Finding True Love

Chapter 4

The Hayworth family sat around the breakfast table eating pancakes, eggs, bacon and rice. Belle and Hansen sitting opposite each other and Dan Hayworth at the head of the table.

Dan was a respected man as well in the town, but not because of his job position. In fact, Dan was unemployed. He lost both his legs in a bombing attack while he was in the military. Luckily he got disability pay from the military. Even at the age of 65, Dan was still a handsome man. His blonde hair may have been turning gray with age, but it was the gray and blue colored eyes that always drew the ladies in. Belle always claimed that Dan hypnotized her with his eyes.

Dan was humble, kind, and easy to get along with, traits that Hansen inherited. When Belle had walked in with Hansen, he could tell from the tears in his son's eyes that something had gone wrong. It was heartbreaking for him to hear about Hannah's affair with Phil. 

"Son, I know it's hard to stop loving someone when your heart still does," Dan said to his son.

Belle looked at Dan and interrupted him. "Does your heart belong to another?" she said while she narrowed her eyes.

Dan chuckled and replied, "Oh honey. You know you're all I know." He winked.

She smiled and then turned to her son. "You see, honey, disagreement is okay, but disrespect is not," said Belle as she gently patted Hansen's hand.

Hansen leaned forward over the table and rested his chin on his hand. His eyes were on his plate of pancakes, which had what looked like a whipped cream smile on them, but his mind was on the affair.

"This is not how I imagined my first day back home would go," said Hansen. His parents stayed silent.

"I mean, Phil McKeey out of all people too! Really!? He is as attractive as a rock on the side of a road," Hansen scoffed.

There was a moment of silence. Hansen was in deep thought.

"So what are you going to do now, son?" asked Dan, as he ate a piece of pancake.

"A good friend of mine has been pushing me to come visit him and his family in Hawai'i. His name's Jim. He is one of the men that got to go home too.

He lives in Hawai'i with his wife and daughter," Hansen replied to his father.

"Hawai'i?" Belle asked with curiosity.

"Hawai'i sounds like a great place. I know you just came back, but you should go. It will be a good idea to just get away from all this for a while," said his father.

Everyone around the table went quiet, everyone thinking their own thoughts. Belle was still trying to process that Hannah had cheated on her son. Hansen was thinking about whether he should go to Hawai'i or not, and Dan was wondering whether he should eat the pancakes first or the bacon.

Hansen quickly ate the rest of his food and stood up to go and put his dishes in the sink. He turned around and faced his parents.

"I'm going to go for a walk," he said, as he headed toward the door.

As he walked out the door, he saw the mailman driving toward his parents' mailbox. Instead of putting the mail inside, the mailman walked toward Hansen.

"Hey Tom," Hansen greeted.

Tom was a forty-year-old man who lived with his wife four miles away from Hansen's parents. He had known Hansen for seven years.

"Hey Hansen! I'm sorry to hear about Hannah," said Tom.

What the heck? How does he know about the affair? Hansen thought to himself.

Tom, figuring that Hansen was wondering how he knew, said, "Your neighbors told me when I stopped by to deliver their mail."

Hansen rolled his eyes and said to himself, "Nosy old people."

He looked at Tom and replied, "Thanks Tom," then grabbed the mail from him and walked back in the house without saying goodbye.

He walked into the living room and put the mail on a table by the TV, then walked to his old bedroom. As he stepped inside, he looked around his room and thought of all the times when Hannah would come over.

He laid down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling in deep thought.

Maybe I should go to Hawai'i, Hansen thought to himself.