Walking through the door he was greeted by hushed conversations, varying shades of black and grey clothing, and downturned faces. Immediately he caught the eyes of a fellow Bass Industries board member as she weaved through the crowd to reach him.
“William, I’m so glad you made it. He’s not doing so well, he hasn’t even come out of his room to hold his son. The boy’s having a fit without him. You’re his best friend, you have to go convince him to come out. Jack’s in there with him now, this is the first time I’ve ever seen him show any form of brotherly affection. Still, you must go comfort him,” she breathed out leaving no room for comments from the man, then waved him towards Bart’s office.
William weaved his way through the crowds of people stopping every once and awhile to shake someone’s hand or comment on the tragic events. When he finally reached the door he paused, taking a minute to prepare himself for what might be inside, then he turned the knob and entered.
The first things that caught his eye were the five bottles of scotch placed on the desk. Three were already empty and another was already halfway done. Bart was sitting in his chair with his head slumped over on the desk, the only sign of life was his shoulder’s slight movement along with his sobs. Jack sat in a seat on the side of the desk, a shot glass in his hand and his other hand firmly placed on his brother’s shoulder for support. Although Bart was too overcome with grief to hear him enter Jack raised his head at the noise.
“William, dear boy. Come join us,” he raised his glass in greeting. Hearing who the visitor was made Bart sit up, when he did Will could see the tear tracks running down his cheeks and a look of utter despair and pain that lined every inch of his normally solid, strong face. He stood up and pulled Will into a giant hug, almost collapsing with grief.
“Why did this happen? Everything was perfect, so why did this happen?” Bart sobbed into his shoulder. As Will patted his back in comfort he remembered the last time that he saw Evelyn Bass alive.
As he walked towards Bart’s office he could only slightly make out the laughter from behind the door. When he opened he saw Bart and Evelyn sitting side-by-side eating lunch and laughing. The table was covered with wallpaper choices and both of their hands were placed lightly on top of her large baby bump.
“Oh, I’m sorry for interrupting. I just have some papers for you to sign Bart,” he passed them to Bart’s waiting hand as he walked over to Evelyn, who had finally managed to raise herself from the chair. “Evelyn, getting more beautiful everyday. How’s the baby?” he questioned.
“You don’t have to pretend. I know I look like a whale. And he’s doing amazing. Want to feel him kick?” she said excitedly grabbing Will’s hand and placing it over her stomach, giggling at his surprised expression.
“So…‘he’? It’s going to be a boy?”
“We don’t know that,” Bart answered as he handed the papers back to Will. “She just thinks it’ll be a boy. Meanwhile I think it’ll be a girl.”
“Well it won’t. It’ll be a boy and his name will be Charles,” she said, her voice showing that it was a closed discussion.
“Anything you want, love,” Bart answered, love evident in his voice and the way he was now looking at his wife.
“I’ll just leave now. Great to see you again Evelyn,” Will gave her a large hug, or as large as he could with her bump separating them. After a quick kiss on the cheek, he left.
“I’m so sorry Bart. Nobody saw this coming. But listen, you need to come out. You have a son now, and she wouldn’t want you to avoid him.” At his words Bart raised his head and seemed to pause, almost thinking through his words, “I don’t know how to…I don’t know how to do this without her,” he admitted.
“You can do it. Just think of what she’d want you to do.” At this Bart nodded his head and began walking towards the door closely followed by Will and then Jack, who had been standing back watching the exchange.
When Bart walked into the main room everybody seemed to stop talking, turning toward him. They’re journey to the other side of the apartment seemed to take ages as constant business associates and distant relatives stopped their progress. Engulfing Bart in hugs, crying, and giving him the standard condolences. When Will reached the door to the nursery Bart was already standing there, his face showing the fear on his face. “You can do this,” he whispered reassuring in his ear.
When they opened the door they came across a group of women standing around a nanny holding a screaming child in her arms. They were all trying to calm him down and keep him away from the sadness surrounding his arrival. But Will could tell just by looking at the child that he knew what had happened. In his eyes there was more than just a newborn’s unhappiness, there was something deeper. It almost mirrored the despair that he had just seen in Bart’s eyes earlier.
