Days later at night, Marie stayed at her and Hal's house wearing a slit dress over a short satin robe standing and looking out the window feeling down. Then Alastair came in the room wearing his a white shirt and a drawstring pants, there are still bruises on his face but was able to walk properly, he saw Marie's look so he walked toward her then held her shoulder, "Are you okay?" he asked her.
"I wonder what is he up to lately, I haven't heard from him since...", she answered
"Why are you suddenly worried about him?", he asked again.
"I'm just scared that he might come back and do something to us", she said to him feeling tense.
"Relax, we have a restraining order against him", he reminded her and pulled to turn her to look at him in the eyes, "so he wouldn't dare to go near us or else, he'll go to jail".
"But still..." , she said nervously.
"Nothing will happen to you or to any of us", he assured her.
"Your right, it's been five days anyway", she said starting to calm down and Alastair nodded lightly in response, "I'll just check up on Reese".
"Alright", he replied then Marie walked out the room. Alastair was left alone and then got himself thinking about the what Marie was saying and now looking worried too.
The next afternoon, Hal came back to Ramsey's home looking rather disappointed so he dropped his old messenger bag and sat on the couch and rubbed his head. Ramsey got out of the kitchen to check up on Hal and he notices his frustrations.
"So... uhm... how was your day?", Ramsey asked awkwardly while taking off his oven mitts.
"I still can't get a single job", Hal huffed.
"I'm sorry," Ramsey said feeling bad at him, "but what about the company that was suppose to call you?".
"They haven't called yet, that's my only hope to get a job", Hal answered, "and also to pay you back?".
"Don't worry about that", Ramsey assured him.
"I forgotton how hard it was to get a job no matter what I did before", Hal complained.
"That's how white collar world work", Ramsey shrugged.
"There's got to be a way to get a job", Hal exasperated.
Then Ramsey thought of something, " what about your...?", he suggested.
"I rather die", he answered feeling annoyed, "let's not talk about that".
"Okay, but I'm just try to point out that what other choices do you have?", Ramsey said to him.
"I'll get a job, I just need to try harder", Hal replied.
"We'll figure something out", Ramsey assured him again, "just call it a day and try again tomorrow".
"Yeah, you're right", Hal agreed.
"I have to go pick-up William from his school", Ramsey said to him, "just relax for now".
"Alright, drive safe", Hal responded. Ramsey puts his shoes and jacket on and then grabbed his keys at the coffee table then left Hal alone at his place. Later in the evening, Hal was with Ramsey's six - years- old son William, light skin, dark hair and blue eyes from his father wearing a blue shirt and black knee-length short helping him with his homework in the living room.
"So again, is six an even numbers?", Hal quizzed William from his textbook.
"Yes", William answered him.
"Correct", Hal said to him, "Is four an even number?".
"Yes", William answered.
"That's right, is five an even number?", Hal tested him again.
"No", William answered him.
"Why?", Hal asked.
"Because it's an odd number", William replied.
"Nice one!", Hal praised him, "you see, math isn't that bad". William just sheepishly smiled at Hal.
"Thank you, Uncle Hal for helping", William thanked him.
"No problem, I'm happy to help", Hal told him with a smile on face and patted his head. Suddenly, Ramsey came out of the kitchen to check on them.
"Hey, dinner is almost ready", Ramsey said to them, " So how's the studying?".
"Great, don't you think so, William?", Hal replied and turned to William.
"I'm learning a lot", William said to them, the two men chuckled.
"I can see that, buddy", Ramsey said to his son, "why don't you go to your room and wash up while dad and Uncle Hal prepare for dinner, okay?".
"Okay, dad", William said to Ramsey then he stood up and grabbed his school belongings then went to his room. Ramsey and Hal went to the dining area and were setting the table. Later on the dinner table with fried chicken and mash potatoes. William went out from his room and went straight to the dining area and took a seat and so did the two men. Ramsey grabbed a plate placed a chicken and a scoopful of mash potatoes on it gave it to William.
"Here you go, buddy", Ramsey said to him.
"Thanks, dad", William replied. Hal took his own serving and began eating.
"So how's school?", Ramsey asked his son.
"Good", William said with a cheery smile on his face and Hal was enjoying seeing it.
"Good? really?", Ramsey asked again.
"Yeah, the teacher bought us a pet hamster", William explained.
