Storm of Change
A night working late...two lost souls who are best friends; parents and old lovers…another blizzard…another storm of change…
LPD…
Bo walks over to the window trying to see anything beyond the swirling snow. Another blizzard is blanketing Llanview in a sea of white. He runs his fingers through his hair in frustration; there will be no going home tonight. “Home”, he whispers to himself. He doesn’t really know what that word means anymore. He goes home alone each night to his empty apartment, well except for the nights he has his son with him; his son; their son….
“Penny for your thoughts, Commish”, she whispers as she walks up behind him.
He turns around, that “Bo Buchanan” grin on his face, his breath catching in his throat for a moment, not sure exactly why, “Nah, you’d be wasting a good penny, Red.”
“Red”, she thought to herself, she’s definitely missed hearing him call her that, “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that,” nudging him with her shoulder, “spill, Buchanan.”
“Nights like this just get my wheels spinning that’s all. Makes me think…”
“Uh oh, thinking, huh? That could be dangerous.”
He turns back towards the window and looks out at the snow as it blows across the parking lot, “Yeah, dangerous…especially when it’s you I can’t get out of my head,” he thinks to himself. “Looks like we’re stuck here, Red”, quickly changing the subject. “Where’s Matthew tonight?”
“He’s at Starr’s for a sleepover.”
“Good, because you,” pointing at her, “and me”, pointing at himself, “are going nowhere.”
She looks around the station with a twinkle in her eyes, trying to make light of this obviously awkward situation, the few officers on duty looking at them, knowing smiles on their faces, “Well I guess the accommodations aren’t too bad, I mean we have plenty of coffee and snacks, now as for the company…”
“Watch yourself, Red. I know how to get the vending machines to give us endless supplies of….”
“The company is….perfect,” she blurts; their eyes locking for a moment.
He looks down at his watch, smiling, “Well if I remember correctly; you’re stomach should be growling right about now…”
“You know me too well…,”looking away once the words were out of her mouth, their comfortable banter and conversation making her feel things she has tried to suppress for so long.
Bo looked over at her for a moment, noticing the way she glanced down at her left hand, absentmindedly running her fingers over her empty ring finger, he looked down at his own empty finger and a rush of emotion welled up inside of him, “Um…I’m going to go fetch us some grub…”
“I’ll go make us some coffee,” she blurts, hurrying into his office and away from the pull of his eyes.
Bo returned a few minutes later with an armful of snacks and candy. He had grabbed a blanket from the locker room and spread it out in the middle of the floor; dumping all the snacks and candy in the middle of the blanket. Nora walked out of Bo’s office carrying two mugs of coffee; walking down the hallway towards the break room. She sat down next to Bo on the floor and handed him one of the mugs.
“What no cream,” he said with a knowing smile on his face.
‘I guess something’s just never change….”
“No, I guess they don’t,” he said wondering if she knew it wasn’t the cream he was talking about, but the way he feels and has always felt when she’s this close.
She reached for a bag of chips, he reached for the same one, their hands lightly touching both pulling away as though their touch burned, “Um…you know it’s getting late I think I’m going to go back down to my office and crash behind my desk.”
“No, you should go ahead and take the bed over there.”
“Where are you going to crash?”
“The couch…”
“Oh…right the couch,” she mumbles as a flood of memories fill her mind. “Well, see you in the morning, Bo.”
“Night, Nora.”
Bo walked towards the door; flicking the light off for her before closing the door. He paused for a moment before shutting the door completely; stealing one look at her as she tried to settle in for the night….
“G’night, Nora,” he whispered to himself as he walked towards his office, “Sweet dreams…”
Bo turned on the radio; the silence in his office deafening. The words being spoken; seemed to be directed at him…
“Another cold night Llanview, another blizzard cutting us off from the outside world, a time for new beginnings as a new blanket of snow covers the ground. Grab the one you love, hold them close…If you’re not holding the one you love…fix it…hold on Llanview, the “storm of change” is upon us once again…because for some of you out there “true love” is waiting for you...and for some of you it’s right where you left it…So here’s a song to remind us that there is only one person out there that can keep us from the one we love…
Bo turns off the light and pulls the blanket close against him…and falls asleep...dreaming…
We saw the moon in Colorado
Made music in Tennessee
We found the gold of El Dorado
It’s so good, making love, you and me
These arms, they will never hold another
This heart, it will always feel like this
Only God could stop me loving you
Only God could tell me not to
He sent you from Heaven
Just to make my dreams come true
When he opened the door
That you came walking through
Only God could stop me loving you
*~*
“Hello? Is there anyone here? Where am I?”
“You’re somewhere between Heaven and Earth.”
Bo squints trying to make out the figure approaching him from the fog, “Drew?”
“Yeah Pop, it’s me.”
“What am I doing here?”
