by some airplane or toy."
"He's amazing Sydney." He said totally at a loss for words.
"Thanks," She said as she picked up his plate and cup and put them in the dishwasher. " I as going to run him to school, I'll be back in about ten minutes. You could actually come if you want." She said closing the dishwasher and drying her hands.
"Why not," said Vaughn, standing and walking toward the sink. She turned to go upstairs, and yelled back over her shoulder, "just leave that in the sink I'll finish cleaning up later." He put his cup in the dishwasher anyway, and then walked into the living room to wait for them.
Ten minutes later, and after some scrambling, Ryan made his way down the stairs followed by a fully dressed Sydney. "Ready?" She said flashing him smile as she opened the door to the garage.
"Yeah," she said gesturing for her to lead the way. She grabbed her bag and led the crew to the car.
Twenty minutes later they were getting back into the car after dropping Ryan off. He had been extra difficult today yelling, "I want Michael to buckle me in," "I want Michael to take me to the door." Sydney was surprised how fast Ryan had taken to Vaughn, but it didn't seem like Vaughn minded going along with Ryan's requests.
They buckled themselves in and Sydney started the car.
"That's some kid you got there Syd." He said looking over at her as she drove.
"Yeah, he's pretty special."
"I wish I had been there when Alex and Damien were that small."
"Four is a good age. He's just so incredible, learning and growing up right now, he amazes me everyday."
He wasn't sure if he should ask but he did anyway. "When you told him my name, he said that that was his name too, what did he mean?"
Sydney took in a breath and held it for a moment. She had hoped to avoid this topic, but she realized it was inevitable. "His full name is Michael Ryan Bristow, well I changed it to Callaway, when we moved here. I called him Michael as a baby, but then started calling him Ryan shortly thereafter."
Vaughn nodded in understanding. Sydney preempted his question.
"Ryan was my father's first name, but he always went by Jack. So he's named after my dad and, yes, Vaughn, he's named after you." She said glancing over at him. She hadn't expected to be so affected by telling him that. She felt the tears well up behind her eyes, and realized that it wasn't because of what she had just told him, but because of what she hadn't told him. She reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes. Vaughn noticed.
"Sydney, what's wrong?" He said, almost as worried as he was curious. She was hit harder by emotion than she realized, and the tears kept on flowing. "Pull over Syd, right here." She followed his instructions and pulled off the road onto a side street. "Sydney tell me what's wrong," he unbuckled his seat belt and slid a little closer to her.
"It's just that Ryan is everything to me. But I have to think about him as my miracle child, because I don't know who his father is. When he was born I was wishing that is was you Vaughn, so I named him Michael, but I knew it was impossible. I tried so hard not to think about it. I loved him enough for me and his unknown father, but it didn't stop me from realizing. A mother just knows these things. He didn't really look like me at first, you know, I assumed he looked like his father. Then he grew up a little and got this kinda sandy blonde hair, and deep green eyes, and I could see that he kinda looked my father. But then there's that smile. It hit me so hard the first time I realized it; I didn't believe it for a long time. I don't know if I do now, it's so impossible. But that smile, I know it like I know my own hand, it's so distinct, so wonderful. After realizing how much that smile meant, it also hit me that he looked exactly like his father. There's no mistaking it. The green eyes, the hair, the ..." She stopped, looked up at Vaughn, and reached out her hand to touch his face. She traced his mouth with her thumb and let the tears fall from her eyes once more. "He has the unmistakable smile of his father." She said and then collapsed into her seat, in a fit of sobs.
Vaughn was hit hard by what she had just implied. Ryan couldn't be his son. It was impossible, but then again she had disappeared for so long, anything was possible. He quickly pulled himself back to reality and reached out to grab Sydney. He pulled her into his lap and held her. He rocked her and told her that everything was alright. And she cried, and he pulled her close, and let what she'd said sink in.
"Mommy I missed you!" The boy said jubilantly.
"Oh Sweetie, you know what I didn't miss you at all because you were with me in my dreams all might."
"I lub you Mommy."
"Oh Ryan I love you too. Hey there is someone I want you to meet."
"Who is it Mommy?"
"Well, it's one of Mommy's friends. His name is Michael."
"Hey that's my name. Michael Ryan Callaway."
"Yes you're right sweetheart, now are you ready for a bagel and to meet Mommy's friend?"
"Yay!" he said ecstatically, as he ran around the corner. Vaughn watched as the little man came barreling around the corner into the kitchen. As soon as Ryan saw Vaughn a wave of shyness overcame him and he backed right into his mother.
"Ryan can you say hi to Mommy's friend Michael?" The boy shook his head. "Oh come on sweetie, Michael was wondering if you wanted to sit down and have breakfast with him." She said picking the boy up and looking him in the eye. Reluctantly Ryan looked over at Vaughn, and then buried his face in Sydney's neck.
"We're being a little shy this morning." She smiled at Vaughn.
He smiled back. "That's alright, I'll just sit here and eat this yummy looking bagel then." That got Ryan's attention, and he peeked out from his hiding place on his mother's shoulder.
"Hey that's my bagel!" He shouted fully letting go of Sydney's neck. She carefully put him down in his seat at the other end of the table from Vaughn.
