2005

"How are you? David asked with concern.

"Could be better" Charlie shrugged. "Da...Alan and I hard a bit of an argument"

"You can call him Dad in front of me. He's earn that right" David gently corrected him. He knew that Alan loved Charlie as much as he did Don.

"I said a few things I shouldn't have" the professor admitted reluctantly.

"You need to apologize A.S.A.P.!" David advised.

"I know..." Charlie said sadly.

"Let's hang up so you can do that!" David could only imagine what Charlie had said, but he had a feeling that it was something hurtful.

Soon, they were off the phone, and Charlie brooded in the living room. After a while, an angry Don came in.

"What the hell did you do to Dad?" he demanded. "I saw him in a restaurant, looking very hurt! He wouldn't tell me what was wrong. When I wentto Cal Sci , andAmita told me that you didn't show up for class, I figured it had to do with you!"

"It doesn't matter now" Charlie shook his head, realizing he hadn't let anyone know he wasn't gonna show up.Oh well, Amita would probably put up a sign for him."I need to apologize"

"Damn right you do!" Don glared at him. "He was more of a father to you than that artist ever was! He handled what mom did with a lot of class! Most men would not have done the same thing!"

"Mom could have aborted me" Charlie mused yet again. "It was legal in nineteen seventy five. That would have been the least risky option. Unless she had major complications, Dad would've never found out..."

Don interupted"Charlie, there's no point in dwelling on this."

"Did she keep me out of love, or hope that her husband was my father?" Charlie brooded.

"Maybe her gut told her to keep you? Look, man, Mom loved you so much!" Don told him. "That's what matters!"

"David and Dawn, my sister think that I should write a letter to mom"

"That sounds like a good idea buddy" Don remembered his most recent visit to Margaret gravesite. "Or you could visit her grave and say what you feel. Trust me, it'll help."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experiance"

"This isn't about me!" Don insisted, and sat next to his brother. "Maybe mom didn't want to you live between two households?"

"I had a right to get to know my father!" Charlie contended.

The doorbell rang, and Charlie went to open the door. Larry stood on the other side of it.

TBC