Few days later
Justin paced the floor of the kitchen. He had 13 hours until he would be face to face again, with her...Liz. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat, he could barely breathe. He had never been this nervous about anything before.
He gripped the sink in the kitchen and tried to control himself.
"Daddy?"
Justin whipped around.
"Yeah, what?" He stared wide eyed at his son.
"I can't go to sleep. My tummy hurts."
His heart melted a little bit at that voice and that sight. "Mine does too, bud."
"Can I sleep with you tonight?"
"Yeah, sure...come on." Justin walked over to Hunter and grabbed him into his arms. Hunter giggled and wrapped his arms and legs around his father.
Once Hunter was tucked in tightly and perfectly, Justin eased into the comforters and sheets beside him. AS soon as he got there Hunter had tackled him and cuddle up to his father. "Daddy, are we still going to see your friend tomorrow?"
Justin gulped.
"Yeah, we are. We are meeting her at the park near Westland hospital."
"Didn't you say she was a doctor?"
He sighed and stared at the ceiling, while running a hand over his son's head. "Yeah, she's a kid doctor. So she takes care of kids your age."
"Oh." With a sigh, Justin tried to relax a little bit and close his eyes, hoping sleep would over come him.
But a few moments later Hunter whispered, "Daddy, is she your new girlfriend?"
Justin's eyes opened and he gritted his teeth, not really knowing how to answer it. "Why..why do you ask that?"
"I don't know."
"No, she...she isn't my girlfriend Hunter. Not right now at least."
"But she will be?" Hunter turned his head from Justin's chest and look up at his face.
He couldn't help but smile at the kid. "I hope so...I really hope so."
A while past and neither of them had said anything. Justin figured Hunter was far into dreamland so he closed his own eyes and relaxed completely.
But just as his body relaxed Hunter spoke. "Me too, daddy."
Justin just sighed and bent down to place a kiss to Hunter's head, before relaxing back into his bed, staring at the ceiling, and not getting a wink of sleep.
-----
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008, around 11 in the morning...the next day.
"Why am I here?" Hunter asked holding his father's hand ask they walked through the Westland park, going towards the meeting place.
"Because Lizzie wants to meet you too."
"Why does she want to meet me?"
Justin smiled and rolled his eyes. "Because you are a cool kid."
"Why am I a cool kid?"
Justin stopped, turned, and looked down at his son. "Why are you asking why so much?"
"Huh?"
Justin nodded and grinned. "That's what I thought."
"How much furderrrr?"
"See that bench right there?"
"Uh HUH!"
"We are meeting her there in 5 minutes."
"Race ya."
And with that Hunter took off with Justin in the dust. Justin smiled and ran and picked up his son. "Don't you try and get away from me." Hunter just laughed, a lot and Justin plopped down on the bench across from "Franseca's Ice Cream and Coffee shop," where they had agreed to meet. His nerves had calmed down quite a bit, and now he was just joyous and excited about seeing her again. And he really couldn't wait to see her expression when she found out her beloved "Randall" was the punk that had left her so long ago. But this punk had changed.
And this punk was ready for whatever she threw at him.
-----
"WHAT?!?" Liz screamed when her name was called, taking off her doctor's coat and stethoscope and putting them in her locker.
Marie gave her a strange look and then backed out of the room towards the door. "Just, saying...have a nice lunch..whats up girl? You act like prince charming is going to be wherever it is you are goin."
"He is. and I'm already late."
Marie opened up the door she was closing and exclaimed. "Wait...what?"
"No time to explain..I have to..." She stopped when her beeper went off and she looked down at her belt.
"Fuck...me." She growled, before grabbing her lab coat and running back through the doctor's lounge door, mumbling, "This is the last thing I need" on her way out.
----
"How much lonnnnnger?"
"I..I don't know buddy."
It was now 11:40. She was supposed to be there at 11 or 11:05. They had sat there for almost an hour, Hunter was restless and Justin's hopes had dwindled into almost nothing. The love of his life had passed him by and he had missed out on it all.
"Daddy..I'm hungry...and I'm cold."
Justin sighed and looked over at Franseca's. "Come on...let's go get some ice cream..."
"But that's cold." Hunter pouted and stood up after his father did.
"Since when did you NOT want ice cream?"
"Since now."
"Well deal with it." Justin growled.
"Daddy are you mad?"
"No...just, disappointed."
Hunter pouted, not like seeing his father this upset. "Oh.."
"Come on, hold my hand.." Justin held his hand out and Hunter grabbed on to it as they crossed the street and walked into Franseca's.
