All in the Family #3
I had zero plans for college as literally no course would be at all helpful. My secondary course of study was Seiji. In a nutshell. “What are you going to college for, though?”
“Criminal Justice,” they said in unison.
Ohhh, that made sense. All those laws and procedures. “So you’re following in Jon’s footsteps?”
“Yup, sure am. There’s some debate on whether or not I’ll work for Psy as well. I wouldn’t mind doing that, everyone’s great to work with.” Abby gave a shrug as if to say, we’ll see. “I think the boss would be okay with it if there’s enough work.”
Skylar snorted, shaking her head. “Jon’s kept hopping, I do not imagine we’d be short on cases.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
“Are your cases like mine? Kind of hit and miss, where there can be a stretch of quiet?”
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Skylar mused, toying with her glass with one hand. “No, Nashville’s too crazy for that. This place keeps us busy.”
Huh, interesting. Mack had told me he barely ever had a week straight at home before he was called out. And they’re even busier? Wowza.
Brandon came to me, head canted in question. “Ready to call it a night?”
“Sure.” It was pretty late, nearly nine. “Oh! Wait, numbers. Uh, you guys text?”
“We sure do.” Skylar held out a hand for my phone. “It’s safe to do this now, Jon’s way over there.”
I was glad she’d checked, I actually had forgotten to do that.
I’d better get into that habit quick, though, I didn’t want to risk my phone.
I unlocked my phone and we swapped numbers.
It was nice that they were so easygoing.
I could understand now why Brandon and Mack weren’t worried about introducing me to their family. They were pretty chill people.
I thanked Alani for dinner, and she loaded us up with leftovers before sending us on our way. I was pretty tired getting into the Chevy, but it was a good kind of tired. I’d done a lot of things today and all of them had been good things.
I had a thirty minute drive basically, as Mack and Brandon’s house was in the next town over.
I chose to use that time by texting my new friends, and texting Sylvia too, telling her thank you for all the help and support.
I got messages back, causing me to juggle three conversations most of the way home.
Home. Such a strange thought, but that’s what this place would be to me for several years.
I honestly looked forward to being in a safe and relaxing home.
A place I didn’t have to constantly battle for any moment of peace.
It’d felt like a fantasy, when it should have been normal.
And it would now be my reality, no longer a fantasy.
I had no doubt the only ghosts in Mack’s house were the ones he let in.
When we arrived, I got an impression of the house, but not a good look as the light had long failed.
It seemed like one of those old ranch style houses that spread out in every direction, and this was another mature neighborhood, with massive trees and sidewalks. Quiet. I liked the vibe immediately.
Brandon grabbed their bags, I grabbed mine, then he led me in.
We went through a rather nice living room—someone had good decorating sense—and then down a hallway, before turning right into my new bedroom.
It looked exactly as it had over a screen, of course, no surprises there.
But it surprised me how spacious the room was.
Seriously, my old bedroom was half the size of this one.
Everything smelled fresh and new, too, like new paint and stuff.
It had no personality yet, but that was okay. I was happy to add my own touch.
I looked the room over with a growing smile, truly excited to be here. “It’s bigger than I thought it would be.”
“Yeah, every room in this house has great size. Now, Gwyn, your bathroom is that ensuite, and there’s towels and stuff in there, but we’ll get you whatever preferred shampoos and stuff you need tomorrow. If you need something, our bedroom is across the way, okay?”
“Okay.”
I put bags down and looked at this gentle giant of a man who had truly saved me.
He’d taken a complete stranger on, and did it with such a great attitude that I’d instinctively latched on—like I was imprinting on him or something.
And still, he looked out for me. More than that, he’d taken me into his own family.
For once, I actually felt like I was part of a loving family, where home wasn’t a destination I avoided at all costs.
For the first time in my life, I had a safe place.
People who looked out for me. People I could trust. Friends, which was a thing I’d fantasized about, and had never managed.
It honestly felt like I’d stepped into some kind of fantasy, sometimes.
Not for the first time, I was overcome by gratitude.
I’d really been on a course for a coffin before I met him.
Turning, I wrapped arms around his waist and gave him a firm hug. “Thank you.”
I think he knew I was thanking him for more than this room. He hugged me back and his voice was very gentle as he said, “Welcome home.”