Chapter Nine: Exterminator in the Forest
A/N: This is the last chapter I have pre-written, aside from a much later chapter, so Ill now be writing the follwing chapters to connect them, so may not got posted as quickly.
Walter couldn't deny that he still was finding himself distracted by Paige's presence, but he had to admit that as the day was going on, he was finding it easier to fall into a steady ease with her. Like they were speaking their own secret language in silence, with stolen glances, and hidden smiles, thenoccasional covert touch. The overwhelming sense of happiness however would not leave, and he was thankful for that.
Happy had finished his new hand device, and was testing it out, everyone gathered around as she ceremoniously removed the screws to disassemble the offending one currently taking up residence on his hand. The relief was instant as she finished pulling his hand free.
"Okay, yup. That is good. Great. Okay. We can just leave it like this. Good work." Walter shot out, attempting to walk away as he flexed his fingers, their first movement in weeks.
Paige gleefully pursed her lips, and grabbed onto the back of his shirt pulling him back to Happy's station.
"Woah, woah, woah. Not so fast Forrest, no running." Try as he may, his eye roll and exasperated sigh were just for show, he was was actually longing for her to stop him. "We had a deal and Happy has been working all day to make this work for you. Now, suck it up, and let her do her thing, Nerd." He flashed her an unamused smile, but she could see through him.
"Okay, okay, okay. I get it. You are all, clearly, not going to drop it. Let's just…get this over with." He held out his hand to Happy begrudgingly, everyone with various expressions of entertainment on their faces watching the exchange.
"Don't be such a baby, Walt. A second grader could make anything better than this hunk of garbage you've been sporting for weeks. And I'm a lot better than a second grader." Happy chided as she began fitting his hand with what, on the outside, looked just like a glove.
"It definitely looks less…Terminator." Toby added. Walter was still musing on why Paige had called him a forest, he had no idea what a terminator was. An exterminator? And what did that have to do with his new contraption?
As Happy finalized the last few pieces, securing the device with screws around his wrist, she looked up with an accomplished grin.
"There you go boss. You are officially in compliance with the waitress' demands." He smirked as she turned slowly to him with a raised eyebrow and a grin.
"I guess my new business plan is working." The myrth in her words, and the sparkle in her eye had him biting his lip.
"Yes, it would certainly appear that you are having great success in your recent new endeavors." The way her face crinkled, lips tightened, lip snuck out just a bit, her eyes squinted at him playfully.
"Alright, alright. Let's see how it works, son." He was both thankful and disappointed by Cabe intersecting.
"Alright Walt, there are metal plates that will hold the fingers into proper positioning, however, in order to allow mobility, it does have jointed brackets, which allows too much dexterity according to the Doc. So, we installed electrodes built in to the joints, that will uh, electrocute, you if you try to move your fingers beyond what Toby has determined to a safe angle."
"Wait, what?" / "Electrocute him?" Walter and Paige both turned worried expressions to Happy, who was smiling devilishly.
"I mean, he won't die, but he'll definitely think twice the next time." She was very proud of herself, while Sylvester was slowly backing away from the workstation, and Cabe was pinching the bridge of his nose. Walter tried, anxiously, to pull the glove off as Paige grabbed his wrist trying to assist him. "Also, it's locked on with a specialty screw that only I can remove. We figured you'd try to take it off."
"This is insane. You can not electrocute Walter! Happy, remove it right now!" Paige demanded.
"Well, I can do that, but, per Doc's orders, you'll have to put…" She held up the now removed metal cage. "...this back on. Your choice."
"You people are impossible." Walter grumbled, walking away. He watched from afar as Paige stayed, scolding Happy and Toby. She was angry. By the looks of it very angry, and they were certainly receiving a piece of her mind. Arms were flailing, voices were harsh, but atill to quiet for him to make out ghd words beyond hearing his name a few times.
But then…her shoulders relaxed. She exhaled. She nodded. What did that mean?