----
a little after 12
"Dammit..dammit." Liz sighed and shook her head as she walked towards the bench they were supposed to meet at. One of her patients had just flat lined and she had to go and check on them. Luckily the child was fine, but now she was late, and there was no sign of Randall or Hunter or anyone hat looked like that could be her dream man...anywhere.
She plopped down on the bench and sighed, waiting, watching, wishing. Maybe she had just gotten her hopes up. Maybe he never showed up. Maybe he wasn't even real. So many maybes ran through her brain and made her upset, and tired.
She rubbed her neck tiredly and realized she still had her stethoscope hanging around her neck. She had been in such a hurry she had just grabbed her keys and booked it down here.
She looked up and the brisk April breeze stung her eyes and made them water. She pushed herself off the bench and sauntered towards the street. She crossed the street and headed for one of her favorite coffee shops, all the while mumbling, "happy birthday Lizzie" to herself.
----
"Daddy..."
"Huh?" Justin mumbled stirring his melted ice cream around in his bowl with his spoon.
"Cheer up, we have hot fudge sundaes now."
"Yeah..." Justin moped.
The small bell to the front door rang and Hunter watched curiously as the lady in a white long coat and weird shaped necklace come in. She took off her coat and placed it on the barstool beside her with her stethoscope under it. She talked briefly with the guy behind the bar and finally he left her and she rested her elbows on the counter and ran her hands through her hair.
Hunter just giggled a bit and went back to his ice cream.
Justin was curious as to what his son was giggling at but was too sad and tired to turn and look. They were sitting in one of the back booths of the restaurant.
Back...away..alone, from everything and everyone.
All of Justin's hope had diminished.
----
a few minutes later.
Liz had practically drowned her coffee and then just sat there...slumped, not wanting to move. All of her hopes and dreams had died. She had one glimmer of hope that she would get back online tonight and he would be on and she could explain and then they could meet again or something.
Maybe this just wasn't meant to be. Maybe she was destined to be alone, forever.
She turned her head to the side to try and get out a few of the kinks in it from her early morning shift. When she did she caught the eye of a small boy, smiling at her. He had a head full of thin wispy sandy curls and big brown eyes and a cute beautiful smile. He looked about five.
She couldn't resist it. His dimples were pulling on her heart strings, and it was a subconious reaction when she smiled back and waved a bit.
He laughed and started talking with whoever it was he was with. Liz couldn't see because the booth was blocking her view. The kid seemed familiar to her. She thought maybe she had seen him in the hospital, but usually she remembered her patients rather well. She looked down at her watch and realized that she could make it back to the hospital if she hurried and maybe get some paperwork down that she wouldn't have to do that evening.
She tossed some money down on the counter and picked up her white lab-style coat and began walking to the doors, trying her best not to cry and not to let her overwhelming feeling of loneliness take over her whole body.
----
"What are you giggling at?" Justin turned slightly but didn't see anyone or anything Hunter could have been laughing at.
"That lady. She was nice."
"What lady?"
"The lady that was sitting over there. She waved a me. OH Nooo." Hunter's eyes got big and he looked at his father and then back at the bar.
"What is it?" Justin was a little curious as to why his son was acting so peculiar.
"She left her necklace."
"Her necklace?"
"Yeah her thingy." Hunter motioned around his neck to try and make come sense to what he was saying.
"Well why don't you go give it to her before she leaves." Justin smiled seeing Hunter fly out of the booth with a big smile practically screaming "Ok."
He turned in the booth and his eyes narrowed when he saw Hunter running towards a lady who was just at the door in a white long coat. But what caught his attention was the "necklace" Hunter had. It was a stethoscope.
---
As Elizabeth approached the door of the small shop she felt a little tug on her coat. She looked down and there was the boy she had waved to moments before. She smiled down at him and he looked wide-eyed up at her.
"Hey there."
"Hey. You left dis." He pushed the stethoscope towards her face and she smiled and accepted it.
"Thank you. I really appreciate you bringing it back to me." She squatted down to his level and asked, "So what's your name?" She ruffled his curls a little bit.
"Hunter."
Elizabeth gasped.
"Hunter Timberlake." He smiled a toothy smile.
Elizabeth eyebrows merged for a moment and then she gasped again and looked behind the small boy when she saw another figure coming towards her. She looked up and wasn't prepared for who she saw standing there.
That light, sexy, masculine laugh filled her ears that she had heard over the phone and she didn't know whether to yell in anger, gape in confusion, or shout for joy.
"Hey Lizzie. Long time no see eh?"