When October Goes

Chapter 13

Richard parked his motorcycle in the driveway and took off his helmet as he approached the front door.  After he unzipped his leather riding jacket to help cool off from the warm summer evening, he stood at the door for a good five minutes before mustering up enough courage to ring the bell.  It's not as if he'd never been there before, but he was extremely nervous about spending one-on-one time with his dad.  He rang the bell and waited.  Richard thought he heard a faint voice from the other side of the door, so he hesitantly touched the handle and gave it a little turn.  He opened the door and peeked his head inside.

"Hello?" he called out cautiously.

"I'm in the kitchen.  You know the way," Logan responded casually.

This is totally weird.  What the heck is going on?  I thought they had a maid, he wondered.  He shrugged his shoulders, set down his helmet and hung his jacket on the coat rack near the front door.  In the kitchen, Logan was unpacking a bag of groceries.

"Hi," Richard said timidly.  Suddenly, he had no idea what to do or say.  The man before him was the father he never knew but had dreamt of it.  Never in his thoughts did he ever imagine what they'd actually say to each other.  He stood in the doorway in an awkward silence.

Logan stopped unloading the bags and turned toward his son.  "Hey," he replied quickly.  There were very few times when he'd ever found himself at a loss for words, but they usually involved Rory.  His son stood before him, rendering him speechless as his mother had done that fateful night in New Hampshire.  When he'd invited him over for dinner, he hadn't really thought through any sorts of topics of conversation.

"Hey," Richard said as he gave a strange wave and slight smile.  Dude, you already said hello to him, he chastised himself.  "So, uh.....um......how are you, sir?"

"Sir?"

"I mean, ummm....... Logan," Richard replied unsure of what he should call him.

"Logan?" he asked.  "I guess that's what I told you to call me before, didn't I?"

Richard nodded his head.  "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

He made his way to the bathroom and closed the door behind him.  Could this get any worse, he wondered silently.  Maybe Mom has some advice.

Richard: This is a disaster.  I don't know what to do or say.  Everything is awkward and I'm stuttering!  HELP!

Staring into the mirror, he tried to read his own face, but it only made him more confused.  Splashing water on your face always seemed to help clear up confusion in the movies.  Maybe I should try it, he thought.  He set his phone down and turned on the water.  After splashing his face, he looked into the mirror again.  Nothing.

Rory: I don't really know what to tell you.  It's not like I've been in this situation before.  Just be yourself!

Richard: Thanks, Mom!

Meanwhile, Logan finished unpacking the groceries for their dinner.  He started pulling out what he needed for cooking.  What am I so nervous about?  He's my son and he wants this, so get your shit together, Huntzberger! he thought.  Richard is the son I've always wanted.  Why is this so hard for me?  He took a deep, cleansing breath just before his son came back.

Richard walked back into the kitchen to find Logan standing in front of an extremely large stock pot.  He noticed the cutting board on the counter next to him with two lobsters on it.  Logan saw the slightly confused look on his face.

"Oh, no, you don't like lobster?" Logan asked worriedly.

"It's not that, it's just I didn't think you'd be cooking or that it would be this fancy," Richard replied.