Long Lost
Chapter 7
Cole looked at his watch again, it was a quarter past six. Toby was supposed to be home at four thirty. Then again, he was only nineteen. He probably stopped off to see an old buddy. That's what he used to do when he came home from collage. Toby reminded him a lot of his teenage self, he even looked like him.
Parker had left for his girlfriend Suzie's house once it was clear that Toby was going to be late. He sighed and sat back in his chair, old memories coming back to him like they so often did since his boys had grown up and he'd found that they didn't need him quite as much as they'd used to.
His mind ended up falling on Evi, like it always did. There hadn't been a day since he'd gone to Atlanta that he didn't think of her. Toby and Parker didn't know about her but he planned to tell them eventually. One day when they would listen. When he was ready to talk about her.
The familliar sound of tires on the driveway pavement met his ears, bringing him out of his revelry.
A few moments later the front door opened, “Dad! I'm home!” he called.
Cole got up and met him. He was much surprized to find his son standing in the entryway his fingers laced with a girl's. Suddenly it was like Cole's feet were stuck to the spot, his brain reeling as he set eyes on the girl. Her hair and eyes, just the same and the jacket, all to familiar.
He didn't quiet know how but he managed to speak at last, “W-Who's this?” he asked.
“Dad I want you to meet Danielle, I-I've asked her to be my wife.” Toby said and held up the girl's hand and Cole could see a silver engagement ring sparkiling on her finger.
Cole swallowed, “Married? Oh that's wonderful!” Cole said and hugged his son and his new soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
“That's why we're late.” Toby said as they sat down in the living room.
“Really?” Cole asked.
“We stopped off yesterday in Atlanta to see her dad and so that I could ask for his permission.” Toby said.
“Did you say that your dad lives in Atlanta?” Cole asked.
“Yeah, my younger sister Nora goes to school down there.” Danielle replied.
“What about your mother?” Cole asked. feeling something rise in his throat.
“Actually, my mom died when I was six and my sister was two. She had cancer and my dad pretty much raised us alone.” Danielle said.
Cole nodded as he processed everything that she had said. Suddenly he began to laugh.
"Dad are you alright?" Toby asked.
"I'm fine! I just...I guess I had to tell you sometime. Actually let me show you." Cole said and headed up stairs.
He pulled the scrapbook from the back of his closet and brought it downstairs.
"Here look at this it should explain alot." he said.
Toby opened the book and Danielle gasped, "Y-you knew my mom?" she asked.
"Yeah. We were best friends in high school but we lost touch after." Cole replied.
"And the names under the collar are...?" she asked and Cole nodded.
Toby and Danielle continued to look at the book in a state of disbelief until Parker got home and the three of them headed out for the night. It was late so Cole headed off to bed. No sooner had his eyes closed but Evi came to him.
"Evi? Is that you?" Cole asked. "
Yes Cole it's me." she said with a smile.
"And yes dispite what Garret clames I am in fact an angel." Evi added before Cole could open his mouth again.
"I miss you so much. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you." he said.
"I know but we could've never been. If we had then Toby and Danielle wouldn't have found their true love." Evi said.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes. Trust me I have some pretty high connections." she said and pointed up.
"I still love you, nothing is ever going to change that." Cole said.
"I understand. Now I've got to leave you now. Tell Garret and Max that I'm looking over them and if they screw up I might just have to come down there and give em' a kick in the pants. You to Mister" she said.
"Aren't you supposed to be an angel?" he asked.
"No one's perfect." she with a laugh and dissipeared.
Cole sat up in bed, his mind processing what had just gone on. Without a sound he walked down to the end of the hall and quietly opened the door to Toby's room. The moonlight shone over the couple.
Toby layed on his back his arm wrapped around Danielle who lay with her head resting on his chest, her engagement ring sparkiling. They were perfict together and Cole knew it. He smiled and closed the door quietly feeling for the first time in many years that never being with Evi was a good thing.
Parker had left for his girlfriend Suzie's house once it was clear that Toby was going to be late. He sighed and sat back in his chair, old memories coming back to him like they so often did since his boys had grown up and he'd found that they didn't need him quite as much as they'd used to.
His mind ended up falling on Evi, like it always did. There hadn't been a day since he'd gone to Atlanta that he didn't think of her. Toby and Parker didn't know about her but he planned to tell them eventually. One day when they would listen. When he was ready to talk about her.
The familliar sound of tires on the driveway pavement met his ears, bringing him out of his revelry.
A few moments later the front door opened, “Dad! I'm home!” he called.
Cole got up and met him. He was much surprized to find his son standing in the entryway his fingers laced with a girl's. Suddenly it was like Cole's feet were stuck to the spot, his brain reeling as he set eyes on the girl. Her hair and eyes, just the same and the jacket, all to familiar.
He didn't quiet know how but he managed to speak at last, “W-Who's this?” he asked.
“Dad I want you to meet Danielle, I-I've asked her to be my wife.” Toby said and held up the girl's hand and Cole could see a silver engagement ring sparkiling on her finger.
Cole swallowed, “Married? Oh that's wonderful!” Cole said and hugged his son and his new soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
“That's why we're late.” Toby said as they sat down in the living room.
“Really?” Cole asked.
“We stopped off yesterday in Atlanta to see her dad and so that I could ask for his permission.” Toby said.
“Did you say that your dad lives in Atlanta?” Cole asked.
“Yeah, my younger sister Nora goes to school down there.” Danielle replied.
“What about your mother?” Cole asked. feeling something rise in his throat.
“Actually, my mom died when I was six and my sister was two. She had cancer and my dad pretty much raised us alone.” Danielle said.
Cole nodded as he processed everything that she had said. Suddenly he began to laugh.
"Dad are you alright?" Toby asked.
"I'm fine! I just...I guess I had to tell you sometime. Actually let me show you." Cole said and headed up stairs.
He pulled the scrapbook from the back of his closet and brought it downstairs.
"Here look at this it should explain alot." he said.
Toby opened the book and Danielle gasped, "Y-you knew my mom?" she asked.
"Yeah. We were best friends in high school but we lost touch after." Cole replied.
"And the names under the collar are...?" she asked and Cole nodded.
Toby and Danielle continued to look at the book in a state of disbelief until Parker got home and the three of them headed out for the night. It was late so Cole headed off to bed. No sooner had his eyes closed but Evi came to him.
"Evi? Is that you?" Cole asked. "
Yes Cole it's me." she said with a smile.
"And yes dispite what Garret clames I am in fact an angel." Evi added before Cole could open his mouth again.
"I miss you so much. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you." he said.
"I know but we could've never been. If we had then Toby and Danielle wouldn't have found their true love." Evi said.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes. Trust me I have some pretty high connections." she said and pointed up.
"I still love you, nothing is ever going to change that." Cole said.
"I understand. Now I've got to leave you now. Tell Garret and Max that I'm looking over them and if they screw up I might just have to come down there and give em' a kick in the pants. You to Mister" she said.
"Aren't you supposed to be an angel?" he asked.
"No one's perfect." she with a laugh and dissipeared.
Cole sat up in bed, his mind processing what had just gone on. Without a sound he walked down to the end of the hall and quietly opened the door to Toby's room. The moonlight shone over the couple.
Toby layed on his back his arm wrapped around Danielle who lay with her head resting on his chest, her engagement ring sparkiling. They were perfict together and Cole knew it. He smiled and closed the door quietly feeling for the first time in many years that never being with Evi was a good thing.