"Here ya go." Jackie said, placing a hot cup of coffee in front of Bud.
"Thank you…J—" Bud stopped, his eyes moved from Jackie to Hyde. "Um… Thank you." Bud said, nodding his head.
Jackie nodded and looked at Hyde. "I'm gonna go upstairs, and change. I'll see you in a little while." Jackie hurried out of the kitchen.
"Jackie." Hyde said roughly to his father. "Her name is Jackie."
"I know, I know. She's very cute. Didn't know you were gonna be a dad." Bud said, sipping his coffee.
"There's a lot of stuff you don't know. Like Jackie's my wife, and she's having my second child. My first child, my daughter, Holly, is staying over Mrs. Foreman's house." Hyde said staring at the man.
"Mmm…" Bud cleared his throat. "Look, I got your address out of a phone book. I knocked and waited for over an hour. I tried the doorknob and it was open. I was only here for ten minutes. I didn't touch anything. I'm sorry."
"I'm not mad that you broke into MY house! I'm mad that you're presently in my life, and I have to acknowledge *you*." Hyde said, staring Bud down.
"Look! I'm not here to borrow money, or come back into your life, or have some kind of crappy fairytale moment! I came to… just see you. I heard you got married, and had a kid."
"From who?" Hyde said, dangerously.
"Bar I use to work at. You still go. They know a lot of your business."
"They're friends." Hyde shot back.
There was a long silence. The two men just sat staring at each other from across the table.
"Oh, come on Stevie! Aren't you a little happy I'm here?" Bud tried to lighten the tension.
"No. I'm actually quite the opposite. You came into my life and left… twice. I don't want you in it any longer." Hyde looked at him.
"Well, I got a job… at the refinery. It's a decent job. And I'm moving into an apartment in a few weeks. So, I guess I will be apart of your life."
"Yeah, we'll see. You always have a *decent* job. You're always going to *stick* around. Well I hate to burst your bubble, but you are not going to be a part of my life." Hyde got up. "Leave."
"Fine, fine." Bud got up and put his cup in the sink. He then went towards the back door. "See you later Stevie." Bud walked out.
"I really should know his back side. I've seen it more then his front." Hyde mumbled to himself. He locked the back door and the front door, putting on the chain, which was barely ever used. He then went upstairs. Determined to forget about the night.
"Steven?" Jackie asked as he opened the door. She was in her pajamas and was standing in front of the closet mirror looking at her swollen stomach.
"He's gone."
"You didn't kick him out did you?" Jackie said as Hyde changed into a pair of shorts.
"I'm not answering that." Hyde said as he walked into the master bathroom.
"Steven…" Jackie whined, as she sat on the bed. "He's, for a lack of a better word, your father."
"No," Hyde stuck his head out from the door, holding a toothbrush, with some toothpaste foam around his mouth. "He's the sperm donor."
"Steven…" Jackie said. "How long is he in town for?" She said, giving up the earlier battle.
"…He said a while." Hyde said from inside the bathroom.
"You believe him?" Jackie asked cautiously. Hyde walked out wiping his mouth and face with a towel.
"No. I give in, maximum, a month… at least! Maybe two weeks tops." Hyde threw the towel on a chair that was in the corner of the room and went to lye in bed.
"What if…" Jackie closed her mouth, as if delicately thinking over what she was about to say. "What if… he ends up staying for a while?"
"Jacks… it's not going to happened. Twice! He walked out on me twice! So… let's just not bother. Ok?"
"Steven… maybe this is your chance to stop him from leaving your life. You guys have worlds to talk about." Jackie said, climbing into her side of the bed.
"No." Hyde said simply.
"Sleep on it?" Jackie smiled. Hyde looked at her.
"No."
"Oh! Steven Hyde!" Jackie said, folding her arms.
"Jackie! It's not that freakin easy! I'm not gonna let him paint me dreams anymore! I have my own life! My own kids, my own wife, my own world, I don't need him to swoop in, paint a silly idea, and give me a promise of next time and forever. I don't care anymore." Hyde turned over and faced the mirrored closet.
"Fine." Jackie mumbled and threw the covers off of her. Hyde watched her from the mirror.
"Where are you going?" Hyde said softly.
"I'm not tired." Jackie grabbed her robe and went out the door.
"Dammit." Hyde said, getting up to follow his wife.
*
"I can't believe I'm doing this…" Hyde said to himself as he walked through the refinery. "Um… excuse me?" Hyde said quickening his pace towards an elderly man. The man turned around. He was balding and had little patches of gray hair, combed back on his head. He was chubby, and was wearing a brown suit.
"Yes?" He had a deep, grandfatherly voice.
"Um… Is there a Bud Hyde working here?" Hyde asked slowly.
"Why yes, yes there is. He works in the shipping field. Jolly man to what I've seen. Keeps the other chaps laughing for days." The grandfatherly man chuckled.
