Collide

CHAPTER TEN - TOGETHER

"We're going to find a plan," she reassured, sliding her legs out of the bed, and sat at the edge of it. "I promise you this."

"It's been four days, and we still didn't do anything with DiLeo's number. We looked at all aspects of this problem, but still, we didn't find what we were supposed to do with it."

"Then we'll think harder," my friend reassured me in a soothing voice, as she now sat in front of me on the window's seat I loved so much. She looked by the window for a moment, as silence settled in the room again. The only sound that was heard were the ones of our breathing. Al sighed heavily, and finally, she broke the silence. "Everything here is so peaceful."

"That's why I love this place so much," I admitted with a little smile, as I looked in the same direction as her. "When are you planning on coming home?"

"I wish I never had to," she almost whispered, her eyes still glued to the window. "I don't want to be in the middle of another argument between my drunk brother and his wife. It's just too much I can take."

"He doesn't want to sign the divorce papers, does he?"

"No," Al sighed, and put put her back against the window. "He wants her to give him time to get back on his feet, but she won't give him the time he needs. She wants him to find a job as soon as possible and to man up for their kids. But life ain't that fucking easy."

"Tell me about it," I snorted sarcastically. "The real question is; does he want to get better? Does he really want to find a job and stop drinking?"

"He tells me he wants to, but whenever I see him, he's drinking a beer on the couch, doing nothing," she shrugged, and exhaled heavily. "I can't throw him out of my house. He's my brother."

"Adam has always been a bit reckless, but he'll eventually stop drinking, and start looking for a job," I reassured, patting my friend's knee gently. I could see she was stressed out by all of this, and suddenly, a wave of guilt captured me. "Oh God, no. I'm so sorry you have to deal with your brother's problems and mine. It was selfish from me to put you through all of this. I—I'm sorry, Al."

"Finding Michael Jackson is far from being a problem," Al chuckled slightly, and I chuckled along with her, as a weight was taken off of my shoulders. "More seriously, I don't mind at all. I'm glad we're in this together," she sincerely said, and my heart warmed up at her words. "Now, I know it looks like we're not getting anywhere, but we are. We just need time to find a plan."

"I really don't see how his manager's number can be useful. We can't just call the number and ask if we can talk to Michael. It's stupid."

Alice hummed silently, nodding her head. Silence filled the room again, as we were both deep in our thoughts. The sun was slowly rising just before my eyes, and I found some comfort in it. Nature was always soothing to me, as it had the power to amaze me. Watching the sun set and the break of dawn was certainly one of the things I loved the most.

"Maybe we can process differently," Al suddenly said, and I looked from the window to her.

"Can you elaborate?" I gently asked her, as I leaned closer to her.

"I—I mean, it can be difficult and somehow risked, but I think it could work," she told me, as she looked at me with a newly found hope in her green, piercing eyes.

"What? What could work, Al?" I pressed, frowning.

"Maybe he could come back to the hospital? Like, if you tell his manager that the kids want Michael to come back, maybe he'll accept?"

I laughed at that, "Do you really think he'd come back, in the same hospital, to see the same kids?" I asked, and my friend just shrugged. "Al, I'm sure he has better things to do than this. It won't work."