He was nervous to test out his new device, needed to know the parameters to avoid electrocution, but also, not wanting to converse with Happy about it right now. For now, he'd just keep his hand very, very still. Shock would be an inappropriate word given the circumstance, but he was shocked they would do this. How could Toby, a doctor, allow him to be electrocuted.
Paige approached his desk, coming to sit on its edge right next to him, making him abandon his nerves about the hand and redirect them to her being so blatantly close to him, sitting on his desk. Wearing a mini skirt.
Oh boy.
"I talked to Happy. You can move your fingers at the…" He smiled as she tried her best to remember and properly articulate the words Happy and Toby relayed. "...metacarpal-phalangeal joints. But, the…" She briefed a glance back at Toby who was mouthing the words to her to remember. He found it very endearing. "...distal and proximal inter-pha-lan-geal joints can't move beyond a fifteen degree angle." She looked back at Happy and Toby again, Toby giving her a thumbs up and Happy giving her a smile of pride and amusement. "Why am I the one saying this? I don't even know what I just said! You nerds are ridiculous!" Happy just shrugged innocently. Paige turned back to Walter, taking his gloved hand in hers, without any regard to the others in the room. "Walt, it's going to be okay. I promise. Everything is going to be okay." He knew she meant it, but didn't change the fact that it was his hand.
"Easy to say when you're not the one that's going to be electrocuted." He was being curt. He knew it. But he wanted a better solution.
"Do you trust me, Walter?" Her voice was quiet, pleading.
"With my life." He didn't hesitate. There was no other answer.
"Then trust me now, okay?" He slowly nodded as she stroked his gloved hand. He was at least thankful that he could feel her hand. "I promise you, just keep your hand movement minimal and everything is going to be fine. If you don't trust Happy or Toby, fine, but trust me." Her eyes were boring holes into his soul.
"I trust you implicitly."
"Then you trust me that I will keep you safe, and I will trust you to keep that phal-ange-a-something movement free." She gave him a bright, cheery smile as she patted his hand.
"For you, that's a deal. But on one condition." She rose her eyebrow inquisitively, but did not speak. "Can you, uh, tell me why you referred to me as a forest? And why Toby was speaking of an exterminator. I am very confused by these references." She laughed. The siren's call.
"Oh Walter." Lowering her voice, as to not be heard by the many eavesdroppers, she continued. "Tell you what, we can have a movie night for our next date, and I'll show you all about the forest and the uh, exterminator." Her giggle had no attempt to be hidden, and he loved it. She gave him a wink as she hopped up from the desk, sauntering back to her desk, giving him quite the view of her exceptionally long legs as she went.
Within a few minutes everyone was back to work, Paige working on their new invoice system, the others doing genius things. Cabe, trying, with a lot of audible cursing, to figure out how to send the case studies Paige gave him to Director Melina via email, completely lost by the technology.
"Hey Paige, are you going to be doing a supply order soon? I'm running low on some items." Happy spoke up, breaking Paige's focus, and thus the concentrated furrow of her brow he loved to watch so much.
"Hmm? Oh. Uh, yeah. I can place an order." She grabbed her notepad, and one of the infinite pens from her desk, making him smirk. "What do you need?"
"I'll write down the nuts and bolt sizes for you. Then some soldering wire. Some more of the copper wire you got last time, but if they have a longer roll, get that."
"Oh sure, if they don't, would multiple rolls suffice?" He enjoyed just watching the normal day to day of the office.
"Yeah, that's fine. A few other things, but they're specific. I'll write a list."
"Great. Does anyone else need anything?"
"Well, I only have six bottles of hand sanitizer left…" Sylvester jumped right in, making her laugh.
"Not to worry, Sly, I have that as my number one priority on every order."
"Well, in that case, I could use some more notepads if you would be so kind. Thank you, Paige."
"Sure thing, Sly. Toby?"
"Some white board markers. The ones we have are getting older than Cabe." Cabe's sigh and glare just added to the smiles on Paige and Walter's faces.
"Okay, white board markers. Got it. Walter, you need anything?" She took a large swig of her water, he was really enjoying how she kept teeing him up for these perfect moments.
