Part Four

There were many people that came to say their goodbyes. Some old friends, some war buddies. They shared stories of the man well loved and respected. A man who can be tough but at heart was kind. For those who were not ready to say goodbye it felt the world almost stopped for a moment. Nothing could be heard from the woman loudly stirring the sugar into her coffee to the old veteran solider coughing.

Many people will say they never saw it coming when mentioning the death of a love one. But they knew. They knew the day would come. From the second time his heart almost failed him. Yet there was a part of them that felt he would overcome it or maybe they just wanted it to believe so badly they thought he was invincible. He was honest, too honest yet they turned to him for advice. He was a hard-ass yet they turned to him to seek help in time of need. He may have been a father biological to only one of them but in every other sense of the word he was father to all of them: the girl next door, the foreign kid, the king of morons, the loud girl, and more to out all of them, the burned out orphan boy living in his basement.

POINT PLACE, 3:30pm - FORMAN’s LIVING ROOM

He looked at his surroundings. He saw Eric in the arms of Donna, her comforting even though herself was in tears of the lost of Red. Eric himself was still shell –shock. He hasn’t cried a tear since receiving news of the death of Red by the doctors of Point Place Hospital, who did everything they could to save Red. It was just his time. It was unpreventable; maybe the way it happened could have been preventable. However the end result would be the same, just like it would be for Eric, for himself, form everyone he knows to the stranger he bumped into at the corner of the Hub last week. It was a way of life, and to him that bought small, kind of weird comfort but it still not stopped the tears from falling, something he haven’t done since she left. No one could tell he cried an hour ago considering he chose to hide behind his old trustful glass. After looking around the room his eyes fell on the woman who became a mother to him. She took him into her home, treated him as her own, she did with all of them.

“Mrs. Forman.” He approached her, “Do you need anything?”

She got up from the chair, Red’s chair. Hugging him tight as if though she could lose him at any second. “No, Steven, honey I am fine. But can you do me favor.”

“Of course, anything you need Mrs. Forman.”

“Can you check on Laurie see if she needs anything? She really hasn’t eaten much lately and if could, you know…” She tries to get out the rest but the sobs prevented her of doing so.

“No problem.” He replied, he knew what she meant. Laurie has been getting skinner and skinner every moment he meets her. She has eaten much since the night of the hospital. She’s feeling guilty as well, feeling she could have been a better daughter.

“Oh Steven!”

“Yes, Mrs. Forman.”

“Don’t you think it’s about time for just to call me mom.” She let out a small smile.

“You’re right, it is time, Mom.” With that Steven hugged her head to the direction of Laurie standing by the piano, still in the same place as always even the though the living room was re-done to keep up with the changes of time.

“Laurie, do need anything?” Laurie looked into his eyes, red and puff from all the crying. For the first time in years there were no comments or burns on him being poor or her being easy. They looked at each other with sympathy.

“I am bit thirsty.” She managed to let out. “Steven, thank you. I now I was a bitch to you-”

“No, you weren’t.” He cut her off. She gave him a look to say ‘who you fooling.’ “Sometimes you were.” He said honestly.

“Well, I am sorry. You became the brother I never really wanted.” She joked with a small smile. He returned a small chuckle, “Yeah, Laurie. Same here you became the sister I never wanted too. I’ll be back with drink for you. Beer good?” She nodded for yes.

FORMAN’S KITCHEN 4:30pm

Hyde entered the kitchen to see Fez acting odder than usual. “You ok, man.”

“Oh, me – I am fine. Why wouldn’t I be? What did you hear?” Fez said quickly he accent still remaining after all this time.

“Nothing man, you sure you alright?” Hyde asked with concern.

“Yeah I am good. So Hyde you want a beer?” Asked Fez he knew Hyde would be needed it anytime now.

FLASHBACK

Fez was stilling in the old apartment him and Kelso use to share. He took his love of hair and went to Beautician School and is a hair stylist and with the tips he is able to pay rent on his own. Once awhile he talks to Kelso on the phone. Today he was getting ready to leave to help Donna with the last minute funeral arrangements when the phone rang.

“Hello, Fez.’’

“Kelso is this you? Have you been my old friend?”

“I am doing well, man listen Brooke and I will be little for the funeral but we’ll be there. So we probably all the way in the back if you don’t see us.”

“Oh, ok. Will the little be coming?” By little one, he meant Betsy.

“Huh, yeah the little ones are coming.” Kelso answered unaware of his answer as he attending to Betsy and Eliza at the same time preparing their lunch.

“Ones – did you and Brooke had another and did not tell us.” Fez joked.

“CRAP! Listen Fez I am about tell you something and you have to promise to keep it you’re self.”

END OF FLASHBACK

So far Fez kept his promise but it wasn’t getting harder by the second not to break that promise. As just as Fez was getting ready to the promise, she walked through the slide door of the kitchen only to be followed a by a little girl.

“Hello, Steven.”