Failings of the Fathers: 35

Spring was on its way, the temperatures were warming, and some snow had melted away.  Of course, being on the mountain, the yard of Unforgettable still had various patches and piles of snow, especially the largest and tallest one in which Sam had jumped earlier that winter.  It was still towering over all the other snow piles, and there was a small hole at the base where Mixie had dug next to Todd.  

The change in the weather was bringing the itchiness into the kids that it always does for children.  Todd wasn't immune.  He began taking walks in the nearby woods with the boys, and Mixie, Ray at his perch on his father's shoulders, little chubby fists using Todd's hair for a harness, with Jack and Sam along, picking up interesting rocks or branches, and sometimes, mushrooms.  "Can we eat these, Dad?"  Sam might say.

"No, you can't eat any of them until I get a specialist in to check them.  But you can collect them, if you want to, and we can find out."

"Okay."  They would see the start of several beds of small, brown straw mushrooms with very long stems and put them into a bushel to bring home to the house.

It was still winter, by the calendar rules, but a thaw was around the corner and coming fast.  Weeks had passed, Jewel was on a more regular nursing schedule, and her appetite had picked up.  She weighed in at five and one-half pounds, and was alert and happy.  She still fit in Todd's palm, but more of her was hanging off the edges.  Bitsy was still at Mountainview, and still inside herself, and Todd and Blair and their family had moved forward into Manning Monotony with a certain excitement that other couples would never experience.  The duller, the better, for both, and the children flourished as well.  Jack was now on the honor roll, Sam continued to be, and Ray was getting faster, as well as more talkative.

In addition to these things that were at the heart of Todd's life, The Sun had become a bigger focus for him.  He was spending time at the office, a few days a week.  Blair was dealing with both Ray and Jewel pretty well on her own, with Todd's help.  

At times, Blair would come onto the patio with Jewel, the baby bundled up, and put the basket into the sun. They would enjoy the fresh air and watch the men go out to hike, or play touch football.  Ray was rarely off his father's shoulders, or not in his arms, or being chased by him.  Blair could see that her husband was working through everything he missed through every sacred moment with the boys.  And, she knew the idea of these times being sacred was inside Todd, not herself.  Each of his sons was at a different period that matched major upheavals in his life: Ray, just about three years old, with his active little body and long curls; Sam, pushing the age Todd had been when Bitsy left; and Jack in his later teens, which reflected the most volatile time of Todd's life.  Whether it was a matter of loss or gain, she knew it was what he wanted and what needed to happen.  She felt peace.

This would move into other parts of their lives.  She knew now, as time progressed, that he was different in so many ways.  He wasn't a straight arrow, by any means, and still would resort to any manner of making his business a success, with her along for the ride.  But, she recognized that he was more settled, and seemed to think things through more, mostly because he had his family life at the forefront and was desperately afraid to lose it.  It had been weeks, possibly months since he had woken from a nightmare, or experienced a flashback.  

He was happy.  

She knew it, even if he couldn't verbalize it; he was right where he had always wanted to be, and that meant that THEY were.  The family they had dreamed of, almost twenty years earlier, was there, and theirs.

On a sunny, brisk day in early March, Todd took the boys out again for another walk.  They trekked through the woods, and Sam was collecting acorns and pine cones.  Ray was singing a little song from atop of Todd, and both their hair was the same length; Little Ray's was touching down on his shoulders and so was Todd's.  He'd decided he didn't care about cutting it much, and had just let it go.  Jack's was also getting on the longer side, covering his ears, and falling into his face, as well as flipping out a bit at the neck.  Blair called to them, "Guys, I think it's time for lunch."

Usually, they could hear her, even a ways into the woodline.  Her voice carried enough to get their attention.  But this time, they had traversed into the woods deeper, in search of the "best pine cones."  Sam saw a small grove of black pines, and wanted to get more pine cones for his collection.  Dad can we go in more?"

"Yeah, but not much more.  Mom will have lunch ready soon."

"How much further can we go, Dad?"  Sam asked, as they walked forward.

Before he had a chance to answer, Sam stopped and said, "Dad?  What's that?"  Sam said, knowing what it was but asking, so he could deny it to himself.

Todd looked forward into the trees and saw a small, black bear, nuzzling into a hollow in a tree.  Immediately, he scanned the area around them looking for the mother.  There was another small black bear off in the distance, which must have been the second cub, and behind it, about 100 feet away, was the mother.  Todd immediately put his finger to his lips toward Sam, who nodded, and took Ray off his shoulders, handing him off to Jack, who was behind him.

Jack softly said, "Dad?" with evident fear in his voice.   

Todd was barely talking above a whisper.  "Back up, slow.  Don't go fast."  He pushed Sam behind him and with his other arm, he brought Jack behind him as well.  You're too freaking far in.  It will take at least 30 minutes to back the hell out of here.  Maybe they won't notice.  What do they say?  Black bears rather retreat?  Mixie was very still, looking in the direction of the bear family.   He was up ahead of them, and was not backing off.

Without warning, Ray called out, "Teddy, Teddy bears!"

The mother reared her head, and looked toward them.  Jack said, again, "Dad?"

He said softly, "Run, Jack.  Take Sam's hand and run!"