"I think we are very low on pens. Can never have enough pens. In fact, I seem to have lost mine today already." And now her desk was covered in the water, and everyone was staring at her. But she only had eyes for him.
Eyes of steely ice.
Oh boy.
Toby leaned over to Sylvester, saying "I feel like we're missing something." Sly just nodded in response, watching the stare down taking place just a few feet away from him. "Well, I for one am going to figure out what."
"Not a problem Walter. I'll be sure to get fifty-two of them. For maximum efficiency." She leered back through gritted teeth as she haphazardly tried to soak up the water.
He knew he would pay for this later and was so looking forward to it.
"I do love efficiency." He got up from his chair, walking, cautiously to her desk. "Mind if I borrow one of yours? looks like you have about twenty-nine of them."
Oh yeah, she was going to kill him. The look she was throwing at him made him slightly nervous that she had the company credit card and could order a whole truckload of pens. She handed him a pen, but first waved it at him like a weapon.
He should probably grab chocolates to go with the flowers.
Breaking the tension, Sylvesters voice broke through.
"Uh, Walter, since there's no case and it's nearing the end of the day, if it's alright I'm going to head out so I can spend some time with Megan and introduce her to the VR program so she has some time to use it before she gets too tired. Unless there's something you need from me here?"
"No, of course. Have a great time. Give her my love." He could sense Paige's expression soften, even if it had been playful tension, it was still much nicer to see her happy face.
"Thank you Walter, and I will." He stood to gather his things.
"I'll give you a lift, kid. I think if I read one more case file, my eyes will cross permanently." Cabe added, standing and packing his briefcase.
"Thanks, Cabe. That would be great." Grabbing the last of his things, he headed toward the door with Cabe, before turning back to the room. "Thank you, everyone, for being a part of making this virtual reality an actual reality. It really means so much to me." His smile was so full of love and appreciation as he made sure to make eye contact with every member of the team, who had all given some assistance to him throughout the day in completing the project.
"Go take that girl on an adventure, Sly." Paige smiled at him, as she encouraged him, giving him the same look of love and adoration. Walter surmised she was proud of him for what he was doing for Megan, but also, for allowing his heart to be open to loving Megan.
Walter smiled. Paige had changed Walter from the inside out, since the moment he had first laid eyes on her, he knew that, but seeing the changes in his team was less obvious to him. He watched as Toby sounded a comment about doing a great thing, and it also being a way for Sylvester to have those adventures without the fear of actually going on them, showing empathy, compassion, and no snarkiness, no sarcasm. Just honest truth and love. Before Paige, seeing that was a rarity if he'd seen it at all. He supposed he'd perhaps seen it, but like Walter himself, any real emotion would be quickly disguised, with Toby by using humor, or gambling. Then he watched as Happy gave Sylvester a very Happy-esque hug, but a hug all the same, whispering "she's going to love it." A year ago, Happy would have just ignored his existence, or possibly throat punched him if he even approached her with a hug, but she was the one to initiate it which made it all the stranger.
They were all changing.
They were embracing life, embracing love, becoming a little more human. He would probably never understand how she did it, aside from his go to of sorcery, but she was doing it. And they were better for it.
"Why don't we all call it a day, take an early afternoon. There's nothing going on anyway." Walter suggested to the group as Sylvester and Cabe walked out the door. Only an hour and fifteen minutes until the work day was over anyway. It was late enough that it wouldn't be suspicious, but early enough that it would still be a nice treat.
"Sweet. Don't have to tell me twice. Thanks boss." Happy quickly gathered up her things in a rush.
"What's up, Walt? Got a hot date or something?" Toby inquired, suggestively, causing Paige to look up, trying to mask her panic with feigned jealousy.
"Yes, actually." Paige's eyes were as wide as saucers, and Toby launched himself from his chair to rush to Walter's desk. Happy stopped packing her bag to look on, but didn't speak.
