Sequel: Standing Tall ›
Status: To make a sequel or not...that is the question...
Getting Back Up
Transforming
Scott looked at his phone as his thumb hovered over the "call" button. There was no turning back once he hit it. He felt like he was back in his teens trying to muster up the courage to ask a girl out. He was trying to muster up the courage to ask a girl out...what the hell was his problem?
"Grow a set Scott," he said to himself, "whats the worst that can happen?" He pressed the button and put the phone to his ear.
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Rebecca looked at the phone ringing on the coffee table. It was a number she didn't recognize.
"Are you gonna get that mom?" Tyler asked.
"Nah, I'll just let it go to voicemail. If its anything important they'll leave a message." Rebecca said as she went back to flipping through the Vogue magazine that she picked up at the newstand by her office on the way home from work.
"If you say so," Tyler shrugged and went back to watching a rerun of Big Bang Theory on tv.
"So what do you have planned for this weekend Ty?"
"Oh you know, just gonna go hang out with Jay and Chris and get high. You?" Tyler smirked at his mother and gave her a wink.
"Very funny Tyler John. I don't find that the least bit amusing."
Rebecca rolled up the magazine and swatted his arm. Sometimes she wonders where he got his sarcasm.
As she looked at him, she saw the answer. She saw the answer to everything in his face. A daily reminder of the only man she ever loved. But now, the love she has for him is mere gratitude. Gratitude for having been blessed with the most perfect son anyone could ever ask for. She loved Brad for giving her Tyler. She resented him for not being able to handle fatherhood, but she wouldn't change anything about the last fifteen years.
Her phone chirped with a voicemail notification. She picked up the phone to listen to the voicemail. Her jaw dropped and she placed her hand over her mouth as she listened to the message.
Hi Becky. It's Brad. I know it's been forever....and I know....I know you probably don't want to hear from me, but I need to talk to you. Please....call me back. 610-765-4321. Please.
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"Scott, just call her," Kimmo said, "she's not Lisa. You don't know her. You're not going to know her unless you make the call."
"I know. It's just..."
"I know Scott. You've been through alot in the past few years. I can only imagine how difficult it's been for you to put on the brave exterior and act like everything's alright. I don't know that I'd be able to do that."
"I think that's the problem. I've gotten accustommed to playing the joker that I'm not sure if I know how to be anything else anymore. And I need to be me....the real me...for her," Scott said the last sentence so soft that it was barely audible.
"Baby steps my friend. Baby steps. Just make the call. Take it one day at a time. No one's expecting you to get married tomorrow."
"Thanks Kimmo. I appreciate you helping me through all of this."
"Thats what I'm here for. Now hang up and make the call. I'll see you tomorrow at practice."
"K. See you tomorrow." Scott hung up the phone.
***************************************************************
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??" Lindsey screamed through the phone. "Fifteen years and NOW he calls??? What the fuck is that shit??!!"
"I dont know Linds. I haven't called him back yet. I don't know if I can." Rebecca whispered into the phone. She had left Tyler in the living room to call Lindsey from her bedroom, but she still whispered so that he wouldn't be able to hear the conversation.
"Don't call him back. Fuck him. He had his chance. Hell, he had fifteen years of fucking chances. How are you not screaming right now?"
"I think I'm in shock. I had to play the voicemail three times to make sure I heard it right. I can't believe this is happening right now," Rebecca could feel her eyes watering.
"Becks, I know you'll do what you want, but...don't give him the satisfaction. Don't let him hold you down with whatever bullshit excuses he's come up with. You don't deserve that and neither does Tyler. He forced you to struggle to raise his son because he didn't have the guts to stick around. Now Tyler's practically grown and you've got a great life and he wants to come back into it? He doesn't deserve you." Lindsey tried to be level-headed but she had watched her friend struggle for so many years. Working her ass off to graduate and support Tyler....what could he possibly say to erase the past fifteen years?
"You're saying exactly what I said to myself before I called you. But I guess...I think I need to hear it." Rebecca fought back her tears.
"Ma, you ok?" Tyler poked his head into his mother's room.
"Yeah honey. I'm fine. Lindsey I'll talk to you tomorrow." Rebecca quickly hung up the phone and walked over to her son.
"You look upset. Sure everything's okay?"
"Yep. It'll be fine. Promise."
