I own none of the characters of October Road or the song Highway 20 Ride by The Zac Brown Band
I ride east every other Friday but if I had it my way
The day would not be wasted on this drive
And I want so bad to hold you
Son there's things I haven't told you
Your mom and me couldn't get along
So I drive
And I think about my life
And wonder why, That I slowly die inside
Every time I turn that truck around, right at the Georgia line and I count the days and the miles back home to you on that Highway 20 ride
A day might come and you'll realize that if you see through my eyes
There was no other way to work it out
And a part of you might hate me
But son please don't mistake me For the man that didn't care at all
And I drive
And I think about my life
And wonder why, That I slowly die inside
Every time I turn that truck around, right at the Georgia line and I count the days and the miles back home to you on that Highway 20 ride
So when you drive
And the years go flying by
I hope you smile
If I ever cross your mind
It was a pleasure of my life
And I cherished every time
And my whole world
It begins and ends with you
On that Highway 20 ride...
"Hey Honey. I just wanted to let you know that I am on my way." Eddie told his wife.
"Okay. Please be careful." Janet requested.
"You know I will."
"Make sure you get some coffee so you can stay awake and alert. Driving always makes you tired."
"Yes ma'am."
"I mean it Eddie."
"I know you do dear."
"Call me when you are on your way back."
"I will."
"I love you."
"Love you too. See you tonight." Eddie ended the call, tossed the phone on the passenger seat and merged onto the highway.
Every other weekend Eddie makes a four hour journey to New York City to pick up his son who lives with his ex-wife. He always tries to leave between noon and one so he arrives in the city between four and five and then home between nine and ten. Their arrival time back in Knights Ridge depends on how long his ex-wife keeps him and how long they spend at dinner. It's a long drive but that doesn't matter to Eddie. He didn't care how long he had to spend in the car as long as the end result was his son.
Eddie and his ex-wife Rory Dunlap had dated all through high school. After graduation they had an amicable break up and they went their separate ways. Rory, went to college in New York and Eddie stayed home and went to work for his dad's landscaping company and over the next three and a half years, Eddie enjoyed the "single life" meaning he wasn't dating anyone but when he wanted to have sex, there was always someone ready and willing to provide that with no commitment on his part. He was loving his life.
Rory came back to town after college and Eddie's life changed yet again. It didn't take long before the two former high school sweethearts hook up, a few times, for old times' sake. Six months after Rory returned to town Eddie was engaged to her and was going to be a father.
"Whiskey." Eddie demanded, sitting at the bar. The bartender grabbed the bottle and poured him a shot. She went to return the bottle because he usually only drank one shot. "Leave the bottle."
"Please?" Janet snipped. With her job as bartender she was used to the demands but she wouldn't put up with it from her friends and she considered Eddie to be a friend. Instead of saying please Eddie glared at her. "What crawled up your butt and died grumpy?"
"I'm not in the mood Janet. Just do your job and leave the bottle." Janet slammed the bottle down on the bar in front of him,
"I'm charging you full price for that bottle Latekka and it's top shelf." She informed him, walking away to wait on some less grumpy patrons.
Over the next hour and a half Janet stayed busy thanks to the steady stream of customers. She kept on eye on her grumpy patron at the end of the bar but he didn't bother her. When things slowed down she returned to him noticing that the level of whiskey in the bottle was the same as it was when she walked away but his glass was empty. He was staring at the empty glass.
"What goes on Latekka? You are known for being a jerk sometimes but this is beyond your usual jerkness."
"I'm getting married." Janet's eyes widened in shock. She didn't see that one coming at all.
"Who did you knock up?" She joked.
"Rory." He admitted and Janet's mouth dropped open in shock and stayed open. "Are you trying to catch flies? Close your mouth Janet."
"Eddie I…I was only kidding."
"I'm not."
"Oh my God. You are serious?" Eddie nodded solemnly."I want to say congratulations but I'm not sure if that's what you want to hear. Wow. You're going to be a father."
"I'm going to be a dad."
"How do you feel about that?"
"I have no idea. I just assumed one day that I would have kids but one day down the line; way down the line."
"When you have sex you take the risk of making a baby."
"Am I watching an after school special on safe sex?" Eddie snapped.
"No need to get nasty Eddie."
"Sorry." He said apologetically. "I'm pretty overwhelmed right now."
