Chapter Twenty Eight:

They never got around to discussing what was up with Matthew being in trouble, and Bo couldn’t get it off his mind. Nora had ended up spending the rest of Bo’s hospital stay working until late at night. Larry sent Bo home at the end of the week as he had promised. The shooter was in custody but wasn’t talking, and no one knew who he was. All the identification he’d had on him was fake and when they ran his fingerprints they came up empty.

Bo and Nora’s house…

They’re finally alone and Bo has decided this is as good a time as any for them to discuss Matthew.

“So what was up with Matthew thinking he was in trouble again the other day at the hospital?”

“Oh, he’d gotten into some trouble at school, minor stuff really. I don’t want you worrying about it, I handled it already”

“I want to worry about it, Nora. He’s my son too.”

She looked up at him.

“I know he’s your son!”

“You don’t have to handle things on your own when it comes to Matthew.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that I’ve been doing it on my own for so long. (she notices the look on his face, she reaches out and touches his face) I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this sooner.”

“I just want to be involved in every aspect of his life. I don’t want you to think you have to deal with him by yourself just because you’ve done it for so long. We’re a family, we’re getting married again, and we’re having another baby. Now what has our son been up to?”

“He’s just acting out, Bo. You were six years old once.”

“Yeah I was and that’s all well and good, but I sense that there’s more to it then just being a six year old, so spill.”

“He’s been through a lot the past year and he’s finally reacting.”

“Damnit, Nora why is it like pulling teeth to get you to tell me what’s going on? Whenever you’ve done this in the past it’s been because you’re trying to spare my feelings. (she looks at him and he can tells he’s right) Nora, just stop it and tell me what’s going on with our son.”

“Fine, some of the older kids have been telling him that…”

“Telling him what, Nora?”

She quickly tells him as she fights with her emotions. “They told him that you left us before he was born because you didn’t love us, and that Sam only loved Matthew because he wanted me to love him. I guess he argued with them for awhile and eventually there was some pushing and shoving, according to the teacher Matthew held his own verbally and physically.”

“Where the hell are these kids getting this stuff?”

“Where do you think they’re getting it? They’re getting it from their parents. Our breakup and the reasons behind it were not exactly private, Bo. Not in this town and not when you’re a Buchanan. Now that it’s common knowledge that Matthew is our son and that we’re back together, I’m not surprised the rumor mill is talking. It’s just not what our son needs to deal with on top of what has already happened in the past year.”

“He seemed fine when he came to the hospital that day. When did this happen?”

“The day of the shooting is when it finally came to a head and he got into the fight. When I spoke with Matthew about it he finally told me that it’s been going on for about a month.”

“My God, that boy’s as stubborn as you are. He never let on that he was going through this.”

“He said he didn’t want you to be sad, so he handled it on his own and when they started getting in his face he pushed back.”

“He’s definitely a Buchanan.”

“Definitely”

“So he’s fine now?”

“He seems fine. He’s been giving MaryAnn a hard time while I was at the hospital with you, but I think that has a lot to do with testing his limits.

“None of this would’ve ever happened if I hadn’t walked out. I should’ve never walked out on you like I did. I failed my son before he was even born.”

They sat there in silence for a few moments, neither one of them wanting to go back there, but the past seemed to always be staring them in the face. She gets up and walks over to stand by the window. She turns around and looks at him from across the room.

“Why did you walk away? Why didn’t you fight for us?”

He gets up and stands in front of the fireplace. “I walked away because I was blinded by the hurt and the pain of what you did. Every time I looked at you I saw you with Sam. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being pregnant with his son.”

“Only it wasn’t his son, and you lost so much time with him and we lost the one pure thing in our lives because of my mistake, but we could’ve worked it out. I loved you so much and I honestly believe we could’ve figured out a way to get passed the hurt.  I wanted you to fight for us! I needed you to fight for us, but you gave up.”

“Why are you bringing this all up now, after we’re back together?”

“Because we’ve never really discussed it, Bo, and I want to discuss it. I need to discuss it. I think we should’ve discussed it before we decided to try again, but with everything that happened at that cabin and living together, we never made the time, we just fell into a comfortable routine and what comes natural to us, loving each other. But will the love still be enough in the end if the going gets tough or if we find ourselves in the position of hurting the other again? I want to know that in the end you’re with me no matter what happens or what life brings to the table. I’m standing here in front of you; I’ve given you my heart and my body again. I’m having your baby, but I want to know that you’re not going to walk away again; I can’t bear to have this fall apart again?”

“You know I love you right? That there isn’t anything in this world I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you?”

“I do believe that, but we’ve said those words before. We promised forever to each other once upon a time and we let it slip through our fingers. What if…”

“What are you saying? Are you telling me that you don’t want to marry me and make a life with me? That you don’t want us to be a family?”

Nora looked down at the ground and then back up at Bo…..

“Nora?”

“I’m sorry Bo.”….