Part 5 O'Brien, Walter O'Brien

"Well Walter, tell me something else about you. Something you haven't told anyone before, like, i don't know, maybe your last name." Paige asked, raising her eyebrows and smiling at the end.

"O'Brien, Walter O'Brien, sorry I never introduced myself properly to you earlier. Like I said before I usually don't do things like this." Walter told her a little embarrassed and blushing.

"Walter O'Brien, nice to officially meet you. Paige Dineen."

"Dineen, sounds like a good name to me, what do you think Ralph?" Walter stated while trying to include Ralph in the conversation.

Ralph shrugged his shoulders; he was more interested in finishing his dessert right now than the conversation they were having. Both Walter and Paige smiled.

Walter felt like he could trust her with pretty much anything. She had shown so much compassion from the first time he watched her at the diner. Watching her with her customers was one thing, but the way she always made sure her son was safe and taken care of. And always trying to relate to him. He could tell instantly she was not ever going to give up on her son.

After his subtle attempt at humor with Ralph, and Paige, Walter opened up to her about what happened in Baghdad. He wanted her to know how young he was when it happened, not to lessen the blame he felt, but for her benefit with being there for Ralph. This was the first time he had told anyone about this part of his life. Something he never had shared with anyone before, just like she asked.

She listened intently to every word. She shook her head back and forth several times trying to let him know he shouldn't blame himself for what happened and that it wasn't his fault. She even reached across the booth and held his hand as he was telling the story, trying to comfort him as he spoke.

"You were just a kid." She told him, trying to understand how he must have felt.

Walter lowered his voice so only Paige would hear his response. "Yeah, so is Ralph. So, tell him to ignore any sentence that starts with "normally". Make sure that he's not scared of anything he is capable of. And he'll find it difficult to make friends, and sometimes he'll feel like no one else in the world likes him. You just got to make sure that he knows it's not his fault."

She teared up but understood why Walter told her what he did. She could see already that he truly cared for Ralph and his future. She had been searching for someone who would be able to help her with her relationship with her son and she was starting to believe she may have finally found that person. In an airport of all places.

"I want to be there to help you with Ralph. To help you understand him better. To unlock all of his potential. My parents never understood me, and they eventually gave up on trying to; but I can see how much you love him and want what's best for him. I saw it in the diner this morning. And I've seen it all throughout the day. I can help you Paige. I can help both of you."

"Who helped you? I mean if your parents didn't understand, was there someone who did?" Paige asked him.

"Yes, my sister, Megan, she was the only person who ever could understand me." Walter told her.

Walter never spoke much about her. Paige could see how much she meant to him and wanted to ask more about her. But before she could, Ralph had finished his dessert and Paige could see he wanted to ask her something.

"Mom, can Walter come over and play a video game with me." Ralph asked catching her off guard.

Paige was shocked. She literally gasped. Ralph had never asked for anyone to come over. She teared up putting her hand over her mouth, at a loss for words. Walter almost misunderstood the reaction she gave and didn't know exactly what to say to either one of them. He wasn't very good at conversation to start with and trying to read someone's expression was even tougher. He looked back and forth at them and was trying to think of the best thing to say.

"Ralph, it is getting late, and I know you and your mom have had a very long and tiring day. I would be honored to play a game with you sometime, but maybe we can do it another night. When it's not so late. Would that be okay with you?" Walter said while trying to get a better idea of why Paige reacted the way she did.

Paige couldn't bare it. She saw the look on her son's face, desperately wanting him to come over. She felt like she had to say something.

"It's um, it's ok with me, but it would have to be a quick game. We would still need to get Walter home, he doesn't have his car, remember. That is, I mean if you want to play a game with Ralph tonight." She said with tears still in her eyes after hearing her son ask what he did. She looked back and forth between the two of them hoping her son wouldn't feel rejected if Walter didn't come over to play.

"Well, then like I said, I'd be honored to." Walter said, smiling, meaning every word. Paige let out a big breath she didn't even realize she was holding in. This man seemed too good to be true.

Ralph smiled; big. So, Walter smiled. And seeing her son smile like that, because of him, made her smile and her heart skip a beat or two. Walter scored some more points, not that he had any idea why or how, or what that even meant. He was just being himself around them, and for once in his life it seemed to be working out for him.

After another fifteen or so minutes of talking while they waited to get the check and pay for their meal, they decided to head back to Paige's apartment.

The drive there was spent in mostly silence. Paige hummed along to some of the music playing while she was thinking about how different today had been. From dreading flying across the country to possibly uproot her life. To now, meeting this man who seemed to have all the answers she had been searching for since Ralph was a baby. And to the feelings she may or not be having for him. Could all of this really be happening? Was there really a chance for Ralph to not only break out of his shell, but to start to truly flourish?

Walter had never imagined his day would have gone the way it did either. He couldn't stop thinking about her from the first time he saw her that morning in the diner. He couldn't explain it. There was just something about her. Something he never felt before. The ease of all the conversation he had with her, being able to stand her touch. Not only to stand it, but to almost want it. And her son, he felt compelled to help him. To connect to him. To somehow make sure that he didn't have to go through any of the troubles and roadblocks that had hindered himself growing up.

They arrived at her apartment, and she offered Walter some water to drink. She thanked him again for dinner and they headed to the couch to talk for a little bit longer while Ralph got his gaming system set up.

They played a quick couple of racing games. And as it was starting Walter wanted to see just how similar they were. Walter had a feeling about just how special Ralph really may be.

"You ever pause your dreams, Ralph?" He asked him.

"Yeah." Ralph told him while the game was getting ready to start. Ralph never took his eyes off the television screen while he spoke.

"Ever rewind them?" Walter asked as he looked over at him for a second, almost with a smile.

"Sometimes." Ralph admitted.

"Yeah, me, too." Walter said with a smile as they started playing together.

Paige just stood there and watched the conversation unfold. This man who she still didn't really know, got more out of her son in less than a single day then every doctor, specialist, and teacher ever did, combined. How could it be? She wasn't ready for the night to end either. She was definitely feeling something for him. His kindness. His honesty. His integrity. The way he included her son in everything. Everything about him. She didn't want him to go. But she still had to think about Ralph before anything else.

"Hey Ralph, I think it's time for us to take Walter home. I'm sure you guys can play another game next time. But we need to get you to bed soon, ok?"

"I um I can just get an Uber to drive me home. You don't need to drive me. It's late and Ralph needs his sleep. I really don't mind."

"Walter no, we can't let you pay to get a ride home, we told you we would take you. We insist." Paige told him kindly.

Paige told Ralph he needed to brush his teeth and finish getting ready for bed. And then they would figure out what to do about getting Walter home. Ralph got up and made his way to the bathroom. Paige saw the joy on his face after getting to play a game with Walter. It was a look she could get used to seeing.

"It's ok, really, I can get a ride ho…."