hospital in Washington , I thought.
“Humble abode?” I allowed myself a smile. “More like bachelor pad.”
“Yeah, uh, about that. I don’t have a bed for you yet – haven’t had time,” my father said, placing my suitcase in the hall.
“That’s okay. I can sleep on the couch,” I said, shrugging my backpack from my shoulder and dropping it at my feet.
The townhouse was nice, light and airy. My father always did enjoy modern décor and simplicity. My mother, on the other hand, had always filled every surface with doilies, picture frames, ornaments or other useless clutter.
“Don’t be silly. You can sleep in my room. I don’t mind,” said my father, running a hand through his thinning hair.
I rolled my eyes. “You have work in the morning and a bad back.”
He frowned, a crease forming on his brow. “You’ve just left hospital and you need your rest-”
“I’ve rested long enough,” I interrupted.
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “All right. I guess I’ll order you a bed online while I’m at work. Hopefully we can get it delivered by tomorrow.”
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad living with my father, at least for a couple of weeks until things settled down.
“How long can I stay for?” I asked.
My father gave me a puzzled look. “Are you eager to leave already?”
I shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t want to cramp your new lifestyle.”
My father approached cleared his throat and didn’t look at me. “You will always have a home with me.”
“Thanks.” My chest felt tight. My father wasn’t usually one to express emotions – but I supposed these last few weeks had been hard on him. He’d been awfully clingy and fragile during my time at the hospital. I’d barely had a moment’s privacy.
“Just … don’t go running off again, okay?”
“I won’t,” I said.
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
“I don’t know what I’d do if-” he trailed off.
A prolonged silence stretched between us. I shuffled my feet anxiously.
“I have to move out some time.”
“There’s no rush.”
I felt differently, of course. There was a rush. I needed to go to Alaska. Soon .
I yearned for a sense of belonging. I’d felt that when I was with Tom, but he had f led. Perhaps I’d feel at home there. There was only one way to find out.
Pulling away my father looked into my eyes. “I know you don’t want to be here, Rose. But just make a go of it, okay? We can enrol you in the local high school, find you a job. You might even make some new friends.”
Fear prickled at the back of my neck making the tiny hairs stand up. The thought of going back to school terrified me.
“With this stink?” I plucked at my t-shirt. “I don’t think so.”
My father ignored the remark. “Now, I have to go to work tomorrow, but if you don’t want to be alone I can call in and-”
“Don’t be stupid,” I waved a hand and avoided eye contact with him. “I’ll be fine on my own.”
He checked the calendar on his cell-phone momentarily, frowning. “Hm … have you thought about what you – what we are going to do in six days’ time?”
“Huh?” I looked at the date. “Oh. No … I hadn’t thought-”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Forget I said it. I’ll work something out.”
I didn’t much like the idea of transforming in my father’s town-house – not with so many tenants close by. There would be no basement or cement walls to block out my screams.
“Perhaps we can rent a – a cell, or a dungeon or-” my father began to suggest before I let out a snort of laughter. “What?”
“I think if you G oogle ‘dungeon rentals’ you’ll get a little more than you bargained for.”
My father’s ears burned pink. “You know what I mean. Like, an abandoned warehouse, or-”
My stomach did an uncomfortable backflip. Abandoned warehouse, like the place where Tom had left me.
“I’ll … I’ll do some research,” I said, looking at my feet.
Monday – 5 days
“Humble abode?” I allowed myself a smile. “More like bachelor pad.”
“Yeah, uh, about that. I don’t have a bed for you yet – haven’t had time,” my father said, placing my suitcase in the hall.
“That’s okay. I can sleep on the couch,” I said, shrugging my backpack from my shoulder and dropping it at my feet.
The townhouse was nice, light and airy. My father always did enjoy modern décor and simplicity. My mother, on the other hand, had always filled every surface with doilies, picture frames, ornaments or other useless clutter.
“Don’t be silly. You can sleep in my room. I don’t mind,” said my father, running a hand through his thinning hair.
I rolled my eyes. “You have work in the morning and a bad back.”
He frowned, a crease forming on his brow. “You’ve just left hospital and you need your rest-”
“I’ve rested long enough,” I interrupted.
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “All right. I guess I’ll order you a bed online while I’m at work. Hopefully we can get it delivered by tomorrow.”
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad living with my father, at least for a couple of weeks until things settled down.
“How long can I stay for?” I asked.
My father gave me a puzzled look. “Are you eager to leave already?”
I shrugged. “I dunno. I don’t want to cramp your new lifestyle.”
My father approached cleared his throat and didn’t look at me. “You will always have a home with me.”
“Thanks.” My chest felt tight. My father wasn’t usually one to express emotions – but I supposed these last few weeks had been hard on him. He’d been awfully clingy and fragile during my time at the hospital. I’d barely had a moment’s privacy.
“Just … don’t go running off again, okay?”
“I won’t,” I said.
“I mean it.”
“I know.”
“I don’t know what I’d do if-” he trailed off.
A prolonged silence stretched between us. I shuffled my feet anxiously.
“I have to move out some time.”
“There’s no rush.”
I felt differently, of course. There was a rush. I needed to go to Alaska. Soon .
I yearned for a sense of belonging. I’d felt that when I was with Tom, but he had f led. Perhaps I’d feel at home there. There was only one way to find out.
Pulling away my father looked into my eyes. “I know you don’t want to be here, Rose. But just make a go of it, okay? We can enrol you in the local high school, find you a job. You might even make some new friends.”
Fear prickled at the back of my neck making the tiny hairs stand up. The thought of going back to school terrified me.
“With this stink?” I plucked at my t-shirt. “I don’t think so.”
My father ignored the remark. “Now, I have to go to work tomorrow, but if you don’t want to be alone I can call in and-”
“Don’t be stupid,” I waved a hand and avoided eye contact with him. “I’ll be fine on my own.”
He checked the calendar on his cell-phone momentarily, frowning. “Hm … have you thought about what you – what we are going to do in six days’ time?”
“Huh?” I looked at the date. “Oh. No … I hadn’t thought-”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Forget I said it. I’ll work something out.”
I didn’t much like the idea of transforming in my father’s town-house – not with so many tenants close by. There would be no basement or cement walls to block out my screams.
“Perhaps we can rent a – a cell, or a dungeon or-” my father began to suggest before I let out a snort of laughter. “What?”
“I think if you G oogle ‘dungeon rentals’ you’ll get a little more than you bargained for.”
My father’s ears burned pink. “You know what I mean. Like, an abandoned warehouse, or-”
My stomach did an uncomfortable backflip. Abandoned warehouse, like the place where Tom had left me.
“I’ll … I’ll do some research,” I said, looking at my feet.
Monday – 5 days
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