Music Therapy

3 || Chapter Ten

Speak Life by TobyMac

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Just like last time, Frank and Charlene were waiting for me when I came home close to 9 pm.

"We'd still like to extend our apology." Charlene informed me, as I kicked my shoes off and tried not to look in their direction.

"Even though we are well aware that you were probably just off at some party with alcohol and drugs, besides the fact that you've been ignoring us since Sunday. So really you should feel fortunate that the offer is still on the table." Frank added.

"It's not some offer or freaking business deal." I snapped, finally turning to look at them after I had hung my coat up. I folded my arms over my chest. Maybe I was going to accept their apology like Jacob had advised, but that didn't mean that I had to make it easy for them — let them escape with a measly little I'm sorry after all that they had done, or rather, not done.

"We know that." Charlene said calmly, "We've realized that we've been in the wrong, and we're simply offering you a simple apology. Here would be where you accept it and we all move on."

"Do you even know why you should be apologizing?" I asked, needing desperately to hear them say it and for them to admit that they'd been terrible parents.

"For reasons you that you shouted at us after you came home from that party before you ran off again." Frank replied dryly.

"And what were those? Did you even really listen? Because your apology means absolutely nothing if you don't actually change."

"Well — uh, it is true that we only had you and Jacob as part of your father's blossoming political campaign. We were never really ready to be parents and it caught us off guard how much there really was involved in parenthood. Maybe it was awful of us to pawn you off on nannies, but that was really only our way of still giving you somebody, at least, even though we were busy with work. And then later, I suppose that we were distant because you're right; we didn't really raise you, so consequently we didn't know you."

Words couldn't even begin to describe what I was feeling right now — not that that was overly unusual as of late. And the fact that they had come to this whole major realization just from sitting through a single church service was mind-blowing. It could be considered a miracle, almost.

"Um...and you promise that you'll try to not be so cold and unfeeling anymore?"

"We'll do our best," Charlene promised, "Right Frank?"

Frank cleared his throat, obviously caught off guard, "Y-yeah, sure."

"Then I guess I forgive you." I relented, more or less satisfied that there was a possibility of our relationship finally taking a turn for the better, "As long as you're okay with Jacob coming home for Christmas, that is."

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The car ride to the church was surprisingly not as tense as usual and to my complete and total shock, Charlene actually sent me off with a genuine smile and a have fun before driving away. It was just freaking weird. But not in a bad way, I guess, when I really thought about it. It was actually kind of nice, to be honest.

I went up to the front door and knocked — like I always did — but my eyes widened when instead of Sammy or even Caitlyn, someone I hadn't been expecting at all approached the door. I swallowed the nervous lump in my throat. Today really seemed to be the day for confrontations.

"Hello, David." Mr. Benson said, as he propped the door open and gestured for me to come in, "Sammy and the girls actually aren't here yet. But if you want you can come help me. I was working on re-tuning the drums on the drumset — Sammy said that they were a little out of whack when he played them on Sunday."