"Marriage and a baby. I'm surprised you are just overwhelmed."
"I'll get used to it." Janet was being called from the other end of the bar.
"I will be right back." Janet went and waited on a few people and then returned to Eddie. "Refill?"
"No thanks."
"I understand being anxious about becoming a father but shouldn't you be happy about getting married?"
"I'm twenty two Janet. I'm not sure if I am ready to be married for the rest of my life; especially to Rory."
"Especially Rory?"
"We dated in high school. We were kids. It's different now. We don't have a relationship now. What we have is a few hook ups."
"Do you love her?"
"I loved her back then."
"What about now?" Eddie was silent for a few minutes."I feel something for her but I don't know if it's love."
"Then why in the hell are you getting married Latekka?"
"Because she or we are having a baby."
"And?"
"Marrying Rory is the right thing to do."
"For who?"
"For our child. This baby didn't do anything wrong. It deserves to be raised with both of its parents."
"The main ingredient for a successful marriage is love."
"I loved her once. I can love her again."
"If you are just getting married for your child you shouldn't do it." Eddie glared at her.
"Since when are you a marriage expert?"
"Since I am the reason my parents got married and that was the worst ten years of their lives and it wasn't a cake walk for me either."
"I need to do what's right."
"Just think about it before you make any rash decisions."
"I've already made my decision."
"Well then congratulations. I wish you and Rory the best."
Eddie thought about what Janet said but regardless, he and Rory were married in a simple backyard wedding six weeks after she learned of her pregnancy. He couldn't allow his child to grow up without him being a constant presence in its life. He wanted to be the kind of father to his child his father was to him and to do that he needed to be with his child's mother and the only way Rory would allow that to happen was if she had a ring on her finger.
Seven months later Nathan Edward Latekka made his entrance into the world and the instant he was placed in his father's arms Eddie was filled with a love like he had never felt before. He loved that little creature so much; his son. He was a father and at that moment he knew it was what he was meant to do.
Eddie embraced fatherhood. He had no problem getting up in the middle of the night to feed him. In fact he enjoyed the quiet, alone time he spent with his son in his arms. Eddie cried when Nate spoke his first word, took his first step and walked to the bus on his first day of school and he was in the parking lot when the bus pulled in that first day and watched his little man walk into school without him by his side, holding his hand. His world revolved around his son.
Now when it came to marriage, that wasn't embraced as well as fatherhood. At first, besides a few small changes like rings on their fingers, moving in together and Rory's last name their lives stayed the same. They had some late nights; they slept in on their days off and enjoyed some fun nights out. Once Nate was born, that all changed. Instead of late nights, they had sleepless nights, they were up very early in the morning and a fun night out consisted of going to the grocery store and it didn't take long before it took a toll on them and their marriage.
When Nate was two Eddie opened up a business with his best friend Nick which put more strain on their already stressful marriage. Eddie worked long hours and money was tight which caused fights. It didn't take long before the couple stopped talking. When they were home together they were doing their own thing; away from each other and most nights after Nate was in bed, Eddie would go to Sully's where he spent a couple hours on a bar stool nursing a beer talking his favorite bartender's ear off and it didn't take a genius to figure out that Eddie was miserable in his marriage; if he wasn't he would be spending nights at home with his wife not at a bar.
Eventually Eddie and Rory were so miserable that they finally divorced when Nate was three. As with any divorce when there is a child involved custody is always an issue. Both Eddie and Rory asked for custody and both were good parents but in the end, like most cases mom got custody and Eddie's heart broke. His whole world was taken away from him in an instant. He felt empty. He had to go from seeing his son every day to every Wednesday, every other holiday, and spring break, one week of his Christmas vacation, two weeks in the summer and phone calls every day to tell him good morning and good night and that was the hardest thing he ever had to do.
Two years after his divorce, Eddie married his beloved bartender; the same woman he spent hours pouring his heart out to from the other side of the bar. Looking back on their relationship, he thinks he was falling in love with her when his marriage was falling apart but he didn't act on any of those feelings until after his divorce. He no intention of ever getting married again but falling in love with Janet changed his mind and he had never regretted it for one minute.
