He missed them when he let himself think about it. His marriage to his work had made them seem more like cousins and nieces instead of his daughters. Susan was a senior in high school now. Before long she would be an adult with her own job, no longer there at the house when he eventually came home. It was slipping away from him. And the worst part was knowing that he could have prevented it all along.
They would all be asleep now, his wife possibly snoring from passing out drunk. Or maybe she wasn't that bad after all. He decided to text her. "Hi sweetheart. Flying back tomorrow. Should be home for dinner. Miss you all." Send. He wondered how she would respond in the morning, if at all. As he started drifting to sleep his phone beeped. The sound bit was only assigned to a text from his wife.
"Sounds good. C U then. Show I fix dinner?" He smiled to himself. Maybe all was not quite lost yet.
"No. Not sure what time I'll get there. Let's go out for dinner instead." Send. He waited. Would she appreciate that he wasn't requiring her to cook dinner? Or would she have preferred to feel like a family having a meal together at home? He didn't know anymore. But he figured arriving two hours late for a cold dinner on the dining room table was something he wanted to avoid. He waited for her reply. If she was awake for the first text surely she would be awake for the second one. It was only a couple minutes later. Eventually he gave up and laid back down just as the phone beeped. He grabbed the phone to check the message while still reclined. "K," it said.
11 - Need to Talk
Aaron joined Tish's table for lunch every day after that, and they talked on the phone each evening. The conversations in school never got intimate, but the evening talks were more so. Together they reminisced about their childhood and shared what each other had missed while they were apart. While Tish had become more popular since joining the cheer squad, Aaron had withdrawn from the student body. He took to reading science fiction novels every night and playing war games with a small group of friends that did not go to the same school. He never said how he met them. But otherwise he was very much the sweet boy Tish had been so fond of years ago.
Aaron shared more information about his parent's problems but still gave the impression that there were details best left secret. She did not push. Instead, Tish was delighted that he was opening up to her as much as he did. His sustained interest in her life was also impressive. He was never bored with her stories about cheerleader gossip and the goings on at her sportsplex work. She was so thankful that they had been forced back together by Susan's enthusiasm.
Their fondness rekindled quickly and grew into something much more. Everything that seemed so important in Tish's life just recently had been put in to perspective. A long term relationship with Aaron was now a huge focus for her, perhaps her biggest priority.
In time she felt more comfortable talking about their relationship. "As you know," she admitted. "You were my first date."
"Yeah, that's what Susan said," he replied. "I didn't believe it, though."
"Why not?"
"Well, mostly because of how popular you are with the guys. And how pretty you are, of course. I'm assuming now that you just turned down all the requests."
"Actually," she answered modestly, "there weren't that many offers."
He laughed, "I find that hard to believe. So, you have never kissed another guy?"
"No," she said. "Definitely not."
"Held hands?" Aaron asked.
"No, I never held hands with a guy either. Well, not since, you know."
"Not since what?" he asked. "I don't know what you mean."
Tish took a deep breath, "Well, you probably don't remember, but there was a guy that used to hold my hand."
"Do you mean me? When we were young?"
Tish nodded, though he couldn't see that over the phone. "Yeah," she whispered. "It wasn't that long ago really. And," she added, "I even got you to kiss me once. Do you remember that?"
Aaron laughed, "Oh yes. I definitely remember that."
"Do you really?" she asked, excited that maybe the kiss had meant something to him after all. He had shrugged it off at the time like it was a simple task crossed off the list.
"Yeah. And I remember how you kind of tricked me into it."
She gasped, "I did not."
"Yes, you did. But what you didn't know was that I let you do it. You see, I secretly wanted the kiss, too. And I wanted another one as soon as we finished kissing. But I was embarrassed. Boys that age weren't supposed to like kisses yet."
"Are you lying to me Aaron?"
"No," he laughed again. "It's true." There was a pause then. She didn't know whether to pry anymore into his dating life before her. Eventually she could not resist the urge to do so, even though she expected the results to be painful.
Finally, she asked in a quiet voice, little more than a whisper, "Have you ever kissed any other girls?"
Aaron took a deep breath. He wanted to deny it, but couldn't. Kissing a girl at a party became public knowledge. His schoolmates had asked him about it, so there was a good chance that Tish already knew. "Yes, there was a girl at a party once."
She waited, but he did not continue without prodding. "Well, what was her name?"
"Brittany," he replied.
She was going to have to keep asking him questions if she wanted to know more. "Was it hot Brittany, from last year's science class?"
"Yes."
"Did you go on a date with her? Did you guys make out?"
"No," he answered. "We weren't on a date. We just happened to both be at the same party. And we were drinking. She may have been drunk. Well, when you think of it, she had to be drunk to kiss me."
