"Deirfiúr." Walter said gently as he knocked on Megan's door.
"It's open Walter." Megan called out.
Walter opened the door and walked in. He saw Megan sitting in her chair with her music softly playing.
"We didn't really get to talk about your date today. How was it?" Walter asked as he stood at the door.
Megan smiled and gestured for him to come on in.
Walter stepped in and her door being slightly out of plumb slowly swung over and rested against the door jam.
"It was a pretty nice time. Billy was so scared though. He kept worrying he'd hurt me or I'd hurt myself. It would have been a lot better if he hadn't been so concerned but I guess too it is nice that he was consciously wanting to be sure not to hurt me." Megan told him.
"How was the expo?" Megan grinned.
Walter groaned. Dinner had been insufferable for him. After hearing nothing but farm talk for four hours at the event and then for their Dad to go on and on about it over dinner. He was pretty sure that was why the Dineens left early.
"I hope I never have to do that again to be honest. I mean some of it was pretty interesting. How they adapted technologies developed for farming into other industries. But they also showed how they adapted technologies of other industries into things that worked for farming. It was all really interesting. But to have to hear about it again through dinner was a bit much. I couldn't believe Happy got Dad to try a lease of a modern hay baler." Walter told her.
Megan shook her head.
"That's unreal. First she gets him to replace that old water pump and now he's going to lease a hay baler? Man, he'd never have done that if we suggested it." Megan said in shock.
"I know. I remember fighting with him for days on end about the condensation collector to help with droughts for our vegetable garden. I think I'd rather have to fight Thomas and Connor every day." Walter said ruefully.
Megan laughed.
"So, Billy, do you like him? Are you going to go out again?" Walter asked to get back to his sister and her date.
Megan smiled.
"I do like Billy. He's really sweet. I think so, he asked me to sit with him tomorrow at mass. And he wants to take me to lunch after." Megan smiled. "He's really sweet."
Walter nodded.
"Good, I like Billy. He was always quiet at school and didn't make waves. He's always kind, and seems to like helping people when he's passing by them. He even took Mrs Rayne home on that bike of his after she'd been shopping." Walter told her.
Sunday Morning:
"Walter." Ralph said from his SUV gesturing as Walter was about to walk into the church with Paige.
Walter swallowed hard and looked at Paige.
"Walter, he can't hurt you. It'll be okay." Paige promised him.
Walter nodded and gave her a quick peck and turned and walked back out to where Ralph stood.
Ralph smiled and climbed back into the SUV which made Walter even more nervous but he climbed in and closed the door.
"So, now we're finally on equal footing with what is going on." Ralph told him even as Walter looked around and didn't see any of the agents in the SUV, they were all outside.
"I-I, I'm really sorry Dad. I know I should have told you sooner." Walter swallowed.
"Walter, I can't really get mad at you over this. Don't misunderstand, I am not happy. But Veronica and I were about the same age when we began having sex. So for me to try and come off in some kind of indignation would be wrong." Ralph told him. "I'm glad you guys are taking proper precautions and listening to Paige's doctor. But tell me, is this why you went missing that day?" Ralph decided to test Walter.
"Kind of, but not exactly." Walter told him.
"What does that mean?" Ralph asked.
"Well, I didn't know what was going on with Paige. Only that she was avoiding me, and not talking to me when she couldn't avoid me. I know I lied to you about it being a math problem, but I couldn't betray Paige. As hurt as I felt, as much as I wanted to scream at her that it was her fault. I couldn't let anyone know, could let you blame her for what I did. It wasn't until that night after Dad hit me that Megan got Paige to open up about what was going on. I didn't understand why she couldn't just tell me. I thought she understood, I'd be beside her no matter what. I'd never let her face the consequences of our actions alone. I love her beyond words." Walter told him honestly.
Ralph nodded.
"I'm proud of you Walter, for being ready to be there for her. I'm going to let your Mom tell Sean about this but then I'm going to have a talk with him after. If he steps over the line with you Walter, I want to know about it, immediately. I don't care if it is three in the morning. Do you understand?" Ralph asked.
Walter nodded.
