Broen Dreams

~~ Atlanta, Georgia, 2059 ~~

The airport was jam-packed as she stepped off the plane from Toronto and pulled out her cell phone to call her parents. Her dress swirled about her as people walked by and the phone picked up. "Mom, Dad... I'm pregnant."

"We know. Don't bother coming home. We have no daughter."

"But... Mom..." Clover's voice hitched. There was no answer, the phone call had ended. She sniffled, then dropped her hand to her stomach. She had some savings, they had returned most of her missionary money, she would make it work, she had to.

She walked slowly towards the exit to get her bag, she didn't have enough savings to make a home for herself and her baby. When she emerged from beyond security there was a group waiting for her. "Oh honey," the one in the lead said. "We heard, we know, we're here." She enfolded Clover in a hug. "The Mission President called and informed the Relief Society what happened. Your parents had a meltdown and disowned you, which I'm sure you found out already. However, Rosemary and David have offered to take you in and help you get on your feet."

She stared up at the woman and recognized her. She was the wife of the Stake President. "Thank you," she breathed, and the tears started anew.

"Oh honey, let it out. Let it out." She rocked Clover from side to side. "You're safe, you're loved, you made a mistake but you're already facing the consequences, punishing you further is wrong. Just let it out."

Rosemary and David stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug as well. "We'll help you. Our children are grown and gone. You can stay with us, we'll help you with college and then find a job. We're so proud of you for keeping the baby despite the difficulties you would face."

"But I'm an unwed mother," she murmured. "My parents... the Church..."

"So was Mary," Rosemary rebutted. "Intelligent people know that it takes two to tango. While I do think you should try to get in touch with the father. For now, we'll just focus on getting you home and resting."

She nodded, then sniffled, "I tried to call him, but another woman answered the phone and said he was with her. I figure I'll try again later." Rosemary hugged her again, and then she and David took Clover home.

After his birth, she sent a Facebook message to Travis about it. She saw it read, then she was blocked. Her heart broke again, it was just her and the little one now. She would survive. "David," she murmured, looking down at her son. "I'm going to name you David, for the man who stepped up to be your grandfather."

She looked up as Rosemary and David came in with gifts and smiles. "There's the momma and baby, how are you feeling?"

"Like I just gave birth," Clover said with a laugh. "Come, meet your grandson. This is David DeMason."

"Awww," David, while normally a taciturn and distant man, absolutely melted with a besotted look at the sight. "He's a little potato."

"David!" Rosemary said, then laughed.

"Yes, but he's our little potato," Clover said, smiling down at him. "Welcome to the world, little one. May your future be bright."

~~ Molen, Georgia, 2062 ~~

"We say farewell to Janet and Michael DeMason, together in death as they were in life..." the funeral leader droned on. Clover stood there stoically, holding her son's hand as the caskets were lowered. A single tear dripped down her face. They had never spoken again after that phone call, their pride and their prejudice had prevented it.

"Miss DeMason?" She looked up, and her grandparent's Bishop approached. He held out a card. He had been one of the two lawyers in town and had handled his parents' estate. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but your parents left a will. I'm going to need you to come down and sign it." He swallowed, "Their later years were rough, but before the end, they realized how badly they had treated you, their only daughter. They left everything to you, so I'll need you to sign for it."

"I..." she took the card, "Perhaps Monday?" her chest was tight and she could feel the panic set in, "My little one has a sitter and I'll have some free time before I go to work."

"Of course, sounds perfect," he smiled, then rested his hand on her shoulder. "May God's blessings follow you, child."

"Thank you," she breathed, then looked down, "Ready to go home, David?" David nodded, and they turned and walked away. Some wounds could never be healed completely, like scars that ache in cold weather, the separation between her and her parents would never be mended, and she could only be OK with that.

The meeting with the Bishop was smooth, true to his word, everything had been left to her - the house in Molen along with enough money that she was set for life if she was frugal. She had to do a lot of thinking about it.

She purchased a small house in Woodbury for her and David with the money. She sold the house in Molen, that building held too much pain from never being good enough. Rosemary and David helped her move in, "Now, we'll visit on the regular to see our grandson. Don't worry."

"God has a plan," she responded with a sigh, "Thank you, thank you for everything."

"Of course, you're the daughter we never had," Rosemary said, then leaned in and kissed her forehead. "David, let us say a prayer before we go."