"Dad, no . . ."

"Now," he said louder, as the mother bear charged toward them.  Todd began making loud noises and running off to the left, and Mixie, following him, barked enough to distract the bear into following them, instead of the kids.  He ran, as fast as he could, with branches scratching at him and poking into his skin.  The dog, right by his side, was frantically barking and growling as they moved.

He saw a tall tree, ahead and scrambled to the base of it, starting to climb.  He made it up to the first level of branches and went higher, looking back.  The mother bear was there, nudging her babies up a nearby oak, and then coming to the base of the tree he clung to.

Jack, panting and near shock, ran toward the house with Ray, and Sam was slightly ahead.  Blair, who was just setting up lunch, looked out the glass doors and saw her sons, running frantically toward her.  She dropped the dish she was holding, and it shattered, scaring Jewel into small cries.  She threw the glass door open, just in time for Jack, without an explanation, handing off Ray to her, and taking off toward Shaun's cottage.  

Ray said, "Mommy?  Teddy in the woods!"

She gasped so loudly that it caught in her throat.  Jewel was still crying from the scare of the shattering plate, and Sam, who was pale and glistening with sweat, just looked at his mother.  She, putting Ray down, knelt in front of him.  "Sam?  What is it?"

"Mom, bears.  Two little ones and a Mother.  Dad, he told us to run, Mom.  He told us to run."  Her middle son could barely get the words out.

Blair, frantic, looked out the doors and saw Shaun, with a gun, and Jack, running back toward the woods.  Her breakfast somehow made its way back up into her throat, and she fought not to vomit.  She jerked Ray off the floor and put him into his pack and play, and said, "Sam, listen to me.  Stay here, stay here with Ray for a few minutes.  Please, baby."

He did as she asked, but started crying and pacing outside the baby's play area.  Perzno was now on his way out of his place, pulling the waistband of his pants together.  Blair had the baby, now in her arms against her chest, and began running down the yard, calling Todd's name.  Perzno got to her, and restrained her from going further.  He said, "Stay here.  I mean it, Mrs. Manning," and ran after Shaun and Jack.

Mrs. Manning.  That flashed through her mind and echoed.  She saw herself in front her:  On the phone, in the penthouse, hearing Todd was missing;  At the bar, remembering Todd when he was stranded on an island in the South Pacific.  Saying a last goodbye to Todd in the foyer of La Boulaie before he "died' in Mitch's plan at the tomb with Victor's body.  Watching Leona "work" on her catatonic husband.  Lying on the bed, next to him, as he let go of life in Ireland, before being revived.  She held the baby to her chest, and in her panic, she realized she was hyperventilating, and couldn't control her breathing.

"In there," Jack said, "around near a grouping of black pines," he said.

"Get back to the house and help your mother and your brothers."  Shaun ordered.

"Fuck no!  It's my father, Shaun!"  he shouted.

"Jack, they need you.  Your mother's got two small children . . ."

"Try and make me leave, because I'm not."  He led the way further into the woods.

In the tree, Todd looked back down to the large bear and saw that she was beginning to climb.  He knew, then, that she identified him as a threat to her babies, as he had seen her.  Realizing she was on her way up, he knew jumping down would injure him and make him easy prey.  The trees on either side were too far apart to move to, and his options were running out.  He decided to face her, from above and growl and yell loudly.  She backed off, for a moment, going to all fours on the ground, and as she moved her front paws back to the tree, Mixie began wildly barking at the base of the tree where the baby bears had found safety.  Todd watched, as the dog lead the mother bear deeper into the woods, giving him time to climb down and make a run for it.  He did, trying not to succumb to his exhaustion.

Using all of his remaining strength, he ran toward the woodline, and almost directly into Shaun, who upon seeing Todd's stricken face and sweaty appearance, took the gun and shot into the air.  Jack, who was not far behind the bigger man, saw his father and ran directly into his arms.  "Dad!" he said, crying onto Todd's shoulder.

"Hey, hey, I'm okay.  I'm okay."

"Dad, God," the teen said, and Todd held him close.

"I heard the dog," Shaun said.  Perzno finally arrived on the scene.

Todd looked up from his son, and said, "He lead them away.  The mother was coming up the tree for me."  Then, he shook his head "no."

"Let's go back.  Blair's probably a mess."  Shaun said.

Perzno said, "She was frantic.  Out of control."

Todd didn't like the sound of that, and wanted her to know he was okay.  He took his cellphone out of his pocket and texted her.

Babe.  Old Winnie the Pooh can't get me.  I'm Todd Manning.

Blair felt her cell in her pocket go off as she stood, in the middle of the yard, right where Perzno had made her stop, holding Jewel.  Both of them were crying.  Sam and Ray were both at the glass doors, their faces and hands pressed against the windows, watching their mother.  Ray was quiet, now, as Sam had told him to be, by using Bitsy's technique.  Sam was sobbing, without sound, and his face was red and wet.

She took her cell phone out, still holding Jewel close to her and opened it.  Reading the last message, she fell to her knees, gripping the baby carefully in her hands, and sobbed.  "Todd," she cried, and within a moment, she could see him coming out of the woods with Shaun, Perzno and Jack.  The latter was practically hanging off him as they made their way up toward the house.

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