All the women turned towards them when they saw the three men enter the room and they all cleared the path of Bart to his son. When his son was right before him Will noticed the fear take over Bart’s eyes and the hesitance in his features, he just hoped he wouldn’t run away again like at the hospital.
“Mr. Bass?” The nurse walked up to the man impatiently pacing around the waiting room. William stood up from his chair to join them.
“Yes. What’s happened? Is she ok?” Bart rushed out, angered and worried about having to be pushed from the room because of some complications.
The nurse took awhile to deliberate between what to tell him first. “Well, you have a son, sir. He’s gorgeous and completely healthy.”
Bart seemed to lighten up at the news, almost laughing at his wife’s correct assumption. Then he stopped, “But what about my wife?” he demanded.
“Well, there was a complication during the birth. And…I don’t know how else to tell you this, but she’s dead. I’m so sorry, sir.”
The minute the words left her mouth Bart had collapsed against the wall, letting out a pained scream. When Will walked towards him attempting to comfort him, Bart pushed him away then began almost running out of the hospital.
“Bart! Bart, come back! What about your son!” William yelled until he could no longer see him.
After much deliberating Bart reached out and held his son for the first time. The baby’s cries immediately stopped as he began to cuddle closer to his father almost reaching out to comfort him. As awkward as it looked to most of the women in the room Will could see Bart’s eyes soften as he looked down at his son, tears almost forming in the corners of his eyes as he tried to remain composed.
“Bart, you haven’t named him yet. He needs a name,” the women who had handed him over whispered.
“Charles. His name is Charles. That’s what she wanted it to be.” And as a tear escaped down his cheek, Bart turned, handed Charles to William, and disappeared out the door. After one long look at his nephew Jack turned and followed his brother out the door to continue comforting him.
Will looked down at the boy who was obviously unhappy with his dad’s quick departure, but luckily hadn’t started crying again. When he caught Charles’ eyes he leaned down and almost whispered to him, “It’ll be ok. You’ll be ok and your dad will be ok. And you don’t have to worry, because I’ll always be here for you.” At these words of comfort Charles snuggled into his arms and gave him a small smile before falling asleep in the man’s arms.
“William, I’m so glad you made it. He’s not doing so well, he hasn’t even come out of his room to hold his son. The boy’s having a fit without him. You’re his best friend, you have to go convince him to come out. Jack’s in there with him now, this is the first time I’ve ever seen him show any form of brotherly affection. Still, you must go comfort him,” she breathed out leaving no room for comments from the man, then waved him towards Bart’s office.
William weaved his way through the crowds of people stopping every once and awhile to shake someone’s hand or comment on the tragic events. When he finally reached the door he paused, taking a minute to prepare himself for what might be inside, then he turned the knob and entered.
The first things that caught his eye were the five bottles of scotch placed on the desk. Three were already empty and another was already halfway done. Bart was sitting in his chair with his head slumped over on the desk, the only sign of life was his shoulder’s slight movement along with his sobs. Jack sat in a seat on the side of the desk, a shot glass in his hand and his other hand firmly placed on his brother’s shoulder for support. Although Bart was too overcome with grief to hear him enter Jack raised his head at the noise.
“William, dear boy. Come join us,” he raised his glass in greeting. Hearing who the visitor was made Bart sit up, when he did Will could see the tear tracks running down his cheeks and a look of utter despair and pain that lined every inch of his normally solid, strong face. He stood up and pulled Will into a giant hug, almost collapsing with grief.
“Why did this happen? Everything was perfect, so why did this happen?” Bart sobbed into his shoulder. As Will patted his back in comfort he remembered the last time that he saw Evelyn Bass alive.
As he walked towards Bart’s office he could only slightly make out the laughter from behind the door. When he opened he saw Bart and Evelyn sitting side-by-side eating lunch and laughing. The table was covered with wallpaper choices and both of their hands were placed lightly on top of her large baby bump.
“Oh, I’m sorry for interrupting. I just have some papers for you to sign Bart,” he passed them to Bart’s waiting hand as he walked over to Evelyn, who had finally managed to raise herself from the chair. “Evelyn, getting more beautiful everyday. How’s the baby?” he questioned.