David, promptly took Rosemary and little David by the hand, Clover did the same on the opposite side and the four bowed their heads to pray. "Father, thank you for your guidance this far in life. Please watch over Clover and little David as they settle into this new place. Please watch over Rosemary and me as we return to our home in Atlanta. May your goodness and mercy light our path forward. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

"Amen," Clover hugged David, "Thank you, Papa David, Momma Rosemary. I love you so much."

~~ Woodbury, Georgia, 2063 ~~

The school was still as small as she remembered. She knelt beside David, "Are you ready for this?"

"Yes Mom," David said as stoutly as a four-year-old could. "But... maybe you could walk me to class? Just this once."

"Of course," she took his hand and they walked into the school together. She picked up a visitor's badge from the office, then walked with him to his classroom.

The next three months settled into a routine, then they were at the Diner, and she saw Travis's parents. She flinched and looked away, focusing on David. "How's your shake, son?"

"Wonderful Momma, thank you," he smiled up at her cherubically. "Can we go see Gamma and Gampa this weekend?"

"I'll call and ask," she agreed. She tried not to look in their direction, but she was aware of them. Travis had even introduced her to them when they had been dating, but then things had changed.

"Clover, is that you?" And with that statement, her hope of being ignored shattered. She pulled up a smile and turned to look at Debra, "It is you. Oh, sweetie, we haven't seen you in forever."

"Missus Witte, it has been a while, yes." She smiled, hiding the pain with practice. "How have you been?"

"Good, good," she smiled, "Now, who is this young chap?"

"My son, David." She said softly.

Calvin looked down at David, then at her, then back at David, "It's a pleasure to meet you, David. We knew your mom when she was a little girl."

David smiled up at him, the innocent grin, then the slight head tilt, and Calvin's eyes widened. It was like looking at Travis as a kid all over again. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Clover looked between David and Calvin several times, she could see the questions that wanted to burst forth. "Why don't I give you my cell and we can talk in the future."

"That sounds... that sounds good," Debra said softly, "Is he..."

"He's a wonderful young man," she responded. "We'll talk in the future. How about you give me a call tonight, say eight? Then we can arrange a meeting to answer your questions."

"Yes, yes that will be perfect," Calvin said, then took Debra by the arm. "Tonight." She watched them go, then smiled at David, the cat was out of the bag now, the only thing left to do was move forward.

The phone call was tense, but Clover remained calm. "Yes, he is Travis's son. No, he doesn't know, every time I tried to contact him I was blocked by a girlfriend. I gave up two years ago. I wasn't planning on coming back, but then Janet and Michael died."

"Can we meet tomorrow?" Debra asked desperately, "Perhaps at the diner?"

"I can arrange that, he'll be in school. Yes, I understand you'll want a DNA test, we can discuss that then. I'm willing to meet you in the middle, I don't want to deny you a chance to get to know your grandson, but he is my priority."

"That's only logical," Calvin agreed. "We'll have lunch at the diner, our treat, and talk. I want to get to know you as well. You're the mother of our grandchild. We'll figure out what to do about our son after the DNA test results. No sense in saying anything until we have irrefutable proof, then I can beat him half to death."

"OK," she murmured. "Tomorrow at the diner, at noon."

"Tomorrow at the diner at noon," Calvin agreed.

The diner was fairly busy, Clover was seated at a table, staring down at her glass of water. When they entered she lifted her head to give them a wan smile. It looked like she hadn't slept much. "Hello."

"Oh my god," Debra said, then came over and hugged her. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't have a way to contact you, and I only came back into the area last year after my parents passed. They had disowned me and..." she shrugged. "As I explained on the phone last night, every time I tried to contact Travis, I was blocked. The last time I called him, David was three and a woman screamed at me that I wouldn't ruin her life with a child and that she'd file a restraining order against me. So I just... gave up."

"Oh, child," Debra said softly, "I'm so sorry, that must have been his girlfriend."

"Well," she started, "I can't stop you from telling him about David when the DNA test comes back that David is your grandson. I will state that she will not be allowed anywhere near my child unless she's shown a sign of maturity. I'm not going to have my David hurt because of someone else. He's an innocent in all this."

"It'll be fine," Calvin said comfortingly. "We'll figure it out." He sat back, "I still... a grandson..."

