The Essence Of Time Chapter 4

[mystdogs]

The Essence Of Time

Chapter 4

Sarah smiled as she watched her two boys quickly make their way to the waiting car. She couldn’t believe it had been nearly six months since Maude had shown back up with Ezra. Of course she was less surprised that Maude hadn’t been in contact with them since that day. Ezra, to her surprise, didn’t seem to be affected by his mother’s absence. She couldn’t imagine ever being able to stay away from her son that long. She decided that tonight she and Chris would have a long discussion regarding Maude and her lack of maternal care.

“Mom, guess what I did at school today! It’s so cool, even Ezra says so. Right Ezra?”

“Certainly Adam.”

“Well darling why don’t you tell me all about it on the way home.” Sarah couldn’t help but notice Ezra’s rather subdued manner. Perhaps he was missing his mother after all. She decided that she would find some private time with him this afternoon so they could have a little talk. Settling the boys in the booster seats she couldn’t help but smile at their near identical looks. It had amazed her how many times she was asked if they were twins. Of course she could pull out the many differences between the boys, but understood at first glance just how much alike they both were. Coming out of her musings she quickly got into the car and headed home, all the while listening to the excited chatter of her little boy.

~~~~~~~~~~~7~~~~~~~~~~~

Buck relaxed back in the chair as he waited for Chris to come back downstairs. It wasn’t often that they could be relieved early from work and spend an afternoon off. He grinned when he heard the car pull into the drive. The grin quickly turned into a toothy smile as he heard the thumping footfalls racing up the steps. Any second now, he thought.

“UNCLE BUCK!” twin voices yelled out with excitement.

Buck felt his heart swell when he received a double hug. It was so great to feel that connection with Ezra. It had been a long road before Ezra would stop calling him Mister Buck and only in the last month he had been openly demonstrative with affection. Adam though he had no concerns about, the loving and happy child seemed to exemplify the feeling of being alive.

“Hey what about me?” The gruff voice called from the steps.

“DADDY”

“DAD”

Chris quickly found himself with an armload of Adam, while Ezra slipped his arms around him for a hug. Chris didn’t think he could be much happier than he was now.

“Daddy you’re home! How come? Are we going to do something? Is Uncle Buck having dinner with us tonight? Guess what I did at school today.”

“Hold on there son, slow down and take a breath. You’re Uncle Buck and I got to leave work early today and thought we’d take you boys riding.”

“REALLY?”

“Sure thing Pard! Why your daddy and I have it all planned out, but first I need a little partner to help me saddle up some horses. What you say you and Uncle Buck go get them ponies ready?”

Adam quickly squirmed his way out of his father’s arms and raced off for the door. “Come on Uncle Buck we got’s work to do!”

Chris smiled after his best friend and youngest son went flying out of the house. Buck was always a pretty perceptive person and must have picked up on Ezra’s disquiet. Although he had moments of normal behavior, Ezra always seemed so quiet and reserved compared to his brother. He had come out of his shell with Adam’s influence, but Chris figured he may always be that much calmer.

“Well son, you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

Ezra bit his bottom lip before raising tear filled eyes to his father. “Is my mother dead?”

“No Ezra, why would you think that?” Chris watched as the tears fell over reddened rims. He had wondered when Ezra would ask about Maude, but never considered that he might think she was dead. His eyes sought out Sarah’s in worry as he gathered his son in his arms and joined her on the couch.

“She’s never left me this long before and Timmy said I was a bastard and that father’s only wanted their bastard sons when their mommy’s die. I looked up bastard in the dictionary and it said a bastard is someone born to unmarried parents. Mother is unmarried, but you are married so that makes me a bastard, and if Timmy was right about me being a bastard than maybe is right about mother dying.”

Chris and Sarah could hardly believe what they were hearing. They just couldn’t believe that another child in the class had said such nasty things to their son.

“Oh honey, Timmy is so wrong. You’re mother is alive, even though we don’t know where she is at the moment, we have no doubt she will be back when she can.” Sarah was quick to reassure him.

“Son, I have loved you from the moment I knew you were coming into my life. There is nothing that can change how much I love and want you in my life.”

“I love you too Dad.”

“How about you and I see what kind of trouble your little brother and Uncle Buck has gotten into?”

~~~~~~~~~~~7~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah took advantage of the peace and quiet with all the boys out of the house. She immediately called the school regarding the incident between Ezra and Timmy. She had a teacher conference planned for tomorrow morning. It would mean leaving early to have enough time to talk with the teacher before the other kids started to arrive, but there was no way she would allow her son to be bullied.

Laying in bed next to her husband she finally decided to have the talk that has been bothering her for some time. “Chris?”

“Hmm”

“We need to talk.”

Uh oh, Chris thought. It was never a good talk when it started out with those four dreaded words. “What’s wrong honey?”

“Maude.”

“I know, but that woman disappears off the map like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s like she doesn’t exist. If it wasn’t for Ezra, I’d swear she was a figment of my imagination.”

“Yes well, regardless of her location, wherever that may be, what she is doing to Ezra is unforgivable. Chris I want us to petition for full custody of him. Maude can then visit him when she feels the need to be motherly. It’s just not fair to our son to not have a feeling of home, and he is my son too Chris. I may not have bore him, but he is every bit my child as Adam is. Those two boys should never be split apart. They are so happy together. God help me Chris, but I wish that woman would never come back. All she causes is chaos and pain.”

“You’re right honey, I’ll start the paperwork tomorrow.”

“Thank you Chris, I love you.”

Comments

[tpena19.livejournal.com]

I love how Adam and Ezra get along. I LOVE Uncle Buck!