What A Difference A Year Makes
April 2003: A truth told, a dream come true…
“I can’t believe he did this to me, to you, to us. He knew how much I wanted to have a child with you, how much we both wanted it.”
“He loved Matthew. He wanted you to love him.”
“You’re defending him?”
“No, but I can understand why he did what he did. He didn’t want to lose Matthew or you.”
“He had lost me anyway.”
“Yeah, but he still had Matthew, something that connected him to you.”
“This whole thing is such a mess. He should’ve told the truth. He should’ve told you. You had every right to know that Matthew was your son. We could’ve worked something out between the three of us.”
“What’s done is done, Nora. The only thing that matters right now is Matthew. He’s a little boy who is mourning the loss of his father. Sam may not have been his biological father, but he was still his dad. I think we need to be really careful about how we do this.”
“What are you saying? That you don’t want to tell Matthew that you’re his father?”
“I want him in my life. I want to get to know my son and I want him to get to know me. But for now maybe its better that we just take this slow.”
“Thank you, Bo.”
“Matthew’s feelings and needs have to be our number one priority.”
“Well on that note I should get going. I promised Matthew we’d play a game before bedtime.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, Nora.”
“Goodnight Bo.”
He closes the door, leaving his hand on the doorknob thinking about how much his life was about to change. Out in the hallway, her hand on the doorknob, she thinks about how much their lives were about to change.
Summer 2003: Father and Son connect….
A night of father/son bonding…
“Uncle Bo?”
“Yeah, champ?”
“I’m glad you came and babysat for me.”
“I’m glad I did too.”
“Uncle Bo?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you take me fishing for real some day?”
“You bet, how about we take a fishing trip at the end of the summer, right before school starts.”
“Just you and me, no girls allowed?”
“No girls allowed.”
“Cool.”
“Yeah, way cool.”
A day at the Vet…
“Thank you for bringing mommy and me to the baseball game, Uncle Bo.”
“Are you having fun buddy?”
“Yeah, the most fun I’ve had in my whole life.”
“Well then that’s all the thanks I need. How about this? You and me come to at least one game a week?”
“Can we do that for the Eagles too?”
“Matthew, why don’t we just wait and see how things go come football season.”
“No Nora, that’s fine. You want to do this for the Eagles too?” Matt nods his head until it looks like it might fall off, “Alright then that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
Matt jumps into Bo’s arms and hugs him tight. “Thank you, Uncle Bo.”
Nora and Bo exchange a knowing look as they both replace thoughts of what might have been with thoughts of what’s to come.
Bo carries a sleeping Matthew up to his bedroom, his first foul ball held tightly in his hand. He kisses his son lightly on the forehead before closing the door behind him.
“Thank you for such a wonderful day, Bo.”
“I’m just grateful that I have him in my life. I’m grateful that I have you in my life.”
He kisses her lightly on the cheek and walks out the door.
The Buchanan Lodge….a fishing trip…No girls allowed…
Bo and Matt sit on the dock. Bo bought Matt his very own pole and reel, his own lucky fishing hat, and his very own vest with lots of pockets, just like the one he bought Nora….
“Uncle Bo, the fish ain’t eating the worms.”
“Patience Matthew, we have all day to wait.”
“Okay Uncle Bo.”
They sat in a comfortable silence for a while. Every once in awhile Bo would glance over at his son and smile. This is all he’d ever wanted. He missed this with Drew at this age, and only had a short time with him when they did find each other again. Matt looked up at Bo and smiled; it was his mother’s smile.
“Uncle Bo can I ask you something?”
“Sure buddy, you can ask me anything.”
“Did you love my mommy a long time ago? Starr said you used to be married.”
“Starr’s right. You’re mommy and I were married a long time ago. And yes I loved her very much. Why do you ask?”
“Just wonderin’”
“I see.”
Bo looked down at his son and swore he could see the wheels turning in his head. His son was definitely up to something, but what exactly that was is anyone’s guess.
“My fishing pole is moving, Uncle Bo.”
“I think you’ve got one, champ.” Matt stood up and Bo stood behind him and together father and son reeled in his first fish. Bo took a quick picture and then they threw the fish back in.
Bo brought an exhausted Matthew home and tucked him in his bed, “Good night, Matt.”
