Taken into the Unknown (Complete)

A New Leaf

It's not quite the length I was hoping for and I haven't really had time to edit it, but I didn't want to postpone it any longer. 

Chapter 41

4 days later

“…and eventually that’s how Jayden and I ended up at the hospital,” I concluded.

Landon stared at the ground, deep in thought. “You know things could have been far worse for you. I can only imagine what Jayden might have gone through. In a sense, you got lucky.” He finally looked up at me, his eyes the same intense green as mine. “And as stupid as it was, it was very courageous of you to find Jayden and bring her back home.”

I shrugged, unwilling to speak, still lost in the trance of retelling the story.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you more,” he said, pulling me into a warm and secure embrace. “After you left for college, I didn’t think I’d have to worry about you anymore.”

“Please don’t apologize. You really don’t need to. You had been there for me for the longest time, dealing with dad. You have your own life now, and shouldn’t have to take care of me. I’m an adult too now.”

“Oh, speaking of dad,” he said pulling out of our embrace, “I checked up on him some time ago and found out that he managed to admit himself into rehabilitation. He’s been sober for 3 years.”

I was stunned. My father was the last man I ever expected to give up alcohol. “When I talked to him, I felt like I was talking to the man he was when mom was alive. I have to admit, when I first saw him and even for several visits after the first, I was still skeptical and cold towards him. Actually, I ranted and yelled at him often. Surprisingly, he just sat there and took it, accepted it even. Honestly, I genuinely think he’s changed Alaure. I had such a hard time coming to terms with it too. I felt as though I actually wanted him to argue with me so I would be justified in screaming at him. It’s kind of nice this way though.”

I began thinking of all those fond memories like when he taught me to ride a bike and gave me piggy back rides. I thought about how he would carry me to my bed when I fell asleep in the back of his truck, how we would let me eat junk food when mom wasn’t home, how I would run and wrap myself around his legs every day when he came home, and how he would tuck me in at night with a gentle kiss to my forehead. 

I rubbed my eyes that began to water against my will. “I want to visit him. Promise me you’ll take me.”

“Okay, I promise I’ll take you to see him before I drop you back to school in California. I smiled a thanks.

We came in during visiting hours, were searched, and then led to my father’s room.

“You can go in whenever you’re ready,” the woman said to us before going back.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Landon asked me.

My stomach felt queasy and my head felt as if it were being compressed. I wrapped my arms around me and breathed to calm myself down.

“You said—how is he now?”

Landon pulled me to his chest to comfort me. “Alaure, we can come back another day if you’re not ready. You’re nervous and it’s understandable. You’ve been through a lot. But to answer your question, it’s just like I said before, it’s like he’s back to his old self again.”

I shut my eyes and took in a few more deep breaths of my brother’s comforting scent.   “No. I want to do this now. I’m curious. I want to see it for myself. I…I’m just not quite sure how he’ll react to me.”