2004

"I gotta make a quick call" Don told his mother, but assured her "I'll be right back."

He called Charlie's cell in the hallwayand got the voicemail."I'm sorry I can't take your call right now. Please leave a message at the beep"

Don left the following voicemail message "Snap out of your precious bubble, and get your ass home!Mom needs you!"

Soon, he returned to his mother's room.

"Are you staying long?" Margaret asked.

"I've got the rest of the day off" Terry had agreed to cover for him.

"Let's watch a movie then." she suggested. Alan had bought a dvd player for their bedroom.

"Sure, which one?"

"The Ghost and Mrs. Muir"

"Okay." Don got it from the DVD rack, and put it on.

2005

"Why?" Don began. "did you..do this? Dad loved..loves you so much! He helped raise a kid that wasn't even his, and started dating because you asked him to!"

After a pause, and some thinking the agent continued."On the other hand, if you hadn't done what you did, Charlie wouldn't exist, and frankly, I can't imagine life without him. Either way, you hurt a lot of people, mom. Not only with the affair,but with all the lying. Charlie resents not knowing his biological father, his other brother, sister, and grandfather, who was also a mathemetician! Poor Dad found out the hard way that you cheated, and had someone else's kid, right under his nose. How would you have felt is you had found drawings of nude women among dad's things? If he had been another man, I would have grown up without him around." Don took a few deep breaths in a vain attempt to calm himself. Then, he put some flowers he had bought in one of the entrenched vases near the headstone. He noticed that all of the flowers in them were fresh and that the headstone looked polished."Looks like dad's been here recently."

Finally, the morning of the art show came. Don came to the house for breakfast around ten . Soon after, Charlie came down the stairs, wearing a ponytail, a large cap, and sunglasses.

"I don't want him to see me, until I'm ready" Charlie explained. Nervousness and anticipation had wiped out his hunger.

"Okay, buddy. If that's what you want." Don supported. "Dad made scrambled eggs with cheese"

"I don't think I can eat a bite"

"I wouldn't be able to either" the agent said.

After eating, they were on their way. It took Don a while to find a decent parking spot.

"Ready, buddy?" the agent asked as he turned off the SUV.

"As ready as I'll ever be"

TBC