Taking It All In (Arnold: Part 1)

"I wanted to tell you my real relationship with Anna Kato."

I listened to my son explain his relationship with this girl. Dr. Bliss had told Helga and me that it was just a close friend, nothing more. I wasn't expecting this. My boy, his first girlfriend, and all the suffering he went through alone. Didn't he know I was always here for him? Ever since the beginning…

"Okay Helga, you're good, everything's fine! Remember what the doctors said about your breathing!"

"Breathing?! BREATHING?! You're seriously talking about BREATHING!? I'm the one who has to deliver a f$%&*&$ football headed son of a b #%$! How did your mother SURVIVE!?" I guess I censor in my head.

We were in mercy hospital on the north side of Hillwood. We found out about the pregnancy about three weeks after our honeymoon was done. I wasn't mad about it or anything, I just, thought we'd have more time.

The prospect of delivering a football-headed baby wasn't the worst of it. The worst part was he was going to be a month and a half early.

"Mrs. Shortman, I'm Dr. Julian Carver. We're going to take this slow and easy alright?" The doctor asked calmly.

"Whatever you say doc, you're the expert!" Helga let out another large groan. I took her hand, and held it tight.

"Helga." I said her name as a way of reassurance. I knew she liked hearing me say her name. I don't know why, but it soothes her every time.

"Arnold." She looked at me with worried eyes. It was an expression I never got used to seeing, and it would always turn my stomach to see those fear filled blue eyes. "Make sure he's okay. Make sure."

"I will." I put my free hand on her head, and petted her golden hair.

"Okay Mrs. Shortman, we need you to push now!" The doctor called out.

I don't think I have ever seen such strength from a human being. The fortitude she showed was unbelievable. The courage alone was something to behold.

My only regret is that I gave her my left hand to hold. It took a couple of months, but the bones in my fractured writing hand eventually healed. But it was a small price to pay for the blessing we received.

I held my baby boy close to my chest. He looked so fragile and small, but so beautiful.

"Hey there. Hi little fella. Hey Sylvester." I looked at my beautiful baby boy with the greatest feeling of pride I had ever felt.

We choose the name Sylvester because it was the name of the last tenant of the boarding house before Grandma and Grandpa retired. When he passed away he left all of his savings in a bank account created for the college funds of our little baby. In return, I named him after him.

"He's so beautiful. So perfect." Helga whispered to me when she took him in her arms. "He has your eyes Arnold. Deep emerald."

Those eyes looked at me with pleading helplessness as my son told me of his true relationship.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Sylvester said after he confessed the fact that he loved this girl very much.

I stood up from my chair, kneeled down to his level, and hugged my son as tightly as I could.

"You know I'm always here for you. You know that, don't you?"

"I know Dad. I know." I could feel him beginning to tear up. I just held on, and let him have it out.

We stayed like that for a few minutes before walking out of the room.

"Now, no more secrets. If you have a problem, I want to help you, okay?" I told him.

"Alright, I promise."

"Good."

We walked down to the kitchen where Helga was cooking. And failing.

"Umm, Helga?" I said to my wife.

"AH!" Helga screamed, and when she did a lobster, which she was about to boil went flying through the air!

And, as with everything, it landed right on my face, knocking me down. Then the animal pinched my nose, and I experience such a pain that I have not felt since Helga broke my left hand.

"OWWWWWW! Get it off! GET IT OFF!" I screamed out as calmly as I possible could.

"Arnold!" Helga yelled out.

She then grabbed the lobster by the tail, and pulled with all her might.

"OWWWWWWWWW! Helga, please! Stop pulling you'll break off my nose!"

"Here mom, I have an idea!" I heard Sylvester say.

He and Helga disappeared for a moment, then came back, with the electric knife.

"Oh good God no!"

"Come on dad, don't you trust us?!" Sylvester asked.

"Not with an electric knife coming right at my face!"

"Okay, everyone just calm down! Football head, were not going to use the knife to cut, only to pry. You ready?"

"Uh-huh." I grunted.

They then stuck the blade in-between the pinchers. They then turned the blade, which created enough of a gap in the pinchers that allowed me to escape.

I stood up, and held my nose. It hurt a lot to hold it, but I didn't want to scare Brigitta with the sight of the blood.

"I think I need to go to the hospital." I told my wife.

"You think?! You kids stay here, we'll be back!" Helga told the kids as she led me to the door.

"Um, what should we do about this lobster?" Sylvester asked.

"Oh yeah, kick it outside or something, just don't let it pinch you!" Helga ordered.

We then walked out of the house, leaving the kids with an angry lobster.

Helga drove me to the hospital to be patched up, and given a few meds to help with the pain.

On the way back, Helga and I could finally talk.

"Where did the live lobsters come from?" I asked.

"Olga brought them down from her husband's fishing trip. It was too good a deal to pass up!"

"Yeah, but why were you cooking? I thought we agreed after that horrible Thanksgiving that you were never gonna cook again."

"Well, yeah, but I wanted to surprise you. Then you surprised me, and it's not my fault you and Sly have the softest shoes known to man football head!"

"Whatever you say Helga." I took a pause. "Hey, speaking of Sly, he told me something about that girl, Anna."

"His friend that was in that tsunami? What about her?"

"Well, they were more than just friends…" I was going to finish, but Helga brought the car to a sudden halt.

"What?!"

"Helga, it wasn't a big deal, they weren't that intimate or anything." I told her.

"Sly has a secret girlfriend that he doesn't tell us about, and it's not a big deal?! Arnold, I'm not mad that he had a girlfriend, I'm mad that he didn't tell us when she…" Helga stopped. She turned away from me, and looked out the window.

"Helga…"

"All by himself."

"What?"

"He suffered through that loss all on his own. We didn't know. He put up a front and we fell for it." Helga looked at me with that look that I couldn't bear to see. "Our little boy was suffering and we didn't help him. What a pair we are."

"Helga…"

"Don't say it's not true. I should've sensed something. Saw what was happening. But I didn't. I did nothing to help him."

"But you did help him. By being strong, by being there for him."

"They always go to you."

"Helga that's not…"

"Every vacation idea, every present list, every movie ticket, every time they need advice, they both go to you. You're the sweet caring father. Me on the other hand, I'm the strict mother, never letting my children have any luxury."

There was a pause.

"You're right."

Helga looked at me with surprised eyes.

"I do let them walk all over me too much, and you are too strict. Tell you what, let's make this a contest. You be the accommodating one, and I'll be the enforcer of the rules. The one who loses has to do all the laundry for a whole year!"

"I do it anyway!"

"Well there you go! You have nothing to lose, and something to gain!"

"When are we doing this?"

"We have the upcoming trip to the beach over the summer. We'll do it during the trip. First one to crack loses."

"Alright. You're on hair-boy. Get ready for a yearlong sorting of darks and brights!"

"You're on!"

I knew a competition was what Helga needed to lift her spirits. It always worked in the past, and this was no different. Now the only problem was, I was going to have to play the bad cop!

AN: I decided to rejoin this fic after reading other stories on this site. I hope you'll enjoy!