Ethan Matthews: fidgets with his jacket "Y-you r-r-really think begging will h-help, Tony?"
ex-boss Welcome to my apartment…you were right, we have some unfinished business to attend to.
Ethan Matthews: paces around the room "I...I didn't think this would be the best place to discuss our future...but fine, let's hear it."
ex-boss so, do you remember when I told you that I have a son named Liam and he’s very special to me? Well…I have another son, he’s 2 years younger than Liam and he has the same blonde hair and green eyes as him.
Ethan Matthews: pauses for a moment, visibly taken aback "Wait...what?! Another son? How did I not know about this?" shakes his head
ex-boss I didn’t tell you about him because I didn’t want you to leave him and go to someone else…I love Liam so much that I wanted to keep him all to myself, I’m sorry if that’s a bad thing.
Ethan Matthews: takes a deep breath, trying to process the information "It's not a bad thing...it's just a lot to take in. I never knew you had another son...
Ethan Matthews: runs a hand through his hair, visibly anxious "So, what now? How am I supposed to handle this information? Should I...
ex-boss You don’t have to handle it, I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. If you would like, I’ll go tell Liam about him right now
Ethan Matthews: quickly shakes his head "No, no, it's not that! I just... I need some time to think.
ex-boss take all the time you need, I’ll be here
Ethan Matthews: paces around the room, hands clasped tightly together "Okay, okay, I need to figure this out. Maybe...
Ethan Matthews: stops pacing, takes a deep breath "Maybe we could try something...something new.
ex-boss alright, what do you have in mind?
Ethan Matthews: takes a step closer to the ex-boss "What if we tried to build a relationship between our families?
ex-boss you mean Liam and me?
As Ethan Matthews suggests building a relationship between his family and the ex-boss's family, tensions rise and emotions run high. The ex-boss hesitates, torn between the desire for reconciliation and the fear of further betrayal. Ethan Matthews remains hopeful, believing that with time and effort, they can overcome their past mistakes and create a better future for all involved.
ex-boss I’d love to, but how would you feel if your son was a product of infidelity?
Ethan Matthews: pauses for a moment, a mix of emotions crossing his face "It's complicated... I've been hurt before, and it's not something I take lightly.
ex-boss I understand, I too have been hurt before, but sometimes in life we have to look past our own faults in order to move on.
Ethan Matthews: sighs deeply "I know...but it's not going to be easy. I need time to process all of this and figure out how to explain it to my son.
ex-boss of course, why don’t you stay here tonight so you can think about it?
Ethan Matthews: hesitates for a moment, weighing the pros and cons "You know what? Maybe staying here tonight wouldn't be such a bad idea.
ex-boss great! I’ll get you a change of clothes
Ethan Matthews: nods, feeling a glimmer of hope "Thank you. Maybe, just maybe, we can work through this together."
ex-boss so how do you see this working out?
Ethan Matthews: starts pacing again, deep in thought "Well, first we need to establish some ground rules. We need to be honest with each other...no more secrets.
ex-boss no more secrets, I can agree to that
Ethan Matthews: grabs the ex-boss by the shoulders, looking him in the eyes "Good. No more hiding, no more lies. We need to trust each other if this is going to work. Can you do that?"
Ethan Matthews: lets go of the ex-boss's shoulders, a determined look on his face "Alright. Let's start by being honest about our past.
ex-boss I don’t want to talk about the past, I want to make sure that my son knows about his brother, and that’s it. I don’t want to hear anything else
Ethan Matthews: pauses, taken aback by the ex-boss's request "Look, I understand that you want to protect your son. But running away from our past won't solve anything.
ex-boss why are you so concerned about me anyway?
Ethan Matthews: sighs, frustration evident in his voice "Because despite everything, I still care about you. And I care about our children.