"Good man. Let's go join our ladies." Ralph told him as he opened the door. Ralph paused before stepping out.
"But, one last thing Walter. I can't stress this enough. You and Paige barely came through this. Despite all we've told you over and over again. If something were to happen, come to us and talk to us. If either of you had just done that, we could have sat you both down and helped resolve the pregnancy scare and you wouldn't have gotten stuck in the rabbit hole thing. Do you understand me?" Ralph asked.
"I do Dad but I didn't know that was what was wrong." Walter reiterated.
"That's exactly my point son. Paige wasn't talking to any of us. If you had come to us and explained what happened the first day we could have sat down as a family and gotten Paige to open up. As it is, you barely escaped. We were lucky, we might not be so lucky next time." Ralph told him as he gestured for him to follow him out of the car.
"I understand Dad, but I can't betray Paige. No matter the personal risk to me." Walter told him.
Ralph sighed as he realized he still couldn't get through to Walter.
Monday morning:
"Ralph?" Louise said shocked as she walked back up to the house and saw him climb out of his SUV. "Is everything okay?"
"Good morning Louise. I took the morning off so I could come over and make sure Sean was okay after you told him about the deal you and Veronica worked out with Paige." Ralph told her even as they both looked out to the east as they could just make out Sean ranting something.
"Well as you can tell, he isn't happy." Louise told him.
"Okay, I'm going to go speak with him." Ralph told her as he moved off.
Louise nodded and watched him walk away for a few and then sighed as she walked on into the house.
Ralph could see Sean stomping around and he shook his head.
"Sean." Ralph finally called out as he waved.
Sean paused and looked out and saw Ralph waving. He sighed and waved back.
"Sounds like you are a bit upset." Ralph grinned as he got closer.
"How can you be so calm about this?" Sean demanded.
"Because I don't want to be a hypocrite Sean." Ralph told him after they shook hands.
Sean looked at him for a minute.
"Is that what you are saying I'm being?" Sean demanded.
Ralph chuckled.
"Yes and no, Louise told Paige and Veronica about your own relationship Saturday when they discussed what the kids have been doing." Ralph nodded.
"See, you agree with me, they are just kids and shouldn't be doing this." Sean pointed.
"Sean, they'll be kids to me when they both are sixty three years old. What's really the problem?" Ralph asked as he turned and sat on the small rock wall.
"They shouldn't be doing this. Paige could end up pregnant." Sean spit.
"And what? You think we'd all just abandon Paige if she did?" Ralph asked.
"What? No, of course not. But they don't need that responsibility yet. We don't need that responsibility either." Sean told him.
Ralph frowned.
"You know the four of us are still young enough that our wives could get pregnant again, right? Are you and Louise using contraception to keep that from happening?" Ralph asked.
Sean blushed.
"That's not really your business or the point." Sean brushed it off.
"If we're going to be the adults in this, then it is part of the point and in this context it is partly my business. Or are you just saying you don't want to have to help the kids if they give us a grandchild?" Ralph asked.
"I don't shirk my responsibilities." Sean huffed.
"So you think I would? Or that Walter and Paige would?" Ralph looked at him.
"Now why would you think that?" Sean looked puzzled.
"Because, you make it sound like Paige getting pregnant is this horrible thing. I'm not saying I'd be happy about it Sean, but it wouldn't be the worst thing. Plus they are at least taking proper precautions and doing what her doctor has told them." Ralph told him.
"Aye, that is another thing. Walter nearly lost himself that day because of it. How would that have been if she had been pregnant and Walter was lost?" Sean looked at him.
"That would be a very horrible event Sean. But at least now, we're all together on this. We can move forward, supporting and guiding our kids. And isn't that better than them just sneaking off into the field to do it in secret?" Ralph looked out over the field while trying not to think of them, maybe having done it right there.
"Well no, I'll give you that. But we could just put our foot down and stop it." Sean told him.
