Chapter Seven
"How about we blow off the paperwork and grab a bite to eat, my treat," she says as they pass a much-anticipated sign, Alex points forward, "Look," she says excitedly. "Welcome to New York."
"Thank Christ," Bobby responds.
The Hungry Peddler Bar and Grill
He watches her as she watches a family of three, the little girl could be hers, petite, blonde and feisty. "You think about the child a lot don't you?" He asks with his chin resting on his hand.
She slowly turns her gaze away from the family and finds herself staring at his sweet face, "Yes sometimes I wonder, was it a boy or a girl," she smiles. "A little girl would have been nice." She leans forward, "I….was that my only chance to have a child, sometimes I believe that."
"It is, if that's the way you feel, there are a lot of single Moms out there."
"Yeah," she picks up her drink. "I just don't see myself as the single Mom type."
He frowns slightly, "Huh?"
"I guess I'm a little old fashioned, I think kids should have a Mom and a Dad," she points her finger at him. "I've heard you say that."
"Yeah, worked wonders for me," he mumbles.
She slaps the table with her palm, "Hey, none of that now, you're a great guy." She smiles as she lifts the glass to her lips, "I think you turned out just fine."
He smiles at her slightly inebriated slur, "Your face is getting red," he says.
"Wow this drink is strong," she takes another sip.
"Maybe you should get something else," he says with more of a demanding tone than a suggestion.
She sets the drink down, "Maybe you're right."
"Who has the bacon cheese burger?"
"There are just the two of us here and you can't remember who ordered what?"
"Alex," he says her name softly. "He's not the waiter."
She looks up staring at the young man, "Oh….yeah, sorry. It's been a long day."
"It's alright Ma'am," the red-faced teenager says as he continues to hold two plates in his hand.
Alex points across the table, "It's his." He sets the plates down easily.
Bobby pats her hand after the teenager leaves, "Hey, are you alright?"
"Fine," she says sharply.
He sits back in the seat as a defensive mode. "Maybe we should talk about something a little more cheerful, but with my past…." He looks at her and winks. She covers her mouth as she laughs, "I….thanks Bobby and I'm sorry."
He leans forward titling his head to catch her eye, "It's alright," he scans the room. "He'll get over it."
"So," she says as she taps his hand to get his attention, "What happened when you talked to Cheryl?"
May 1999
The Fisher Home
"Bobby it's good to see you."
"Cheryl," he nods his head as he stuffs his hands in his pockets.
She opens the door further, "Please, please come in, may I get you a cup of coffee?"
"I….only if it's already made."
"It is and a how about a piece of apple pie."
"Store bought," he winks at her, "Or yours?"
She smiles, "Mine, always."
"Then I'll have a piece of pie….with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?" He smiles broadly.
"Of course," he follows her through the living room toward the kitchen. "I spent the morning baking, two pies and a cheesecake. I am so accustomed to baking pies and cakes for Tony, you know what a sweet tooth he has." She lowers her head as she reaches into the pocket of her sweater. She removes a tissue to wipe her eyes, he can hear her sniffle.
Great, maybe this isn't the time, He takes her by her elbow and escorts her back into the living room, "Come on, have a seat on the couch."
She makes a motion to stand, he touches her shoulder. "You sit and relax, I'll get it." She nods her head as she wipes her eyes again. He busily works his way through the kitchen. Moments later he carries, waiter style, two mugs of coffee under two pieces of pie.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, he speaks, "Cheryl," he wipes his mouth with a napkin. "Do you know a man by the name of George Pound?" She smiles sweetly at the mention of the name, nodding her head. "Oh that is a name from the past," she takes a sip of coffee, "Where did you hear that name?"
"I didn't exactly hear it; I found it on a card in Tony's room."
She frowns, "George sent Tony a get well card?" She pauses for a moment, "That is so sweet." She digs her fork into her slice of apple pie. "I…we haven't heard from George in five, no six years."
"We," he clears his throat. "Did you date him?"
"Yes after I entered Tony in the after school program George and I began dating."
"Did he like Tony?"
She smiles remembering his concern for her son, "Yes he did he would take him to the movies and ball games."
He smiles, "He wanted to give you some alone time."
"Yes, you know like you do, but Tony….oh never mind."
He asks sternly, "Never mind what?" She suddenly stands, "Bobby would you like another cup of coffee?"
"No," he shakes his head. "No thank you." He follows her with his eyes, rubbing his face, Oh man. She returns, placing the cup on the coffee table. "Cheryl you said before that he liked Tony."
She sits down, "Yes he did."
"Did he take him on overnight trips?"
"Yes he took him camping a few times."
He leans forward placing his hand on her forearm; she glances down then up with a puzzled look of her face. "I want you to try and think back, how did Tony act when he came back from these trips?"
"He loved them so much that he didn't want to come home."
Maybe I'm wrong, he frowns, "He told you that?"
"Yes," she turns her attention away from him, "No….now that I think about it, he never talked about the trips."
"Cheryl, you and George dated, for how long?"
"Oh, about a year or so," she frowns. "Bobby why do I get the feeling that you find that hard to believe?"
"It….it's not that…." He rubs the back of his neck. "Did you….did you have sex with him?"
"Bobby!" she blushes as she says his name.
He stands, "Never mind Bobby," his stance is intimidating, "Did you?"
She stands, not able to look him in the eye she steps around the table, "I do appreciate all that you have done for my son and I, but that is none of your business." He keeps his eyes focused on her. She reluctantly answers his question, shaking her head. "No, no we never…."
