"Nicole! Trey!" His eyes glistened
as he came running towards us. Trey pulled me back and protectively put himself between Dad and me.
"You don't know how much I missed you," Dad's voice cracked.
So many emotions flooded through me. Joy, anger, sadness, hate. But most of all, I was shocked.
"Joey, take Nicole inside, now," Trey ordered. "Mikey, Jack, make sure she's okay. Be the big men and make her happy."
Jack nodded and pulled Mike along. I was frozen on the spot. Here was the man I hated yet missed so much. I wanted to know how he was doing, but I didn't want to hear that he was happy with that woman.
I felt tears well up. No, I will not cry. Not in front of this....this stranger.
Joey pulled me and I let him drag me to the house. Mom was watching from the front door. She had mixed emotions too. I could tell. I touched her hand gently and she smiled sadly.
I looked back to see Trey standing angrily in front of the man we called our father.
"Come on, Nicole," Joey said softly. "Let's get out of here."
Joey led me to my room. I blindly followed behind him. After all these years, why did he come back? What did he want? After missing so many birthdays, so many Christmases, why now? Why after we moved away from the pain? He came back and stirred up more.
How could he do that? Questions ran through my head, but no answers came to mind. I slumped down on my bed. I felt so many jumbled emotions inside, yet I felt so dead.
"Hey, you wanna play a game?" Joey asked. I knew he was trying to get my mind off my dad. He really did know me like the back of his hand. A distraction was exactly what I needed.
I nodded and Joey set up the game console. We played one of my favorite games. It was an old game I used to play with Trey when I was younger. It was called Snow Bros and there were two players, one snowman with red clothing and another with blue.
I kept dying because my mind was not on the game. Joey sighed.
"Come on, Nick," he said. "It's no fun when you don't have a competition."
"No, sorry, Joe, but I need to go see what's happening. Can you take care of the boys for me?"
Joey searched my eyes then surrendered. "I'll keep them occupied."
I nodded gratefully and went downstairs. I was almost sure that dad left, but I saw him at the dinner table. The Gordons had arrived, but they were sitting quietly in the living room.
I took a deep breath and went to the kitchen. Trey was sitting on the long side of the table. Dad was sitting at the head.
"....don't know what else to say," he finished.
I quietly entered the kitchen and sat down next to Trey. He glanced at me, then leaned to my side.
"Go back to your room, Nicole," he whispered solemnly.
I shook my head. "Trey, he's still our dad. Just because he left us doesn't mean that I can't see him. I want to hear his excuse."
Eventually, Trey gave up and turned his attention back to our dad.
"I was a fool," he said. "I really thought Monica loved me. I was lovestruck and I was blinded by lust. I'm so sorry. I know I don't deserve to even see you guys, but I missed you so much."
There was silence, broken only by this man's sobs.
"She took off with my money," he said. "I know I don't deserve it, but after what she did, all I wanted was to see you. I lost my job soon after because of huge debts. Monica bled me dry."
Mom was standing at the doorway. She sighed and I could see that she was tearing up.
"Serves you right," Trey grumbled just loud enough for Dad to hear.
"I know I deserved it. I should have seen it. Monica was just after my money. She left as soon as I was broke. I didn't know where else to go, so I came here. I didn't expect you to welcome me with open arms, and I swear that all I meant to do was just see you, just one last time, from a distance. But when I came to my senses, I realized I had come up right to the door and rung the doorbell."
His sniffled and I didn't know what to think. He used to be the super dad who carried us high up in the air and pretend to be an airplane. He was a happy man with a loving wife and two children.
And then, that woman stepped into our lives and ruined everything. She seduced our innocent dad until he cracked. He fell in love with her, or at least he thought he did. Then, she stole all of his money and fled, leaving a broken family behind.
Our dad was at fault too. He was the one who gave into the temptation. He abandoned us without a second glance. Mom was barely able to make ends meet, then she got a job at the Osteria restaurant branches.
A well-paying job was all it took to get our family back on track. She managed to pay some tuition fees for Trey's college. Then after all these years, he turns up as a broken old man with no money, no home, and no family.
I wanted to forgive him. I felt sorry for him, but a more stubborn part refused to give him a second chance. I looked at Trey. I could see that he was boiling with anger.