“Well you’re not dead if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I don’t understand…How can I see you if I’m not dead.”
“He sent me to you in your dreams.”
“He?”
“Yeah, the big man upstairs. He sent me here to help you.”
“Help me with what, son?”
“Help you find your way home…”
*~*
Nora turns onto her side, the squeaking of the bed, echoing throughout the quiet room. Nora stands up and flips on the portable radio in the corner of the room. The silence was deafening…
Now we struck oil in Oklahoma
And won the Oscar in Hollywood
And climbed the canyons of Arizona
And baby, making love never felt so good
These lips, no other girl will ever kiss
This heart, it will always feel like this ‘cause
Only God could stop me loving you
Only God could tell me not to
He sent you from Heaven
Just to make my dreams come true
When he opened the door
That you came walking through
Only God could stop me loving you
Nora falls back into a fitful sleep…dreaming…
“Hello? Is there anyone here? Where am I?”
“You’re somewhere between Heaven and Earth.”
Nora squints trying to make out the figure approaching her from the fog,” Luna?”
“Yes, darlin’ it’s me.”
“What…How…What am I doing here? I’m not…”
“Dead?...No, honey you’re not dead.”
“I don’t understand…what am I doing here?”
“She sent me to you in your dreams.”
“She?”
Luna glances towards the sky, “She.”
“Oh, she…Why?”
“You need help, my friend...”
“Help?”
“Yeah, you need help finding your way back home…”
There ain’t no girl
In the whole wide world could take away my heart
*~*
“Home? I know exactly where home is, son.”
“I’m not talking about home as in four walls, I’m talking about “home” as in the feeling of contentment you have deep inside when you’re where you belong” pointing down to the ground…”watch this…”
“You know when I couldn’t find you, you know what kept popping into my head? The way that we can’t even pass close to each other without making contact. I was—I was so afraid we weren’t going to make contact again.”
“Well you’re wrong because I’m here. We’re both right here.”
He turns around to face his son, the tears he allowed to be set free, still lying on his cheeks, “Why would you show me that? That was the beginning of the end…the end of us.”
“You have to look past the circumstances and listen to the words…to your words. When the two of you were in the same room, all you had to do was touch, to make contact and you were “home”. You still have that connection, in there,” pointing to his chest, “You’ve just buried it, find it, Pop, and go “home.”
And there ain’t no man could steal your hand
And tear us apart
*~*
“Home? Luna what are you talking about, I know where home is.”
“I’m not talking about a place, Nora. I’m talking about a feeling…that feeling you have deep down inside of you when you’re right where you belong” pointing down to the ground…”watch this…”
“I remember the first time I ever really looked at you. It was the darkest time of my life and yet, there you were. Like a beacon and you still are.”
“I’ve made so many mistakes.”
“Yeah, so have I but it has nothing to do with how much we love each other.”
“No, I think we made them because we love each other.”
She turns her face away and closes her eyes; the tears falling but she never reaches up to wipe them away, “Why…Why are you showing this to me? That was...that was the beginning of the end…the end of us.”
“You’re missing the message darling because you’re too afraid to see the rest of what’s being shown to you…now watch…”
“I’ll give you that one. And there were also other people involved. But we’re not going to even think about them tonight, we’re going to forget about them, okay? Georgie Phillips, Rachel, Drew, Todd Manning…yeah him too. Because were here in our bedroom, our bedroom, and none of them are invited, ok?”
“Good.”
“Yeah, this is our whole world right now. Four walls, a bed, pillows, blankets, us holding onto each other, and you…with that light still shining in your eyes.”
Luna walks over and lays her hand on Nora’s shoulders, “You see, you let others get in the way of your happiness, but the connection was always there, when ever you allowed yourselves to feel it. It’s still there Nora, your love brought a life into this world...but your connection goes way beyond that beautiful little boy the two of you created...it’s the purest and truest thing you’ve ever known. Go find it, go to him…go home.”
But there is one God in Heaven above
Who gave me love, strong enough to calm my heart.
*~*
He sits up with a start, looking around the room, familiarizing himself with his surroundings, “What a dream.”
He pulls back the blanket and walks down the hallway; stopping just on the other side of the door…”All you had to do was touch, to make contact and you were home”….
She sits up with a start, looking around the dark room, “What a dream.”
She pulls back the blanket and walks slowly towards the door; searching for the light: she pauses just as she reaches the door…”It’s the purest and truest thing you’ve ever known…go find it, go to him…go home”
He turns the doorknob just as it was turning from the inside…
She smiles at him, her tears and his tears mirror each other’s as they roll down their cheeks, she takes his hand and pulls him into the room, “Welcome home…”
Only God could stop me loving you
Only God could tell me not to
Only God could stop me from loving you
Only God could tell me not to
Only God could stop me loving you.
“Only God” by Emerson Drive.