Lucky and Liz got to Liz's house just as Audrey opened the door.
Audrey ran to Liz and gave her a huge hug before dragging her and Lucky
inside. Once inside, she threw down her keys and purse, and asked,
"What do you two think you're doing being out all night?"
Liz and Lucky stared at each other, knowing Liz got caught at sneaking out, but not knowing how to explain the reasoning to Audrey. They doubted that "We just needed to be with each other" would have been a good enough excuse, so instead, they just stayed silent.
Audrey was getting more frustrated by the moment, especially after not receiving an answer to her question. "Well..."
Lucky: Mrs. Hardy, I'm sorry, but I'm the one that convinced Elizabeth to come out.
Audrey: Why would you ask such a thing of a 16-year old girl? Don't your parents worry about you staying out all night? (She almost started to laugh at the image of Luke enforcing a curfew)
Liz: Gram, it's not all his fault. I needed to get away for just a little while and Lucky agreed to come with me.
Lucky: That's not true. I came by and asked you to come for a walk. Mrs. Hardy, Elizabeth's not to blame and we never intended on staying out all night.
Audrey: Okay, well, Lucky, I'm going to call your parents to pick you up since at least I know your mother is probably worried about where you are. You can have a bagel and a glass of orange juice while you wait.
Lucky: There's really no need to call them. I can walk home from here.
Audrey: After being out all night, I think your parents should be the ones to make sure you get home.
Audrey left for the kitchen to make the call while Lucky just sat on the couch, putting his hands over his head. Liz joined him and took his hand for support.
Lucky (looking over at Liz): I'm sorry.
Liz: For what? One of the most peaceful nights I've had in a long time?
Lucky: For getting you in trouble with your grandmother. I never...
Liz: I know. It was my choice, Lucky. Are your parents going to be mad?
Lucky: Probably, but I don't care about that. I just don't want you to get into too much trouble.
Liz: Don't worry about it. Once Gram calms down a little, we'll talk about it and everything will be okay. Do you want that glass of orange juice now?
Lucky: Sure.
---------------------
Luke and Laura were asleep when the phone call came. Laura lazily picked up the phone and said, "Hello" in whatever voice managed to come out of her mouth.
Audrey: Laura? It's Audrey. Your son is at my house after taking my granddaughter somewhere all night?
Laura: What?
Luke looked over at Laura through his half closed eyes, wanting to know what was happening. Laura just waved him off for the moment.
Audrey: Your son came by some time last night and took my granddaughter somewhere. They just got home now. I called to let you know and for you to pick him up.
Laura: I'm so sorry, Audrey. I had no idea.
Audrey: So it seems. He's eating breakfast and will be ready by the time you get here.
Laura: Thank you, Audrey.
Laura hung up the phone and turned over towards Luke, who was still staring at her. He looked worried after finding out that Audrey was the one who called.
Laura: Well, now we know Lucky never made it home last night.
Luke: I told you, baby. I told you he didn't want to be in this house with me living in it.
Laura: Well, now you get your opportunity to talk to him alone.
Luke: What?
Laura: Lucky's at Audrey's house right now and she's keeping him there until one of us picks him up.
Luke: Angel, if you want him to come home without a fight, then you should be the one to get him.
Laura: No. You're going to get him, by yourself, and talk to him on the way home. He won't jump from a moving car, Luke, so he can't run away this time.
------------------
Luke walked up to Audrey's door and gathered up all of his courage before he knocked. He needed to prepare for the next attack from Lucky. They had taken a huge toll on him already, and he didn't know how many more he could take before completely breaking down.
Audrey answered the door and gestured for Luke to come in. He walked inside and saw his son and Liz sitting on the couch, drinking orange juice. Luke didn't know what to make of his son's expression when Lucky looked up at him. "Has it come to this? I can't even read what my son is feeling anymore?" Luke thought to himself. "Hey, there, Cowboy," Luke said aloud.
Lucky stared at Luke without a flint of emotion while saying, "Dad" just as emotionless.
Audrey noticed a slight tension between the two of them, but didn't want to know what was wrong. Luke looked over at Audrey and saw that she had picked up on that tension. "I'm sorry, Audrey, for all of this."