“You don’t have to pretend. I know I look like a whale. And he’s doing amazing. Want to feel him kick?” she said excitedly grabbing Will’s hand and placing it over her stomach, giggling at his surprised expression.
“So…‘he’? It’s going to be a boy?”
“We don’t know that,” Bart answered as he handed the papers back to Will. “She just thinks it’ll be a boy. Meanwhile I think it’ll be a girl.”
“Well it won’t. It’ll be a boy and his name will be Charles,” she said, her voice showing that it was a closed discussion.
“Anything you want, love,” Bart answered, love evident in his voice and the way he was now looking at his wife.
“I’ll just leave now. Great to see you again Evelyn,” Will gave her a large hug, or as large as he could with her bump separating them. After a quick kiss on the cheek, he left.
“I’m so sorry Bart. Nobody saw this coming. But listen, you need to come out. You have a son now, and she wouldn’t want you to avoid him.” At his words Bart raised his head and seemed to pause, almost thinking through his words, “I don’t know how to…I don’t know how to do this without her,” he admitted.
“You can do it. Just think of what she’d want you to do.” At this Bart nodded his head and began walking towards the door closely followed by Will and then Jack, who had been standing back watching the exchange.
When Bart walked into the main room everybody seemed to stop talking, turning toward him. They’re journey to the other side of the apartment seemed to take ages as constant business associates and distant relatives stopped their progress. Engulfing Bart in hugs, crying, and giving him the standard condolences. When Will reached the door to the nursery Bart was already standing there, his face showing the fear on his face. “You can do this,” he whispered reassuring in his ear.
When they opened the door they came across a group of women standing around a nanny holding a screaming child in her arms. They were all trying to calm him down and keep him away from the sadness surrounding his arrival. But Will could tell just by looking at the child that he knew what had happened. In his eyes there was more than just a newborn’s unhappiness, there was something deeper. It almost mirrored the despair that he had just seen in Bart’s eyes earlier.
All the women turned towards them when they saw the three men enter the room and they all cleared the path of Bart to his son. When his son was right before him Will noticed the fear take over Bart’s eyes and the hesitance in his features, he just hoped he wouldn’t run away again like at the hospital.
“Mr. Bass?” The nurse walked up to the man impatiently pacing around the waiting room. William stood up from his chair to join them.
“Yes. What’s happened? Is she ok?” Bart rushed out, angered and worried about having to be pushed from the room because of some complications.
The nurse took awhile to deliberate between what to tell him first. “Well, you have a son, sir. He’s gorgeous and completely healthy.”
Bart seemed to lighten up at the news, almost laughing at his wife’s correct assumption. Then he stopped, “But what about my wife?” he demanded.
“Well, there was a complication during the birth. And…I don’t know how else to tell you this, but she’s dead. I’m so sorry, sir.”
The minute the words left her mouth Bart had collapsed against the wall, letting out a pained scream. When Will walked towards him attempting to comfort him, Bart pushed him away then began almost running out of the hospital.
“Bart! Bart, come back! What about your son!” William yelled until he could no longer see him.
After much deliberating Bart reached out and held his son for the first time. The baby’s cries immediately stopped as he began to cuddle closer to his father almost reaching out to comfort him. As awkward as it looked to most of the women in the room Will could see Bart’s eyes soften as he looked down at his son, tears almost forming in the corners of his eyes as he tried to remain composed.
“Bart, you haven’t named him yet. He needs a name,” the women who had handed him over whispered.
“Charles. His name is Charles. That’s what she wanted it to be.” And as a tear escaped down his cheek, Bart turned, handed Charles to William, and disappeared out the door. After one long look at his nephew Jack turned and followed his brother out the door to continue comforting him.
Will looked down at the boy who was obviously unhappy with his dad’s quick departure, but luckily hadn’t started crying again. When he caught Charles’ eyes he leaned down and almost whispered to him, “It’ll be ok. You’ll be ok and your dad will be ok. And you don’t have to worry, because I’ll always be here for you.” At these words of comfort Charles snuggled into his arms and gave him a small smile before falling asleep in the man’s arms.