he turned around to look back out the window with the binoculars. “Here I thought we were having an actual adult conversation and then you two have to go and pretend like you used to be Lotharios. You two wouldn’t know your way around a lady better than a vegetarian at a barbeque.”
“Listen to old man Reagan with the smack talk,” said Hero. “I thought back in your day they shackled women up in chastity belts and shit.”
“Not hardly,” said Reagan.
“All right,” said Billy. “What about you then? How many girls did you get down with in your day?”
“All that matters is one,” said Reagan. “The one I married.”
“Bullshit,” said Hero.
“Honestly,” said Reagan as he turned back around and set the binoculars in his lap. “I don’t know what the future holds for us, but you guys are still so young. Guys your age think they’ve got it all figured out, but you don’t know shit yet. These things you think are important now, like how many girls you slept with, none of that means anything when it comes down to it. When you grow up, you’ll find the one girl that matters. It’s not fairy tale bullshit either, I’m talking about really finding the woman that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. The one you confess your soul to. The one you can’t stomach living without.” His voice cracked and he coughed. Hero realized Reagan was struggling with the memory of his lost family, barely stemming a breakdown. “Then, after you meet that girl, none of the others matter anymore. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a chance to have a family with that woman, and you’ll watch her love and care for your child. You’ll watch that kid grow up, and you’ll see yourself in him. All the love you have for that woman will be reflected in the child that grows up with the two of you as parents. Then maybe when you’re asked about how many girls you’ve slept with in your day, you’ll understand it’s the truth when you say, ‘Just one that mattered.’”
Reagan coughed again, then wiped a tear from his cheek. He chuckled uncomfortably and looked around the room. “Shit. All these pictures of this family in here are fucking with me. I’m crying like a baby over here.”
Hero reached over and put his hand on Reagan’s knee. “I’m sorry, man. Sometimes I forget how much you lost. Honestly, Reagan, I don’t think I’ve ever respected you more than I do right now.”
“Same here,” said Billy. “Give me the binoculars and go take a break, man.”
Reagan handed the binoculars to Billy as he got up. Billy took the old man by the shoulder and pulled him in for a hug that Hero joined in on. Reagan was shattered, the emotional dam that had held back his grief for so long had been ruptured, and he was struggling to stop sobbing.
Reagan pulled away and laughed uncomfortably again as he wiped his eyes. “Sorry guys, I don’t know where this came from. I don’t know what the fuck’s wrong with me.”
“Nothing’s wrong with you, man,” said Hero. “You’re a human being, and we’ve finally got some proof of it.”
“You take over,” said Reagan as he handed Billy the binoculars. “I need a fucking nap or something.”
They watched Reagan leave and then Hero raised his eyebrows as he looked at Billy. “Holy shit, that was heavy.”
“No kidding,” said Billy. “Didn’t expect that one.”
They were quiet for a minute as they ruminated on what had been said.
“You know what? I kind of did expect that,” said Hero. “Reagan’s been acting tough ever since we met him. He lost his wife and kid, man. That’s got to just tear a guy apart. I think that breakdown was way overdue.”
“Maybe you’re right,” said Billy as he sat on the seat where Reagan had been and looked out at the building through the binoculars. “Hey, hey, hey. I think I see something moving down there.”
“For real?” asked Hero as he took the binoculars from Billy.
“Yeah, look down
“Listen to old man Reagan with the smack talk,” said Hero. “I thought back in your day they shackled women up in chastity belts and shit.”
“Not hardly,” said Reagan.
“All right,” said Billy. “What about you then? How many girls did you get down with in your day?”
“All that matters is one,” said Reagan. “The one I married.”
“Bullshit,” said Hero.
“Honestly,” said Reagan as he turned back around and set the binoculars in his lap. “I don’t know what the future holds for us, but you guys are still so young. Guys your age think they’ve got it all figured out, but you don’t know shit yet. These things you think are important now, like how many girls you slept with, none of that means anything when it comes down to it. When you grow up, you’ll find the one girl that matters. It’s not fairy tale bullshit either, I’m talking about really finding the woman that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. The one you confess your soul to. The one you can’t stomach living without.” His voice cracked and he coughed. Hero realized Reagan was struggling with the memory of his lost family, barely stemming a breakdown. “Then, after you meet that girl, none of the others matter anymore. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a chance to have a family with that woman, and you’ll watch her love and care for your child. You’ll watch that kid grow up, and you’ll see yourself in him. All the love you have for that woman will be reflected in the child that grows up with the two of you as parents. Then maybe when you’re asked about how many girls you’ve slept with in your day, you’ll understand it’s the truth when you say, ‘Just one that mattered.’”
Reagan coughed again, then wiped a tear from his cheek. He chuckled uncomfortably and looked around the room. “Shit. All these pictures of this family in here are fucking with me. I’m crying like a baby over here.”
Hero reached over and put his hand on Reagan’s knee. “I’m sorry, man. Sometimes I forget how much you lost. Honestly, Reagan, I don’t think I’ve ever respected you more than I do right now.”
“Same here,” said Billy. “Give me the binoculars and go take a break, man.”
Reagan handed the binoculars to Billy as he got up. Billy took the old man by the shoulder and pulled him in for a hug that Hero joined in on. Reagan was shattered, the emotional dam that had held back his grief for so long had been ruptured, and he was struggling to stop sobbing.
Reagan pulled away and laughed uncomfortably again as he wiped his eyes. “Sorry guys, I don’t know where this came from. I don’t know what the fuck’s wrong with me.”
“Nothing’s wrong with you, man,” said Hero. “You’re a human being, and we’ve finally got some proof of it.”
“You take over,” said Reagan as he handed Billy the binoculars. “I need a fucking nap or something.”
They watched Reagan leave and then Hero raised his eyebrows as he looked at Billy. “Holy shit, that was heavy.”
“No kidding,” said Billy. “Didn’t expect that one.”
They were quiet for a minute as they ruminated on what had been said.
“You know what? I kind of did expect that,” said Hero. “Reagan’s been acting tough ever since we met him. He lost his wife and kid, man. That’s got to just tear a guy apart. I think that breakdown was way overdue.”
“Maybe you’re right,” said Billy as he sat on the seat where Reagan had been and looked out at the building through the binoculars. “Hey, hey, hey. I think I see something moving down there.”
“For real?” asked Hero as he took the binoculars from Billy.
“Yeah, look down
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