After hearing about Sean's death and funeral Sydney imagined how alone her father must have felt. She was surprised that her first reaction was that of anger. How could her father have subjected her to the same kind of loneliness that he grew up with?
Before she had a chance to think about it any further, Sara appeared at the door and announced that dinner was almost ready. She asked Sydney if she would call her father and ask when he would return.
Sydney dialed his number and after three rings his voice mail came on. She hung up and dialed the number two more times before he finally answered the phone.
"Yes," he said as he answered the phone.
"Where are you?" Sydney asked.
"What do you want, Sydney?" was his reply.
She repeated her original question, "Where are you?"
Ignoring her question again, Jack asked her, "Are you having a nice visit?"
"Yes," she replied, with a tone of impatiences.
"Do you like them?" Jack asked.
"Yes, Dad. Aunt Sara and Carolyn are absolutely wonderful." Then just to provoke a reaction out of him, she added, "And I just finished having a lovely conversation with Grandfather."
She wasn't really surprised when his reaction was to not react at all. When she realized he wasn't going to say anything she informed him that she was calling to let him know that they were holding dinner for his return. "When will you be back?" she asked.
"I'm not hungry. Start with out me," he told her.
Sydney lowered her voice and said, "Damn it Dad, are you drinking?"
"I'll be there in a little while and we can leave," he said as he hung up the phone.
Sydney hung up her phone and told her aunt and grandfather what they already knew; her father would not be having dinner with them.
"Well, don't worry about it," Sara said. "We'll keep a plate warm for him. Come along you two," she said to Sydney and Don.
"No, I should go," Don said. He still felt as though he was intruding on this visit.
"Please don't go." Sydney said to him, with a smile. "I'd like you to stay."
Don smiled back at her, "I knew from the first time I ever laid eyes on you that it would be impossible to ever say no, to you."
He got up and offered Sydney his arm. She took it and allowed him to escort her to the dining room.
Sydney enjoyed every minute of the dinner. Not just the food, but the company as well. She'd always been a guest at someone else's family dinner. Today she was having dinner with her very own family. It was something she had always fantasized about. She never imagined that the fantasy could ever come true.
After dinner Sara suggested they go to the living room and relax. She would make coffee and bring the desert out. Don said he would have to pass on the desert as he had something he had to do.
It was obvious to the three women that he planned on going to get his son.
"Grandfather, maybe I should go," Sydney suggested. She wasn't sure what type of mood her father would be in, especially if he'd been drinking.
"I'll be OK, Sydney. This is something I need to do," he told her.
"Dad has a tendency to bully people, don't let him scare you away." Sydney told her grandfather as she gave him a hug.
"I'll be back in a little while," he said as he hugged her back.
"You tell him that if he doesn't come back with you," Sara said, "I'll come and get him myself."
"I'll do that," Don said with a chuckle as he left the house.
Before she had a chance to think about it any further, Sara appeared at the door and announced that dinner was almost ready. She asked Sydney if she would call her father and ask when he would return.
Sydney dialed his number and after three rings his voice mail came on. She hung up and dialed the number two more times before he finally answered the phone.
"Yes," he said as he answered the phone.
"Where are you?" Sydney asked.
"What do you want, Sydney?" was his reply.
She repeated her original question, "Where are you?"
Ignoring her question again, Jack asked her, "Are you having a nice visit?"
"Yes," she replied, with a tone of impatiences.
"Do you like them?" Jack asked.
"Yes, Dad. Aunt Sara and Carolyn are absolutely wonderful." Then just to provoke a reaction out of him, she added, "And I just finished having a lovely conversation with Grandfather."
She wasn't really surprised when his reaction was to not react at all. When she realized he wasn't going to say anything she informed him that she was calling to let him know that they were holding dinner for his return. "When will you be back?" she asked.
"I'm not hungry. Start with out me," he told her.
Sydney lowered her voice and said, "Damn it Dad, are you drinking?"
"I'll be there in a little while and we can leave," he said as he hung up the phone.
Sydney hung up her phone and told her aunt and grandfather what they already knew; her father would not be having dinner with them.
"Well, don't worry about it," Sara said. "We'll keep a plate warm for him. Come along you two," she said to Sydney and Don.
"No, I should go," Don said. He still felt as though he was intruding on this visit.
"Please don't go." Sydney said to him, with a smile. "I'd like you to stay."
Don smiled back at her, "I knew from the first time I ever laid eyes on you that it would be impossible to ever say no, to you."
He got up and offered Sydney his arm. She took it and allowed him to escort her to the dining room.
Sydney enjoyed every minute of the dinner. Not just the food, but the company as well. She'd always been a guest at someone else's family dinner. Today she was having dinner with her very own family. It was something she had always fantasized about. She never imagined that the fantasy could ever come true.
After dinner Sara suggested they go to the living room and relax. She would make coffee and bring the desert out. Don said he would have to pass on the desert as he had something he had to do.
It was obvious to the three women that he planned on going to get his son.
"Grandfather, maybe I should go," Sydney suggested. She wasn't sure what type of mood her father would be in, especially if he'd been drinking.
"I'll be OK, Sydney. This is something I need to do," he told her.
"Dad has a tendency to bully people, don't let him scare you away." Sydney told her grandfather as she gave him a hug.
"I'll be back in a little while," he said as he hugged her back.
"You tell him that if he doesn't come back with you," Sara said, "I'll come and get him myself."
"I'll do that," Don said with a chuckle as he left the house.