As the two walked back to the living room, Rebecca's phone rang again. Again, it was a number she didn't recognize.
"Hello?"
"Grow a set Scott," he said to himself, "whats the worst that can happen?" He pressed the button and put the phone to his ear.
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Rebecca looked at the phone ringing on the coffee table. It was a number she didn't recognize.
"Are you gonna get that mom?" Tyler asked.
"Nah, I'll just let it go to voicemail. If its anything important they'll leave a message." Rebecca said as she went back to flipping through the Vogue magazine that she picked up at the newstand by her office on the way home from work.
"If you say so," Tyler shrugged and went back to watching a rerun of Big Bang Theory on tv.
"So what do you have planned for this weekend Ty?"
"Oh you know, just gonna go hang out with Jay and Chris and get high. You?" Tyler smirked at his mother and gave her a wink.
"Very funny Tyler John. I don't find that the least bit amusing."
Rebecca rolled up the magazine and swatted his arm. Sometimes she wonders where he got his sarcasm.
As she looked at him, she saw the answer. She saw the answer to everything in his face. A daily reminder of the only man she ever loved. But now, the love she has for him is mere gratitude. Gratitude for having been blessed with the most perfect son anyone could ever ask for. She loved Brad for giving her Tyler. She resented him for not being able to handle fatherhood, but she wouldn't change anything about the last fifteen years.
Her phone chirped with a voicemail notification. She picked up the phone to listen to the voicemail. Her jaw dropped and she placed her hand over her mouth as she listened to the message.
Hi Becky. It's Brad. I know it's been forever....and I know....I know you probably don't want to hear from me, but I need to talk to you. Please....call me back. 610-765-4321. Please.
***************************************************************
"Scott, just call her," Kimmo said, "she's not Lisa. You don't know her. You're not going to know her unless you make the call."
"I know. It's just..."
"I know Scott. You've been through alot in the past few years. I can only imagine how difficult it's been for you to put on the brave exterior and act like everything's alright. I don't know that I'd be able to do that."
"I think that's the problem. I've gotten accustommed to playing the joker that I'm not sure if I know how to be anything else anymore. And I need to be me....the real me...for her," Scott said the last sentence so soft that it was barely audible.
"Baby steps my friend. Baby steps. Just make the call. Take it one day at a time. No one's expecting you to get married tomorrow."
"Thanks Kimmo. I appreciate you helping me through all of this."
"Thats what I'm here for. Now hang up and make the call. I'll see you tomorrow at practice."
"K. See you tomorrow." Scott hung up the phone.
***************************************************************
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??" Lindsey screamed through the phone. "Fifteen years and NOW he calls??? What the fuck is that shit??!!"
"I dont know Linds. I haven't called him back yet. I don't know if I can." Rebecca whispered into the phone. She had left Tyler in the living room to call Lindsey from her bedroom, but she still whispered so that he wouldn't be able to hear the conversation.
"Don't call him back. Fuck him. He had his chance. Hell, he had fifteen years of fucking chances. How are you not screaming right now?"
"I think I'm in shock. I had to play the voicemail three times to make sure I heard it right. I can't believe this is happening right now," Rebecca could feel her eyes watering.
"Becks, I know you'll do what you want, but...don't give him the satisfaction. Don't let him hold you down with whatever bullshit excuses he's come up with. You don't deserve that and neither does Tyler. He forced you to struggle to raise his son because he didn't have the guts to stick around. Now Tyler's practically grown and you've got a great life and he wants to come back into it? He doesn't deserve you." Lindsey tried to be level-headed but she had watched her friend struggle for so many years. Working her ass off to graduate and support Tyler....what could he possibly say to erase the past fifteen years?
"You're saying exactly what I said to myself before I called you. But I guess...I think I need to hear it." Rebecca fought back her tears.
"Ma, you ok?" Tyler poked his head into his mother's room.
"Yeah honey. I'm fine. Lindsey I'll talk to you tomorrow." Rebecca quickly hung up the phone and walked over to her son.
"You look upset. Sure everything's okay?"
"Yep. It'll be fine. Promise."
As the two walked back to the living room, Rebecca's phone rang again. Again, it was a number she didn't recognize.
"Hello?"
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I have a busy weekend planned so I may not get to update like I have been the past couple of days. But stay tuned. You don't want to miss what's coming.