Debra shrugged, "We'll do a DNA test for everyone's peace of mind, but there is no way that boy is not related to us. He's the spitting image of Travis at that age."

"I know," Clover breathed. She reached into the briefcase beside her, "I brought pictures of him as a baby if you'd like to see them."

The next hour was spent talking, eating and Debra and Calvin getting to watch David as he grew up. Rosemary had filmed a lot and taken a large number of pictures for memories. "Rosemary and David are life savers. They took me in when my parents abandoned me, and helped me go to school and find a job. I work from home as a call center technician. Evidently, my parents left me everything after they passed, so we moved back here." Clover explained. "I sold their house in Woodbury and purchased one in Molen. I wanted David to have stability."

"That's perfect," Debra said with a smile. "Now, we'll arrange for a blood test between him and Calvin. Then we'll see what the fallout is."

"I'm still going to beat that boy with a bat," Calvin said. "I told him time and time again, don't let a girl have your phone or access to your computer if you're not married."

Clover shrugged, "He wasn't interested in a long distance, and said he had big plans for his future. I loved him but... we were teenagers."

They continued talking and making plans together, Debra planning out how exactly to break the news of a son to Travis without that woman involved once they had the DNA results. Little did they know, everything would be up in the air in less than two weeks.

~~ Atlanta, Georgia ~~

It was slow enough at TriForge Enterprises that he did something unusual for him, especially as the CEO. He went home early on a Friday. The drive through Atlanta at one thirty in the afternoon was infinitely better than the one between five and seven at night, and instead of taking him close to an hour and a half to drive the twenty miles home, it only took him twenty-five minutes. The summer was balmy, but Atlanta was green and vibrant because of it and he had his windows open after having loosened his red tie and unbuttoned the first button on his shirt.

Steady thumps were coming from the bedroom when he got back to his apartment, followed by squeals and screams. Travis stopped at the entrance to the bedroom which was wide open. His fiancee was bouncing on a skinny, Hispanic man. "Harder Miguel! Harder!" The now identified Miguel wasn't moving, staring in shock at the doorway. "What?" She spun and fell off Miguel, "It isn't what you think, I was just going to surprise you..."

"Sorry Gringo, your chiquita here has been fucking me for months. She said she was single."

Travis blinked, stunned at her audacity. Their wedding date was in two months. "Get... the fuck... out of my apartment."

"Si, claro...," the man said, noting the dangerous look in Travis' eyes. He slid off the bed and quickly got his clothes, throwing them on as he got out of the way.

Travis' gaze had not moved however and his fiancee was trying to cover herself with the sheet. "Both of you," Travis said flatly.

"But... but, Travy baby... you love me, it was just a mistake." She pleaded, then at his look started to dress. "Fine, fuck you, Miguel will just take me to his place and we'll continue."

"No, you psycho. Once a cheater, always a cheater," Miguel spat, "I wouldn't have touched you if I had known you weren't single."

"Pussy!" she shrieked.

"Puta," he growled in return, finishing zipping up his pants and walking toward the door. "Sorry, 'mano. But you're dodging a bullet..." he added, offering a silver lining as he walked out and the door closed behind him.

She shrieked again, then threw a few things in a bag and stomped toward the door that he was now blocking, "FUCK YOU ASSHOLE! I'll find a better man."

"Uh, uh. Key," he growled, holding out his hand.

She snarled and took it off the keyring, only instead of putting it in his hand she threw it over her shoulder, "Fine! Happy!"

"Nope. Get lost," he said, opening the door. "I'll text you when you can come and get your shit."

"Fuck you!" she stomped out, flipped him off, then realized she didn't even have a car and Miguel had already peeled out. She pulled out her phone and turned to stomp off as the door slammed behind her, "Jeffy baby, I need a ride and a good fuck."

Travis stared at his apartment. The whole place seemed heavy with filth and desperation. He walked to the sink and pulled out a glass, filling it with water from the filter. He lifted it to his lips with a shaking hand and took a sip. Then, lowering it, he looked at his hand, disgusted at his own weakness. With a snap, he hurled the glass at the front door, shattering it and splashing water everywhere as he screamed in rage at the tattered remains of his personal life.