"Didn't you think that was a little odd?"
"No," she responds sharply. "He was a sweet, gentle man," she covers her mouth with her hand, "Oh God no. George that son of a bitch, what did he do to my son?" She picks up the empty coffee cup and hurls it across the room. It hits the wall breaking into tiny pieces.
Bobby immediately grabs her arm as she reaches for the other cup, "Cheryl, Cheryl," she struggles with him, "Having a tantrum will not change the past. Cheryl listen to me," she continues to struggle. "Cheryl look at me!" He raises his voice for the first time. She slowly lifts her head fixing her eyes on his. "We have to work on his future, now that we know what may be the underlying cause of his problem."
"That counselor," she pushes herself out of his grasp. "Couldn't figure it out, what makes you so damn sure." She covers her face with one hand and holds out the other for him to grasp. He pulls her in for an embrace, "Have you said anything to him?" She asks through sobs.
"No, nothing."
"Should I?" she asks.
The Present
"Poor Cheryl, she was duped into believing that a man was not only interested in her but shows a great deal of care and concern for her kid." Alex crumbles up her paper napkin and sets it on the empty plate, "Poor Tony."
"Now after this discovery," Bobby says. "Tony of course denied it. But I was able to convince him to return to the counselor. The turn around has been slow but you take all the guilt and embarrassment; stuff it all into the mind of a kid. It's a great deal to overcome. But he started to let go a bit."
"Just a bit?"
He nods, "Yeah he was at the stage of why didn't anyone figure this out before? Blaming everyone for how his life has turned out so far."
"Well he does have a point to a degree."
Bobby wags his finger at her, "You sound like Cheryl, no one forced him to runaway, no one forced him to break into stores than hit someone over the head, he did all that on his own."
"That's true but he was just acting out his hostility, not being mature enough to understand his feelings."
He smiles at her, "You're absolutely right, but he's not a kid anymore he's seventeen and he has to start to take responsibility for his actions. But he still plays the quilt card on his mother, like he did the other night, because he knows damn well that she is not going to kick him out."
"That night, the night I was with you at the house, Cheryl said something about every time he gets out of jail he's angrier. When was the last time he was in jail?"
"He went in after the ER staff discovered an ounce of heroin on him. They had to report it to the police. He's been out almost a year, but he is on probation until his eighteenth birthday."
Alex sits back in the seat, "If you didn't visit him that day in the hospital, I'll bet no one would have found the ripped up card on the floor."
"Maybe Cheryl," he shrugs his shoulders."
"You think she knew?"
"No," he shakes his head. "I don't think she did. I think she believed that Tony was not ready for another father figure in his life and that is why he behaved that way. But I do wonder sometimes, what he would be like now?" He says boastfully, "If I didn't interfere."
Alex smiles, "You have every right to be proud."
"He's come a long way since that day, he's messed up a bit but….he has been clean for over a year."
"Did you continue to visit him in jail?"
"Yeah," he smiles twirling the empty cup in his hands, "Every week, I never missed one."
"It's amazing and sad how many kids it happens to and they never say anything."
"They always know the right ones to select. Tony confided something to me on one of my visits." Bobby leans forward, speaking softly. "About a month or so before his tenth birthday he went to the after-school program as he was supposed to. He came upon George and another little boy," Alex covers her mouth as she says, "Oh my God."
Bobby nods his head as he continues; "Now even though he knew deep down that what George had done to him was wrong he felt betrayed. George told him that he wasn't a little boy anymore and that there were other little boys who needed him more. Needless to say he never went back, so his after-school activities were hanging out by himself and once in awhile with some low life characters."
"And Cheryl isn't worried because she thinks that he is going to the after-school program, meanwhile does he break up with her?"
"He called her less and less."
"Anything else?" the waiter asks.
Alex answers for both, "No thank you Scott, we're good, the check please."
"So," he says as he opens his wallet, she places her hand atop of his, "Hey my treat remember."
"I could leave the tip."
"No, put your money away."
He complies, "Ok, so what exciting things do you have planned for this weekend?" She sits back in the chair, as if a menu of things to do is streaming through her mind, "Jesus that busy, huh?" he retorts.
"My laundry," she bows her head, "I have to clean out my kitchen cabinets, last night I tried to find a bowl to store leftovers, it was if something or someone came along and messed up everything. That someone," she places her hand on her chest, "Me."
He smirks, "You're a great liar when it comes to perps but..."
"I'm serious."
"Come on, don't bull shit me."
"Well as a matter of fact I do have plans for the weekend," he interjects wagging his finger at her, "I knew it."
"Oh yeah a barbecue at my brother's house," she follows his lead and stands, "Hey," she grabs him by the elbow, "Why don't you join us."
"Thanks but," he shakes his head, "I don't think so."
"Come on it will be fun," she nudges him playfully. "The food is always good."
"Sunday? Nah I have to visit my Mom, I missed last week and…."
She opens the door for him, "Go earlier in the day we usually don't eat until after three," she links her arm in his. "Come on, say yes."
This time he nods his head, "Alright I'll come, thanks."
TBC
A/N: Next chapter coming very soon. If I didn't stop here the chapter would have been too long. Personally I don't like to read long chapters on the computer, makes my eyes hurt. So, I usually tend to print them out. Ok, that is a lot more information then you needed but…Anyway….Later….The Mominator.