"Oh?" Toby asked suggestively, encouraging further information. Walter looked up at him, a tinge of annoyance,
"Yeah…" he held up his gloved hand. "...apparently with electrocution." He could hear Paige release her breath in relief from across room. Happy smirked and continued cleaning up her station to leave, pausing to walk over what Walter assumed was the promised list of parts she needed to Paige.
It was the truth, but also intentional avoidance of truth.
"Very funny Walter." Toby wiggled his finger at Walter. "I'm onto you 197. I know you're up to something." Walter just gave him a glare that ended the subject. "Alright, alright." Toby held his hands up in defense as he walked back to his desk, packing his briefcase. "But when you're ready, I'm all ears pal. And remember, minimal movement of that hand!"
"Yes, doctor. You have both ensured that fact, thank you so very much." The dry sarcasm laced in hid words was abundantly clear.
As Toby headed toward the door, he stopped "Paige, I know you're dedicated, but a free afternoon is a free afternoon."
Paige looked up at him sweetly.
"Oh, I know. I just want to get this order in, and besides, with Ralph away, nothing to really rush home to besides the reminder that my baby boy is 3000 miles away from me, for the first time ever."
She was missing Ralph. He could see the longing and pain in her eyes, and the way she was trying to distract herself by flipping through the supply company's catalog.
She had been on the phone with him earlier in the day, he had been listening to her side of the call, in which she had asked him a million questions, and then gave him encouraging remarks to his responses, like "it takes time", "I know it's not the same" and the one that had panged Walter's chest, "He loves you Ralph, he just doesn't understand. Just try to enjoy the rest of your time." He hated knowing that he was not having an enjoyable time in Maine, and that all that Walter had done to help Drew connect with Ralph still wasn't enough for Drew to actually connect with him, try to understand him. Ralph deserved so much more than that. He could tell that the tone of the conversation shifted to excitement when Paige began telling him about how great it was with the team being back together, telling him about how everyone was. How they'd had a cool case involving satellites, leaving out the part where her life has been at risk, and then telling him how yes, Walter was really back, and he was really okay, stealing glimpses and throwing smiles his way as she spoke into the phone, and then explaining how Happy was making him a new cast for his hand that didnt look like it was used for rotisserie chicken, and finally then assuring the boy that Walter definitely missed him too and was excited to see him, giving her an opportunity to explain away why they would both need to go to the airport together tomorrow. She had yelled over, phone still to her ear, "Walter, Ralph is very anxious to see you. His flight lands tomorrow at three o'clock. Assuming we don't have a case, he would like to know if you would want to come with me to pick him up?" His simple response had made her silently chuckle to herself. "Of course, that is an exceptional plan. With your permission, I'll even take him to dinner after so he can tell me all about how cold and wet Maine is." Everyone knew of his bond with Ralph, and everyone knew how Walter hadn't allowed anyone but Cabe to visit him while he was in the medical rehab center, so they wouldn't think twice about him wanting to see Ralph. Truth be told, he was beyond excited to see him. He had missed him terribly. That night when Paige had quit, and he thought he would lose them both, was one of the most harrowing moments he could remember. He knew things between he and Paige had always been complicated but his love for Ralph was pure, unadulterated. The idea of losing him hurt in a much different way. Seeing him again as he was laid on the gurney at the cliff, it had been better than morphine. He couldn't wait to see him again, to hear about how his summer had been going, even about Maine, knowing he wasn't staying there. He was excited to tell him about him and Paige of course, but more than that, he was just excited to spend time with him again.
Toby broke him from his memory and excitement, shifting his attention back to him and Paige.
"I bet. Well, one more day and boy cub will be home and back in his mama bear's loving arms. I know you probably don't feel it right now, especially knowing Ralph isn't having a great time with Drew, but I think it's great that you had him do this trip, even if it didn't go as hoped. I think it was the right move for boy genius, for Drew, and for you, and took a lot of guts." Toby said reassuringly, giving her upper shoulder blade a quick rub in an act of comfort.
He could tell that tears were welling in her eyes that she was trying to blink away and wanted to do something, but he didn't know what, or how.
