theatrical_muse 268: The End
[OOC: cassidykeep used with permission, and plot has been approved. Backdated to this past weekend.]
This had been a good day. Terry spent all day with her father, and they did all the stupid touristy things in Times Square that neither had done, even though Terry had lived in New York City over a year. They rode the giant Ferris Wheel in the Toys R Us store, they posed next to the mannequins at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, they went to the top of the Empire State Building, which was really no big deal because they had both flown that high if not higher, so looking out a window was pretty boring. Sean had offered to take her ice skating, but Terry politely declined. He didn’t need to know about Ste, or that that had been their first date. She was moving forward now, no need to dwell on the past.
They’d walked so many blocks Terry had lost count, but her feet hurt, that was for sure. Luckily the sun was going down, and they were both getting hungry. They found a nice, quiet restaurant outside of Times Square to have dinner. They both agreed, no waiting an hour for food that probably wasn’t even as good just to say they did it. Terry went in and ordered the table while Sean stood outside to have a quick smoke. It had been such a good day. Spending all this time with him, it was just proof that she’d made the right decision.
The only time they remained quiet was while they both had food in their mouth. Granted, some of it was nervous chatter, mostly on her end, but even still. All day and they hadn’t run out of things to talk about.
Which had turned out to be a bad thing in the end.
“Um, Terry? There’s something I need to tell you.”
Uh-oh. That never meant something good. Um, Terry. There’s something I meant to tell you. You see, I won the lottery but now I have all this extra money and I don’t know what to do with it. Should I buy an island or a bunch of cars? And he was waiting until the end of the evening. Great.
But she put on a hint of a smile and nodded. “Yeah, Da?”
He took a deep breath. Another bad sign. He was bracing himself. “I need to go away for awhile.”
She blinked. “Oh?”
“Not forever,” Sean insisted, probably guessing his daughter’s impending freakout, “Just for a little bit. A road trip. I need to figure things out, and I never had a chance to do that since I’ve been back. I need time to think.”
Terry just stared. Don’t jump to conclusions, let him explain. Don’t freak out. Breathe. Breathe dammit!
He tried to explain some more, make it not sound so bad, and it probably wasn’t, but Terry wasn’t listening. All she heard was that he was leaving. Again. He was always going to disappear on her. Things were never going to change. Ever. She had been stupid to think they would.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he was saying. “And we’ll talk on the phone whenever you want.”
But why did he have to go away? Why now? Why couldn’t he just think at home? Why couldn’t she ask him that instead of just sitting there in stunned silence?
He reached out and took her hand, jolting her from her trance. His palm was warm against hers, rough and real. She couldn’t have this if he left. She couldn’t have the bone crushing hugs, or the unique sound they made when they matched their pitches to fly together.
“When are you leaving?” she asked, and her voice was so quiet. She’d be shocked if he’d even heard her. But he did.
“In a week or so.”
Can I go with you? The question was on the tip of her tongue when she caught it. Better not to ask. If his answer was no it would crush her, and if it was yes she’d have to leave everything behind. Her work, her friends, her life. And she’d be willing to do that. But she couldn’t bear it if he purposely left her behind.
So instead she nodded, pulled her mouth tight, jaw clenched. She tried to summon up some warmth in her eyes.
“Can I still see you until you go?”
He smiled at that. “Of course, girl. Every day if you want.”
She nodded again, forcing herself to breathe through her nose, slowly. “I do want.”
He squeezed her hand. “I’ll come back. I promise. I would never leave you again. Ever. You know that.”
But she didn’t. She wanted to. She hoped. She thought. But she didn’t know. Nothing with him was a given. It never had been and it never would be. It was the one thing about him that she hated.
“Come on,” he said, desperate to change the subject it seemed. “Let’s not ruin this night. What else do you want to do tonight? It’s still early. We could catch a Broadway show, if there’s still tickets.”
She blinked twice. Just enough time to compose herself. “My friend Sally has this season ticket type of thing. I could call her and see if she’s using them tonight…”
She wasn’t going to break. She still had a week with him. She wasn’t going to be sad in that time. After he left, then she had license to lose it. But not right now. Right now they were planning to go see Jersey Boys. It had been a good day. He was not going to ruin it. And neither was she. Good day. Yes.
