Chapter 21
Torn
Santa Cruz, California
May 7, 1987 (Thursday)
8:35 a.m.
Kitty was torn.
She loved reconnecting with Steven, she was happily shocked that he started to refer to her as Mom, that was
one of the words she had always wanted to hear from him. It made her heart feel joyful. Granted, they didn't
talk about the events of 1977, she knew it was too painful for him to relive the details and without her Red by
her side, and knowing what his twin brother did to her daughter, Laurie, she really wanted to focus on the
present. Kitty thought Holly was a nice girl and a perfect match for the young man that she loved like a son. She
was certain wherever Jackie was in the spirit realm that she was watching over him and guiding Steven in his
quest for normalcy. While Kitty loved this time in California, she missed Eric. He came a long way from his brief
bout of agoraphobia, he wasn't afraid to leave the house and he wasn't fearful of being left alone in the house,
otherwise Kitty would not have gone to Santa Cruz with Holly to reclaim her relationship with Steven. He got up
early, she didn't question it, she was certain he wasn't operating on much sleep, to cook breakfast for the dog
and take him for his morning walk. She decided to straighten up the house, there were unopened boxes of
appliances stashed in the back of the cupboards. A waffle maker, an espresso machine, and the holy grail of
kitchen gadgetry - Kitty couldn't believe it as she pulled it out from its lonely place in the rear and placed it on
top of the counter. She was so enamored with the best find ever in front of her that she didn't hear Hyde enter
through the back door as Sid walked slowly in front of him.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"Steven, I'm fine. I can't believe that you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer and you didn't even open it!"
He smiled. In the best possible way his mother was one of a kind.
"It came with the house."
"I can see you not using the waffle maker or the espresso machine…but not a Kitchen Aid Mixer!"
It was red and shiny, she really wanted to open it, but it wasn't hers.
"You can have it….."
He didn't expect two petite arms to go around him as she gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you, Steven! I don't suppose you have any flour do you?"
Kitty deserved all of the happiness in the world and more. Hyde had a feeling he was going to have to make a
trip to the store. He walked over by the phone and ripped a piece of paper, trying not to let the noise bother
him, from the cube and grabbed an ink pen.
"I suppose you're going to need more than flour….."
She could make some cookies for Steven to take to Holly. She wished that Eric was here that way he could have
some as well.
"I don't want to be any trouble, Steven."
"Mom, you couldn't be any trouble if you tried." It was great having her here, Hyde hoped his thought wasn't
selfish, he did miss Eric, and they were going to have to try to make things right, but if it made him an asshole or
not, he didn't care.
He didn't want her to leave.
That same day
Sarasota, FL
9:30 a.m.
This was so typical.
Eric finally crumbled the note from his mother and put it in the trash basket by the side of his desk. She didn't
just go to California with her friend's daughter, well that might have been the minor reason, but the major
reason was she was going to see Hyde. Eric wasn't stupid. He wasn't afraid to be alone anymore and he slowly
got out of his agoraphobia. Hyde avoided them for 8 years, she was going to anoint him as the favorite son
again and it pissed Eric Forman off. Of course, Hyde didn't attend Red's or Jackie's funerals, and he would be
rewarded for it. It was like when he got a C on his class work, the family praised him, but if Eric got a B, Red
complained that he was a dumbass that couldn't get an A.
Superduper C.
Eric tried to be as compassionate as humanly possible. He knew Hyde didn't have it easy, but the thing was
none of them did. He knew he suffered the worst of it. Not one of them knew he had a twin brother, and none
of them knew how dangerous of a mind that twin had. They all were grief stricken over the loss of their family
and friends. While Red and Jackie weren't murdered by the doppelganger, their deaths were an unfortunate
side effect of the tragedies that happened in 1977. Red couldn't handle the police call that came when they
found and identified Laurie's remains, not far from where Edna Hyde's body was found in Michigan, it was a
blessing or a curse, Eric wasn't sure, that they didn't find them at the time. It did keep Red alive longer. It was
difficult for everyone and that's what Hyde conveniently forgot. It was difficult for EVERYONE. There was many a
night when Eric needed a friend to talk to, a friend to hang out with, and there were times when he had his
own share of nightmares or flashbacks in the daytime, he could've used a phone call on the anniversary of
Donna's death, if on no one else's. A letter. He was a writer, but he ironically never wrote to them. And now, he
was going to be back in Kitty's good graces and Eric was going to be a prick if he didn't forgive him.
Fuck that.
He didn't have a job at the moment, he didn't feel that bad, other than the fact of wishing that he had
something to do, but he had his money from Red invested in a special account. He opened up his top drawer
and took out his tablet and a pen. He missed Jackie, she was a good friend, he wasn't delusional, he knew her
heart always belonged to Hyde; they were thrown together under the circumstances of it all. They were friends
with benefits; he wished he could've stopped her from committing suicide, she said in her note that she didn't
want to create a scene and tried to do it in as calming of a way as possible. He was the one to find her dead
body on their bed, which reminded him that he did need to see Hyde if only for the final goodbye, he did have to
honor Jackie's last request and give Hyde her note to him in person.
It's what she wanted.
He opened up his notebook, filled with useless ramblings and drawings. He had drawn every turtle, rabbit, and
bear that was in the Sunday supplement since 1978. His life was in a never-ending cyclone of suck and now his
mother was going to visit Hyde in secret and he was going to be the bad guy if he didn't go along with things.
As always.
Why should the events of 10 years ago change the status quo of the Forman family?
He wrote on the paper with the steadiest hand that he had in ages.
I will honor your request, Jackie. I Promise. Eric.
Santa Cruz, California
With Steven on the phone somewhere else in the house after he returned from the grocery store with the items
that she needed to start her project, Kitty was able to make her famous peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
Of all of the cookies she had baked over the years, they were Steven's favorite.