[mad_muses] Are You Really Here (or am I dreaming)...
“We choose those we like; with those we love, we have no say in the matter.” --Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook
He was on his way to the station when his phone rang. Expecting it to be Anna, though they just parted ways, he grinned and opened his phone. "I already promised I wouldn't forget the whipped cream, gorgeous."
"Oh, ew."
D'oh shit. Randall blinked and cleared his throat. "Err, hi Erin. I thought you were-"
"I really don't want to know, Randy."
He shook his head as he came to a crosswalk, quickly checking traffic before moving through it. "What's up?" His big sister didn't quite sound like herself.
There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Long enough to make Randall dodge the crowd and come to a stop in front of a store. "What, Erin?"
"It's Mom."
Anxiety and fear quickly took hold of his heart and squeezed for all it was worth. His face paled. "What happened?"
"Nothing! Mom's...Mom's okay, it's just...she's kinda freaking out."
Randall tried the breathing thing again, his heart rate slowly finding normalcy. "Over what?"
"Over....Dad being in town."
He shook his head. "Run that by me again?"
"Dad, Randy."
"That's what I thought you said, but...I'm not understanding."
"He showed up at the house this morning wanting to see her. He asked about us. She wouldn't let him through the door, she slammed it in his face, and she called me. He left her alone but she won't come out of her bedroom, and he's still in town. I haven't seen him, but he left her a message that he's staying in a motel nearby."
"Dad?" His hand went over his eyes. Of course he'd thought about his father over the years, but he never imagined the man would come back. "Did...did he say what he wants?"
Erin sighed deeply, a slight waver to her breath. "Aside from talking to her....I don't know."
"You at Mom's?"
"Yeah, and I've been trying to get her to come out and talk to me, but she won't. I just got here and...she's really upset. Andy's on her way over and...I don't know what to do."
Randall ran his hand down his jaw and dropped it to his side, sighing. "I'm coming home right now. I'll get there as soon as I can."
Either Erin didn't want to argue with him or she didn't have the energy, because she just said okay. "Be careful."
***
Randall hightailed it back to his apartment just long enough to hop into his car and leave the city. He sent Charlie a quick text saying he wouldn't be in for work on his way. In the back of his mind he knew he needed to call Anna and let her know where he was going, but all that he could think about was his father.
Questions running through his mind about where the man had been, what had brought him back, and a childish hope that he'd want to spend time with Randall. He wondered if the man was finally coming back to them, and if he'd get to have a father again. He was already getting his hopes up too far, and he knew it.
And he was worried about his mother. She was usually so strong and amazing, but he knew how weak she could be when it came to her husband. He didn't want his mother to be weak. He didn't want her to be hiding out in her room forever like she did right after his dad left.
Before he realized how long it had been, he was pulling up to his mother's house. He jumped out of his car and ran onto the porch, then he was through the front door.
"Erin? Andy?" He glanced around, calling his sisters.
"In here," Erin's voice came.
He followed her voice to the living room and she met him in the doorway. "Where's Mo-" He froze when he took notice of the man standing behind Erin. Andrea stood several feet away from him, smiling ear to ear. Randall choked on air, and his words, as he stared.
The man looked just like the one who had walked out, but years had added wrinkles and lines to his face. He cleared his throat and took a step forward. "Hi Randall."
Randall just blinked, his mouth opening and closing with words that he couldn't gather.
His dad was home.
723
He was on his way to the station when his phone rang. Expecting it to be Anna, though they just parted ways, he grinned and opened his phone. "I already promised I wouldn't forget the whipped cream, gorgeous."
"Oh, ew."
D'oh shit. Randall blinked and cleared his throat. "Err, hi Erin. I thought you were-"
"I really don't want to know, Randy."
He shook his head as he came to a crosswalk, quickly checking traffic before moving through it. "What's up?" His big sister didn't quite sound like herself.
There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Long enough to make Randall dodge the crowd and come to a stop in front of a store. "What, Erin?"
"It's Mom."
Anxiety and fear quickly took hold of his heart and squeezed for all it was worth. His face paled. "What happened?"
"Nothing! Mom's...Mom's okay, it's just...she's kinda freaking out."
Randall tried the breathing thing again, his heart rate slowly finding normalcy. "Over what?"
"Over....Dad being in town."
He shook his head. "Run that by me again?"
"Dad, Randy."
"That's what I thought you said, but...I'm not understanding."
"He showed up at the house this morning wanting to see her. He asked about us. She wouldn't let him through the door, she slammed it in his face, and she called me. He left her alone but she won't come out of her bedroom, and he's still in town. I haven't seen him, but he left her a message that he's staying in a motel nearby."
"Dad?" His hand went over his eyes. Of course he'd thought about his father over the years, but he never imagined the man would come back. "Did...did he say what he wants?"
Erin sighed deeply, a slight waver to her breath. "Aside from talking to her....I don't know."
"You at Mom's?"
"Yeah, and I've been trying to get her to come out and talk to me, but she won't. I just got here and...she's really upset. Andy's on her way over and...I don't know what to do."
Randall ran his hand down his jaw and dropped it to his side, sighing. "I'm coming home right now. I'll get there as soon as I can."
Either Erin didn't want to argue with him or she didn't have the energy, because she just said okay. "Be careful."
***
Randall hightailed it back to his apartment just long enough to hop into his car and leave the city. He sent Charlie a quick text saying he wouldn't be in for work on his way. In the back of his mind he knew he needed to call Anna and let her know where he was going, but all that he could think about was his father.
Questions running through his mind about where the man had been, what had brought him back, and a childish hope that he'd want to spend time with Randall. He wondered if the man was finally coming back to them, and if he'd get to have a father again. He was already getting his hopes up too far, and he knew it.
And he was worried about his mother. She was usually so strong and amazing, but he knew how weak she could be when it came to her husband. He didn't want his mother to be weak. He didn't want her to be hiding out in her room forever like she did right after his dad left.
Before he realized how long it had been, he was pulling up to his mother's house. He jumped out of his car and ran onto the porch, then he was through the front door.
"Erin? Andy?" He glanced around, calling his sisters.
"In here," Erin's voice came.
He followed her voice to the living room and she met him in the doorway. "Where's Mo-" He froze when he took notice of the man standing behind Erin. Andrea stood several feet away from him, smiling ear to ear. Randall choked on air, and his words, as he stared.
The man looked just like the one who had walked out, but years had added wrinkles and lines to his face. He cleared his throat and took a step forward. "Hi Randall."
Randall just blinked, his mouth opening and closing with words that he couldn't gather.
His dad was home.
723