Falice 2

The Ride Back Home

"Al-" He checks his phone. He sighs and opens the door.

"Hiya," Gladys quirks up an eyebrow. "What's got you all grumpy?"

"Nothing, just a little fight with Alice. It will blow over by tomorrow." He hopes. "How are you?"

"Having a better day I see," She holds up the box full of project supplies. "I think this is all of it. Her car is still in my shop but it should be good to pick up by tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, I did everything I could before having her take it to your shop."

"She's lucky we save a fortune on mechanics," Gladys chuckles.

"You have no idea how many times Jug and I had to fix his bike. I'm kinda glad he's not riding it anymore." FP chuckles too.

"It's good to know he's a college graduate now and  can afford to buy himself a nice, fancy reliable car. He doesn't have to resort to a life of crime to make ends meet the way we did."

"He's made us proud," FP agrees with a smile. "We're almost two for two."

Gladys nods. "We did good."

"Yeah," FP nods. "We did."

"Anyway, good luck with Smithy," Gladys excuses herself out. "You two only know one thing and that is being complicated."

+

Jellybean sits in the kitchen, staring at her homework. She's stuck on a lengthy math problem.

"Hey, bean. How's it going?" FP waltzed in from his room in search of a snack.

"I didn't know I could hate stats this much."

"I wish I could say I was a math genius to help you. But sadly, I'm not."

"Is Alice?" She looks up. "Maybe I can ask her."

He nods. "Maybe she can help. She was always tutoring me back in the day."

She closes her notebook and shuts her computer. "This is tomorrow's problem now." Hearing that makes her father chuckle. "Hey, dad?"

"Yeah?" He pokes his head up from behind the refrigerator door.

"While we're on the topic of Alice...how is the long distance going? Are you really okay with still being in Toledo?"

"What?" Her question confuses him.

"Well, whenever she comes to visit you're very happy, but then I've seen how sad you get when she has to go. Same thing when you go visit her. You leave excited, but come back sad."

"It's just the way things are, honey."

"But do they have to be?" She asks. "What's keeping you here? You clearly want to be with her? Is it me? You don't have to force yourself to stay for me. I would understand. I want you to be happy."

"I am happy. Things are fine between us. And I like being here with you. Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No," She shakes her head. "Be honest with me, dad. If she asked you to go back with her, would you? Your whole life is in Riverdale. You have history there. Maybe I got used to growing up here, but you grew up there. Don't you miss that?"