"Can I see him?" Hyde asked.
"Why of course, my secretary will take you over to the field in a jiffy. Maxine?" Hyde turned around and was met with a skinny tall woman. She was wearing a mini-skirt that showed off her long legs. Her red hair was flowing freely in a web of curls. Her face was rather plain, but in a pretty way.
"Yes Mr. Port."
"Show this young man to the shipping fields. Bud Hyde." Mr. Port smiled. Maxine nodded and looked at Hyde, eye to eye.
"This way sir." Hyde followed the red head out from the building to the heat of outside. They walked for about five minutes. "Right through here." Maxine said and pushed a gate open.
They walked further in. All the men were wearing light jeans and white tee shirts or muscle shirts. They were digging and talking all at once.
Maxine stopped Hyde and walked a little further. She reached a tall man with gray patches. She bent down, Hyde noticed a few men stopping to glance at her, and whispered something to Bud.
Bud turned and gave a wide smile when he saw Hyde. He nodded to Maxine. They then began coming over to Hyde.
"Thanks Maxi!" Bud said pinching her butt, as she walked back to the building. "Nice to see you."
"Look, I'm not here to have a fairytale moment, or to let in into my life. Jackie wants me to invite you to dinner to meet Holly… and you'll get to see Eric and Donna again." Hyde said, not looking at Bud, but all around him.
"Eric and Donna… Eric and Donna… the skinny, tall one? Who had the hot red head girlfriend?" Bud said, covering his eyes from the sun.
"Yeah." Hyde said. "Tonight, seven. After seven thirty I'm not letting you in." Hyde then turned around and proceeded to walk away.
"See you at seven then." Bud shouted after him. Hyde stopped, but then began walking again.
Bud shook his head and then went back to digging.
*
Jackie tied Holly's hair back and then placed a lavender ribbon around the base of the ponytail.
"Why I have to wear stupid lamenda dress?" Holly asked her mother.
"Lavender, sweetie, and because your meeting your grandpa." Jackie smiled and fixed her daughter's dress. Holly mouthed 'lavender' and then opened her mouth.
"But I jus saw grandpa yeserday." Holly said, confused.
"Yesterday, and not grandpa Red and grandma Kitty. Grandpa Bud, your daddy's dad." Jackie smiled, looking over her child.
"Grandpa Wed is daddy's daddy."
"Red, love. And grandpa Bud is daddy's *other* daddy." Jackie smiled and took Holly's hand.
"Can I have two daddy's?" Jackie looked at her daughter as they went towards the stairs.
"Ask daddy, Ok?"
*
"Hyde stop freaking out." Eric said, as he relaxed on the couch.
"I don't think Holly should have to meet him!" Hyde said, pacing the living room.
"Because you don't want her to get attached and then have Bud leave again." Eric said, still calm as anything.
"She gets attached to strangers after they say hi to her." Hyde said, dramatically. Eric sighed, tired of trying to calm his friend.
"Dinner's done." Donna said. She was wearing a white skirt with a red turtleneck sleeveless shirt.
"Ok." Hyde said. Him and Eric were both in a pair of dress pants and a dress shirt. Eric had his first two buttons undone. While Hyde had the sleeves rolled up and the first three buttons undone.
Jackie walked in, followed by Holly. Jackie was wearing a simple pink, summer maternity dress. Her black locks were in a French twist held with by two clear chopsticks.
"Are we ready?"
"Yep." Donna smiled. "Hey pumpkin. Want to go help me with setting the table?"
"Sure." Eric said, smiling to his wife. Donna looked at him and pushed him back onto the couch.
"I was talking to Holly… you twit." Donna mumbled the last part.
"I'll help!" Holly shouted and ran towards the kitchen.
"That's… great." Eric said as Donna followed the tiny two year old.
"Don't you dare get jealous of my baby." Jackie said as she stopped Hyde from pacing, and sat him down. "And you. Breathe." Jackie kissed Hyde lightly and went towards the kitchen.
"Sure, breathe she says." Hyde mumbled. The doorbell rang, startling Hyde and Eric.
"Come on *bud*dy." Eric said, accenting the word buddy. Hyde growled softly to his friend and opened the door.
Bud stood, smiling from ear to ear, he was in a black suit, but the jacket was undone and he had no tie. He held up a bottle of wine.
"For after the little one goes to sleep."
*
Dinner had gone smoothly. Mainly Holly, Jackie, and Donna keeping up conversations. Hyde wasn't much in the mood for talking, and Eric was laughing at what ever little story Bud could come up with.
Jackie, Hyde, Bud, Eric, and Donna sat in the living room, each with either a glass of wine or some coffee next to them. There were some cake plates in front of them as well.