"Alright but you'd better eat it before somebody else does." Vaughn smiled at the little boy, who looked to him mother for a smile of reassurance. Sydney sat down in a chair between the two. She looked over at Vaughn who was completely mesmerized by her son. Vaughn caught her gaze and they spent a moment looking at each other. Vaughn had a look of wonderment in his eyes. Sydney one of strange satisfaction.
"Mommy can I hab some or-ge juice." Ryan said through a huge bite of bagel. Sydney broke free of Vaughn's stare and got up to pour Ryan his juice.
"So Ryan I heard you are going to school today." Vaughn said. Ryan nodded happily, and continued to smear his face with cream cheese. Sydney walked back over to the table and set a sippy-cup down in front of Ryan.
"Your welcome," she said with extra emphasis.
"No, Mommy fank-you then your welcome!" he said through even more bagel than before.
"Oh so you do know your manners, I knew they were hiding somewhere." She said smiling at the boy, who smiled right back at her. Vaughn watched their little interaction in awe. He'd always know she would be a wonderful mother, he just had no idea how great she was; Or how wonderful any kid of hers would be. He was falling in love with the little boy across the table from him, and they'd been together only a few minutes. It was because he was Sydney's. He wondered suddenly about Ryan's father, but knew that Sydney had no idea, so decided not to bring it up.
Ryan finished his bagel. "All done he said jumping down from the bench. Sydney caught him before he ran off and sufficiently wiped off his face.
"What happened next?" She asked.
"Go up stai-ws, and get on clothes for sk-ewl." He said as he wriggle free of her grasp.
"I'll be right up, I better find a dressed little boy when I get up there." She yelled after him. She then turned to Vaughn, "He's getting there, but he is always distracted by some airplane or toy."
"He's amazing Sydney." He said totally at a loss for words.
"Thanks," She said as she picked up his plate and cup and put them in the dishwasher. " I as going to run him to school, I'll be back in about ten minutes. You could actually come if you want." She said closing the dishwasher and drying her hands.
"Why not," said Vaughn, standing and walking toward the sink. She turned to go upstairs, and yelled back over her shoulder, "just leave that in the sink I'll finish cleaning up later." He put his cup in the dishwasher anyway, and then walked into the living room to wait for them.
Ten minutes later, and after some scrambling, Ryan made his way down the stairs followed by a fully dressed Sydney. "Ready?" She said flashing him smile as she opened the door to the garage.
"Yeah," she said gesturing for her to lead the way. She grabbed her bag and led the crew to the car.
Twenty minutes later they were getting back into the car after dropping Ryan off. He had been extra difficult today yelling, "I want Michael to buckle me in," "I want Michael to take me to the door." Sydney was surprised how fast Ryan had taken to Vaughn, but it didn't seem like Vaughn minded going along with Ryan's requests.
They buckled themselves in and Sydney started the car.
"That's some kid you got there Syd." He said looking over at her as she drove.
"Yeah, he's pretty special."
"I wish I had been there when Alex and Damien were that small."
"Four is a good age. He's just so incredible, learning and growing up right now, he amazes me everyday."
He wasn't sure if he should ask but he did anyway. "When you told him my name, he said that that was his name too, what did he mean?"
Sydney took in a breath and held it for a moment. She had hoped to avoid this topic, but she realized it was inevitable. "His full name is Michael Ryan Bristow, well I changed it to Callaway, when we moved here. I called him Michael as a baby, but then started calling him Ryan shortly thereafter."
Vaughn nodded in understanding. Sydney preempted his question.
"Ryan was my father's first name, but he always went by Jack. So he's named after my dad and, yes, Vaughn, he's named after you." She said glancing over at him. She hadn't expected to be so affected by telling him that. She felt the tears well up behind her eyes, and realized that it wasn't because of what she had just told him, but because of what she hadn't told him. She reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes. Vaughn noticed.
"Sydney, what's wrong?" He said, almost as worried as he was curious. She was hit harder by emotion than she realized, and the tears kept on flowing. "Pull over Syd, right here." She followed his instructions and pulled off the road onto a side street. "Sydney tell me what's wrong," he unbuckled his seat belt and slid a little closer to her.
"It's just that Ryan is everything to me. But I have to think about him as my miracle child, because I don't know who his father is. When he was born I was wishing that is was you Vaughn, so I named him Michael, but I knew it was impossible. I tried so hard not to think about it. I loved him enough for me and his unknown father, but it didn't stop me from realizing. A mother just knows these things. He didn't really look like me at first, you know, I assumed he looked like his father. Then he grew up a little and got this kinda sandy blonde hair, and deep green eyes, and I could see that he kinda looked my father. But then there's that smile. It hit me so hard the first time I realized it; I didn't believe it for a long time. I don't know if I do now, it's so impossible. But that smile, I know it like I know my own hand, it's so distinct, so wonderful. After realizing how much that smile meant, it also hit me that he looked exactly like his father. There's no mistaking it. The green eyes, the hair, the ..." She stopped, looked up at Vaughn, and reached out her hand to touch his face. She traced his mouth with her thumb and let the tears fall from her eyes once more. "He has the unmistakable smile of his father." She said and then collapsed into her seat, in a fit of sobs.
Vaughn was hit hard by what she had just implied. Ryan couldn't be his son. It was impossible, but then again she had disappeared for so long, anything was possible. He quickly pulled himself back to reality and reached out to grab Sydney. He pulled her into his lap and held her. He rocked her and told her that everything was alright. And she cried, and he pulled her close, and let what she'd said sink in.