Glass Sneakers

23rd ♕

"They went on a date. They said it has been a while." I laughed.

"They make a good couple. I'm also glad that your dad got married to her," she finally admitted.

"Same."

"Are you finish saying goodbye to George?" Roger closed the trunk of the minivan. The twins were peacefully sleeping in the car. I would also miss them. They made the house exciting, less clunky.

"We already talked," Mom no. 1 replied.

Roger asked, "Can I have a word with George before we leave?"

"Go ahead. I'll just wait in the car," said Mom no. 1, enveloping me into another hug, before kissing me goodbye. "See you soon, honey."

"Be good," I said to her.

"I will," she said.

Roger walked a little way from the car. I followed him, since he said that he wanted to talk to me. He stopped in front of the empty lot next to our neighbor's house.

"You okay?" I took the initiative to say the first word, since he didn't seem to know where to start. I wondered if asking how he felt was too much. "I heard you're going to help Dad start his car rental business. Thank you."

Roger shook his head, putting his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "Your dad needed the help. But the real reason why I did that was for you. I have no better way of saying sorry for everything that happened in the past."

"You didn't have to do."

"Let me do at least this much. And here, take this," Roger said, getting something from his pocket and placing a white envelope in my hand.

Realizing what was inside the envelope, I quickly declined, "I can't. Look, it's okay. You've already done so much by helping my dad."

"Take it, George." Roger pushed back the envelope to me. "I know it won't amount for anything, but it's all I could give you."

I knew it was money. Plenty of it. But I couldn't take it. "No, really. I can't."

"Treat it as a compensation for what your mother did. For destroying everything."

"You don't have to make up for it." I shook my head lightly.

"I want to. I can't do anything except for this. And if I hadn't been a jerk, I would have been your stepdad. And as your stepdad, it's my obligation to take care of you as well," Roger said to me.

"I don't know. It just doesn't seem right."

"I insist. Take it. You can pay me back later if you want. But for now, you know you need it. Go and buy your books. I heard you still haven't bought them."

"I use the library all the time."

"You still need to buy some books. We can start being a family, George. I know your mother would also love for you to visit her sometimes. It would lessen her worries," Roger said.

"Could I?"

Roger nodded. "Of course. The twins would also like that."

"Then I guess I will see them during breaks," I said. Since I knew he wouldn't take back the envelope, I added, "And thanks for this. I'll get a part time job soon and pay you back."

"If that's what you want," Roger said, uneasily clearing his throat. Then he started walking back to their car.

Following behind him, I apprehensively put the white envelope in the back pocket of my pajama. I was still wearing one, because I woke up late and ended up having breakfast for lunch. There was one thing bothering me for a while now. So before he reached their car, I hesitantly asked, "Why did you take her back?"