My Misadventures

43: Welcome Home, Skylar

There's a knock at the door. "Come in!"

The door opens, and a short blonde woman stands in the doorway. I blink. "Mom?"

She closes the door gently and approaches my bedside. "I heard what happened to you, and I had to make sure you're alright. I..." She swallows. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

My jaw literally drops.

"I'm sorry for kicking you out like that. I panicked, and I made a bad choice. A very bad choice. I shouldn't have shunned you like that, especially after all you did was tell me the truth." Tears began to fall down her face. "I'm so sorry. I know I can't just walk in and expect you to forgive me, and I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I wanted to make it up to you somehow."

"You came." My voice is thick with oncoming tears. She came back. I open my arms, and she hugs me tightly.

By this point, I'm crying like a baby. I can't believe she came back, I've missed her so much.

She rubs my back. "I want you to know, that you're always welcome at my house. You and your boyfriend. You can come anytime you want. I've had a lot of time to reflect and think about what I believe, and I want you to know that I don't think that there's anything wrong with you. You're Felix Skylar Murdock, you are gay, and you're my son."

If I was crying before, I'm bawling now. The only word I managed to speak was "mom."

"I can't believe I almost lost you." She cries softly in my ear. "I could've never forgiven myself if you'd died still hating me."

"I love you, mom." My voice is trembling.

"I love you too, sweetheart. I'm so sorry for what I did." She says honestly.

After we finish crying and hugging, she promises to help pay for my medical bills, and my tuition again. She kisses me a whole bunch of times all over my face, and this time, I love it. This is definitely going in my journal.

-

I'm just kind of standing there in the hospital lobby, waiting for my dad to finish signing papers and whatever. Too bad the hero's insurance couldn't cover everything this time.

Then my dad taps my arm and motions for the exit. Together we make our way to the car, and I do my best not to topple over. We joke and drive together while listening to some of my old favorite songs.

"This one's good," I note, checking the queue.

"It's from your album called 'all I do is cry.'" Dad chuckles.

"Oh my god, that's private!" I protest, holding my phone against my chest. "I can't believe you went through my stuff."

Dad shrugs. "I didn't go through your stuff, I just know some of your playlists, that's all."

"That's suspicious, is what that is." I look out the window, and... something isn't right. "Oh my god, there's no snow. I keep forgetting to ask what day it is."

Dad sighs, and my stomach fills with dread. "This is the fifth time you've asked what day it is today."

That makes me sick. I'm forgetting things so quickly.

"It's April already, bud. April ninth."

Oh shit. My birthday is in like, two days. "Oh."

"This is usually the part when you say, 'Oh shit, that means my birthday is in like, two days.'"

I look over at my dad in suspicion. "You're a witch."

He laughs. "You're predictable."

I rest my head back on the seat. "Shut up."