"Thank you, Toby. I appreciate you saying that." She meant it.
Another bond she had formed here. Toby was her friend. He was comforting his friend.
"Alright, you guys try to enjoy your night." Toby tipped his fedora toward both Walter and Paige before walking toward Happy. "Can I walk you out?"
"Uh, sure. Goodnight guys." Happy agreed, as the two made their way to the door, Walter and Paige each tossing out a 'night' as they went.
And then there were two.
"Are you okay, Paige? I know with Ralph, it can't be easy." Walter spoke softly, still seated at his desk, not wanting to push too hard if she didn't want to talk.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just missing him. It would have been easier if he were enjoying himself. But I guess I have to resign myself to the fact that Drew is just not ready for that level of relationship with Ralph, maybe he never will, who knows. Just makes me sad." She continued to leaf through the catalog as she spoke, but did meet his eyes several times, trying to keep the conversation casual.
"Sad because Ralph doesn't want to be there?" Walter wanted to understand, but didn't want to upset her further.
"I mean, that too, but no. Sad that Ralph is this incredible, brave, smart, kind, funny person. He has so much to offer the world, and Drew can't see past his own insecurities surrounding Ralph being mentally enabled, that he just can't, or won't, see the rest of it. Just, makes me sad for him. Dad's are suppose to be amazing heroes to their children, not someone that brings them pain." She had locked eyes with him, knowing that Walter's own father had done the same with him, but the way she spoke, he again felt there was something untold of her own father.
"I understand. I'm sorry that Drew didn't live up to the expectation. Ralph is special, and he does deserve for his father to see that. I really am sorry, Paige. Regardless of my personal feelings toward Drew, I never wanted Ralph to get hurt, to feel what I have felt from my own father." He had quietly risen from his seat, coming to lean against the edge of her desk as he spoke.
"I know." She had grabbed his hands, full of feelings of pain for her son, but appreciation for him. They sat there quietly for a moment. Walter wanted to ask her about her father, but was trying to come up with the best way to do so when she spoke again. "Have I ever told you that Ralph is named after my father?"
Ralph was certainly not a typical name of this generation, so he had long ago assumed it was likely a family name.
"Uh, no, no you didn't." He met her gaze. "You, uh, have never really spoken of him. Your dad, that is."
"Well, around here it didn't seem right to, but also, it's just not something I find easy to discuss."
"I don't understand."
"Well, you all have let's just say complicated relationships at best with your fathers. You and your father haven't spoken directly in over a year, and when you do, you require Megan to translate. Sylvester hasn't seen or spoken to his father in over a decade. Toby's father is a gambling addict that thinks Toby, despite all the amazing things he's done, is a failure, and he only calls on major holidays. Happy's father abandoned her as a toddler. Cabe's father died when he was a little boy. Even Ralph, and the trainwreck that is Drew." He was seeing the pattern she was presenting.
"We all have little to no father relationships." Facts.
"Exactly."
"I'm still not understanding."
