(no subject)
Angela walks into her living room, planting her black combat boots on the pale plush carpeting, and looks around the silent house as if she’d just come in from another planet.
No one home. Cautiously, she walks forward, looking around. Everything looks exactly the same, and then she hurries to the mantle where the family picture is.
Mom, Dad, Angela…Johnny. Angela’s hand goes to her mouth and she sobs in relief, though no tears come, not yet. With shaking hands, she replaces the family portrait, and heads upstairs before Johnny comes home.
She can hardly wait to see him and hug him. She’s missed him so much.
Upon opening the door to her room, she stands there for a few moments. She’s forgotten that her room was such a mess. Clothes lay strewn on the floor, her bed unmade and plates and glasses all over the place. Her trash cans were overflowing and her carpet hadn’t been vacuumed in weeks. She remembers now that her mother had refused to clean any more in her room until she learned to keep it neat.
The mess bothers her now. But she just goes into her bathroom to wash her face after removing her jacket. She wants to start with a fresh scrubbed face-it made her feel better. So she washes her face and unpacks her bag carefully, hiding what needs to be hidden, putting the progress reports in her pocket. It’s amazing what she’s managed to put into her school bag-the dress she came back from Wales in, the laptop Cain had given her, some other assorted books and odds and ends from various people around the bar. Was it only a few minutes ago that she was in the bar? It somehow feels longer.
Angela looks at herself in the mirror, touching the lump under her t-shirt that was the pendant Melou had given her, feeling very lost and alone all of a sudden. Then she takes a deep breath and lets it out.
She goes downstairs to wait for Johnny to come home. Angela watches as the bus drops him off in the front of the house.
Johnny runs into the house and dropping his backpack on the floor. “Aaaaangieee?”
She grins. “Hey, Sport,” she says, a goofy grin on her face. “Give us a hug. Sis really needs it.” She kneels down and opens her arms, and Johnny runs to her. She hugs him tight and sighs shakily. “I missed you so much.” This is from your Grampa, how I wish you could meet him...
Johnny wriggles and makes a choking sound. “Aaack! Angie, you’re squashing me!”
Angela smiles. “Sorry, Sport. What’d you do today?”
He grins. “We did crafts. I made you a picture.”
“Really?” Angela beams. “What is it?”
He goes to his backpack and pulls out a picture of a dolphin, with blue tissue-paper as the water and silver sparkles on the dolphin.
“Oh, it’s awesome, Johnny. Thanks!” She hugs him again. And then looks around conspiratorially. “Hey, want some ice cream?”
He grins. “Yeah!” He runs into the kitchen, and they eat ice cream and Angela listens to him talk about his day.
To be continued...
No one home. Cautiously, she walks forward, looking around. Everything looks exactly the same, and then she hurries to the mantle where the family picture is.
Mom, Dad, Angela…Johnny. Angela’s hand goes to her mouth and she sobs in relief, though no tears come, not yet. With shaking hands, she replaces the family portrait, and heads upstairs before Johnny comes home.
She can hardly wait to see him and hug him. She’s missed him so much.
Upon opening the door to her room, she stands there for a few moments. She’s forgotten that her room was such a mess. Clothes lay strewn on the floor, her bed unmade and plates and glasses all over the place. Her trash cans were overflowing and her carpet hadn’t been vacuumed in weeks. She remembers now that her mother had refused to clean any more in her room until she learned to keep it neat.
The mess bothers her now. But she just goes into her bathroom to wash her face after removing her jacket. She wants to start with a fresh scrubbed face-it made her feel better. So she washes her face and unpacks her bag carefully, hiding what needs to be hidden, putting the progress reports in her pocket. It’s amazing what she’s managed to put into her school bag-the dress she came back from Wales in, the laptop Cain had given her, some other assorted books and odds and ends from various people around the bar. Was it only a few minutes ago that she was in the bar? It somehow feels longer.
Angela looks at herself in the mirror, touching the lump under her t-shirt that was the pendant Melou had given her, feeling very lost and alone all of a sudden. Then she takes a deep breath and lets it out.
She goes downstairs to wait for Johnny to come home. Angela watches as the bus drops him off in the front of the house.
Johnny runs into the house and dropping his backpack on the floor. “Aaaaangieee?”
She grins. “Hey, Sport,” she says, a goofy grin on her face. “Give us a hug. Sis really needs it.” She kneels down and opens her arms, and Johnny runs to her. She hugs him tight and sighs shakily. “I missed you so much.” This is from your Grampa, how I wish you could meet him...
Johnny wriggles and makes a choking sound. “Aaack! Angie, you’re squashing me!”
Angela smiles. “Sorry, Sport. What’d you do today?”
He grins. “We did crafts. I made you a picture.”
“Really?” Angela beams. “What is it?”
He goes to his backpack and pulls out a picture of a dolphin, with blue tissue-paper as the water and silver sparkles on the dolphin.
“Oh, it’s awesome, Johnny. Thanks!” She hugs him again. And then looks around conspiratorially. “Hey, want some ice cream?”
He grins. “Yeah!” He runs into the kitchen, and they eat ice cream and Angela listens to him talk about his day.
To be continued...