“Night Uncle Bo”
Nora walked in and kissed Matt good night. They both closed his door and as they started to walk down the stairs they heard his small innocent voice. They walked back towards his room and listened, “Dear God, it’s me Matt. I wanna ask you something. And I promise I’ll be good for the rest of my life…I’ll make my bed, clean my room, and listen to whatever my mom and MaryAnn tells me to do if you grant my wish. I wish that Uncle Bo was my dad. He does all the things I wanted my dad to do with me. He used to love my mommy when they were married so that means he can love me too. Maybe some day we can all be a real family. Okay that’s all I wanted to ask you, night God.”
Nora looked up at Bo and saw the tears welling up in his eyes. She took his hand and they walked downstairs together. “I think it’s time to tell him, Bo.”
“Are you sure?”
“Bo, you heard him. He wants you to be his dad.”
“But are we going to tell him everything. The whole truth about Sam and that he’s really my son not just someone who is going to “play” daddy?”
“I want him to know in a way that he can understand that he was brought into this world out of love, the difference between a biological dad and what Sam was. He’s going to be confused and probably have a lot of questions but I think in time he’ll understand.”
“So, tomorrow night?”
“Yeah why don’t you come over for dinner and we’ll sit him down and talk to him.”
“Okay, 6:00 sound good?”
“Six is fine.”
They said their goodbyes and thought about the best way to explain this all to Matthew.
Matthew was so excited that Uncle Bo was coming over for dinner. They ate pizza from Sal’s…”The Buchanan Usual” and had hot fudge sundaes for dessert.
“You wanna watch a movie with me Uncle Bo?”
“Not right now Matt, Bo and I have something we need to talk to you about. So why don’t you come up here and sit beside us.”
“Okay mom.”
“A long time ago Bo and mommy were married; we loved each other very much, and decided that we wanted to have a baby together.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“A lot of things happened and mommy and Bo made some mistakes and then mommy found out she was having a baby, but we thought the baby was Sam’s”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s hard to explain, buddy. Some things happened between your mommy and me and we couldn’t be together anymore. We had some tests done on your blood, on my blood, and on Sam’s blood at the hospital. The test said that Sam was your real daddy but they were wrong.”
“Wrong about what?”
“Well Matt, mommy and Bo did end up having a baby. You’re the baby that we had together, only they messed up in the hospital and made a mistake and told us that Sam was your daddy.”
“So my daddy that’s in heaven really isn’t my dad?”
“Not your biological daddy, that means he doesn’t have the same blood that you do.”
“So like how the man that is married to Stevie’s mom isn’t his real dad?”
“Just like that honey, Sam was just like Stevie’s step dad.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before he went to heaven?”
“We didn’t know that the hospital made the mistake until after Sam died.”
Matt turns and looks over at Bo. “So you’re really my dad? My real dad forever?”
“Yep, I’m really your dad, and no one can ever change that. You’re stuck with me.”
Matt jumps up onto Bo’s lap and throws his arms around his neck. “God listened to me. I asked him to make you my dad and he did.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, but now I have to make my bed everyday.”
Bo and Nora try to stifle their laughter. They sat in silence for a few seconds and then Matt looked between his mother and his father, a serious expression on his face. “Is it still okay if I miss my other dad?”
“Of course it’s okay to miss him. Sam loved you very much and it’s okay that you still love him too. I don’t want you to ever feel like you can’t come to us with your questions or talk to me or your mom about Sam. Okay?”
“Okay Unc… I mean daddy. So can we play a game now?”
Bo and Nora both let out a sigh of relief and laugh. “Sure let’s go play a game.”
Fall 2003:
Matthew started school. Bo found out about Gabrielle and Troy and she moved out and is living with Max. Bo and Nora are getting closer and closer.
Winter 2003:
Matt, Nora and Bo celebrated Hanukkah together at Nora’s house. They had a special dinner each night. They exchanged gifts each night and Bo put Matt to bed before he left. Nora was touched that Bo remembered so much about Hanukkah and was happy to be sharing this time together with their son.
Christmas Eve 2003:
Matt and Bo are in the kitchen setting out cookies on a plate. Matt poured the glass of milk and took them out into the living room. He put them down on the table and wrote a note for Santa. He ran upstairs and took his bath and changed into his PJ’s. Nora and Bo tucked him in and Bo read him the “Night Before Christmas.”