"So I said… I said "Ernie! If you chuck that bottle, your liable to kill the boss!" So Ernie begins laughing and chucks the bottle. We hear a loud "OW" and ran like hell." Bud laughed, soon followed by, Eric, Jackie, and Donna. Hyde sat, stone faced, to Bud.
"Oh god. It's almost twelve. Eric, we have to go, I have work tomorrow."
"Look at that." Bud said looking at his watch. He finished his coffee and placed the cup down. "I have to go as well. Thank you Jackie." Bud said hugging Jackie.
"No problem." Jackie said, hugging the man back.
"See you soon Stevie." Hyde just waved as Bud left.
"Bye Jackie! I'll call you tomorrow!" Donna said hugging her friend.
"Bye Donna. Bye Eric." Jackie said hugging Eric goodbye as well.
"Bye guys." Hyde said getting up. After the two left he locked the door and turned to Jackie, who was cleaning up.
"That was fun." Jackie smiled.
"It was… ok." Hyde said helping pick up the plates.
"Did you see the old Bud?" Jackie asked. Hyde stopped picking up the dishes and looked at Jackie.
"Yes, I did. I saw the same man. Keep a crowd laughing for days, but not be around to hear the laughter." Hyde then walked towards the kitchen.
"Steven…" Jackie said as she put the plates on the counter.
"No, Jackie, he hasn't. He's still Bud. The same Bud who left. I didn't see a change… I saw the same man who left me years ago." Hyde put his plates down and headed for the back door.
"Steven? Where are you going?" Jackie asked, suddenly scared.
"I just… need to get some air." Hyde walked out and shut the door. Jackie stood, staring at the door.
*
Hyde walked into his bedroom; the red numbers on the clocked informed him it was already three. And the annoying voice in his head informed him about work in three hours, for a twelve-hour day.
Hyde groaned and stripped till he was in his boxers. He then crawled into the bed.
"Your home late." Jackie mumbled, her back still towards him.
"I drove to Kinosha and hung out with Bryan, then drove back." Hyde said softly.
"Stop running away. If he leaves he leaves, if he doesn't then he doesn't. You're more scared of getting hurt then of Holly getting hurt."
"Jacks, I don't want her to be abandoned."
"Steven, it's one thing for a child to be abandoned by a grandparent. It's a whole different story if a child is abandoned by a parent." Jackie still had her back to Hyde. "It's also another story if the child was repeatedly abandoned by the parent."
Hyde looked at his wife and then stared up at the ceiling. He put his hands under his head and just stared at the white, popcorn ceiling.
*
"I need to papers for Michaelson's car." Hyde said to the blonde woman in front of his office.
"Of course sir." The blonde smiled and hurried out of the office. Hyde took in a deep breath and began reading over some more papers.
It was already two o'clock; he had an hour's sleep. He was looking forward to go home, he wanted to take a hot bath and then relax. Then get at least ten hours sleep. Luckily tomorrow he started at nine instead of six in the morning, which was rare, but sometimes common.
He looked over the papers on some of his employees. He could care less about their birthdays and if they were single or married. He just had to make sure they were clean, and hard workers.
"Mr. Hyde." Hyde looked up to see his boss's secretary, Sarah, standing at the door.
"Yes Sarah?"
"A package was left for you."
"Can you bring it in?" Hyde asked in his sweetest voice. "Please?"
Sarah smiled and left his office. She returned a second later with a small package the size a width of his hand.
"Thank you Sarah," Hyde smiled. Sarah smiled back and closed the door to his office.
Hyde opened the wrapping. A small card fell out. Hyde opened it. He recognized the hand writing rather quickly.
"Dear Stevie, Thanks for the dinner. It was delicious. I'm moving into my own place next week. I left the address on the back of this note. Stop by, anytime. I'm staying at the Sunny Inn. It's not too bad. I like a little country sometimes. I thought you might enjoy this. It's not a buy-you-off gift. It's an apology gift, and also, a thank you gift. I left the hotel number on the back. Give me a call soon. I work from 7-5 Monday through Fridays, and 9-3 Saturdays. Sundays I have off, I attend church these days. Hope to talk to you soon. Love, Bud." Hyde read the card to himself. He turned it over, the number and the address was written neatly. Hyde placed the card down and opened the rest of the gift.
There was a black velvet box. Hyde looked at it and then cautiously opened it. In side was a tiny hospitable bracelet. Hyde picked it up and placed the box down. It was an infant's bracelet. It was white, and lamented. There was a blue teddy bear and blanket on the corner, then written in smooth cursive was the name 'Steven Francis Hyde.' The bracelet was cut a little after that.
Hyde stared at the bracelet. He placed the bracelet back into the box. He then picked up the phone and dialed a number.
"Hi… I would like to leave a message for one of your guest." Hyde looked at the box as the other person talked slowly. "It's for Bud Hyde. H-y-d-e."