After some half hearted mouthfuls, Alan gently remarked.

"Don said that he's been trying to get you to go visit your mother's grave, figures it'll do you good" Alan had agreed with his eldest son's assesment.

"I went for her birthday" Charlie took a forkful of his own salad.

"If you can forgive me, why not her?"

"You were a victim as much as me or Don" Charlie explained.

"Your mother loved you so much!"

"She lied to me!"

"I'm sure that if your mother were with us, she'd tell you how sorry she was"

"Sorry that I found out!" Charlie said bitterly.

"You can't be angry at her forever" Alan told him. "Believe me, she'd be devastated at just how hurt you are!"Maybe in retrospect he and Margaret should have told Charlie the truth at least when he was older. Hindsight is always twenty twenty.

"She should have told me!"

"Dwelling on what should have happened isn't going to do you any good" Alan put his fork down.

"David thinks I should write a letter to mom" Charlie sighed.

"I totally agree!" Alan commented. "Why don't you?"

"You're not eating your salad!" Charlie said out of concern and to change the subject.

"Forget the salad, let's talk about you!" Alan hated to see him like this. "Go visit her, at least for my sake?"

"I talked to her photo" Charlie admitted, if only to get Alan off his back.

"Then maybe write that letter?"

"I gotta go to my office" Charlie muttered, and got up. He didn't want to talk about it.

"It's Saturday!" Alan reminded him.

"I've got papers to grade, andlessons to plan" Charlie went out the door.

With a sigh, Alan dumped the rest of the salad, and went to his favorite burger place, "In and Out".

"What can I get you, sir?" a young woman in a white uniform asked. The smells of grilling patties, french fries, and grilled onions wafted through the air, making Alan's mouth water.

"A number three meal, with grilled onions" Alan requested, and gave her a twenty. He had just gone to the ATM.

"For here or to go?" she asked

"For here"

She gave him an empty coke cup,to fill at the fountain. The meal came with a drink.

Soon, but not soon enough, his 'number three' meal came; it consisted of a cheese burger with two meat patties, and slices of cheese, and fries. Gleefully, Alan picked up his tray, and was about to sit down,when he heard Don's voice

"Dad?"

TBC