A year and a half after Eddie and Janet were married, Rory pulled the rug out from under Eddie. He was happily married with a six month old baby boy when Rory announced that she was moving to New York to pursue a modeling career and she was taking Nate with her. Since she had sole custody there was nothing he could do to stop her except beg, which he did, which didn't work or move to New York with them and that was something he seriously considered and spoke extensively with Janet about but in the end they decided to stay in Knights Ridge. He had a business that needed him and even if he went to New York, his visitation would be the same and that's why he made the trip to New York every other weekend.
"Good afternoon Mr. Latekka." Eddie smiled at the doorman of Rory's building.
"What goes on Charles?"
"Same ol' same ol'."
"Don't I know it?"
"You can go on up. Someone is expecting you. I'll call and let them know you are on your way up."
"Thank you."
Eddie stepped into the elevator and hit the nine button. With every floor that the elevator passed Eddie got more excited. He couldn't wait to see his son and this visit was his summer visit so Nate was staying for two weeks and everyone was thrilled; Mason, Eddie and Janet's son who was almost three kept asking when "brother" was coming home and Janet made sure she had everything Nate loved to eat. It was going to be a good week. When the doors opened on the ninth floor Eddie was greeted with the smiling face of his son.
"Daddy!" Nate ran into elevator and threw himself into his father's outstretched arms.
"Hiya slugger." Eddie hugged Nate tightly. "You shouldn't be out in the hall by yourself."
"I'm not. Peggy is with me." Peggy was Nate's nanny. Eddie stepped out of the elevator with Nate by his side and saw that Peggy was in fact with him.
"Hi Peggy."
"Hi Mr. Latekka. Someone is very excited. I couldn't keep him inside." Nate drug him down to the apartment where his suitcase was packed by the door. He was ready to get his time with his dad started.
"Where is your mom?" Eddie always liked to touch base with Rory before taking Nate.
"Working."
"Working really?" It surprised Eddie that Rory wasn't here to say goodbye to Nate, especially since he was going to be gone for two weeks.
"Yeah. She has been working all week. She said she would call me tonight." Eddie nodded.
"Here is Ms. Dunlap's itinerary. She wanted you to have it in case you need to get in touch with her."
"Oh, I'm going to get in touch with her." Eddie was furious. Looking at the itinerary he discovered that she has been on the west coast all week and won't be home for another week. He couldn't believe she went out of town, left their son home with the nanny and never even bothered to tell him. Had he known, Nate could have spent the week with him; his family. He was definitely going to have words with his ex-wife. "Anything I need to be aware of?" Eddie asked Peggy.
"No sir."
"Can we go daddy?" Nate was getting impatient.
"Yeah we can go after you say goodbye to Peggy and thank her for taking such good care of you."
"Daddy, why are you married to Janet and not to mommy?" Nate asked out of the blue. They were about an hour and a half away from Knights Ridge. Nate had been watching a movie on his portable DVD player when he blurted out that intense question.
"I was married to your mom. You were just a little guy and probably don't remember."
"Why aren't you still married to her?"
"Your mom and me, we just couldn't get along. We were fighting all the time; your mom was crying. No one was happy and we couldn't live like that."
"Didn't you want me?" Eddie had to fight back tears.
"I wanted you. I still want you."
"Did mommy want me more?"
"No slugger. Mom wanted you as much as I did but when two parents can't live together anymore a judge decides who the kids get to live with and he decided that you should live with your mom instead of me."
"Why? What did you do wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just the way it worked.
"Do you wish I lived with you, Janet and Mason?"
"Every single day Slugger. Every single day. My whole world it begins and ends with you, Janet and Mason."
"I don't understand." Eddie tried to figure out a way to make his eight year old son understand what he was trying to say.
"You, Janet and Mason are the most important people in my life. Every day you guys are the first thing I think about and the last thing I think about and pretty much all I think about through the day. I love you so much Nate and every day that we are not together, I feel empty but as soon as I see you again and you are with me, I'm not empty anymore."
"I'm empty too daddy when I'm not with you." Eddie reached out and squeezed Nate's hand. "I wish that I lived with you all the time."
"Me too slugger."
As soon as Eddie put the truck in park, Nate had unclipped his seatbelt and was out of the truck running into the house like he always did and Eddie knew, Janet would be inside waiting for his son with open arms and probably freshly baked cookies. Eddie turned off the truck, grabbed Nate's DVD player, and suitcase and followed him into the house and as he figured, he found Nate sitting at the kitchen island eating cookies talking Janet's ear off. She smiled softly at Eddie when he entered.
