Fred and Roberta

Fred Sewid woke the morning of March 1st and realized immediately that he was retired.  Officially.  Adum Brate would be flying completely solo today.  The young man could handle it, Fred knew.  But he felt a bit at loose ends.  Shirley was still mayor of Cedar Point.  And so his first day as a retiree ... he was on his own.

He decided to spend the day at home.  Not making an appearance outside of his apartment at all.  But he was still at loose ends.  But such was his life these days.

As evening came on, he was glad he had survived the day and calmly talked to Shirley, assuring him he had not died, as he had long predicted he would when he retired.  But even Shirley sounded sad.

Because of Roberta.

After dinner, but before the night grew too late, he turned on his laptop and opened up the Skype program.  Gwen had added him to her account but had also added her mother.  Roberta.  And Fred noticed that she was online.

With a slight pause ... he initiated a Skype call with his daughter.

Roberta had just settled onto the couch with her after dinner cup of tea when her iPad started to give off that familiar Skype ring. She set the tea down and picked it up and then her eyes widened at the name that was calling. how the hell did he get her info? She had her privacy settings on high. Hesitantly she took a breath and then answered, holding out the tablet so she was visible. Roberta was the spitting image of a younger Shirley, her long dark hair swept into a messy bun and her glasses perched a little low on her nose the way Shirley's often slid. She blinked at Fred, face as it appeared, her father's face "Hi...."

Fred was always taken .. had always been taken ... with how much Roberta looked like her mother.  Ironically, had she looked more like him .. this day may never have come.  He inhaled deeply.  "Hello.  Thank you for accepting the call."  he begins.  "Gwen set this up for me.  Dragging me into the modern age.  You're actually my second Skype call after the test to Gwen."  he isn't smiling, but he isn't frowning.  He is .. neutral.  Old habits died hard.

Roberta looks sideways and sighs into forming her daughter's name "Gwen...." She looks back up "OK. What can I do for you...Fred?" She'd definitely nowhere near being ready to call him anything else yet.

Fred doesn't even flinch at her addressing him as Fred.  "I am here to talk to you about your mother."  he tells her.  "And to own up to my part in all of this.  She ...."  he stops himself.  "I'd told her I didn't want children.  It wasn't exactly what I MEANT, but .. interpersonal communications wasn't my strong suit back then."

Roberta inhales, stiffening a bit in her posture. Her gaze on him becomes intense like she's meeting him head on. Her temper might have a bit to do with Fred's genetics if one was so inclined to think that way "Go on then...."

Fred watches her face and suppresses  grin.  She's an intense one.  "At the time, I was ready to give up law and run for mayor of Alexandra.  She and I were happy .. well I was happy, anyway.  But when she brought up our future I just out and told her I didn't want children."  he sighs his regret.  "At the time, I wasn't sure I could sell an Aboriginal mayor to Alexandra .. never mind TWO of them."  he blows out a breath.  "Looking back ... I do believe she was testing the waters with me .... and my reaction ... scared her off to someone who would .. be a father to her child."

Roberta digests this "OK, so that's you. I still don't know why SHE didn't tell me, or my Dad, well the one who raised me anyways.....she lied to three people Fred, about something REALLY important!" He voice begins to raise at the last part and her eyes flash with the temper.

Fred watches her and sighs.  She was feeling anger he'd felt for years.  Decades.  "I think for yrs she simply did not know.  I wasn't positive.  It wasn't like it is today where you can pick up a paternity test up at the store.  But when I saw you ... oh you were 6 years old ...  I knew.  Did the math.  But I didn't confront her until you were 11."  he scoffs.  "It was the beginning of many ... oh so cool fights.  I think ... I think she may have known, but by then .. even then she was afraid.  And I can be ... "  he seems to search for the word.  "Difficult."

Roberta sighs, thinking and then huffs "She says that about me too....but it's not reason to keep up a lie. Mother's never lied to me about ANYTHING else. I don't know what to do with this. I'm sorry. I'm really trying. Brad made me go see a counselor even....."

Fred sighs and nods.  "It drove me crazy too."  he admits.  "But at the same time.  When you were born ... it was hard enough to get married and have a baby in seven or eight months after that, betraying that the baby was conceived out of wedlock.  And Shirley ... she needs security.  And ... Elliot was more security to her than I was ... I suppose."  he sighs.  He'd been a lawyer.  Elliot a teacher.  "She was scared.  And she ... made a snap decision .. to not be lonely .. maybe to take a job at me.  To give you a father."  he huffs.  "It's been a rough bunch of decades for me, too.  Second guessing every decision I made from that day on."  he blows out a breath.  "Hell, I can't even say I would have been a better father.  I don't know.  I never got the chance to find out."  he feels himself losing grip on his temper and he closes his eyes both in the pain of the thought and to get his temper under control, if he can.

Roberta sees the man's emotion and can't not be affected. She blinks hard "Elliot was good to me if it's any consolation....I know he wasn't you but....god when I think about Mom's first husband....it could have been way worse right? I read that tabloid about you guys. Gwen left it open on my.....how often do you talk to Gwen anyway? "She looks suspicious now, like her daughter is in on a conspiracy with her estranged biological father.

 In truth, Gwen is. She likes her Grandpa Fred and relates to him better than her other Grandparents. He talks to her like an adult and encourages her. Gwen would love nothing more than her mother both welcoming him into the family and reconciling with her Gran. She loves her Gran to bits.