"Wow, what's his name?", Ramsey quipped.
"Toby", William answered.
"That's nice", Ramsey replied.
"Ms. Annie said we can take turns to take care of him", William told his dad.
"Yeah, we can take care of him", Ramsey agreed. Then it got silence since the three boys were eating but William suddenly felt curious about something and Hal started to drink a glass of water.
"Where's Aunt Marie?", William suddenly asked. Ramsey suddenly stopped eating and Hal almost choked on his water, so he puts down the glass and wiped his mouth.
Ramsey turned to his son to warn him, "Uhm... buddy", he uttered.
"It's okay, Ramsey", Hal assured him, "we got into a fight and...".
"That is why Uncle Hal needs to stay here so that Aunt Marie can think on what she did wrong", Ramsey explained the best way he knows how to his six - years - old son.
"How long is that?", William asked them.
"Until...", Ramsey stammered not knowing what to answer.
"Until she call me to say she's sorry", Hal answered.
"Same as daddy", William pointed out and thought he understood everything.
Ramsey doesn't know what to say next so he looked at Hal, "exactly", Hal gulped and reluctantly answered.
"Let's just eat", Ramsey suggested trying to break the ice. Right after their meal, William went to bed while the two men clean up and Ramsey felt embarrased from what happened, "I'm sorry about that".
"Don't worry about it", Hal assured them.
"Hey, since it's my day-off tomorrow, let's go drinking at the balcony", Ramsey suggested.
"Sure, why not?", Hal replied. Several minutes later, the two men sat and relax on two arm chairs with a small table in-between to place the beer cans and were enjoying the city lights view, "this is nice".
"Yeah, I always like sitting here to enjoy the silence after all the hustle and bustle of rush hour of the week days", Ramsey said to Hal, "when your cop, you'll get it".
"I see what you mean", Hal said drinking his beer then put it on the table.
"Anyways, thanks for helping William with his school stuff", thanked Ramsey to Hal.
"Sure thing", Hal said to Ramsey, "William is really a bright kid, just like his old man".
"Yeah", Ramsey snickered,
"It's nice having a kid, huh?", Hal asked Ramsey.
"Of course, sure it's not so much of a play house thing but yeah, having a kid is always a blessing", Ramsey responded.
"It is, I always wanted to have kids", Hal sighed.
"You and Marie never thought of having kids back then?" Ramsey asked feeling curious. Hal suddenly got quiet then looked away and of course, Ramsey new something was up, "what's wrong?".
"I wanted to have kids, I do", Hal stammered.
"So what's holding you, was it your job?" Ramsey questioned.
"It's not just my job, I found out that I can't have children", Hal confessed.
Ramsey was taken aback a little, "what?", he reacted.
"I'm one of those infertile men", Hal repeated.
"Oh my, I'm sorry about that", Ramsey said, "Does Marie know?".
"No, she didn't", Hal answered, "I couldn't actually, I was scared that she'll leave and she did".
"When did you found about this?", Ramsey asked.
"Less than a year ago, I checked from another city when I decided to have a baby", Hal answered.
"Were you planning to tell her?", Ramsey wondered.
"Yes, but like I said I was scared because there's one great thing that I couldn't give her", Hal complained.
"That's rough, listen I really do appreciate you taking care of my son like he is your own", Ramsey said.
"Thanks, Rams", Hal said to him, "I really do adore your son, you have a great kid".
"Of course, I raised him", Ramsey joked, "anyways, how are you feeling so far?".
Hal sighed then he gave that question a second thought, " I'm still upset by it but I've been accepting it slowly" he replied.
"That's good", Ramsey cringed but felt relieved.
"I'm still mad at them and I don't how I'll forgive them", Hal pointed out.
"It's not easy, I get it", Ramsey replied.
"Marie said that I wasn't always there for her", Hal mentioned, "maybe I was a lousy husband".
Ramsey shook his head, "Hal... let's just say you were, she's still in the wrong", Ramsey said, "you don't deserve this".
"I was thinking that maybe if I had chosen a different position, that didn't require me to go out of town, would it make a difference?", Hal wondered.
"I guess, I don't know, Hal, what happened, happen", Ramsey replied, "But if you asked me, it's not your fault, you did what you think it's best back then".
"But it wasn't enough for her", Hal exasperated.
"It looks bad now, but it will get better", Ramsey said to cheer him up.
