Bob

Max Talbot hated Bob Lowe.

He shouldn't because Bob was a great guy. A stand up guy. He made him chicken noodle soup after the accident even. And not just chicken noodle soup from a can. Oh no. Bob made it from scratch, right down to the homemade noodles. Home. Made. Noodles.

It was unbelieveable. Fucking unbelievable.

He really hated Bob.

He couldn't understand what Elise even saw in her new husband. Bob was boring. He was an accountant and stuck to a schedule, his schedule, which included family dinner every night at six and in bed by nine.

And he was balding. Max meanwhile had great hair. And an expensive sports car. Bob had a practical and reliable sedan that he had had for over fifteen years. He took Xavier to school, was the PTA president, and helped him with his homework every night.

Max definitely hated Bob.

Elise made a show of rubbing in how happy they were every chance she had. Her life with Bob was everything she had hoped for and they were a happy family. Max was more of an outsider than a father. When Max had been traded to Colorado, he saw less and less of Xavier so he spent his money to buy Xavier's affection. It had worked when he was younger and didn't know better but now that he was older, the same things no longer worked. Max was flash and no substance, with a crazy schedule that dictated his life, all while on the opposite coast and in a time zone three hours behind Philadelphia. Bob was nothing but substance, solid and reliable.

After the trade, Max and Elise had mutually agreed to change their custody agreement, leaving Xavier with Elise during the season and spending summers with him in Montreal. Max thought he was close to his son, until the summer before. He felt the rift then. Xavier was a shy, introverted kid and Max didn’t know how to talk to him. But he came alive when he spoke to his mom and Bob every night. He didn’t even speak french, had no use for it. He was taking spanish in school.

Spanish!

Because Bob spoke fluent spanish.

Fucking Bob.

It hurt Max to see how close his son was with someone else, someone that was ten times the father figure he was. He tried, had wanted desperately to be the father Xavier deserved. He loved his son, he truly did, but he couldn't compete with Bob. He had lost to a middle aged, balding man who wore sweater vests.

Max Talbot did not know how to deal with that.

In response, he filled his life with an endless stream of women. Nameless women, faceless women that all blended into one. He had tried with Elise but she didn’t like the lifestyle of a hockey player. That was when she started seeing Bob. He tried wooing Zoe back into his life. He had come close, but he lost her too. He tried again with Elise but she knew his games and would have none of it. In Philly, the girls came easy so he went with it. After his trade, there was a new buffet of women to choose from in Denver. He quickly began to make his way through everything the state of Colorado had to offer.

And then he had gotten crabs.

Oh yes. Crabs.

Go ahead; laugh. Hartnell had. Thought it was fucking hysterical. Told him he had deserved it.

Max would be the first to admit that Scott was right. He did deserve it. That was the day he decided to get his act together.

And then he got hit by the bus.

Yep, a bus.

Thankfully it wasn’t a horrible accident. The bus had only run over his foot and broke it. When his season had ended in Colorado, he flew to Philadelphia to pick up Xavier before continuing on to Montreal. He had made a promise to himself that this summer would be different, that he’d fix things with Xavier, that he’d be a better dad, someone Xavier could be proud of. As he waited to cross to the taxi stand, a shuttle bus had started to pull out into traffic. It unfortunately did not pull out far enough and ran right over his foot.

Bob had been the person to pick him up from the hospital. He had insisted that Max stay with them for a week and then made him the aforementioned homemade chicken noodle soup. Max was pretty sure it was some sort of hell for all the remarkably stupid things he had done in life, the boozing, the womanizing, all of it. He should feel incredibly grateful for Bob’s kindness but instead it felt like a knife to the heart, laid up on the couch, forced to watch Xavier interact with Bob, treat him more like a father than Max could ever be. It killed him.

Five nights into his stay at the Lowe household, after everyone else had gone to bed, Max hobbled himself into the kitchen for a bowl of ice cream. When he dropped the bowl and it shattered on the kitchen floor, it was Bob who appeared to help clean up the mess.