Nora and Bo went back downstairs to get everything ready for the next morning. Bo put the finishing touches on Matt’s new scooter, the one that Nora didn’t want him to buy, but finally gave in as long as he bought all the safety equipment along with it. She laughed at him as he cursed out loud when he realized he had some extra pieces. They sat down on the floor together and tried to figure out where the extra pieces went.
“Well Buchanan we did it,” she said pretending to dust her hands off.
“We sure did, Red. I wasn’t about to let that scooter get the best of us.”
“Well it almost did.
“I better get out of here. I’ll be back in the morning.”
Look at the time Commish. It is morning.”
“Well I’m going to get going. See you later.”
“Bo, umm…why don’t you just stay here tonight? I still have a pair of your old sweats and I have an LPD sweatshirt.”
“Why Red, I’m touched. I had no idea you were so sentimental.”
“Whatever. Do you want them or not?”
“Yeah, and thanks. This means a lot to me.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m glad you’re here. And that you’ll be here when Matt wakes up in the morning.”
Matt woke up at 6:00 that morning and ran into Nora’s room. He jumped on her bed and pulled on her arm until she finally got out of bed. He ran downstairs to see what Santa brought him and he found Bo asleep on the couch. Matt jumped on the couch and woke Bo with a start. “Daddy, what are you doing here?”
“I slept over so that I could be here to see what Santa brought you.”
“Then get up daddy, come on we have lots of presents to open.”
They spent the morning opening all their presents and once Matt was done and the wrapping paper was cleaned up he ran off to play with all his new stuff. Bo and Nora sat on the couch sipping their coffee.
“You spoiled him.”
“I spoiled him”, he said feigning shock.
“Yes dad you did.”
“Oh well I have a lot of Christmas’ to make up for.”
“Yeah I guess you do.”
“I gotcha a little something.”
“You did? Well I got you something too”
“You did?”
“Yeah.”
Bo got up and walked over to where his coat was hanging by the door. Nora walked into her office and picked up the package off the desk. She walked back over and sat down on the couch. He walked back over to the couch and sat down on the coffee table across from her. He handed her the small velvet box. She opened it up and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
“It’s a mother’s ring. I’ve never had one of these.”
“It has Rachel and Matthew’s birthstones. And there’s an inscription on the inside.”
“To Red, the best mother a child could ever hope to have. Love, Bo.”
“Thank you so much Bo, I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
Nora reached around and picked up the envelope on the couch. She handed it to Bo.
He opened the envelope and looked up at her with tears in his eyes.
“You changed his name?”
“It was Matthew’s idea. He wanted to have the same last name as his daddy.”
They sat in silence for a moment. He reached out and pulled her into a hug. They broke the hug and stared at each other for a moment. They moved closer and just as their lips were about to touch Matthew ran into the room, “Mommy, Daddy, is it time to go to Grandpa Asa’s house yet.”
“Almost, why don’t you run upstairs and we’ll get you dressed.”
“Okay mommy.”
Matt ran upstairs oblivious to what almost happened between his parents.
“I better get going. I’m going to go home and get changed. I’ll come back and pick the two of you up in an hour.”
“Umm…okay an hour. We’ll be ready.”
Bo left and Nora went upstairs to get Matthew ready. Neither one of them could get what almost happened out of their minds.
Bo arrived an hour later and they spent a nice afternoon and evening at Asa and Renee’s. Matthew received so many presents that Bo thought he would need a semi to take them all back to Nora’s.
They tucked him into bed that night and Bo left a few minutes later, neither one of them talking about what had happened earlier that morning.
A week later NYE party at the Palace….
Bo and Nora decided to attend the NYE party together since neither one of them were with anyone exclusively at the time. When they walked into the ballroom together Asa nudged Renee and they both looked at each other, huge smiles on their faces.
The evening was lovely. They had spent quite a bit of time out on the dance floor. She couldn’t believe how her heart was racing. She swore Bo could feel it. The music finally ended and she walked out onto the terrace. Bo followed her out there and stood back for a moment and just watched her. He could tell she was lost in thought.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
“Huh? She turns around, “Oh sorry. What did you say?”
“I said I’d give you a penny for your thoughts.”
“I don’t think they’re worth that much.”
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that, okay?”
“What are we doing Bo?”
“What do you mean?”
“You and me. What is this? Are we just two people who once were in love, and now share a child, or are we something else?”
“Do you want it to be something else?”
“I asked you first.”
“Very funny counselor. Okay true confessions?”
“True confessions.”
“I want us to try again. I want us to try to be the family we were supposed to be six years ago.”