"Now that you've seen us, leave," he said quietly. "You've done enough, so leave and never show your face to us again."
I could tell that really hurt dad, but he wasn't surprised. He knew he would get nothing but hostility from his family.
"I will," Dad said between sobs. "I just wanted to see if you guys were doing well. I heard you're going to join the force, Trey. You make me proud. And Nicole, I'm so proud that you're keeping your grades up."
Trey stood up abruptly, knocking his chair over. "Proud? You leave us before we even hit puberty and never even show your face until you lose everything and you're proud of us? You don't even deserve to be called our father. You go after a slut and leave us to fend for ourselves and now that it's too late, you come crawling back here and telling us that you're sorry? You are unbelievable. Out. Get out of this house and never even so much as step foot in Riverside again, you got it?"
Stunned silence filled the room. Trey cursed and angrily walked away. I've never seen him so angry in my life. Dad just sat there, resting his head in his hands.
Mom walked over and gently helped him up.
"I think it's time for you to leave," she said softly. Her words were soft, but there was a coldness in her voice that told him that he wasn't welcome here.
I couldn't help but wonder if he even had a place to stay.
No, a voice at the back of my head said, he abandoned you and never even thought to check up on how you were doing. He left you when you needed him most. He abandoned his family, his children, for a pretty face. He doesn't deserve to have a home. He can go die for all you care.
I shook my head to get rid of these vile thoughts. I was mad at him, but no matter how much I refused to accept it, he was my father. He gave life to me.
It didn't matter anymore. He just needed to get out of here. He was only causing more pain for all of us if he stayed.
While my mom escorted him out, I left to find Trey. He wasn't in the extra room given to him, so I went outside.
"Trey?" I called. No answer.
It was freezing outside and Trey was wearing nothing but a thin grey shirt and beige shorts. I had to find him. I shivered and went back into the house. I grabbed my jacket and got Trey's from the kitchen where he draped it over a chair.
I ran up to the room and told Joey I was going to find my brother. He offered to help since the boys were busy playing a game. I nodded and we went back down.
We ran to the backyard and called Trey. I knew my brother was in some place quiet. He always went somewhere quiet to cool off when he was mad.
"Trey!" I called. "Where are you?!"
"Nicole!" Joey called from the other side of the house. "I think I found him!" I ran over to where Joey was. He was standing in front of a large tree.
Oh, right. I forgot that Trey loved to climb trees. I ran over and looked up.
"Trey!" I called.
The tree was in a large Y shape. Smaller branches separated near the top. Trey was sitting there with his back leaning on one of the larger branches. His left foot dangled over the edge while his right foot rested on the other branch. He rested his elbow on his knee.
I went around the tree and found out he got up there. There was a smaller tree near the back.
"Trey! Get down here or I'm coming up there!"
When no answer came, I tied Trey's jacket around my waist and grabbed a nearby branch. Trey always made me climb trees when we were younger. He would always climb up and dare me to catch him.
I managed to pull my self up by hoisting up my leg onto the branch and pulling the rest of my body up. I shakily stood up, using the trunk for balance. I grabbed the next branch and found a foothold on a lower branch. I climbed up until I was level with my brother. One branch from the tree he was on stretched out to this smaller tree. Carefully, I went over and crawled up onto it.
I went to Trey with the branch between my legs. I wasn't going to risk falling.
I finally reached him. His eyes were closed and he was listening to music. I had to remember that Trey was a little boy right now. A little boy who lost his father. He wasn't living in the present. After Dad came along, he reverted to his old self.
I gently touched his shoulders. He opened his eyes and looked at me, taking one of his earphones off. He smiled, but it never reached his eyes.
"Trey, it's freezing out here," I said. "Let's get back to the house. He left. Here, put this on."
Trey sighed and took the jacket. He put it on. "Do you think we'll ever be able to forgive him?"
I thought about it. I remembered what my mom told me when I was very young, when Dad left. I asked her if our dad left because he hated us and if we should hate him too.
My mom smiled and told me that we meant the world to him. She said that when the time came that he realized that he made the wrong desicion, we should be ready to forgive him.
