“Dad!” Oh my God, I can’t believe it. “Mom! Oh my God, both of you are here. What’s going on? I can’t believe this.”
I throw my arms around my father first, sobbing against his shoulder. I can’t stop the emotion from getting the better of me. Then I hug my mom and she cries as well.
“Oh, Ted, you’re alive,” she weeps. “I was convinced that you were murdered when I heard about Stix.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to worry you ever. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Chloe herds us all inside and takes us in to the living room. I was just about to leave, but I guess that isn’t going to happen now. My parents turning up has derailed that plan.
“I will go and get ready for work,” Chloe tells us while backing out of the room. “You guys should talk.”
Once she’s gone, my parents hold me tighter than they did six years ago when I left. Staying with Chloe, seeing my parents, all of it has reminded me of who I used to be.
“Are you okay?” Mom finally stares at me, her eyes running up and down me as if she’s checking me for bullet wounds. “Are you hurt? Have you been eating? Oh God, what a stupid question…”
We laugh, sort of. It’s more of an emotional sound that has been waiting to get out.
“You’re going to have to tell us what happened, Ted,” Dad warns, reminding me why they are here “We want to help you.”
“I know… and I will tell you.” I haven’t wanted to tell Chloe, I don’t want her to know where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to, but my parents know enough not to judge. “I will tell you everything.”
“I can’t believe that we found you here,” Mom sobs loudly, interrupting me for a moment. “Coming to see Chloe was a long shot, we just thought that she might have seen something online or whatever, but here you are. I guess that girl is always going to be your safe place, isn’t she?”
Those words strike me hard. It might not be exactly what happened, but I did end up back where I started. I was in shock as I drove, I wasn’t thinking about where I was going, I was more focused on what happened to Stix, but this is where I ended up. I can’t help but wonder if there is a reason for that. This might be where I am meant to be.
“I’m headed out.” Chloe leans her head into the living room briefly and smiles. “You guys stay here, please. Make yourself at home. I will be back this afternoon.”
Mom hugs Chloe, and I can hear them mumbling quietly to one another, but I don’t know what is being said. It sounds like Mom is thanking Chloe for looking after me. I’m sure.
Once Chloe is gone, it’s time for me to be honest about everything. It’s going to be hard for them to hear. How do I tell them about all the deliveries that I made, even if I was never explicitly told what they were? They know I’m not an idiot, and I knew that none of it was legal. I don’t like telling my parents, but I have to.
***
“I know that it makes me a coward.” I hang my head in shame. “But I hid. I didn’t know that those guys were going to kill Stix. I still have no idea who they were or what Stix had done to upset them so much, but I sensed trouble so I wanted to keep myself out of it. Maybe if I had taken my cell phone and called the cops instead of hiding…”
“It seems like those men wanted everyone dead,” my dad tells me tartly. “We didn’t get much information from the police but there was a definite rivalry. Maybe over territory or something. I don’t know. Your uncle and cousin definitely did something to upset someone. If you had done anything other than what you did there, you wouldn’t be here either. So, you shouldn’t feel guilty. We are just so glad that you were smart enough to hide, you were always too good to be mixed up with that crowd.”
“Which you tried to tell me,” I choke out. “Over and over again. I just wouldn’t listen.”
“And yet somehow, you came out of it alive, so let’s not worry about that anymore.”
I didn’t know I wanted my parents’ forgiveness so much. Lord knows I don’t know if I deserve it, but I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
“Thank you so much for coming to find me.” I look at both of my parents with more gratitude than I ever thought possible. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”