A Second Chance

Fifteen years

"Daniel is your son?" Albert asks.

"Yeah, it's a long story and we come out really horrible in it, but.. Oh my gosh, he looks so grown up and handsome!  My baby boy is getting married?"

"Yeah, to our daughter."

"Huston!  How did that not click?!" Dorothy looks down with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, when Danny's wife passed away, the the baby had a very hard time.  I mean, he was two years old and his mother died!  Danny struggled being a single dad, but we helped him out as much as we could..

He started acting really strange, and was always working night shifts, but yet never had money for anything!  Angelica found out that Daniel had gotten into drugs and alcohol, and since she told us, we haven't spoken with him or Zachary." Danny's mom tears up just saying their names.

"Wow.."

"How is my grandson?  Does he do okay in school?"

"Yeah.. He's a really great kid."

"Good! I hate myself for what we did to Daniel and Zachary.."

"It was for his own good.  Look at how successful he is." John says.

"John, he is successful because he worked for it, and because your daughter helped him out with the baby!  Abandoning your child is never the right the to do." Dorothy nods.

"It was all we could do.  We did not raise our son to think that that was okay."

Zoe looked at John with sadness in her eyes.

"I didn't know what to do.. Now I wish I wouldn't have done it.. I wish that I would have called, and had been there for Zachary, because that little boy really has no one..

My son and my grandson spent so many holidays alone... That hurts me more than anything."

"Don't get upset, Zoe.  Daniel is a great father because we showed him tough love."

"Oh shut up with your tough love, John!  I missed so much of my son's life.. fifteen years of my grandson's life.. Now my baby met this beautiful woman.. and he's getting married.

Oh Dorothy, I wish I could take it back!  I really do."

"Zoe, why don't you call him?"

Zoe nods her head.

"No.. I-I can't.  He'll never forgive me."

"You don't know that.  No matter what, you're his mother and you calling him would make him so happy."

Zoe looks at her husband, then down at the table.

"I don't know, I'll think about it.."

**

"Oh my God!!  I have to call Jessica!" 

"Just stay out of it, Dee." 

"What?!  No!  What time is it?  She should be at work by now, let's go!"

"We're not going to her job just so you can tell her this."

"Albert!  We have to!  She and Danny are getting married in a month and he needs to talk to his mother!  If they find out that we know his parents and didn't say anything, they'll be mad!"

Albert sighs and makes a u turn to head to Jessica's job.

"Thank you!"