Bob had chuckled as he came into the kitchen and wordlessly grabbed a broom to sweep up the pieces.

“Ice cream, huh?” Bob had asked.

“Ice cream,” Max agreed. He made his way to a chair at the kitchen table and sat down, propping his casted foot up on a second chair.

"Can I ask you something?" Max asked as Bob set a bowl of ice cream in front of him, taking the seat opposite Max.

"Sure," Bob nodded.

"How do I get Xavier to love me like he does you?"

"He loves you, Max."

"He sees you more as his dad than me."

"He knows you're his dad, trust me. I've heard him brag to his friends about you."

"Really?"

"Really. He started skating a few months ago. Didn't he tell you?"

"No," Max frowned.

"He's a natural," Bob told him. "He looked like he had been on skates for years when it had only been ten minutes."

"Why are you so nice to me?" Max interrupted.

"Because I'm your sons step dad. We're going to be a part of each other's lives for a really long time. There's no point in us being jerks to each other."

"I sort of hate you."

"Why?"

"Because you're a better dad than me. Because you're everything Elise needs when I wasn't enough. Because you have the family I wanted."

"If this is what you wanted, you have a funny way of showing it."

"I act out sometimes," Max said defensively.

"You whore around," Bob replied.

"Fine, I whore around," he grumbled. "But I decided to be better, to change."

"For yourself?"

"And for Xavier. I want to be a good dad."

"Look, I don't get what Elise ever saw in you. You're kind of an asshole and you'te flashy and a show off and more or less a sleazeball. Then again, I know I'm nothing to write home about but she loves me. I'm pretty damn lucky and I know it. In the end though, we're all tied together and I'm willing to accept you as you are because you are that kids dad. And you always will be."

“You know what, Bob? I thought I hated you but you’re actually a pretty cool guy. I get why Elise loves you and why you make her so happy, even when she’s being a complete bitch to me.”

“Hey,” Bob said with a warning tone. “That’s still my wife.”

“You know I’m right. She hates me.”

Bob’s serious expression broke and he laughed. “Yeah, she hates you. But you know what that’s really about, don’t you?” Max stared at him blankly. “It was never about you, Max. It was always about Zoe. It was about having the things that made her happy and that was you and Sean. When I met Elise, she was bitter and angry. We had problems in the beginning and she was a bitch to me too. I pushed for therapy, for her and for us, and it made her take ownership of certain things. She’ll never admit it to you; she has too much pride for that but she’s a different person. I know deep down she wants you to be happy but she does take a little pleasure in your misfortunes.”

“She always has. She’s kind of a ball buster that way.”

“She just wants you to grow up. I do too. I know it’s in you to be a great dad to Xavier. I see how much you want that. It’s written all over your face, Max.”

Max sighed. “I just want him to like me half as much as he does you.”

“Trust me, Max. He likes you. Just give it time. He’s nearly ten; they’re moody and sullen and not willing to show emotion but he loves you and he’s proud of you and that you’re his dad. My advice? Talk to him. Stop trying to buy his affection and get to know your son.”

So Max did. He took Bob’s advice and then some. He retired a few years later and bought a house twenty minutes from Bob and Elise’s. He was there for Xavier. He taught him French until he spoke it even better than Max did. He was at every hockey game as he rose through the ranks. He even joined the PTA with Bob.

The impossible had happened.

Max Talbot grew up.

And he was happy. Really and truly happy. Xavier accepted a hockey scholarship to Boston College and Max, Bob, Elise, and Xavier’s two younger sisters all went for his first game. After, Xavier excitedly pulled Max aside.

“I met a girl,” Xavier told him proudly.

“Yeah? Did you woo her with your french?” Xavier blushed and Max laughed. “You are definitely a Talbot.”

“She’s really great,” Xavier continued. “We met at orientation the week before classes started and have been dating ever since. I know we’re young but I really like her, dad. I think you and mom and Bob will like her too.”

