There Once Was A Derek & Lia (ongoing)

Chapter 24

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The sound of cupboards slamming shut woke me up, and I immediately looked around to find myself laying on the carpet in the living room. Then it all came back to me in a rush---Derek's drunkenness. I rubbed my eyes and looked over my shoulder to find Derek was still fast asleep on the couch. At least one of us slept. I spent most of the night making sure he was still breathing.

I stood up and walked to the kitchen. Mrs. Palmer was fixing breakfast when I walked in.

"Morning." She said, stirring the pancake mixture. "Is he still sleeping?"

"Soundly," I said under my breath.

"I put on a pot of coffee. Help yourself "

Coffee was just what I needed. I poured a cup of coffee and took a sip.

"I started a load not to long ago if there is something you need to wash."

"Laundry? Oh I already did a load of Derek's clothes." Watching him most of the night left me with a lot of time to put a load in and switch it over to the dryer. "I'll put a load in later." My laundry basket is so full I most likely would need a crane ---if only it would fit in the house.

"Mr. Palmer and I will talk to him later. He shouldn't be drinking so recklessly."

"When he wakes up, he'll regret what he did." I explained. "He'll feel awful."

"I don't know what's going on with my son. I wonder if it's the stress of graduating." Mrs. Palmer poured the pancake batter into the pan.

It's me, I wanted to say. I push him over the edge and he acts out. "Possibly. I think he'll feel less stressed out when he makes a decision about where to study next. He's got a lot of choices."

"He knows my husband and I would support him wherever he goes."

"He knows that. He just doesn't know where he would be the happiest." I shrugged my shoulders. "I could see him somewhere warm like Miami. And then when you visit him it will be like your on vacation."

Mrs. Palmer placed a pancake on a plate and placed it in front of me. She reached into the cupboard over head and pulled out the syrup. "Enough about my woo's how are you? How's work been?"

Work is great compared to what's going on with the Derek problem. I'm stuck in this---confusing-----heated-----risky bubble that I can't seem to escape. The more I tug, the harder he tugs back. "Busy," I laughed, pouring some syrup on my pancakes. "I think about my mom a lot. I just hope she's ok."

A grunting noise came from the living room then Derek appeared in the kitchen door way. He gripped onto the sides of the door frame--probably the only thing keeping him from crumbling to the floor.

"Good morning, Derek." His mom said. " I'll get you some orange juice.