"I hope so", Hal replied with a light smile.
"Another can?", Ramsey offered by holding up a beer can to Hal.
"Yeah, what the heck", Hal accepted then got the beer can from his hand and opened and Ramsey did the same.
"Cheers", Ramsey said to him before drinking the beer.
"Cheers!", Hal respond to him then they both drank and enjoyed the rest of the night. The next day, a Saturday afternoon, Ramsey was at a grocery store pulling a supermarket trolley at an aisle where they put ready-mix desserts, he stood there trying to decide what to buy then he heard familiar voices, he felt like he should check it out. He left the trolley and walked to the end of the aisle where there were display of cakes in it, once he got to the end, he stopped and was surprised on who he saw, none other than Marie and Alastair looking like a happy couple which annoyed him. Ramsey stood behind the aisle trying not to be seen by them.
"What about that cake?", Marie excitingly asked Alastair pointing at a colorful birthday cake.
"Hmmm... Reese might like that for her birthday", Alastair answered.
"She will", Marie convinced him. Ramsey was still eaves-dropping on them.
"Let's look at other cakeshop and we'll get back to this", Alastair suggested.
"Alright, let's have lunch first then lets go to the toy store", Marie said.
"Okay", Alastair sighed then they walked away. Ramsey walked back to his trolley then suddenly got an idea in mind.
An hour later, Ramsey was at a toy store pretending to browse around just so he can wait Marie and Alastair to be there too. about few minutes later as expected, they came. Ramsey was at a safe distance and was trying to watch what they're doing there.
"Hon, look, it's an E.T stuffed toy", Marie noticed immediatly, sitting alone at a stool, "Reese would love to have that".
"She does like watching the movie", Alastair remembered. Ramsey slowly walked near them.
"Excuse me", Marie called the sales guy so he approached her.
"Yes, can I help you?", the sales guy asked them.
"How much is this E.T doll?", Marie asked him.
"It's fifteen ninty-nine, ma'am", the sales guy answered.
"Sounds good", Alastair replied to the sales guy, "we'll take it".
"Great!", the sales guy said to them with a smile, as he was about to take it from the stool, Ramsey immediately came and grabbed the toy so fast from it's stool and was about to head to the check-out counter, Alastair and Marie got stunned and confused at what he did but they didn't who it was, the sales guy was taken aback as well but he couldn't do anything about it.
"Uhm... excuse me", Alastair called out to Ramsey who was facing backwards and stopped walking, "we were actually going buy that". Ramsey smirked then turned to them, Alastair and Marie was shocked.
"Ramsey?", Marie said, Ramsey smirks got bigger just looking at their faces.
"Oh! hello, Marie... Alastair, what brings you here?", Ramsey greeted them, acting as if he didn't know they were there.
"We were going to get that?", Alastair respond to him strictly.
"Relax", Ramsey scoffed at him, "I'm sure they have more?", then they looked at the sales guy.
"Actually, that's the last one", the sales guy clarified to them.
"Oh... too bad", Ramsey snide in respond.
"It's for Reese's birthday gift", Marie said to him.
"Well, I'm going to give this William, he's doing well in school thanks to your husband", Ramsey teased them then looked at the sales guy, "not him", smoke was beginning to come out at Alastair's ears.
"Okay", the sales guy followed and starting to feel nervous. Marie shooked her head at disgust at Ramsey.
"You son of a ...", Alastair angered.
"Alastair..." Marie called him and try to held him to stop, Ramsey stood his ground calmly, "Ramsey, please we don't want any trouble, just give us the toy".
"What? what did I do?", Ramsey mocked, "I'm sorry, but my son wanted it too".
"But we claimed it first", Alastair stated to him sternly.
"Neither one of us paid for it then it's not even yours to claim", Ramsey reminded him, "remember that". Alastair was beginning to boil up again.
"Ramsey, enough", Marie demanded him then Ramsey snickered at them then the atmosphere got silent and tense then there was the sound of the door chimes which meant a new customer came in the store and an attractive-looking woman came and approached the sales guy. Ramsey noticed her and got attracted to her.
"Excuse me, do you still have those E.T dolls?", the woman asked the nervous sales guy then it gave Ramsey another plan in mind.
"Uhm... actually..." the sales guy stammered.