"That's not what I heard," she quickly responded.
"Oh really? What did you hear?"
"I heard that she was not drunk at all, just the slutty girl she has been for the last couple years. And that you two practically had sex in front of a group of people." Tish realized she had just turned the conversation into a confrontation. That was not her intention, but she found herself desperately wanting to hear his answer. "It's okay," she said in a softer voice. "I'm not mad about it. It happened before our date. Just tell me what happened."
"Okay. Well, first of all, I think she was drunk. And secondly, we did not have sex. But somehow her top came off, and things looked a lot more intense than they were. I did try to keep up with her, but she was all over the place and way too fast for my lack of experience."
That's it? Really? She was almost hoping for more. There was a part of her that eventually wanted to be guided by an experienced man. She cleared her throat before asking, "Are you sure it didn't go any farther than that?"
"Yes," he replied convincingly quick. "Nothing else happened."
She remembered hearing reports of his discomfort after the encounter. "Did she get you excited?"
"Yes," he answered. "Remember, I'm a teenage boy. And she was an attractive girl. Out of my league, I had thought. I couldn't help but get excited."
There it was. The story she had heard and always wondered about. Now that she heard it from him it did not seem like a big deal anymore. Except one thing. The party was at Hunter's parent's mountain lodge. And they were planning to go there together this weekend after the football game. If Brittany would be there it could get awkward. And the story said there was a good bit of drinking going on at that party. That concerned her, too.
Tish had originally told Susan that she couldn't go to the lodge after the game. Then Susan made Hunter promise to only invite a few friends and not make it a full blown party. She had visions of a drunken orgy that would not go well for her reputation. She waited abnormally long before dating, just to ruin it by getting mixed up in a mess like that. No thanks. She was still hesitant until Aaron and Hunter both convinced her it would be fine. They would make sure no one got out of control.
"Why don't we get together with my friends tonight?" Hunter suggested at the lunch table. He wanted to prove that they were not unruly party animals.
So, three football players and their dates came over to Tish's house, plus Aaron. They hung out in the game room for a couple hours eating snacks, playing games, and shooting pool. Tish's mom, Pam, checked in on them repeatedly. But her father stayed away after greeting and approving each guest as they arrived. There was no alcohol, of course. And with school scheduled the next day they didn't stay up late. Finally, Tish was convinced that she would be okay going to the party after the game, and her mother agreed. They decided midnight would be an acceptable curfew on a Friday night. That gave them up to two hours at the lodge before they had to take Tish home.
The game was against Potomac Falls. Something happened in the game last year that made this match up a bit of a rivalry. Tish remembered from the previous year that there was a ruckus on the field at the end of the game, and some suspensions handed out to a few of the Loudoun County High players. Since she wasn't that close to any of the suspended players she never learned all the details. But Hunter and the other players were super psyched for the challenge this year. We were predicted win, but only by a field goal. And some Potomac Falls players showed up after school to taunt our team one day during the week. So, the whole school was looking forward to a good performance from our team.
They were not disappointed. We took off to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, holding a commanding lead the whole game. The final score was 31-10. When the players trotted off the field Susan ran over to kiss Hunter. He had a huge game, catching seven passes for more than a hundred yards and three touchdowns. The public announcer said he was the Scarletto's Pizza Player of the Game. All the fans went crazy and it took much longer than usual for the boys to get showered and changed. Tish was worrying about her curfew, asking Aaron if they should just call it off when Hunter and his buddies finally came out of the locker room.
The mustang spun its tires pulling out of the sports complex parking lot, causing Susan to yell out "woooooo!" The party was already started in the car, as far as the four of them were concerned. Susan kept touching Hunter's shoulders and hair but didn't distract him so much that he couldn't drive. Aaron and Tish already started kissing in the back seat by the time they arrived at the lodge. As they slowly drove up the long gravel driveway Aaron's hand made contact with the flesh on her lower back. It shocked her at first, and caused her to pull away. As she settled the warmth of his hand on her skin made her tingle and desire more contact. But, she must be patient, she knew.
Hunter gunned the engine and spun the car sideways to a stop in front of the lodge. Two other cars were already there, but they appreciated the show with enthusiasm. As they stepped out of the car Aaron pulled Tish aside while Hunter let the rest of them into the house. Tish had visions of being overpowered on the hood of the car for a split second making her heart race. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on perspective, Aaron led Tish by the hand past the car to the side of the lodge where they were sure not to be overheard.
"Tish," Aaron said. She nearly melted at the sound of his voice saying her name. "I've told you a lie."
What? The romantic trance was over. Tish snapped alert like a slap to the face. All the sudden she hated herself. She had fallen so easily. What a fool! But wait. What did he lie about? What secret could be so bad as to cause this new feeling in the pit of her stomach? "About what?" she finally asked.