Five hours later, he had not changed out of his work clothes. He had not done much of anything, actually, other than stare off into space. Finally, he stood up from the chair he had been sitting in and muttered, "I need a drink." The apartment was close to a good Irish bar, the Dublin Arms, and he walked there. He hadn't been in months, but the place never changed. "Sean?" he called out to the bartender.

"Hey, Travis me boy. Good ta see you. What can I do for ya?" the squat, red-haired man in a dirty shirt asked him.

"Knappogue Castle, 12-Year Single Malt. Two fingers." He slammed his card down on the bar and slid it to him. "And keep it coming."

Sean paused. He'd never seen Travis like this. "Travis, are ye sure..."

"Pour... the fooking... drink, Sean." Travis glowered at him.

Holding up his hands, he took the card and poured two fingers of the Irish whiskey. Travis took it and took a large drink, hissing at the burn. Nodding, he waited for a few moments and did it again. A third emptied the glass which was slammed on the counter where he jabbed a finger toward the opening. "Again," was all he said.

"Fooking hell...," Sean breathed, pouring him another.

"Actually, you know what?" he asked, then made a circling motion in the air. "The whole fucking bar, Sean. Another round of whatever they're having right now. On me." He took the refilled glass and took another sip, a little smaller this time, but still not something you did with this kind of whiskey.

Three hours later and over an hour away, just outside of Molen, Georgia, a phone rang. "Hello?" Debra answered, "I was just thinking about you."

"She was cheating. You were right, Mom," Travis slurred and sobbed as he talked on the phone.

"Where are you son?"

"Bar... here talk to Sean. Sean is a good man," Travis slurred, "Another!" He struggled to keep his head up. "Wanna come home."

Sean rescued the phone from Travis, "Hello? I'm Sean O'Connel, I run the Dublin Arms. Your son came in about three hours ago and started drinking. I cut him off, and then he started crying. I suggested he call someone to get him."

"Thank you, Sean," Debra said softly. "Can you keep an eye on him? We're about an hour from Atlanta, but we'll be on our way."

"Of course, of course. We got him moved to a corner booth. Didn't want him wandering around completely trashed, you know? The paddy don't take kindly to that sort of thing, even in America."

"Thank you for keeping him safe. We're on our way." Debra turned, "Calvin! Our son needs us, let's go!"

Just over an hour later he was nursing a bottle of water and staring blankly into space. Debra and Calvin entered and Calvin went to collect Travis while she approached the bar. "Sean?"

"Yes, Miss?"

"I'm Debra, we spoke on the phone?"

"Ahh, he's over there," he gestured. "Thank you for coming to get him. Seen too many people in their cups and just abandoned by the people with them."

"Thank you for making sure we could," she pulled out a wad of cash and shoved it into the tip jar. Sean's eyes widened as instead of a handful of ones it was a handful of twenties and fifties. "Have a good night, Sean."

"Good night, mum... Oh! And here...," he held out Travis' credit card. "He'll be wantin' this when he sobers up."

"Thank you, Sean," she smiled again, her eyes focused on Travis worriedly as Calvin spoke to him.

"Come on son, let's get you home."

"Mom was right, she was just after the money," Travis said, staring morosely ahead. "I want to go home."

"Let's get you home, son," Calvin said, his heart breaking at seeing his son in such pain.

~~ Molen, Georgia ~~

"Bye Mom! I love you!" David ran into the classroom. Clover stood there for a long moment, her lower lip trembling. He was growing up too fast, it just wasn't fair. He promptly started playing with another kid and she turned to walk back to her house. She had work to do and she could only wait for the results. She still felt anxious, but the therapist she was seeing was really good and helped a lot.

At home, she got to work, she had a lot to do today and was continuing her education around the calls she fielded. Finally, at one, she heard the door, when she answered it, it was a certified letter. She accepted it and signed, then went to get her phone. She dialed the contact, "Debra, sorry to trouble you, but the results arrived. Did you want to meet at the dinner this afternoon or...?"

"Oh, God..." Debra slumped in her chair, "Can we meet tomorrow?" She sounded exhausted, "We got back from Atlanta late last night. Travis is back. I can't..." Debra sounded pained and on the verge of tears.

"Stop, breathe," Clover instructed firmly. "It can wait until you're free and able. We'll sit, have coffee and pie, we'll look at the results, then figure out our next move. I'm not upset, you're having a hard time. I'm having a hard time, we'll just... keep going. Yeah?"