This Still Belongs to You and Always Will
Chapter 40
Elena’s P.O.V:
“Ok, I’ll see you again, hopefully.” Mom smiled as she stepped outside.
“Yeah, that’d be awesome.”
“Maybe we could go out for lunch or something. You have my cell number now, just call me.”
“Ok, I will, bye.”
She smiled and turned to walk away. I closed the door behind her and turned to walk into the kitchen. Dad was watching me from the top of the stairs. He had a disappointed look on his face as he shook his head. And then he turned to go back upstairs.
“Is Frankie ok?” I called up to him.
“Yeah, he’s fine now.”
I sighed and drifted out into the kitchen in search of something to do. But there wasn’t anything to do other than listen to the clock tick. It was as fun as watching paint dry. The faint buzz of voices drifted down from upstairs.
And then the light thump, thump of feet on the stairs.
“So, what d’you want for dinner?” Frank questioned brightly, entering the room unexpectedly and making me jump.
“Erm. . .”
“Tell ya what! Screw cooking tonight, let’s just have take-out.”
“Um-“
“Sound good to you?”
“Uh, sure.”
Frank had a determined smile on his face but his eyes betrayed him. They were still red and watery. It was pretty obvious he’d been crying. But I didn’t say anything so as not to ruin his new found good mood. . .
. . . Frank’s strange mood lasted the whole evening. He was talkative all through dinner and only too happy to load it all into the dishwasher. And when we were all sitting in the living room to watch TV, he was up and singing and dancing and trying to kiss Dad every five seconds.
I cast him a concerned glance as he keenly pulled Dad into yet another enthusiastic kiss. Dad’s hands hovered uncertainly in mid-air. He looked uncomfortable, almost like he didn’t know what he should be doing.
“Frank,” I began sensitively “Are you ok?”
“Yeah,” He insisted a little defensively “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I dunno’, you just seem a little. . . y’know, you’re not acting totally like yourself.”
“I’m fine!” He argued “Never been better, in fact.”
Dad looked at him too. Frank was still positioned on Dad’s lap, his knees on either side of Dad, with their fingers entwined.
“You sure, baby?” Dad questioned tenderly.
Frank closed his eyes and exhaled hard through his nose. It was apparent that we’d irritated him. He slid off of Dad’s lap and slouched on the sofa almost sulkily with his arms folded casually.
“I’m fine; now lay off, the both of you.”
I glanced at Dad, who shrugged. Frank just sat quietly, staring at the quiz show on TV as if his life depended on it. Dad cuddled into him but he didn’t respond properly. I didn’t like seeing Frank in a mood with Dad. It’s not like they never disagree with each other and go huffy for a while. But they never cold shoulder each other like Frank was to Dad. It upsets me even when they get huffy for five minutes over what movie to watch. So imagine how I felt now.
“I’m gonna’ go to bed.” I stated, getting up and fleeing the room.
“Ok, I’ll see you again, hopefully.” Mom smiled as she stepped outside.
“Yeah, that’d be awesome.”
“Maybe we could go out for lunch or something. You have my cell number now, just call me.”
“Ok, I will, bye.”
She smiled and turned to walk away. I closed the door behind her and turned to walk into the kitchen. Dad was watching me from the top of the stairs. He had a disappointed look on his face as he shook his head. And then he turned to go back upstairs.
“Is Frankie ok?” I called up to him.
“Yeah, he’s fine now.”
I sighed and drifted out into the kitchen in search of something to do. But there wasn’t anything to do other than listen to the clock tick. It was as fun as watching paint dry. The faint buzz of voices drifted down from upstairs.
And then the light thump, thump of feet on the stairs.
“So, what d’you want for dinner?” Frank questioned brightly, entering the room unexpectedly and making me jump.
“Erm. . .”
“Tell ya what! Screw cooking tonight, let’s just have take-out.”
“Um-“
“Sound good to you?”
“Uh, sure.”
Frank had a determined smile on his face but his eyes betrayed him. They were still red and watery. It was pretty obvious he’d been crying. But I didn’t say anything so as not to ruin his new found good mood. . .
. . . Frank’s strange mood lasted the whole evening. He was talkative all through dinner and only too happy to load it all into the dishwasher. And when we were all sitting in the living room to watch TV, he was up and singing and dancing and trying to kiss Dad every five seconds.
I cast him a concerned glance as he keenly pulled Dad into yet another enthusiastic kiss. Dad’s hands hovered uncertainly in mid-air. He looked uncomfortable, almost like he didn’t know what he should be doing.
“Frank,” I began sensitively “Are you ok?”
“Yeah,” He insisted a little defensively “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I dunno’, you just seem a little. . . y’know, you’re not acting totally like yourself.”
“I’m fine!” He argued “Never been better, in fact.”
Dad looked at him too. Frank was still positioned on Dad’s lap, his knees on either side of Dad, with their fingers entwined.
“You sure, baby?” Dad questioned tenderly.
Frank closed his eyes and exhaled hard through his nose. It was apparent that we’d irritated him. He slid off of Dad’s lap and slouched on the sofa almost sulkily with his arms folded casually.
“I’m fine; now lay off, the both of you.”
I glanced at Dad, who shrugged. Frank just sat quietly, staring at the quiz show on TV as if his life depended on it. Dad cuddled into him but he didn’t respond properly. I didn’t like seeing Frank in a mood with Dad. It’s not like they never disagree with each other and go huffy for a while. But they never cold shoulder each other like Frank was to Dad. It upsets me even when they get huffy for five minutes over what movie to watch. So imagine how I felt now.
“I’m gonna’ go to bed.” I stated, getting up and fleeing the room.
♠ ♠ ♠
You gonna' wish me a happy fortieth chapter?Oh and erm. . . if anyone's interested, I've been doing some tinkering on 'This Belongs To You'. I've done about thirty chapters so far if you're interested.