“I want that too, I was just so afraid you didn’t feel the same way.”
**inside the ballroom….10, 9, 8…**
“Bo, do you ever think about what might have happened if we had known the truth after the second DNA test?”
“I don’t want to think about the past. I only want to think about what’s going to be, not what could’ve been. All I’m thinking about is….”
**…7, 6, 5, 4…**
“What?”
“All I’m thinking about is how much I want to kiss you.”
“What are you waiting for?”
**3, 2,1…Happy New Year.**
Asa and Renee were standing by the terrace door and watched as two old lovers found love again or maybe they just rediscovered a love that had never died.
March 2004
Nora walked into the house and the sight in front of her brought tears to her eyes. Bo had filled the house once again with every flower imaginable. He was standing across the room from her. She walked towards him and right into his waiting arms.
“What’s all this for? Where’s Matt?”
“He’s at Stevie’s and what, can’t a guy by his girl flowers?”
“You’ve got something up your sleeve, Buchanan.”
“Come with me?”
He took her hand and brought her over to the couch. He held on to her hands and looked deep in her eyes. He could tell she had no idea what he was about to do. He got down on his knees and he kissed her once before reaching in his pocket and pulling out the box. He looked back up at Nora and he could see the tears welling up in her eyes.
“I’ve loved you for what seems like forever. I think I’ve loved you since the day you spilled that club soda all over me. And if I sat back and let myself think about the past, I’d know that I’ve never stopped loving you. Don’t you ever wonder why when between the two of us we’ve each been engaged twice since our divorce but neither one of us have made it down the aisle? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. We’ve never let go of each other, and the love that we shared. I love you Nora Hanen Gannon Buchanan, and I’d love nothing more but to marry you and make you my wife once again.
“I love you too, Bo Buchanan, and I’d be honored to be Mrs. Buchanan once again.”
He kissed her after slipping the ring on her finger. He stood up and pulled her against him. He picked up the remote and turned on the CD player. They danced, their lips never breaking contact. The song ended and he picked her up and carried her over to the couch and they danced their special dance, the dance that only they can dance.
April 2004:
They stood in front of their family and friends prepared to bring their love full circle….
“Well here we are again you two. No Little Richard this time, I’m assuming?”
“No, no Little Richard this time. This time around we’re going to go traditional.”
“Well then on that note let’s get this ceremony started. Nora would you like to go first.”
She turned to face Bo. “I can’t believe we’re standing up here and getting ready to give this marriage thing another whirl. A year ago this month was the beginning of a whole new life for us. We were given a second chance to make it right, to become the family we were meant to be, you, me and Matthew. And I can’t wait to start this new life. I love you Bo Buchanan with all my heart and all my soul”
“When we got married the first time I couldn’t think of something to say, so I said that I would think of something good to say at the next wedding. It seemed like a stupid thing to say at the time but now it just seems poetic. Here we are nine years later and we’re at our next wedding, and our last wedding. And I’m standing here in front of you, and you’re so breathtakingly beautiful, and I’m once again at a loss for words. I love you with all my heart, Nora and I will spend the rest of my life making up for all the time we lost. I can’t wait for this dance to start again and this time the dance will never end.”
Andrew performed his portion of the ceremony and the Rabbi completed his. When they both pronounced them man and wife, everyone in the church yelled….
“Finally!”
Bo and Nora laughed as they walked back up the aisle and into their new life. After a beautiful reception at the Palace, they headed to the limo. Nora thought they were leaving right away for their honeymoon but Bo had a surprise for her. He slipped the driver the address on a piece of paper and twenty minutes later the limo stopped.
Bo held out his hand and helped Nora out of the limo. He had placed a blindfold over her eyes when they got in the limo. He took out the key and opened the door. He led her into the middle of the room and stopped.
He removed the blindfold and felt Nora start to cry as she took in the sight before her. “It’s our old house. How? When?”
“How…well they put it back up for sale so I bought it. When…the day after you agreed to marry me.”
“I love you Bo Buchanan.”
“And I love you Mrs. Buchanan. So what do you say, ready to re-christen our house?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
He picked her up and carried her upstairs to the old converted hayloft and laid her down on their new bed. They made love until morning and left for their two week honeymoon.
They came home and officially began their new life as the family they were always meant to be…oh with the addition of their newborn baby girl, Molly…..
What a Difference A Year Can Make…….