Foolish Ways

Good thing Cathy didn't say a variation of, "Keep your pants on, " such as "Keep it in your pants."

I think Vaughn learned a valuable lesson here. You've got to learn to share your time between children and watch what you say. Children take things literally..

Chris
 
Chapter 160

“I leave for TWO weeks and she runs away?!” Sydney glared at her husband.

“Syd” Vaughn groaned, this wasn’t exactly the arrival he was expecting, or hoping for.

“Syd?! What are you ‘Syd’-ing me for Michael?! SHE RAN AWAY!” Sydney spat.

“Look, I know…I’m sorry, I’m a horrible dad, but can we deal with this another time!?” Vaughn asked her sharply.

“Deal with it later?! When? When she doesn’t come back!? When she doesn’t run to Joey!? When Michael!?!”

“Syd I need to go okay?!” Vaughn told her, sniffling slightly.

“Where the frack do you need to go?” Sydney glared at him.

“My dad took a turn for the worst today Syd…I have to go be with my mother while she watches her soul mate die!” Vaughn choked back the tears, “So if you don’t mind, I will go and be with my mom while she has her heart broken”

“Michael” Sydney whispered, suddenly wishing she could take back every word she had just said.

“I love you and I’ll call you when I get there” Vaughn kissed her cheek quickly and walked out the door.

*~*

“Where’s Sydney?” Anna hugged her brother as he walked into the hospital.

“At home” Vaughn swallowed, he had just gotten off the phone with her, he was angry to say the least but he didn’t want her to know that, “With Erica and Cath”

“Oh, okay” Anna nodded, “I guess we should go in”

“Is Jamie in there?” Vaughn asked her.

“Yeah” Anna sighed, “William is with Nadia and Eric”

“Yeah…Eric mentioned that when I called” Vaughn sighed, “So it’s that bad, isn’t it?”

“Mike I’m scared” Anna whispered.

“I know Anna” Vaughn nodded, wrapping his arms tightly around his big sister and holding her close.

“I can’t live without him” Anna whispered into his shoulder.

“You aren’t living without him Anna” Vaughn looked at her, “Dad will always be in our hearts. As long as we want him there, he’ll be there telling us not to give mom a hard time”

*~*

“Michael” Bill smiled weakly at his son.

“Hey dad” Vaughn smiled, sitting down beside his father.

“I want you” Bill began removing his wristwatch from his wrist, shakily putting it in his son’s hands, “My father gave this to me before he went…I want you to have this”

“Dad, I can’t take your watch” Vaughn swallowed the lump in his throat.

“You’re grandfather would want you to have it” Bill breathed deeply, closing his eyes and lying his head back on his pillow.

“I’ll leave you with mom” Vaughn leaned forward, kissing his father’s forehead, grasping the watch tightly in his hand while he stood up, “I love you dad”

“I love you too Michael, and Sydney, and the girls” Bill kept his eyes closed as the words poured from his lips.

*~*

“He was all alone” Vaughn whimpered into the phone, 3:37 in the morning, Bill Vaughn had died peacefully in his sleep while his wife was outside, asleep with his two daughters and his son.

“Vaughn” Sydney sighed, feeling like she was being torn apart because she wasn’t with him when he needed her the most, “I’ll be there tomorrow okay?”

“You need to tell the girls” Vaughn wiped a tear from his cheek.

“Don’t you want to be here for that honey?” Sydney asked him.

“I don’t think I can do it Syd” Vaughn whispered, finally letting tiny sobs escape his lips, they were coming out like sobs.

“Honey” Sydney whispered.

“I’ve gotta go” Vaughn told her, “I love you baby”

“I’ll see you soon Michael, love you” Sydney hung up the phone.

*~*

“You two have to stay with Aunty Nadia” Sydney looked at her two daughters.

“Why?” Cathy asked.

“Honey…I don’t know how to say this” Sydney let her bottom lip tremble.

“What?” Cathy asked her.

“Grampa Vaughn is in heaven now” Sydney whispered.

*~*

“Syd” Vaughn wrapped his arms around his wife tightly.

“I’m so sorry” Sydney whispered, breaking down into tears on his shoulder, “I’m sorry I was angry with you, I’m sorry I wasn’t here, I love you so much”

“Syd” Vaughn kissed her shoulder, “I don’t ever want you to forget how much I love you”
 
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