Dear Bertha
Dear Bertha
By Marea67
About: Nora
Rate: G
Disclaimer: B&S doesn’t belong to me. Written with love, not for money.
Summary: Nora writes a letter.
*****
Nora picks up the letter one more time, she wrote it last night, but now she’s not sure if it is alright…. And she reads once again:
*****
Dear Bertha,
I know, you don’t know me, but my name is Nora Walker. I am Kevin’s mother and therefore the mother-in-law to your son Scotty and I am taking the liberty to write this letter to thank you and your husband, Wally.
I met your son, Scotty, two years ago, when he was introduced as a friend of Kevin’s. I was not entirely sure what to think of the two of them together. Scotty was different from the ‘friends’ Kevin would sometimes introduce, but I liked Scotty from the moment I met him and I hoped that Kevin would make this relationship work.
Our sons had a rocky start of their relationship, with Scotty meeting Kevin in the wake of the dead of my husband, William. The unpleasant consequences of that death took a heavy toll on them. I am afraid that Scotty had front-row tickets to a few very ugly scenes in our family. Including one that I myself am fully responsible for.
And where Scotty could have easily run away from this family, he tried to be as supportive of Kevin as he could be. Kevin’s relationship with his father was never an easy one and his death certainly left an ugly mark on Kevin and I sometimes fear that William’s impact on Kevin’s life was bigger than I thought.
My husband had a really hard time accepting our son after Kevin came out and his rigid behavior cut my son deeply. Unfortunately, he took too long to come around to accepting Kevin and he missed a lot of his son’s life, due to fact that Kevin did not feel appreciated by his father and no longer included William in his life.
It saddens me still to realize how much better William could have gotten to know Kevin and see what a wonderful man Kevin was, if he had not wasted so much time feeling bitter… And though they eventually did make their peace, no matter how hard they tried, they could never recapture the warmth they had before Kevin came out.
I’ve heard of the rather difficult start you two had with my son Kevin. I apologize for any inconvenience he may have caused. I will not fool myself and I know Kevin is not the easiest person to be with. He is not a bad person. Definitely not. He has his heart and his head in the right place. Unfortunately, he is also very good at sabotaging his own happiness.
Kevin was unhappy for so long and now… he is another man. I know I owe that to Scotty, though he believes that he owes everything to Kevin. And be assured, that Kevin has nothing but the best in mind for Scotty. And I never believed Kevin would find someone who would be able to love him as he deserves but seeing him and Scotty together…. Scotty just belongs with him.
I admire Scotty’s strength to not let adversity take him down, but to work to his best ability to deal with it and the discipline he has showed regarding his work and his studies. I have seen him work 70 hours a week to maintain his integrity and as much of his independence as was possible, where he could have easily taken the easy road and let Kevin take care of his financial situation, as Kevin proposed to do.
I think they have the worst behind them now. I think Kevin and Scotty were meant to be, because, no matter their fights and their break ups they keep finding their way back to each other when it matters.
Scotty has made my life and that of my family so much richer. In these two years I’ve watched him grow from a shy young man to a confident man. From someone who felt he was ‘just’ a waiter, to someone who reigns in the kitchen of a 5-star restaurant as if he owns the place. From someone who was too worried what he would find out, if he would get to know my son better, to someone who will confront my son on anything that bothers him.
My sons and daughters have accepted him a member of our family. My grand-children, Paige and Cooper, love their new uncle very much and enjoy spending time with him and Kevin. And, I’m sure, my youngest grand-daughter, Elizabeth, will one day, when she’s old enough, feel the same.
My need to write you and thank you comes from what happened yesterday, when Scotty asked for my help to get him to his exams in time and he finally let me do something in return. I was glad I could be there for him, when he needed me. To re-pay him for the kindness he has shown my family and me and for the love he has for my son.
He had told me that I could go home, that he’d take the bus back. He was in that class-room for almost an hour. Imagine his surprise when he came out of the room and saw me sitting there, waiting for him. He was so happy that I had bothered to do that for him. He can be so grateful for the smallest of favors. And I feel blessed that he is a part my son’s life, for he keeps Kevin grounded and a bit more humble.
I will close this letter by expressing the hope, that we will be able to meet someday and look at our sons and realize what wonderful men they both are. Maybe the day that they will make us grandparents by adopting a child and give that child the love and care it deserves. Would that not be a wonderful thought?
Sincerely yours,
Nora
*****
She folds the letter, puts it in an envelope and adds a stamp, then she places the letter in front of her on her desk. She wonders if she should send it. Kevin and maybe Scotty will not like her meddling. But is there any harm in complementing Scotty’s parents with their son? (Even though they hate yours?) And she hasn’t said a wrong word about the behavior of Scotty’s mother, she only talked about William and HIS rigidness towards Kevin, no?
And how she is to know that Bertha would not like Scotty to adopt a child with Kevin? It’s not like a Republican like Kitty McCallister would gossip about that (or ‘fuming’ would perhaps be a better word for it, for, boy, was she livid!) Nora sighs. Yes? No? Yes? No?..... Yes! She throws it amongst the other letters she has to send and covers it. No more second guessing…. It will be in the mail tonight.
The End