Audrey: It's okay, this time. Just try to keep better tabs on where your son goes late at night.
Luke (feeling the hit that was intended for him and his parenting skills): Come on, Lucky. Your mother's waiting for us at home.
Lucky (turning back to Liz): I'll call.
Liz: I'll be here.
Lucky gathered his coat and walked over to his father. Audrey seeing the two of them were leaving, looked over to Lucky and said, "Lucky, you're welcomed here any time, but next time, use the door."
Lucky (quietly): Yes, Ma'am.
Luke and Lucky said their goodbyes and headed for the car. Once inside the car, Lucky buckled his seatbelt, turned on the radio, and stared out the window. Luke, not wanting to start an argument until the car started moving, just took the silence as a slight relief.
Once they were a few blocks away, Luke glanced over at Lucky, who was still in the same position he was since they got inside the car. It was as if Lucky didn't want to acknowledge Luke's presence at all. Lucky ignoring the fact that Luke was even in the car, started to really hurt Luke. He didn't know what was worse, an argument or silence. Hearing Laura's words in his head about how this would be the perfect opportunity to talk, Luke shut off the radio and prepared for a confrontation.
Lucky heard his father turn off the radio, but made no sign that he was paying attention. He just continued to stare out the window, wishing that this car ride didn't seem as long as it felt. All he wanted to do was go home, take whatever lectures his mother had already prepared to give him, and go to bed. All he wanted to do was get away from the situation he was in now.
Luke, seeing that Lucky was not going to take the initiative, decided to make the first move. The best that could happen is that Lucky and him could air out some of their problems and agree to try to move towards any sort of reconciliation, if possible. The worst, Lucky could just plain ignore him. "Cowboy, we need to get some of this out in the open."
Lucky (still staring out window): I'm not your cowboy anymore.
Luke: I'm sorry. Look, it would be easier to find some sort of end to this if we talk about it.
Lucky: Some sort of end? Talk about it? Talk about what? The fact that you raped my mother!
Luke (quietly): I tried to explain as best as I could.
Lucky: Oh, yeah. How you were obsessed with my mother and thought of her as some angel. Your saving grace for one hour that night. For one hour, you could have what you wanted no matter what the consequences. But then again, there were no consequences for your actions. Instead of going to jail, you got to marry your victim. Do you know how sick that sounds?
Luke: It was. I was. I was crazy and sick at the time. For one hour, so long ago, I was not a man.
Lucky: Oh, no, you were a man. A man who needed to satisfy some need of his on an innocent woman. Did it make you feel more like a man to know you can overpower a woman into fulfilling your hormonal needs?
Luke: Stop it! (Bringing the car to a grinding halt) Just stop it! You will never understand what happened that night between your mother and me! You'll never understand the pain that we both took on after that night!
Lucky: You got that right! I'll never understand because I'll never be the kind of monster you are! I'll never take a woman against her will! I'd never ask that woman to marry me and have my children!
Luke (trying to hold back his tears, speaking quietly): I thank God every day that you turned out like this despite who I am.
Lucky: Don't take credit for something you don't deserve. This is me saying this, not your son. I'm my own person and could see the difference between right and wrong, despite who my father is.
Luke: If that's what you need to believe.
Lucky: I don't need to believe it, I know it! That cowboy you refer to is no more. That boy who worshipped his father and wanted to be like him is long gone. I'm here now and there is no way I'll be anything like you!
Luke (whispering, almost inaudible): I can tell you don't want to be in this car with me, the rapist, for any longer than you have to. If you want to take off now, just go. The car is stopped. No one is stopping you. Just don't diminish everything I've tried to give you your whole life. A family, forgiveness, love...
Lucky: Love, you don't even know the meaning of the word.
Lucky opened the door and got out of the car. Luke, looked over at him one last time before driving away, tears coming down his face in full force. Lucky saw him speeding away in full force, hoping he didn't make a bigger mistake now. He did know what love was. He had learned that from both of his parents. His father did teach him what it meant to love a woman, how to treat a woman. He learned from the best, despite what happened before he was born. How come he could never see that until his father was gone? How come he could never admit that to his father? How come it felt like his life was in a magician's hands... one minute it just disappeared, and Lucky was holding on to the end of the trick... waiting for it to reappear again.
