Best Spring Ever Ch. 09

"I will. Thank you, Julia."

"You're welcome."

Hilda ended the call and went to Lina's room. The girls were talking.

"I could use some dinner. Anyone else hungry?"

"What are you planning," Gretchen asked.

"I was thinking Red Lobster," she replied.

"Mom, will you and Dad be alright?" Lina asked.

"We'll be fine. It's going to talk a little time but we'll get through it."

"Mom, we aren't going to see Dennis again are we?" Gretchen asked.

"Honey, I don't have an answer for that. I hope we do."

They went to the Red Lobster and talked little. Richard got home about two hours later. He had gone to the Urgent Care. His nose was broken but didn't require resetting. He also had a really nice shiner around his right eye and tape across his nose.

"I've moved my things to the guest room. You have the master all to yourself. Stay out of the girls beds and panties until we decide out next step."

"Hilda...."

"Not now, Richard. I need time."

**********

The next morning Hilda was sitting with the girls at the table. Richard got a cup of coffee and joined them.

"After I get cleaned up I'm going to go talk to Dennis," he said.

"Don't waste your time. He left," Hilda replied.

"Left where?" he asked.

"He left Julia a note along with his cell phone and just left. She doesn't know where he went. The note said he'd be gone a week or so."

"What I said about him must have hurt his feelings."

"Ya think?" Hilda asked.

"Dad, what you said about Dennis would have rolled right off his shoulders. You insulted his mother. That's why you got punched in the nose," Lina said.

"But that wasn't why he left. He's got a lot on his mind," Gretchen said looking at her mother.

"You can talk to him when he gets back. I suggest you apologize to Debi and Julia before you try speaking to him. You may get punched again," Hilda told him.

"Well, at least you three are talking to me," he said. All three got up and left the table. "Or not."

Richard finished his breakfast and got cleaned up. He arrived at Julia's house and rang the bell. Julia answered the door.

"This is a surprise," she said.

"I'd like to talk to you and Debi if I can."

"I'm fine talking to you. I'll let Debi know you're here. Come in and sit down." He stepped inside then sat on the couch with his hands clasped in his lap and his head down. Julia left the room and returned in just a few minutes. "Debi will be down in just a minute. Would you like some coffee?"

"No thanks. I'm good."

Julia sat in a chair facing him. Debi joined them and sat in another chair.

"Mr. Muller," Debi said.

He hesitated for a moment then looked at each. "I want to apologize for what I said yesterday. Julia, I didn't understand what your work involves. I'll be honest, I never asked. I truly thought it was prostitution. Hilda explained it to me. I didn't look down on you or your line of work even if it had been prostitution. I made an assumption. I was wrong and hope you'll both forgive my ignorance and my comments. I'm genuinely sorry."

"Apology accepted," Hilda said.

He looked at Debi hoping for the same response but got nothing but a stare.

"My comment about Dennis came from my own head. If I were young, handsome, with his knowledge and capabilities, and his size. I would have been the one looking for a career in pornography. My foolish comment was about what I probably would have done. Dennis is a very caring young man. He's gone way out of his way for my family. What I said was thoughtless and completely inappropriate. I'm sorry for that too and I plan to tell him so when he gets back. Julia, I insulted your son and I'm sorry. Debi, I didn't mean for what I said to sound like it did. Please accept my apology."

"Mr. Muller," Debi started. "I'm curious, if I hadn't been sitting at the table what would you have said about me?"

"Debi, I care about you just like I do Lina and Gretchen. You're more like a third daughter to me."

"Mr. Muller, I can forgive you for what you said. Your chauvinistic comment about your wife probably didn't sit well either."

"Not well at all, I'm afraid."

"We won't be returning to our previous relationship. Forgiving is easy. Forgetting, not so much," Debi told him.

"I understand that. I would have expected no less from you. I hope what I've done hasn't affected yours or Dennis' relationship with the girls and Hilda. I really mean that."

"Richard, what happened may have destroyed what Dennis had with your family. The reason he left isn't because of what you said. It's because he loves them and now he's going to have to say goodbye to them all. He's gone to reconcile a broken heart."

"Oh shit. Julia what can I do to make it right?"

"Follow through with your apology. Fix things with Hilda. Dennis will do what he feels is the right thing to do. That's how he is."

"Julia, it's going to break their hearts too."

"Richard, learn something from this. Regardless of how things turn out by learning from it you'll wind up a better husband, father, friend and a better person."

"Thank you both for listening to me. I'll leave you alone now."

Richard stood and walked to the door with Debi close behind him. He opened the door.

"Wait a minute," Debi said. She hugged him then smiled at him. "You looked like you needed that."

"I did. Thank you."

Richard got in his car and drove home. He went inside and straight to the master bedroom and laid on the bed. Hilda was sitting in the living room as he came through and saw his downtrodden look. She waited a few minutes and walked into their bedroom then sat on the side of the bed.

"Didn't go well?" she asked.

"They accepted my apology. Hilda, my stupid ass comments have driven Dennis away. He'll be coming back to town but's lost to us."

"I know. The last thing he did when he got out of the car was look at me..." Hilda sighed heavily to hold back her tears. "...with tears in his eyes and said goodbye, Hilda."

"Hilda, I'm so sorry. I was so stupid."

"I'm not going to argue that point with you. Why don't you take a nap then we'll sit down with the girls and talk things out."

She squeezed his hand and left the room closing the door behind her. Hilda had gone back to the living room and sat thinking for a while. She went to find the girls who were laying out in the back yard.

"Your father's taking a nap. I need to run an errand. I'll probably be gone for a couple of hours."

"Did Dad talk to Debi and her Mom?" Lina asked.

"Yes, they both forgave him."

"Any word from Dennis?" Gretchen asked.

"No. Stick around the house. We're all going to talk this out when I get back."

"Okay," they replied.

Hilda grabbed her purse and pulled into the street then drove away. About forty minutes later she drove through the gate at Lake of the Woods park.