Aaron looked down and did not reply right away. He looked like he doubted himself, maybe reconsidering telling her the truth about whatever it was. Tish stepped back, causing him to look back up. "It's not that big of deal, I guess," Aaron said.
"Is this about Brittany? Did you have sex with her?"
"What? No, of course not," Aaron rebutted.
"Some other girl then?" Tish asked.
"No," he replied. "It's not about anything like that."
Tish was confused. "I don't understand. What did you lie about, and why is it now that you feel you have to tell me?"
Aaron took a few seconds to think about it, which only irritated Tish more. "I'm sorry. I guess I kind of ruined the perfect evening didn't I?" Tish did not respond in any way. "It has nothing to do with us, really. But it was a lie that I told you and I feel uncomfortable about it, so I'd like to set the record straight. My parents might not be alright. I actually have no idea. I came home last week and they were gone. I didn't think anything of it that evening, except that both their cars were still in the driveway. When I woke up the next morning they still weren't there. And, I haven't heard from them since."
"Oh my God!" Tish said, suddenly ashamed of herself. She stepped forward and grabbed his hand. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Did you call the police?"
"No," he replied. "I don't think I should tell anyone about it. That's why I didn't tell you."
"Why?"
"Well first of all, I'm under age, so I couldn't continue living at home. If I get sent to relatives, I wouldn't be anywhere near you, and that's just not an option at this point." He paused as Tish blushed. "Secondly, I think it would be best for them if I didn't say anything. Their business went under and they kind of hinted that they might leave the country or something. They wouldn't give me any details. They just said that no matter what happens it was important that I don't tell anyone about what is going on with my family. So, I didn't. I'm sorry I lied."
Tish hugged him in comfort, "No, it's okay. I understand. Don't worry about it." When they finally broke the embrace she said, "I guess that's why my parents were asking me about you."
"What did they say?"
"They asked if you were coming to school, and said that they haven't been able to reach your parents. They seemed very concerned. I guess they'll be even more concerned now."
"No," Aaron said. "It's important that you don't tell them."
"I don't understand. They were friends, why shouldn't they know."
"Well," Aaron hesitated. "They weren't that great of friends, actually. And my parents said not to tell anyone. They would be very upset with me for telling you. So, please, don't tell them. Okay?"
"Okay," she replied.
"I'm sorry for bringing all this up now. I hope I didn't ruin the evening," he said.
"No, it's fine." She slid her hand in his and guided him toward the lodge. Two other cars had arrived while they were talking and everybody but them had gone inside already. Tish had been shaken when Aaron said he needed to confess about something. She slowed her breathing as they approached the lodge door trying to regain her composure and salvage the evening. She was not terribly upset by the news, only concerned for her boyfriend's welfare. However, she was troubled by the fact that her own parents were also involved somehow. She decided to push that information to the back of her mind and enjoy the rest of the evening as best she could. It would not be long before she would have to leave if she was to meet her curfew.
12 - A Family Again
Nick Bell pulled his car into his own driveway for the first time in weeks. He had lost the garage door opener long ago, so he placed the car in park where it sat by the sidewalk to the front door. He could see someone small peeking around the curtains in the living room briefly, letting the curtains fall back giving herself away. That would be Jenny. Eight years old now, he thought. Maybe nine at most. He was ashamed that he was losing track of his daughters.
He rested there a moment staring at his house like it was brand new. He felt like a stranger each time he returned. If only he could stay longer than a day or two he might get comfortable again. With the house, with his wife, and with his kids. Better yet, they might get comfortable with him.
The front porch light flicked on, his cue that it was time to go in. Grabbing his suitcase and duffle bag he made his way to the entrance slowly, like a war veteran returning home not sure how he will be received. Chelsea stepped onto the porch and embraced him warmly, kissing his cheek. "Welcome home," she said, before nuzzling her face into his collar. Was she crying? He wasn't sure. He dropped his bags and hugged her back gently. Though it had only been a f
ew weeks since he had seen his wife their last intimate moment was well over a year ago. He wanted badly to grab her by the head and kiss her passionately on the mouth, but he couldn't just yet. Not only was he unsure of her reaction he could see young Jenny standing in the doorway watching. An act of passion now would scare her, no doubt.
Instead, Nick kissed her on the cheek and pulled away to get a good look at her. A whiff of perfume and shampoo entered his nostrils, followed by the sharp odor of tequila from her breath. She did not appear drunk, other than the teary eyes. Who could blame her for one margarita before facing her missing husband? She was dressed in slacks, blouse, heels and a sweater. "You look nice," he whispered. She laughed. He wanted to call her beautiful, call her an angel, a sight for sore eyes, and anything else he could think of to warm her heart quickly.
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