FAMILY MATTERS Always

Going Backwards

Laura stares at Stefan's number on the cocktail napkin from the Sizzle Club for nearly an hour. After chatting with him at the bar last night, he's been heavy on her mind. Even though she tried her best to cut their conversation short, he still wouldn't let her walk away without taking his number down. Now, she's arguing with herself internally, constantly talking herself out of making that call. If she opens up this door with him, there's no telling how far she'll go. She stares at the numbers on her cell phone screen. Her fingers are itching to dial Stefan's digits.
"Hey, my pet. I'm back," Steve announces as soon as he walks through the front door. Laura hurriedly hides Stefan's number between the couch cushions. She repositions her body nervously.
"Oh, hey, Steve. How did everything go?"
"Just as I'd planned. The university is going to let me use their science lab to work on my inventions. As long as I promise not to blow the school sky-high, I have access to all of their materials. I kept trying to tell them it wasn't me that blew up the science lab at Vanderbuilt High, it was Dexter Thornhill. For some reason, they wouldn't believe me." He humps his shoulders as he sits down next to his wife. He leans in for a smooch but she gives him her cheek instead. Steve looks confused by her unwillingness to kiss him. Laura quickly stands to her feet.
"I was just about to make lunch. You want anything?" She asks on her way to the kitchen. She doesn't even wait for an answer before she disappears behind the kitchen door. Steve scratches his noggin while leaning back on the sofa. His other hand brushes something, prompting him to pick it up to see what it is. His eyes get big at the sight of Stefan's number. A lump forms in his throat the size of a golf ball.
"I can't believe it... Laura is seeing Stefan behind my back."
***
Harriet pulls up at the small diner at the edge of town and parks her car. She stares through the windows of the place anxiously, wondering which one of the waitresses she's gawking at from a distance is her daughter. After her and Steve's heart-to-heart moment last night, she decided to contact Judy. Even though it was late when she called, Judy answered on the second ring. Both women were extremely apprehensive, but they still ended up having a good talk. Judy told her where she's working now and tried to convince her mom to stop by and see her. Harriet said she wasn't sure about that, and Judy voiced her understanding.
After Harriet slept on her estranged daughter's request, however, she felt compelled to give in to her wishes. She made the conscious decision to go and see Judy, but she also chose not to mention it to anyone in the family. She needs to make sure things are on the up-and-up with her before blowing everyone else's mind with the news. She has to make sure she can trust Judy with her family's hearts again.
She Googled the restaurant name Judy had given her and GPS-ed the directions. Now, after driving for nearly 45 minutes, she's trying to find the courage she needs to walk through the door. She takes a deep breath when she decides to get it over with.
"Ma'am, sit wherever you'd like," a heavy-set lady says as soon as Harriet makes it inside. She stares at the sea of empty tables and chooses to sit at the one furthest from the entrance. She rests her purse next to her as one of the waitresses approaches her.
"Good Afternoon, miss. What can I get for you?" The young white woman asks. Harriet reaches for the menu that's stuck in between the salt and pepper shakers.
"Um, I'll have a cup of coffee and a slice of pecan pie." The lady scribbles down her order.
"Will that be all?"
"Yes."
The waitress nods her head before carrying Harriet's order towards the kitchen. Harriet looks around the place with nervous eyes. Even though she remembers Judy's youthful face like she saw it yesterday, she still has no idea if that face looks the same 20-something years later. There's no telling what kind of things Judy had gotten into when she was on the streets, and the stress of living life in the fast lane can definitely show on someone's face.
"Here you are, miss. A slice of fresh pecan pie," the woman says as she sets the small plate down in front of Harriet. She pours her a hot cup of Joe right afterward. Harriet thanks her, "No problem. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Actually- there is. I was wondering if you know Judy Winslow."
"I do," the waitress confirms.
"Oh, good. Well, is she here today?" She thinks about the question for a second before answering.
"Actually, she-" the sound of the diner's door opening causes the woman to pause. She smiles, "Actually, she just walked in. You must be her mom. She was hoping you would stop by."
***
Steve angrily paces the sidewalk in front of the house. He's so furious with his wife that he can't be inside of the same four walls with her right now. He always knew she still had a desire for Stefan, but he thought that if he kept her happy enough, she would never act on those urges. Now that they're back in Chicago, though, she just had to get in contact with her old flame.
"Why the fuck is he here, anyway? He's supposed to be in Paris. Did Laura know he would be in Chicago? Is that why she wanted to come back here?"
The sight of the Urkel residence makes Steve stop in his tracks. Ever since he let Laura talk him into moving back here, it's been one bad experience after another. He hates it here. He hates everything about being here. He wishes he never came back here. He wants to disappear.
"Urkie, man, you good? I've been watching you stomp a hole in the ground for the longest," 3J says while walking from the side of the house. Steve glares at him with emotionally unstable eyes.
"I don't know how long I'm going to be able to do this, 3J. I don't know how long I'm going to be able to pretend that everything is alright- that I'm alright." 3J looks concerned.
"Bro, you know if there's anything you want to talk about, all you have to do is come up to the attic and we can kick it, right? Honestly, I could really use the company. Whenever you need to talk, man, I'm here." Steve painfully glances at 3J, and then at his rental car. He pulls the keys from his pocket.
"Actually, what I need is advice from a woman, and there's only one that will fully understand where I'm coming from."
Steve hops in the car, leaving 3J standing near the curb with a perplexed expression on his face. He pulls out his cell phone and looks up a number in his contacts list that he hasn't looked up in forever, a number that he should have deleted decades ago, but now he's glad he hasn't. He presses the dial button and she picks up immediately.
"Well, hello, Steven. I kind of figured you were going to call." He pauses before speaking back.
"Hello, Myra. I was hoping we could talk in person. Can we meet up?"