"How? By refusing to let them see each other? Punishing them? Even if we had waited until we were married, do you think any of that would do any good? Would it be a good thing? Or just give us some false sense of peace? Veronica's Father was a horrible man. He tried to make our lives hell in those ways. All he succeeded in doing was drive Veronica away from him. It also caused his divorce with Veronica's Mother. She wanted her daughter in her life, she wanted any children we had to be in her life. Since he wouldn't back down, she left him. He's never met his granddaughter. Is that what you want?" Ralph asked.
Sean sighed.
"No, of course I don't. And yes, it might make me seem like a hypocrite, but damn it. We're supposed to do better for our kids. And letting them do this and possibly get saddled with a kid before they have even graduated high school. You'd have to pull Paige out of school, what about her dreams of college?" Sean sighed as he sat down on the wall.
"She could still go to college. I've tried and tried to get Walter to agree to college but he's just so damn stubborn. Like you." Ralph smiled. "He's already promised he'd take on the responsibility of caring for any child they have so she could get her college degree. Is there some reason to think he wouldn't?"
Sean sighed again.
"I love my boy Ralph, but that, I don't know if I have the faith he could do it. He's worlds different from before he met Paige, but…people and their feelings are a complete mystery to him. Can you really see him trying to care for a baby? He'd become so frustrated. Babies are not logical, they don't have a pattern, except not to have a pattern." Sean told him softly.
"So you are more worried about Walter being a Dad then?" Ralph asked.
"Aren't you?" Sean looked at him.
Ralph shook his head.
"Walter has a greater heart than what you know of him, Sean. He's got a fierce love and devotion that will transcend anything else about him, even his IQ. I saw that the day I walked into his ER room and saw him lying in the bed like something the cat wouldn't trouble with." Ralph smiled.
Sean chuckled.
"Aye, that he did. How can you be so at peace with this?" Sean looked up at him.
"Sean, all I can say is, I've felt a connection with Walter since that first chess game. Watching how he held Paige's hand the entire time we played. Seeing how he has stepped up against anyone who was opposite of Paige. Whether it was Thomas and Conner, a reporter, the sons of other dignitaries at the Embassy events. He also has it for Happy and Megan. And I am sure he has it for the four of us. But only as long as we're not against Paige. We'll lose then." Ralph smiled.
Sean chuckled again as he nodded.
"Aye, that we would. Even when he stood against me wanting to send him to America. I'm not proud of it, but I hit him with everything in me and it only put him on a knee. It didn't change anything for him. If it hadn't been for Megan breaking down and crying he'd have just left us I'm sure. I remember watching the news of them interviewing Walter at the championship with Paige. And the love that was clearly present between the two of them even then. It was glorious to be honest. I never in a million years would have believed he'd have found his other half. But I pointed at the set and said there she is, standing proudly beside him." Sean sighed.
"Sean, I know this goes against the church teachings, and it is hard to accept as Fathers. But we've got to accept it and do all we can to ensure that if they are doing it that they do it responsibly. I have no doubt that Walter will make a great Father and that he and Paige will stand together no matter what. We've just got to do our part and make sure that nothing happens to stop their communications. It is clear to me that if it breaks down between them, then bad things can result in it. So I'm going to beg you, put these negative thoughts about them having sex aside. Support them so that if something happens to break their communications they will turn to one of us to help them. I love Walter like a son and I don't want him going into that rabbit hole again." Ralph told him as he held out his hand.
Sean slowly nodded and then shook his hand.
"I'll do my best to temper my feelings over it and support them. I don't want Walter going back into that hole either. And I don't want my daughter to feel I am not supporting her." Sean told him.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!
Railman - Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it, hope this talk works too! hehe
Pearliegirl - Noted. Feel free to contact me on Twitter and if I need one I can exchange emails with you.
LouBe - Glad you enjoyed them! Poor Sylvester. Well, I can't spoil anything, but it will be a few chapters and quite some time before we hear from him again sadly. Just how the story is going.
Susan - Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it! Hope this new conversation was acceptable too!
Margaret - Yes, Happy took Walter's declaration of Scorpion and the Cyclone very seriously indeed! Well as one might expect Sean didn't take things too well at all...but it looks like Ralph helped him through it. Time will tell. lol
To the Adventure! -Tim