"Janet can I have some milk?" Nate asked and Eddie cleared his throat. "Can I have some milk please?"
"Better." Eddie told him.
"Of course you can." Eddie went to get a cup while Janet got the milk and they met in the middle.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Janet whispered. She knew, from his voice during the phone call telling her that they were on their way home that something was wrong.
"Rory." He whispered back. "She has been out of town all week and left him alone with the nanny."
"Are you kidding me?" Eddie shook his head. "Unbelievable."
"We'll talk later." Janet nodded and took Nate his milk.
"Is Mason awake?" Nate loved his brother.
"I'm sorry Nate. He tried to stay awake but he fell asleep. He will be so excited when he sees you in the morning."
"Me too."
"Shall we call your mom?" Eddie asked.
"Yeah. I guess." Eddie dialed Rory's cell phone number and handed the phone to Nate.
It was a short conversation. Nate told his mom about the vacation to the lake that they were leaving for in the morning. After five minutes, Nate handed his father the phone. Eddie instructed Nate to go upstairs and get ready for bed with Janet, telling him he would be up in a minute.
"How is work?" Eddie asked his model ex-wife.
"It's great. This is a national shot. This ad is going to be everywhere and then I will…"
"Honestly Rory, I really don't care." He interrupted.
"What is your problem?"
"I can't believe you left Nate home with Peggy for an entire week."
"Why? He was fine."
"That's not the point!" Eddie roared.
"Don't yell at me." Rory shouted back.
"First of all I should have known that you were gone. What if something would have happened to him?"
"You would have been there."
"In four hours Rory!"
"He's fine so this argument is a moot point."
"Fine. My second point is you should have told me that you were leaving and Nate should have been with me."
"It wasn't your two weeks of visitation."
"Are you freaking kidding me?"
"Eddie, you are being ridiculous."
"No Rory. You are being ridiculous. Just because this last week didn't fall into my visitation schedule doesn't mean that he couldn't have come here. Hell, if you would have had the decency to call me, I would have traded in my weeks or wait, maybe he could have spent an extra week with me."
"You only get visitation according to what the judge ordered."
"Screw the damn schedule. I am not a bad father. He should have been with me and not the nanny."
"No one has ever said that you were a bad father. I was just following the rules."
"No. You were just sticking it to me like you always do where Nate is concerned." Eddie sighed. "Goodbye Rory. Enjoy your photo shoot." Eddie ended the call and went upstairs to tuck his son in.
"She is so infuriating." Eddie grumbled. He and Janet were on the couch and he had just finished relaying his conversation with Rory to her.
"You are a good father Eddie. Don't let Rory's actions make you think otherwise. Nate and Mason are so lucky to have you as their dad." Janet lifted her face and kissed him softly.
"I'm so tired of playing her game. I hate to say this but uses him to have some sort of power over me. She always gives me last minute notice whenever he has a school function and I make myself crazy trying to get there."
"But you always do."
"Remember when he broke his arm?" Janet nodded. "I didn't find out about it until I picked him up. Our wedding is another example. It wasn't our scheduled weekend together and had to fight her tooth and nail so he could be there and then we had to return him that night."
"We got to stay at a fancy New York Hotel." That's his Janet; always finds the bright side of things.
"And when Mason was born. She refused to let me come and get him so he could meet his brother." Eddie shook his head in disgust. "When it comes to Rory it's all about power and Nate is the ultimate power over me."
"She has that power because you love him so much."
"Janet, I want to file for sole custody." Janet knew this was coming. Eddie had always felt guilty about not being there every day for Nate.
"If that's what you want then you know you have my support."
"But is it okay with you? Instead of having one little boy we would have two all the time. It's a big change Janet and if you don't want it you need to tell me."
"I love Nate. I love him like he was my own and I love him because he is part of you. I would love to have him here with us all the time. Our family would feel complete." Eddie pulled Janet in his arms and kissed her. He knew she would support him in a custody fight but deep down, there was a small part of him that was scared she wouldn't. It was such a relief to hear her say that she wanted Nate as much as he did.
"I love you Janet. You know that right?"
"I know that. I love you too."
"A custody fight won't be easy or cheap."
"We'll manage."
