Say the Last Goodbye

I smiled as my mom came jogging towards my truck. She smiled largely at me; tears streaming down her face. She still looked the same as she always has even with the few changes that age always gives. Her brown hair was streaked with gray but still shoulder length and wavy. Those bright hazel eyes were still the same, excluding the few extra laughter and worry lines. And my mother's ivory skin was darkened by the summer heat but I knew that it would return to it's usual palor come winter time.

I hoped out of the truck and met her the rest of way in a strong embrace. My mom started to sob uncontrollably which then triggered my tears. I held her close to me not wanting to ever let go. I, however, saw my dad's blurry figure only a few feet away. I slowly released my grip on my mom and ran over to him.

He picked me up off the ground and hugged me close. "I missed you Baby Bear..." My dad's voice cracked as he called my by my childhood nickname.

I started to cry harder. "I missed," gasp, "you, too, Papa Bear."

He held me close, kissed my forehead, and then gently released me. My dad held me at arm's length so that he could give a good look at me. "California has been good to you then, huh?"

I nodded, giving a strangled laugh but nonetheless, smiled up at my dad.

He was much taller than my mom. About a foot and a quarter taller than her which made him about a foot taller than me. He had broad shoulders and was still toned because of his job at the local saw mill. His dark brown hair had silvered and the weather had aged his face but his dark brown eyes were still bright and made him look young.

"So, honey, do you want to stay in the bunkhouse or in the spare bedroom?" My mom lightly rested her hand on my shoulder.

I smiled weakly at her before replying, "I think that I'll stay in the bunkhouse for the most part, but for the first few days, can I just sleep on the couch?"

"Of course!"

I hugged my mom and we headed over to the moving truck to start grabbing my stuff.

* * * * * * * *

I bid my mom and dad goodnight before heading to the guest room. My few belongings had been unloaded into the bunkhouse already and I was already settled in for the night in the guest room.

I was about to crawl into bed when my phone started ringing... It was Brian's ringtone.

I stared, shocked, at my phone for a split second before scrambling towards it and answering breathlessly, "Hello?"

"Did you make it okay?" Brian's voice was emotionless; business-like.

I wanted to start crying. Partly from pure joy and the rest was grief from the way that he had responded to me.

"Yea..." I whispered, for fear of my voice cracking.

"Good."

Silence...

"Happy too be home?"

I nodded but realized that he couldn't see me.

"ye-"

"Happy to be away from me?" Brian practically growled in anger; cutting me off in the process.

"No!"

"Oh really?" Sarcasm thickly coated those two words.

"Seriously?!" I hissed in irritation, "You don't even know why I left! Actually, you didn't even stick around to find out. You instantly ASSUMED! I left because my grandpa has cancer, you dick. It had NOTHING to do with you."

There was silence once again on the line. I was now fuming. No longer grief-stricken but full-blown pissed off. How dare he? How dare he assume what the situation was?

The silence strethed on even longer. I rolled my eyes. "Good-bye!" And with that, I hung up the phone.

I am not dealing with that shit right now.

* * * * * * *

The next day...

I walked along side my mom as she pushed the cart at the grocery store. I scanned the shelves for ingredients for chili as my mom talked on the phone to the principle (her boss) at the elementary school in Isanti.

I smiled as I heard her huff in frustration after she snapped her phone shut.

"What?" I inquired, glancing quickly at her.

"Jonathan Briggs is just not very bright and it's irritating."

I was about to ask why when I heard my name being called. I looked ahead to see a tall, burly man grinning at me. He had bright green eyes with light, sandy blonde hair, and a faint scar line above his right eyebrow. Then I knew who it was once I saw that scar.

I could feel myself pale and go cold. My mom started to ask me a question but all I could hear was her muffled voice, drowned slightly out by the rushing in my ears.

"Honey..?" Finally, my mom's voice broke through my reverie.

I glanced at her and blinked a few times. I took a deep breath to calm myself and smiled. "I'm okay..." I whispered before looking back at Tom Jackson.

Tom... the very same guy to literally beat the living shit out of me.

"Hey Katie!" He said once more.

I plastered a fake smile on my face and waved back. I could see the triumphant gleam in his eyes and I knew it was becasue he still had the same effect on me.

"Hi Tom." I was surprised at how calm and strong my voice sounded. It was, however, the very opposite of how I was feeling.

He came up to give me a hug and I instantly tensed up. He crushed me in his arms and I could feel my body urge to start hyperventilating. I resisted the instinct to start panicking and just patted him on the back lightly.

Tom let go and looked me over with such a predatory look that I instantly wanted to run out of his burning gaze.

Yet, I just stoof there slowly nodding me head and biting my lower lip. "Well, my mom and I should get back to shopping. Soo... Bye."

I waited briskly for his response - so that my mom wouldn't haggle me about leaving before he even returned a polite 'See ya.'

My mom followed me, having to walk briskly to keep up, to the frozen section; which was about half way across the store.

I grabbed some frozen corn, happy that it was the last thing on the list.

"So, honey, who was that?" My mother inquired.

"Oh no one. Just some weird, old co-worker that used ot hit on me when I worked at walmart that year that I lived with Grandpa." I lied smoothly.

"Okay. that makes sense why you were so uncomfortable around him."

I merely nodded. I was already lost in thought about Tom.

How in the hell did he fucking get out of jail?! Someone must've posted bail for him... Or else he got good behavior! I resisted the idea to laugh out loud at the thought. How ridiculous would that be! He's a fucking maniacal asshole! I was actually pretty surprised that he could be so cordial around my mother and the public. But then again, he was always a good actor when it came to the department...

The ride home was brief but then again I was still trying to cope with the idea that Tom was out of jail. He had at least two years of his sentence left... I was sure of it.

But the main thought that nagged at the back of my mind was the fact that I was scared shitless...