Chapter Three

Disclosure

Bobby has been staring at the ceiling for close to two hours. He gets up from the bed for the third time. The first two times he walked around downstairs. This time he needs to use the bathroom. When he returns, he notices that Alex is awake. "Did I wake you?"

In a groggy voice she says, "Yes."

"Sorry." He lies down for a second and then sits back up.

"Since you're awake I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"You have to promise that you will never tell anyone…... not even your sister."

She sits up in the bed. "What is it?" She says chuckling.

"I had a very strange dream last night." He looks straight ahead. "I think it was a dream."

"Was it scary?"

"No…….. enlightening."

"What was it about?"

"Not what, who." He grabs her hand. "My Dad. It was so real, ah man it was like he was in the room."

He takes a quick look at her to see her reaction. He is very good at reading people but Alex has a blank expression on her face. He is not sure as to what she is thinking.

"What? No jokes."

"No. I'm very interested. You know I love to watch John Edward."

"The I see dead people guy?"

"No that was the movie with the little boy. He 's the one who talks to dead people."

"Oh…… Yeah right." He shakes his head. "Oh man this is too weird." He starts to laugh.

"Bobby stop analyzing the situation and tell me what happened."

"We just talked. I enjoyed watching him squirm talking about him self. He really was a small man. And he didn't like mess, everything had to be neat and orderly."

"You never told me he was controlling."

"He wasn't. I don't mean it literally. More like the typical American family shit. The perfect family with no problems."

"That's impossible."

"Da, you think." He laughs. "I'm sorry."

She smiles. "Every time you hang around with kids you pick up their lingo very quickly."

"You can blame your nieces for that. They must have said that a hundred times the other day."

She nods her head. "I know I remember it was getting annoying."

Alex links her arm in his. "There were a few things he told me that I had suspected and unfortunately I was right. He was very ignorant to the disease but he was right that I might be stricken with it or my brother. He thought it would be me. And of course he didn't do anything about it, he just ran away."

"Why did he pick you?"

"Because to him it seemed that I was able to relate to her and that I was going to be just like her. That hurt the most, hearing that."

"After everything that happened or didn't happen how do you feel?"

"Different very different." He lies back in the bed and clasps his hands behind his head. "I also realized something. I have to let this go. I've been carrying around this bag of shit for over thirty years now. I can't change anything and I can't let it be such a big part of my life anymore. What's done is done. You can't make people into who you want them to be."

He moves his arm in a gesture for her to lie down next to him. Alex snuggles in. "He said he was proud of me. The last time he said that I must have been ten."

"Don't you think he would be?"

"I hope so." He scoffs. "His opinion of me never really mattered." Alex stares him down. "Alright that's s a lie, it always mattered. But at least I know now that it was all on him and no matter what I did or how I lived my life it wouldn't have changed anything."

He lightly squeezes her. "Ah, It was all just a dream."

She rubs his chest. "What about the Old Spice."

"Oh man I don't know." He says snickering. He lifts her head up by her chin and kisses her lightly on the lips. He whispers. "I think we'll just keep this to ourselves, ok."

"I agree. It was very strange."

He points his finger in the air. "You know maybe this is a dream and I'm lying in a coma somewhere."

They smile at each other as they look around the room and then they start to laugh.

He kisses the top of her head as he grabs her hand. "I know I said it before but I have to say it again. I am so sorry for how I behaved before. I was angry and I tried to take it out on you."

"I know." She says as she squeezes him. "I know that and I know you. You were trying to start a fight. I told you I wasn't in the mood."

Later That Same Morning

"Frank this isn't the way to the antique show."

"I know but I need to stop off somewhere first. The show is on all day. We'll get there. Leslie I have to do this now."

"Have to do what?"

"I have to see someone. I have to do it today."

"Who?"

"My brother."

As the car stops at a red light, she taps his arm, "You have a brother?" She continues to stare at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He's not a screw up if that's what you're thinking. He's a New York City police detective."

She smiles. "You sound proud."

"I am. Unfortunately, I've never told him that. The last time I saw him he loaned me money and as always, I promised to pay him back. One thing he is not is stupid he knew damn well I had no way of paying him back."

"Maybe you should bring me back home. And go by yourself."

"No. No I want him to meet you." He turns right and then suddenly remembers he was to turn left. "Shit."

"What?" She says as he pulls into a parking lot. "I went the wrong way." He turns the car around. "I have to prove myself to him and with you along he will know that I am trying."

"You are trying Frank and you're succeeding."

Bobby's House

"Alex."

"Yeah what is it."

"If we go to a movie tonight and I let you choose, will you promise to pick one that won't make me fall asleep."

"Oh a movie that's a good idea. Give me the paper."

As he hands her the paper the doorbell rings. "I'll get it." Bobby gets up from the couch. Pointing at her, "Something interesting." He opens the door to see a nicely dressed man and woman. His first thought.

Jehovah's Witnesses.

Shit. I have to remember to look through the peephole.

He takes a closer look at the man. "Are you lost?"

TBC