"I think I have a better chance now than I did four years ago. Now I am happily married to an amazing woman. Rory is not. My job keeps me home. Rory travels a lot and Nate is left with Peggy for days at a time. With us he will have two parents that love him and will always be there for him. With Rory he has his mother and a nanny. I know Rory loves him; I don't doubt that at all but Nate deserves more than what Rory is giving him; he deserves our family. "
"One thing that I have to ask Eddie is have you considered what Nate wants? If he wants to stay with Rory and you take him away from her he will be angry with you. Can you live with that?"
"If I knew that Nate wanted to stay with Rory than I will step back keep things as they are but on the way home he started asking me why Rory and I were no longer together and he told me that he wishes that he lived with us." Eddie's own eyes filled with tears as did Janet's. "Now that may have been a spur of the moment comment but I am going to talk with him again and if he says it again, I want to fight for my son. Like you said Janet, our family won't be complete until Nate is with us full time." Janet climbed up on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"No matter who Nate lives with, he knows how much you love him."
"You think?" That was the only thing in his life that Eddie was uncertain of.
"I know." Eddie lifted his head and kissed the woman he loved.
"Thank you for loving and supporting me."
"Always."
"So this week I will talk to Nate and make sure living with us is what he wants and if so, when we get home I'll call a lawyer and get the process started."
"Sounds like a plan. Now I have another plan."
"Oh really?"
"For the next week we will be in very close quarters so I think we should take advantage of the privacy we have tonight."
"What exactly do you have in mind Mrs. Latekka?" Janet stood up and held out her hand.
"Come with me and find out."
Eddie and Nate had another conversation about who he wanted to live with and Nate said he wanted to stay in The Ridge. Eddie didn't bribe him or try to convince him to stay. It was Nate's choice and Eddie felt confident in that choice so when they got home from their mountain vacation, Eddie called a lawyer and got the custody ball rolling.
To say that Rory was not pleased was putting it mildly. She was furious and she made Eddie's life miserable at every possible turn. There were many nights Eddie sat alone in the bedroom shedding tears; wondering if he was doing the right thing for his son.
During the court hearing, the judge wanted Nate to tell him who he wanted to live with and Eddie adamantly refused. He stood and told the judge he would not let his son get up in front of everyone, mainly his mother and tell her he doesn't want to live with her. That would be too traumatic for him and if that meant he wouldn't get custody then so be it but he was not going to put his son through that.
What Eddie didn't understand was the judge wanted to meet with Nate privately but seeing how Eddie was willing to give up his fight so his son wouldn't be hurt showed the judge that Eddie had Nate's best interest at heart and that played an important part in his decision of custody which was awarded to Eddie. Rory was devastated which Eddie understood. He had been there. Eddie did not file for custody to be malicious so he promised her that even though there was a visitation schedule, she could see Nate whenever she wanted. He had no desire to keep Nate from his mother.
"Hey dad?" The Latekka family just pulled into the driveway three days after the court hearing with all of Nate's stuff in the back.
"Yeah slugger?"
"Do you think mom is mad at me for leaving her?" Nate was a sensitive kid and hated to make anyone mad. He had been really quiet during the four hour drive home and Eddie figured that something was weighing on his mind.
"No Nate. She isn't mad at you."
"She was crying really hard."
"Because she is going to miss you but she knows that living with me is what you want and as long as you are happy she will be happy."
"Can I call her later?"
"Son, you can call her anytime you want."
"Thanks dad." Nate smiled softly at his dad and Eddie winked back at him.
"All right. Let's go in. I'm hungry." Eddie announced. The four of them climbed out of the truck. Nate grabbed his dad's hand and they walked towards the house.
"Surprise." Friends and family of Eddie and Janet shouted when Eddie, Janet, Nate and Mason walked in the door. In their living room was a giant banner that read "Welcome Home Nate." Eddie and Janet's family and friends had gathered to welcome Nate home.
"Is this all for me?" An awestruck Nate asked.
"Yes it is."
"Why?"
"We want to show you how happy we are that you are here."
"Wow. Are there presents?" Eddie and Janet laughed.
"There might be. Why don't you go check it out?"
"Come brother." Mason demanded, yanking on Nate's hand.
"Hang on one second Mason." Nate pulled away from Mason and first hugged Janet and then his father.
"Welcome home Mason." Janet told him tearfully.
"I love you guys."
"We love you too." Eddie ruffled his hair and then he and Mason took off.
Eddie wrapped an arm around his wife's waist and together they stood in the living room and watched Nate. Their family was finally complete. No one felt empty anymore.