The Courtship Of Nathan's Father

The following story is loosely based on the book, movie and T.V. show

"The Courtship Of Eddie's Father"

It had been almost ten years since Sam had been in Seattle, and so much had changed. She smiled as she drove past the Groovy Smoothie. Those were some good times. That was before real life slapped her in the face.

She'd dated Freddie for almost a year in college. They had been very happy then. She knew he loved her and that she loved him. They were headed for the "happily ever after when the whole world blew up in her face.

While Freddie was at work one night, Sam went out to eat and ran into Gordon Willis, a guy from one of her classes. They talked and had a few drinks and then they went back to the apartment she and Freddie shared. She never understood why she let it happen, but she ended up in bed with him.

She didn't see him when he came in, but Gordon did and started to laugh as he walked in.

Here she was on top of Gordon and Freddie just stood there. She heard him sniffle and jerked her head around to see him crying.

He never said a word; he just walked out and never came back.

"Hey bitch, we're not done yet," Gordon shouted at her.

"Yes we are nutsack, I just lost my whole world and you're the cause of it!"

"I think you had a hand in it to baby," he said and grabbed her by the arms and shoved her down on the bed, "You little cocktease, I'm not done yet.

He would end up rapeing her twice and beating her up. She didn't try to defend herself at all. In the back of her mind she thought she deserved it for what she had done to Freddie.

After she went to the hospital and talked to the police, Gordon was arrested and then released on bail. The next day Gordon was found in the quad with the shit kicked out of him and the words "rapist" written on him. They never caught the person responsible for it.

Freddie transferred to another school and left everything he had at the apartment. She spent years looking for Freddie, but he just dropped off the face of the earth.

She got married three years ago to Brian Thompson. Everything seemed to be going good. Freddie was always lurking somewhere in her heart and mind, but she really tried with Brian. That is till she came home early one day and found Brian and Steve in bed. She thought it was so ironic that she walked in to the exact same scene that Freddie did.

That was one and half years ago and one divorce ago. Her friends tried to get her to go out, even going so far as to set her up, but she never did. Freddie loomed large in her mind and heart.

She pulled into the Bushwell apartment parking lot and got out of the car and started to walk in. She had decided Two weeks ago to move back to Seattle and start fresh. Carly had told her that Miss Benson had moved and her apartment was up for rent.

Sam knocked on the door and waited. Carly opened the door and squealed, "Oh my God Sam, I've missed you."

"Same Here Carlotta," Sam smiled back.

The two old friends went to the manager right away and signed the lease of the apartment and went to lunch.

They talked about everything but Freddie. They both tiptoed around the subject. Finally Sam brought him up.

"Ever hear anything about Freddie?"

"Not one peep," Carly answered.

"God Carly, I miss him so much, Sam begins to say, "What the hell was I thinking even talking to Gordon much less sleeping with him?"

"I'm sorry Sam, but that's spilled milk now. We need to go to the park and talk; it was always a place that made you happy."

"Sure Carly, let's go."

When they get to the park they sit on a bench and just talk and laughed. Sam began to smile a little more and relax.

As they talked a big yellow softball came rolling up as a very small boy, maybe three year old tops, came running after it. His cap was two sizes too big and the mit he wore looked to be larger than he was. He was laughing and reaches the ball that had now stopped at Sam's feet.

"Cuse me pretty wady, I need to get my ball. I hope it not hurt wou," the charming little man said.

"No sweetie, I'm fine," Sam said as she smiled at him, "That's a very nice ball you have there."

"Thank wou,"he said, "My dude got it for me."

Sam smiled and asked, "Your "dude?"

"My daddy, he's better than a dad, he's a dude!

Sam and Carly both smiled at this remark. The young man had dark brown hair and big brown eyes and both women thought he looked like Freddie.

"Well, big guy, what's your name?" Sam asked.

"Nathan, Nathan…"

"Hey Nate you get lost dude?" came a voice from the past.

Sam and Carly just stared as they saw Freddie walk up to the boy and pick him up.

"Freddie?" they both said at the same time.

"Hello ladies," he said as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't just vanished for ten years, "I see you've met Nathan, my son."

They both looked from him to the boy (and checked the ring finger, he had one) and spoke almost at the same time, "he's precious Freddie. He looks just like you."

"No he's really cute and handsome, I'm not," Freddie smiled at his son.

"You and your wife live around here?" Sam asked.

"Nate and I do, Noel died a year and a half ago," he said quietly.

"I'm so sorry Freddie, what happened?" Carly asked.

"Cancer, it was very sudden and quick," he stated.

"I'm so sorry. You've lived here all these years and never called me?" Carly asked.

"Oh no, we just moved here four days ago. I've been finishing up from the move and spending time with Nate till I start work on Monday. We opened a new office here and I came to run it."

"Who do you work for?" Sam finally waded into the conversation.

"Myself, I own "Sat Tel" the software company," he told them.

"Isn't based in France?" Sam asked.

"Yep, I went to France for collage and met Noel and we started the company together. After she died I just couldn't stay there anymore, it hurt too much."

"I'm so sorry for your loss Freddie," Sam told him.

"Well you know, life doesn't always give you what you want," he said looking her in the eyes, "but you take it as it comes. You just trust in God and know you get what you need. The three years Noel and I had were worth the pain, besides I got Nathan out of the deal. He saved my life. I couldn't crawl into a bottle because I had him."

Nathan had laid his head down on his "dudes" shoulder and was fast asleep.

"So what about you two, what's up?"

"Divorced," was all Sam said.

"Still looking," Carly threw in.

"Well then some guys somewhere are blind, because you both look great," Freddie smiled.

"Thank you," Carly said.

"Thanks Freddie and you look great, well maybe a little thin, but good," Sam smiled.

"I get the thin a lot,' he smiled.

"Listen, let's have dinner together, tonight," Carly suggested.

"Ok, mind if Nate tags along?" Freddie asked.

"Sure, then we'll have two good looking men with us at dinner," Sam said as she touched the sleeping boys back.

"Ok, say six-thirty then?" Freddie said.

"Good we'll meet at the Bushwell then."

As he walked away Sam felt something inside her that she thought she had lost.

"Sam, SAM," Carly called her out of the trance she had fallen into.

"A little less drool, and put your eyes back in your head. We need to go get ready."

"He looked really good, didn't he Carly?" Sam said.

"Yes and his son is so sweet. Sam you've got that look in your eye," Carly complained.

"Just wondering."

The dinner went well and Nathan was the star. They talked for hours catching up. They then went back to Carly's apartment and Nathan curled up in his father's lap and fell asleep.

'I need to go; little man has pooped out on me. This has been fun."

"Let's do it again, soon," Carly suggested.

"Sure he said, but please don't be trying to set me up on dates Carly, I'm not ready for that," He told her.

"You mean you think I would…"

"Yes, and don't.

"Good night, Sam," he said and gave her a big hug.

She felt a warmth and static charge from his touch even after all these years. She breathed in his scent and long to kiss him, but she knew this wasn't the time or place. 'God I was so stupid! I let him slip away from me and now it may be too late.'

After he left Carly smiled at Sam.

"Carly, now you're the one with a gleam in her eye. Hell are you planning, Sam asked.

"It's going to take some time and a few bad ones, but we're going to get Nathan a new mom. A blonde, blue eyed one," Carly smiled.

My First one shot. It's one of many things floating around in my head. Let me know if you think I need to make a chapter story out of it.