"I don't know, Trey," I finally said. "I know we are supposed to, but I don't know if we ever can. It's really not that easy to do it after what he did to us."
Trey nodded. "Yeah."
I also remembered what Mom said when our maternal grandfather passed away.
"Trey, I remember what Mom told me a while ago," I said, thinking about the memory fondly. "When Grandpappy passed away."
"Yeah?"
"She said, 'Bad things happen. Life goes on. You just need to put it behind you and move on. Don't forget it; live with it and eventually, the pain becomes bearable.'"
Trey smiled. "You were always a sucker...."
"For cheesy lines, I know," I grinned. "Now, let's go down and have dinner with the Gordons...." I looked down, but Joey wasn't there. "Speaking of....where's Joey?"
A splitting crack filled the air and Trey and I looked over at the smaller tree in surprise. A branch fell to the ground. I thought the tree branches were breaking off for no reason.
"Whoa!" We heard Joey cry, then saw him fall to the ground. He grunted.
The whole scene was so hilarious. Trey and I burst out laughing. Joey could never climb trees. He always managed to fall and take down a tree branch with him. Trey jumped down from the large tree and landed on his feet.
"I'll see you lovebirds at the house," he called. I flushed. Joey was my best friend, but Trey always said we'd end up together.
I never knew how he jump off the tree and land on his feet. I tried once and broke my leg. I never did it again. So, I went back the way I came. When I reached the ground, Joey was sitting, rubbing his head.
"You okay?" I asked, holding in a laugh.
Joey groaned. "I don't know. I thought I said I'd never climb a tree again. Why did I do that?"
I laughed. "Comic relief?"
He grinned. "I guess so. Now, help me up."
I laughed and grabbed his arm. He got up and we went into the house. The Gordons sat around the table with my family like nothing ever happened. They seemed to relieve the tension from the air.
I noticed that my mom was still a little pale. We had dinner and the Gordons left. Aunt Josephine and the boys set up in the living room and turned in early for the night. I went to my mom when she was in the kitchen doing the dishes. I heard her sniffle, so I went over and hugged her from behind.
"Mom?" I said.
She sniffed and moved her hand to wipe her tears away.
"I'm fine, honey," she said. "Go to your room."
"Is Dad....coming back?" I asked. I didn't know what I was feeling. Part of me wanted him to return, but another part said that he didn't deserve to come back go us after he left.
"I don't know, sweetie," she said. I noticed that she stopped the dishes.
"Where is he?"
"He went to your grandfather's house."
So he went to his parents house. I don't know why, but I felt relieved that he had a place to go.
"Okay." I let go of her and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, mom."
She smiled. "Goodnight, sweetheart."
I went up to my room, then thought better of it. I heard the door to my mom's room close. She was done with the dishes.
I ran to Trey's room. He was at his desk. All the lights except for his desk lamp was off. I walked over to him. He was looking at a book. A notebook lay next to it and he tapped a pencil on the table while thinking.
"Trey?"
"Sup, little sis?"
"Mom's upset. I think you should go see her."
"Yeah, I'll do that," he said and turned back to his books.
"I have a feeling you won't," I crossed my arms. "Go now while she's still awake. She needs her son."
My mom always had a soft spot for Trey. I used to be jealous of all the attention Trey got, but I knew she relied a lot on him since he was her oldest child and her only son. Trey sighed and got up.
"Fine, I'll go see her."
I smiled. "Good. I'll see you tomorrow."
He nodded and we both left his room. I got into my room while Trey went downstairs to Mom's.
"Took you long enough."
"Oh, jumping jelly beans!" I jumped when I saw Joey relaxing on my bed. "Joey! What the heck are you doing here?"
He shrugged nonchalantly and pressed some buttons on my Nintendo.
"Mom was pushing me to stay with you for the night. Said that you needed something to distract you from today's events."
"Oh. Well, I'm going to shower and go to bed, so you can leave if you want to."
Joey smiled. "I'll stay."
My eyes teared up.
"Thank you," I whispered. "I really need it."
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So, this was a more serious chapter. Tell me what you think. Will they ever mend their relationship or will they never see their dad again?
Thank you so much for reading. :)
Please vote, and comment if you liked it! ;)
~Fere