“So when do we get to meet here? What’s her name?”

“Her name is Kennedy and you can meet her right now.” Xavier looked past him and waved before walking away to meet his girlfriend halfway. Max turned and his smiled quickly faded.

“Merde! You have got be fucking kidding me,” Max muttered under his breath. The brunette coming towards his son was an absolute dead ringer for her mother and Max cursed his life.

“Dad, this is Kennedy Avery. Kennedy, this is my dad, Max.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Talbot,” Kennedy smiled.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Kennedy.”

“Oh hey, Kennedy’s parents are here too. You should meet them,” Xavier spoke up.

“No, no, no,” Max shook his head. “That is not a good idea.”

“Too late,” Kennedy spoke. “Mom, dad!” she called out with a wave.

Max groaned as he turned to face what was possibly his worst nightmare. He lifted his hand and waved. “Hey, Zoe, Sean,” he said.

Zoe stopped in her tracks. “Are you fucking kidding me?! She picked your kid?”

“Seems like.”

“Of all the people in the world....”

“You know each other?” Xavier asked.

“You know that first husband of your moms we don't talk about?” Sean said to Kennedy.

“Yeah?”

“That would be Max.”

“The one Uncle Danny hates?”

“Danny still hates me?” Max asked in disbelief.

“He doesn’t hate you,” Zoe said dismissively. “He just has a general distaste for you.”

Max frowned. “I’m not the same guy anymore.”

“That is true,” Bob spoke up as he and Elise wandered over. “Hi, I’m Bob, Elise’s husband.”

“Zoe,” she shook his hand. “This is my husband Sean.”

“I’m sorry but Zoe? The Zoe?”

“So you know the story?”

“I do,” Bob nodded. “So, your daughter, our son?”

“Seems so.”

“Small world, right?”

“Please tell me you don’t have more sons.”

“Two daughters.”

“Thank God...unless Reagan decides to be a lesbian and oh god, the humanity!”

“Sorry,” Sean interjected. “She’s a bit of a drama queen.”

“I am not!” Zoe exclaimed.

“Yes you are,” Sean and Max answered.

“Sorry,” Max said sheepishly.

Sean shrugged. “Your kid is pretty talented. Natural. The Rangers are gonna want him sooner rather than later.”

“Please don’t remind me that he was drafted by the Rangers.”

“Original six team; can’t beat that.” Max rolled his eyes.

“We’re gonna go celebrate with the team,” Xavier said. He kissed Elise’s cheek and Kennedy hugged Zoe and then Sean before Xavier slipped her hand into his. They watched them go and once they were out of hearing distance, Zoe spoke.

“I want to hear more from Bob about how Max isn’t the same person.”

“He grew up,” Bob stated simply. “Couldn’t have been prouder for him.”

“You sound like his dad,” Zoe pointed out.

“It takes a village,” Bob shrugged with a sly smile.

“You’re supposed to be on my side, Bob,” Max grumbled.

“Sounds like he is,” Zoe replied, nudging Max in the side with a smile. “So since our kids like each other, how about the five of us grab some dinner to discuss ways to break them up and then Max can tell us all about the ways he grew up because I won’t believe it until I hear it.”

Bob laughed. “You’re a firecracker.”

“You have no idea, Bob,” Zoe said, linking her arm through his and leading the way out of the arena.

Sean, Max, and Elise followed.

“This is a dream, right?” Max asked as Zoe chatted away with Bob.

“Unfortunately not,” Sean answered. “So tell me. How much like you is your son?”

“He’s not a womanizing whore if that’s what you’re asking. He learned better relationship skills than that from Bob.”

“Thank God for Bob,” Elise added.

“Yeah, thank God for Bob,” Max laughed. “Bob could probably figure out a way to solve all the worlds problems if we let him.”

“Bob,” Sean said. “Huh.”

“Yep,” Max said. “Who woulda guessed it would be all thanks to a guy named Bob?”

FIN