"Well, I wasn't like you guys. I had a great relationship with my dad. The best. He was my hero. He was everything to me. He never missed a soccer game, or a chorus concert, he put me before everything in his life. He raised me alone as a single father, and gave me everything I could ever need and then some. Made sure I had every opportunity possible, and gave me more love than I knew what to do with. I could always count on him. I could go to him with any problem, with a broken heart, with excitement, and he would be there to listen to it all and help me through it, to celebrate, to just be a shoulder to cry on… or pay for the damages to Tammy McKellers car…" Her whimsical, guilty, but humorous expression made him smile, but also raise an inquisitive brow. "She told the whole school I slept with Todd Walker, who was her boyfriend at the time. I didn't. But she was an awful human being. So, I sort of, well, I sort of keyed her car." He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. That was definitely not the Paige he knew. Walter gave as close to an understanding nod as he could, still envisioning Paige in such a vengeful state. "I was pretty dumb, and really messed up her car. The principal called my dad, and I thought for sure he was going to ground me for life, kill me, sell me to the lowest bidder, anything. But instead he said Paigey, don't ever let someone spread lies about who you are. You may have done the wrong thing, but I'm glad you stood up for yourself. I didn't so much as have television taken away. Nothing." Her eyes were misty, a mix of sadness and joy, swirling together in her collection of memories. He wanted to speak, but he was content to just listen to her regale him with her tales of what sounded to him like the male version of Paige herself. "I mean, he would work a 14 hour day as a laborer, and still come home every night and make a homemade meal, teach me how to cook, and take the time to hear about all of my stupid junior high girl trouble. He just, was everything a dad should be, Walter. I never once in my entire childhood looked out into the crowd and had to question if he would be there. He always was, without fail. Front row. Biggest, proudest smile, even when I tried and failed miserably at playing the clarinet. It sounded like a dying goose was being water tortured and electrocuted. I was so awful." They both laughed at her memory. "But still, every day he was there helping me practice, and when that concert came, he was there in his front row seat, as proud as ever as everyone else covered their ears." She was holding his hand, and he ruined circles into her knuckles as she spoke. "Right up until I was in college, every single year for Christmas, he would go all out, the tree, the decorations, stringing popcorn and cranberries, the works. Even long after I stopped believing in Santa, he refused to say he didn't exist. He said you could be a believer, or a making believers, either you believe in the magic, or you help create the magic. And so, every Christmas Eve, he and I would bake cookies for Santa, decorating them, and he would, even at 18 years old, make sure I left the cookies, milk and carrots out. He'd give me a handful of oats and make me sprinkle them in the front yard to lure the reindeer, and then he would read me Twas the Night Before Christmas, and tuck me in. Not long after, I would hear jingle bells outside the house. Even knowing it was him, I would wait up to hear it, like it wasn't really Christmas until I did. When I woke up, the cookies were eaten, the milk empty, and the carrots gnawed on, and there would be trails of flour on the floor coming from the fireplace, with boot prints in them. Gifts under the tree, all from Santa. Every single year without fail. I guess that's why I try to make the holidays special for Ralph." He rubbed her hand, and stared at her so deeply as she spoke, showing him into this part of her that she didn't show anyone. "Anyway, that's why I don't talk about him here, it just feels unfair to all of you who have never had that. And because Ralph never had that, and because missing that, missing him makes me so heartbroken, it's just easier to bottle it up and keep it locked away. Easier not to feel it." Boy did he understand that logic. Maybe they weren't so different after all. "And it breaks my heart that I failed Ralph in giving him that father." She had tears silently falling down her cheeks as she spoke of missing her father. It broke his heart.
"He may not have that in his father, Paige, but he does have that in his mother." She choked back a sob, and for a moment he worried he had said something wrong. "It sounds like your dad instilled in you everything that you are now for Ralph, and what you in turn, are instilling in Ralph. Kindness. Loyalty. Empathy. Pride. Family. Love. Magic." She smiled as she leaned into him, seeking comfort in his arms. He rubbed at her back, and stroked her hair. "Can I ask what happened to him?"
She wiped at her eyes, trying to compose herself. It was as though he could see her putting on her wall of indifference, her armor. He braced himself.