"Here, ma'am", Ramsey pointed to the woman that he was holding the toy, "you can have this?". Alastair and Marie was dumbfounded at what he did so does the sales guy.
"Oh my Gosh, are you sure?", the woman said with a surprised look on her face.
"Yeah, I was going to buy it but funny thing is, I forgot my wallet at my house", Ramsey lied to the woman then hand it to her, "so it's fine". Alastair and Marie stood there still in disbelief and the sales guy couldn't dare utter anything after what happened
The woman got the toy from his hand, "Thank you so much, this will make my daughter very happy", she said to them then he turned to the sales guy, "I'm ready to make a purchase".
"Ugh.." the sale guy uttered again then Ramsey got his attention so he showed his gun that was hiding in his jacket since he was a policeman then the sales guy gulped just looking at it then looked at the woman again, "no problem, right this way", then the woman gave the doll to the sales guy first. Marie and Alastair looked so annoyed.
"Alright, I'll be there in a while", the woman said to the sales guy nodded then grabbed the doll and went ahead to the checkout counter. The woman came near to Ramsey with a smile on her face, "are you sure your kid will be okay about it?".
"It's a surprise gift, so he wouldn't expect it anyway", Ramsey assured her.
"I see, thanks again, can I repay you over a cup of coffee", the woman flirted at him.
"Aren't you married?" Ramsey wondered, since she mentioned she had a daughter.
"Oh no... I'm divorce actually but I am a single mother of two daughters", the woman claimed and showed her ringless fingers to prove she's available.
"What a small world, me too, I'm a single father to my son", Ramsey replied to her.
"That's a relief", the woman said, "or else I'll be mistaken as a desperate homewreaker, I don't want that", as she face the guilty couple then laughed at her own joke but Alastair and Marie just smiled at her in response.
"No, I don't think you are", Ramsey replied with a chuckle but it was suppose to refer on the condemned couple.
"You are just too kind", the woman admired, "it's so hard to find good man these days, maybe that's why I met ex-husband", then she laughed again and so did Ramsey, the two just pretended join but felt rather uncomfortable.
"That's a good one", Ramsey commented at her joke and he knows it killed Alastair and Marie.
"Your so sweet, unlike my ex-husband, he would always call and said he was 'busy'", she blurted then she face to Marie to somehow relate to her, "don't you just hate that?".
"I do", Marie answered her then she has a smug on her face and showed it to Ramsey that she was on the right.
"With his work?", Ramsey questioned her.
"I wish", the woman answered the three of them got confuse, "with his secretary who was also married, Ugh!... I don't even mind if he had a business trip in Pluto since he was earning a stable income for the family", then Marie's smug disappeared.
"I'm sorry to hear that", Ramsey said to her.
"It's okay, I'm not upset about it anymore", the woman said to him, "It's just that what is it about women like his secretery? it's like they can't be content on what they have".
"I really don't know", Ramsey shrugged to her yet he was trying to hide his smug.
"I'm sorry, I've said too much", she apologized to them as she covered her mouth.
"No, no it's fine", Ramsey assured her.
"It's just that people who are unfaithful should just go to hell", the woman grunted then looked at Marie and Alastair but they looked somehow pale "am I right?".
"Yeah...", the two reluctantly nodded but couldn't look at her straight in eyes.
"I agree too", Ramsey acknowledged.
"Anyways, I have to pay for the toy before somebody else gets them", the woman said again at them with a joke then she turned at Ramsey again and then opened her purse to get something in it, "I forgot to introduce myself I'm Sandra and this is my card, there's my number on it".
"I'm Ramsey", he introduced himself then held the card and read it, "Oh... your a pilates intructor".
"Yes, I am", Sandra proudly said then gave her business card to Marie and Alastair and thanked her, " the first three sessions are free".
"I might enroll, I'm a cop actually", Ramsey said to her and she reacted impress, "I might need to be more flexible at my work".
"Right, of course", Sandra said to him, "anyways, call me", then Sandra walked away with a sexy strut towards the cashier which made Ramsey looked at her behind then he looked back at them with a smirk while they looked at him with disgust. Ramsey then walked towards them then stopped at Alastair's side.
"You see, there are still beautiful singles in the sea", Ramsey whispered to Alastair, "but remember, Sandra is mine", then Ramsey walked away and got out of the shop feeling satisfied with his day. The two didn't say anything and felt rather offended by what just happened and left the shop as well.