Fred gets himself under control.  He thinks of Elliot.  "I know he was."  he admits.  "We didn't get along, but my problems with him were more about his hiding that he was gay."  a small growl of anger erupts from him.   "Sinclair."  there is unmistakable hatred in his voice.  "I piss on his grave every chance I get."  he confesses.  In a way, Drake Sinclair was the start of it all.  He and Shirley had fought and she sought comfort in his arms.  A minor fight turned into a break-up and she had married that bastard.  Fred suspected that Shirley's miscarriage was no accident.  But Roberta shifts the subject to Gwen and Fred can not help but smile.  "That is a good kid you have there."  he tells her.  "That article hurt Shirley more than it hurt me.  I'm used to them comparing me to everyone from Atilla the Hun to Donald Trump."  he pauses.  "She called me a couple of times a week and then decided I needed to upgrade from my old flip phone.  But she was kind enough to walk me through the damn thing."

Both Fred's anger about her mother's abusive ex and his adoration of Gwen are starting to soften Roberta's demeanor. Clearly this man, her father, really loves her mom and always has. Circumstances were just...well shitty. She lets out a genuine laugh "Gwen's good with the tech and anything mechanical. I have to say, I get why Dad hid his sexuality, especially in the era he was raised in....well you all were.......I don't know what to call you Fred. I mean I know now you are my father but I grew up with a different one.....This is going to take some getting used too......And Jesus Christ...I'm not Haida......" She groans "I spent half my life learning the language. Oh well...I'm helping it stay alive."

Fred sighs.  "Oh, I understand it, too."  he admits.  "I got angry because instead of just being a man who never married, he took a wife and had my child.  Which was doubly interesting and irritating, since she and I are both Semiahmoo and arguably should have been together."  he snorts.  "I'm the one who never married."  he sighs and then nods.  "I don't know either, Roberta."  he admits.  "But I do know that just because I gave you my DNA doesn't make me a father in anything but biology.  That was one of the first lessons I learned at the Residential School.  DNA does not make a parent."  he smiles and switches to his native tongue.  "Keeping the language alive helps keep US alive."

Roberta brightens and says back in Semiahmoo "Thank the Creator. It hasn't all been a lie.I am sorry for your hardships." She laughs and switches back to English with a guilty look "Is mom OK? I do miss her....."

Fred smiles at the words.  He had never allowed himself to forget the language, and often spoke it ... but mostly only to himself over his life.  Looking at his screen, he sees the guilt and hears that Shirley was indeed missed by her daughter.  "Well, she is trying to organize an election in that democracy of hers."  he teases.  "I retired, effective today.  Put a good young man in charge.  Irishman.  Used to be the police chief.  But Shirley."  he chuckles.  "Is doing it very fairly.  They love her, but I am HOPING that they don't love her os much that no one steps up to take her place."  he pauses.  "Once that's done ... she'll be moving here ... with me."  he pauses again.  "I'll marry her, if she'll have me."  he admits.

Roberta gets a little teary eyed and smiles through it as a few escape and she wipes her face under her glasses "Considering she brought you here on Christmas, I'm sure she'll have you. Oh my god that town will protest..." She laughs and then looks like she's plotting "Does Mom know you're calling me?"

Fred is touched by the tears.  Then he chuckles.  "Well they can protest all they want."  he jibes.  "If I didn't give MY town what they wanted by dying in office, THEY can't have what they want which is probably for Shirley to be mayor another 40 years."  he chuckles and then sighs.  "No, she does NOT know."  he tells her.  "She wanted YOU to come back to her, and barring that, she wanted to be the one to come to you.  But ... well ... I don't know if being stubborn and temperamental is a genetic trait, but you dig in your heels JUST like I do."  he sighs.  "And I know what it feels like to let that keep you away from someone you love for decade after decade."  his voice softens.  "You need to forgive your mother her circumstances.  She doesn't have another 60 or more years in her, which is what I wasted being stubborn and temperamental."

Roberta sniffs a little and rolls her head to one side "I know. I'm not going to do that. But I'm going to buy a plane ticket and go work this out with her in person. So...um...let me surprise her. You can join us if you like. If I do it on spring break I could even bring Gwen." She says with a smile "Simon already has a job lined up for that week and Brad can be here for him."

Fred nods.  "Good.  I won't tell her  And I would love to join ... either for the whole thing, or after."  he grins.  "Gwen has the address.  Just tell me when and I'll make sure she stays put."

Roberta laughs "OK, well I have your Skype now but do you want to text me a phone number too? Might be easier. And we're talking the last week of March. I'll call Mom before that so she's not thinking I hate her. I just like to have the big conversations face to face......I'm glad you called Fred."

Fred leans forward and types in his phone number.  "There.  See ... I am NOT a Luddite."  he proclaims.  "That would be good.  Soften the shock of just showing up.  And I'm glad I called too.  I can still out stubborn the stubborn.  Makes me feel alive."  he winks.  "Now you take care and tell Gwen I haven't gotten any viruses.  She may be disappointed."

Roberta smirks "Well I'm nothing compared to Simon when he gets in it. It all comes from you? Because Brad is pretty much descended from sweet little mouse people." she laughs again "I'll tell her. You take care."

Fred chuckles.  "Well, you got Shirley's looks.  What's me is all internal."  he nods.  "I will.  Let me know when you're on your way and I'll set it all up for you.  Good night, Roberta."  and he reaches to cut the call, leaning back.  That went better than he'd hoped.  And it was a good sign to him.