"He died. Brain aneurysm, my freshman year of college. I, uh, hadn't spoken to him in a few days." She wasn't making eye contact, rather looking off into the distance, her gaze distant, as though she were back in that very moment she spoke of. "He had tried to call me a couple times, but I blew him off. I had been so caught up in mid terms and friends, and stupid college parties. I knew I'd call him later. But when I tried, there was no answer. That weekend, I went home, not even to see him, but to do what all college kids do, raid his kitchen and use his free laundry machines." He was starting to see where this was headed and his chest tightened as she choked out a sob, quickly covering her mouth. "I found him there on the kitchen floor. He, uh, was putting together a care package for me. All my favorite things just scattered all over the floor from when he must have dropped the box." The pain on her eyes was unlike anything he had ever seen before. He had seen Paige upset, angry, hurt, scared, sad, but nothing that resembled this. He hadn't seen this on anyone before. He didn't know how to process it. "The police said that he had been dead for a few days, likely right after that last time he tried calling me. Maybe if I had answered." She was breathing so rigidly, and her body was so tense, filled with pain and hostility toward herself. Rationally, he thought, that she must know that with an aneurysm, there would have been nothing she could have done. There's a reason they're referred to as ticking time bombs. Especially if he hadn't known he had one. But, this, what she was experiencing wasn't rational. "But I couldn't be bothered to answer. And so, instead, he died. Just died, alone, all alone on the kitchen floor, trying to do something special for me. He was there for me for everything, gave up everything for me, and when he needed me, I wasn't there for him. He died alone, never knowing just how important he was, how special." Her body was shaking with sobs, and he had no idea how to comfort her.
"I'm so sorry Paige." He really had no idea what to do, or say, or think. He held her close, rubbing her back, her hair, kissing her head. Tears springing to his own eyes. He could tell her it wasn't her fault, but it wouldn't change her guilt. He could tell her that if the rules were changed and it were her and Ralph, would she hold it against Ralph for not answering, or not being there, would she know how much she meant to him, but he knew she knew the logical arguments.
After several long minutes, she wiped away at her face, straightening up, composing herself. Her eyes bright red, puffy, her cheeks stained with tears.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall apart on you." She apologized through red rimmed eyes, avoiding his gaze. Before he could hasten a reply, she continued. "Anyway, I met Drew a couple months later when I went back to school. Honestly, I dated him as a distraction, never letting myself think too much of it. But then, after only dating for 2 months, I found out I was pregnant and my entire life changed. When the doctor told me the baby was a boy, I knew it was my dad looking down on me, giving me a little piece of him. So, that's why Ralph is Ralph. Ralph Benjamin Dineen the second." She smiled at the memory, and that gave him some relief. He couldn't begin to imagine the pain and the guilt she carried every day.
"I only know of your dad by what you have said, but I do know Ralph, and from what I can tell, he has certainly lived up to his namesake's legacy. Your father sounds like a great man, Paige. I'm sure that he would be very proud of the daughter he raised, and the grandson she raised. And I only speak facts." He was winging it. He was being sincere, honest, but he had no clue what the right thing to say was in this situation.
"Thank you, Walter. I wish you could have met him. He would have found you to be quite fascinating." She chuckled, lightening the mood a bit.
"I hope that's a good thing."
"Absolutely." She smiled, hugging him close again.
"Is your mom also passed on? You don't speak of her either." He was pushing, he knew it. Especially when he felt her body turn rigid.
"Uh no, she's alive. At least I think she is." She was becoming uncomfortable, squirrelly, pulling out of his arms and going back to the catalog. He had pushed too far.
"I'm sorry, Paige, I didn't mean to upset you." Damage control.
"No, it's okay you don't have anything to apologize for. I'm sorry, Walter. I just don't have anything positive to say about my mother, and it's taken me a long time to pack up those bad thoughts and put them away to keep them from consuming me. I guess that's just a subject I'm not ready to open yet." She was calm in her words, but her eyes held pain, and pleading, seeking safety and refuge in him.
"Say no more. I understand." He lifted her hand to place a kiss on it.
She leaned in, returning to her tight embrace in his arms.
"Thank you." When he looked down at her in question, she continued. "For listening, for understanding, for asking about my dad, it's nice to be able to share him with you, for what you said about my being him for Ralph, for understanding what Ralph is going through, and for being there for him as well as me. Just, thank you for being you."
"I will always be here for both of you. No matter what. I'm glad you told me about your father. I'd love to hear more about him. And I mean it. You're a great mom, Paige. Ralph is lucky to have you. So am I." She smiled as she leaned in, softly kissing his lips.
After several minutes, she pulled back. "Well, I should get going. Get ready for our date." She smiled excitedly at the word date and he watched her with what could only be described as a giddy smile of his own.
"I will pick you up as promised."