The Next Best Thing
Sunday In The Park With Hyde
By Noah Colum

"Time for bed, Tommy." The phone rang as Eric tried to wrestle the laughing four-year-old into his new 'big boy' bed. "You like this new bed, right?"

Tommy nodded vigourously, his golden curls bouncing.

Eric sighed. "So what's wrong?"

Tommy jumped up and down. "Not sleepy."

Eric rolled his eyes as he heard Jennifer answer the phone. "Honey, it's time for bed, whether you're sleepy or not. It's after eight! Jason's probably asleep already!"

Tommy stood there on the bed, still smiling, with his arms crossed.

Eric tickled him, sending him into peals of laughter. "Don't make me tell your mama!" He said with a mock gruff voice.

Jennifer stuck her head in Tommy's room. "How are my boys?" she said, as she knocked on the open door.

Eric looked up. "This one won't go to bed."

She smiled, stepping inside. "Well, I'll take care of him. You've got a phone call, someone named Steven."

Eric shrugged, standing up from Tommy's bed. "Steven who?"

Jennifer shook her head. "All he said was his name was Steven, and then something about a basement."

"Hyde. Hyde's calling me!" He ran his fingers through his short hair. "We went to high school together."

Jennifer nodded. "Okay. So go talk to him, and I'll put Tommy to bed."

Eric grinned. "Good luck with him." He headed out the door and down the stairs, to the phone in the kitchen. It was sitting on the counter.

Eric picked it up. "Hello?"

"Forman?" The voice on the other end sounded deeper than Eric remembered, more rough, probably due to heavy smoking. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, Hyde, it's me."

Hyde laughed. "Cool. How've you been?"

It was a little awkward. "Fine." Eric coughed. "Uh, how about you?"

"Fine." Hyde hesitated. "Listen, I'm in Chicago for a little while, and I thought, you know, maybe we could catch up or something."

Eric smiled, though Hyde couldn't see it. "Sure. How about tomorrow?"

Hyde coughed. "Nah, how about Sunday?"

"I'm heading to Adams Park around lunchtime on Sunday if you want to meet up."

"Sounds good." Hyde coughed again.

Eric heard loud music and talking in the background. "Are you at a bar?"

"Yeah."

Eric wondered why he'd asked. "Oh. Okay. See you then."

"Sunday," Hyde said. "Goodnight, Forman."

Eric sat down on the bench facing the playground, watching Jason and Tommy head for the swing set. "Help your brother, Jason!" he called after them.

He watched the boys, Jason pushing Tommy in the swing as Tommy laughed. The birds at his feet flew away suddenly, and he turned to his right.

Hyde was standing there, looking more or less exactly like Eric remembered.

He had his hands in his pockets. "Hey."

Eric stood up, fixing his t-shirt. "Hey," he repeated, looking at him.

Hyde looked back, stonefaced. "You look different," he said, after some time.

"You don't," Eric returned.

Hyde's hand moved slowly towards Eric's temple. He lightly caressed the side of Eric's short hair. "You cut it," he whispered.

Across the way, Tommy fell off the swing set, scraping his knee. He ran across the field, crying, towards Eric. "Daddy!" Eric turned to him, scooping him up in his arms. "He pushed me! He pushed me hard!" he said, green eyes streaming with tears. Eric kissed his forehead. "Shhh. It's all right, Sweetheart. I'm sure he didn't mean to."

Jason arrived as Tommy was accusing him. Already six, he was the spitting image of his father. "It was an accident, I swear!" His manner was firm, but his lip was trembling.

Eric looked at Jason. "I know it was, but you should be more careful with Tommy! He's not big and strong like you."

Hyde had a smile on his face. "These yours?"

Eric nodded. "This one is Tommy. He's four." He handed Tommy to Hyde, who held him on his shoulder. Eric bent down to Jason, giving him a hug. "It's all right, no harm done. Right, big guy?" He turned back to Hyde. "This big man is Jason. He's six."

Hyde looked down at him. "Nice to meet you, kid."

Jason smiled, his sadness forgotten. "Hi."

Eric patted him on the head and motioned for Hyde to set Tommy down. "Why don't you boys go and play some more?"

They scampered off, leaving Eric and Hyde alone.

Hyde spoke first. "Is Tommy okay?"

"Yeah." Eric paused. "Well, no. He's got a form of MD. I can't remember what it's called."

"Oh, geez. That's terrible." Hyde put his hand to his forehead.

Eric shook his head. "It's really mild, actually. The doctors said that he'll be able to do normal things 'til he's at least twenty-five, and that people who have it usually live past forty." He shrugged. "We just have to be careful, is all."

Hyde changed the subject. "So you're doing well, I guess."

Eric nodded. "I'm just fine. How about you?"

"I'm okay." Hyde looked away.

Eric frowned. "No, you're not." He looked down at Hyde's clothes for the first time. They were old and nearly threadbare. "Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. My friend set me up in his trailer, and--"

Eric shook his head. "Come stay with us. We've got an extra room, we bought the house with my mother-in-law in mind, and she won't be around until the next millennium."

Hyde waved at the air. "Nah, I'm fine."

"I'm serious, Hyde. Come stay with us. It'll be no problem. Jennifer would love you." There was concern in his eyes.

"She your wife?" Hyde looked away.

"Of course." Eric laughed slightly. "She'd love to have someone else to cook for, I can't hardly appreciate what she does anymore."

Hyde stared into his eyes, for what seemed like forever. "Okay," he said, finally.