This had been a good day. Terry spent all day with her father, and they did all the stupid touristy things in Times Square that neither had done, even though Terry had lived in New York City over a year. They rode the giant Ferris Wheel in the Toys R Us store, they posed next to the mannequins at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, they went to the top of the Empire State Building, which was really no big deal because they had both flown that high if not higher, so looking out a window was pretty boring. Sean had offered to take her ice skating, but Terry politely declined. He didn’t need to know about Ste, or that that had been their first date. She was moving forward now, no need to dwell on the past.
They’d walked so many blocks Terry had lost count, but her feet hurt, that was for sure. Luckily the sun was going down, and they were both getting hungry. They found a nice, quiet restaurant outside of Times Square to have dinner. They both agreed, no waiting an hour for food that probably wasn’t even as good just to say they did it. Terry went in and ordered the table while Sean stood outside to have a quick smoke. It had been such a good day. Spending all this time with him, it was just proof that she’d made the right decision.
The only time they remained quiet was while they both had food in their mouth. Granted, some of it was nervous chatter, mostly on her end, but even still. All day and they hadn’t run out of things to talk about.
Which had turned out to be a bad thing in the end.
“Um, Terry? There’s something I need to tell you.”
Uh-oh. That never meant something good. Um, Terry. There’s something I meant to tell you. You see, I won the lottery but now I have all this extra money and I don’t know what to do with it. Should I buy an island or a bunch of cars? And he was waiting until the end of the evening. Great.
But she put on a hint of a smile and nodded. “Yeah, Da?”
He took a deep breath. Another bad sign. He was bracing himself. “I need to go away for awhile.”
She blinked. “Oh?”
“Not forever,” Sean insisted, probably guessing his daughter’s impending freakout, “Just for a little bit. A road trip. I need to figure things out, and I never had a chance to do that since I’ve been back. I need time to think.”
Terry just stared. Don’t jump to conclusions, let him explain. Don’t freak out. Breathe. Breathe dammit!
He tried to explain some more, make it not sound so bad, and it probably wasn’t, but Terry wasn’t listening. All she heard was that he was leaving. Again. He was always going to disappear on her. Things were never going to change. Ever. She had been stupid to think they would.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” he was saying. “And we’ll talk on the phone whenever you want.”
But why did he have to go away? Why now? Why couldn’t he just think at home? Why couldn’t she ask him that instead of just sitting there in stunned silence?
He reached out and took her hand, jolting her from her trance. His palm was warm against hers, rough and real. She couldn’t have this if he left. She couldn’t have the bone crushing hugs, or the unique sound they made when they matched their pitches to fly together.
“When are you leaving?” she asked, and her voice was so quiet. She’d be shocked if he’d even heard her. But he did.
“In a week or so.”
Can I go with you? The question was on the tip of her tongue when she caught it. Better not to ask. If his answer was no it would crush her, and if it was yes she’d have to leave everything behind. Her work, her friends, her life. And she’d be willing to do that. But she couldn’t bear it if he purposely left her behind.
So instead she nodded, pulled her mouth tight, jaw clenched. She tried to summon up some warmth in her eyes.
“Can I still see you until you go?”
He smiled at that. “Of course, girl. Every day if you want.”
She nodded again, forcing herself to breathe through her nose, slowly. “I do want.”
He squeezed her hand. “I’ll come back. I promise. I would never leave you again. Ever. You know that.”
But she didn’t. She wanted to. She hoped. She thought. But she didn’t know. Nothing with him was a given. It never had been and it never would be. It was the one thing about him that she hated.
“Come on,” he said, desperate to change the subject it seemed. “Let’s not ruin this night. What else do you want to do tonight? It’s still early. We could catch a Broadway show, if there’s still tickets.”
She blinked twice. Just enough time to compose herself. “My friend Sally has this season ticket type of thing. I could call her and see if she’s using them tonight…”
She wasn’t going to break. She still had a week with him. She wasn’t going to be sad in that time. After he left, then she had license to lose it. But not right now. Right now they were planning to go see Jersey Boys. It had been a good day. He was not going to ruin it. And neither was she. Good day. Yes.