Homecoming
Prologue
The song she was dancing to finally came to an end and Natalie collected the rest of her money from the stage. She stepped off and made her way down the dark hallway and back to the changing room, the clicking of her heels being droned out by the bass of the next song starting. She sat down in one of the chilly, fold-out chairs, tossing her money on the marble counter. Before counting her earnings, she pulled her long, wavy red hair up in a messy bun. Although it was just after nine, which was early for Friday night, she had reached her personal daily goal with just a few dances on the main stage.
She glanced up as she heard the door open, smiling at the blonde as she sat two seats away. “Man, it’s freezing in here,” she complained as she slipped on a fuzzy pink robe before beginning to count her own money.
Natalie suddenly realized it too, getting up and going to her nearby locker in search for the robe she kept at work. She tossed her money in her wallet before putting on her black robe, quickly checking her makeup in the mirror hanging on the inside of her locker door. Just as she was about to close the door and lock it up, her phone rang. She checked to see who it was, confused why her mother would call her so late at night. It had to be nearly midnight back home.
“Hello?” she answered. All she heard was sobbing on the other end. “Mom? What’s wrong?”
Her mother tried to speak, but only continued to cry. “You need to come home,” she choked out between sobs. “It’s Brent… he’s dead.”
She leaned against the lockers for support as her head began to spin. Victoria managed to clear her throat and explain to her eldest daughter what happened to her stepfather. Brent had been in an accident after falling asleep on his way home from a late night at work. He had always been dedicated to his job, but not as much as he was to his family.
Her mother and Brent Dempsey married when Natalie was six years old, and her younger stepsister, Lena, was born when she was seven. Natalie used to resent Brent from time to time, especially when he tried to punish her whenever she would do something wrong. Of course that faded as she got older and she was sorry he was gone. Overall, he was a great man and she knew how much this was going to crush her family.
“I will buy you a ticket to get home,” her mother said in a low voice. “Just let me know when you’ll be ready. I’m sorry to pull you out of school like this Natalie, but I may need you to stay home for some time, maybe a couple months.”
Natalie felt the pang of guilt in her stomach, hating that she was lying to her mom at a tragic time like this. But now wouldn’t be the time to confess she had lied for the past few months about being away at college, simply because her private investigator had compiled enough evidence of her father’s last known whereabouts. Her parents divorced when she was just a baby, so Natalie had always wanted to know the man, even if he chose not to know her.
Then she thought about actually going home, back to Cedar Creek. Although she enjoyed nature and a decent hike up the mountains, she didn’t like the cold winters and the usual once-a-year immense snow storm. It was a place she didn’t want to go back to anytime soon. There were certain people that she wanted to avoid and they were clearly avoiding her as well. She dreaded going back.
In her first month on the west coast, she had traveled the last few places her father had lived in, but she spent the most time where he apparently went off the grid. Not many people currently residing in the area remembered him. After deciding she liked the area, Natalie decided to find a job to save up quick money. She made a few friends along the way, especially her roommate and coworker, Piper. The two had grown close in the short amount of time of knowing each other and Natalie hated thinking about leaving another friend behind. But she had to go home and be strong for her mother and Lena.
“Don’t worry about it. I have some extra money and I’ll get it. I’ll be home soon, I promise. There’s just some things I need to take care of before I come home.”
Her mother cried some more before she finally got off the phone. By now, more girls were walking in and out of the locker room. She spotted Piper chatting with another coworker, hating to bail on her so suddenly. Natalie’s friend made eye contact with her and seemed to sense something was wrong just by the look in her eyes. Piper quickly finished up her chat and made her way over to her.
“You okay?” she asked, a worried look on her face.
Natalie didn’t know what exactly to say. She was still in shock about the whole situation. How could he be gone so soon? “I’m leaving,” she announced quietly, her blue eyes looking anywhere but at her blonde friend. She didn’t want Piper to see how emotional she was becoming. As the tears welled up in her eyes, it took everything not to let them go. “I have to go home, my family needs me. I’m sorry, Piper.”
She turned away from her friend, unable to look her in the eye. As she began to stuff everything from her locker into her black backpack, it really hit her. She was going home.
She glanced up as she heard the door open, smiling at the blonde as she sat two seats away. “Man, it’s freezing in here,” she complained as she slipped on a fuzzy pink robe before beginning to count her own money.
Natalie suddenly realized it too, getting up and going to her nearby locker in search for the robe she kept at work. She tossed her money in her wallet before putting on her black robe, quickly checking her makeup in the mirror hanging on the inside of her locker door. Just as she was about to close the door and lock it up, her phone rang. She checked to see who it was, confused why her mother would call her so late at night. It had to be nearly midnight back home.
“Hello?” she answered. All she heard was sobbing on the other end. “Mom? What’s wrong?”
Her mother tried to speak, but only continued to cry. “You need to come home,” she choked out between sobs. “It’s Brent… he’s dead.”
She leaned against the lockers for support as her head began to spin. Victoria managed to clear her throat and explain to her eldest daughter what happened to her stepfather. Brent had been in an accident after falling asleep on his way home from a late night at work. He had always been dedicated to his job, but not as much as he was to his family.
Her mother and Brent Dempsey married when Natalie was six years old, and her younger stepsister, Lena, was born when she was seven. Natalie used to resent Brent from time to time, especially when he tried to punish her whenever she would do something wrong. Of course that faded as she got older and she was sorry he was gone. Overall, he was a great man and she knew how much this was going to crush her family.
“I will buy you a ticket to get home,” her mother said in a low voice. “Just let me know when you’ll be ready. I’m sorry to pull you out of school like this Natalie, but I may need you to stay home for some time, maybe a couple months.”
Natalie felt the pang of guilt in her stomach, hating that she was lying to her mom at a tragic time like this. But now wouldn’t be the time to confess she had lied for the past few months about being away at college, simply because her private investigator had compiled enough evidence of her father’s last known whereabouts. Her parents divorced when she was just a baby, so Natalie had always wanted to know the man, even if he chose not to know her.
Then she thought about actually going home, back to Cedar Creek. Although she enjoyed nature and a decent hike up the mountains, she didn’t like the cold winters and the usual once-a-year immense snow storm. It was a place she didn’t want to go back to anytime soon. There were certain people that she wanted to avoid and they were clearly avoiding her as well. She dreaded going back.
In her first month on the west coast, she had traveled the last few places her father had lived in, but she spent the most time where he apparently went off the grid. Not many people currently residing in the area remembered him. After deciding she liked the area, Natalie decided to find a job to save up quick money. She made a few friends along the way, especially her roommate and coworker, Piper. The two had grown close in the short amount of time of knowing each other and Natalie hated thinking about leaving another friend behind. But she had to go home and be strong for her mother and Lena.
“Don’t worry about it. I have some extra money and I’ll get it. I’ll be home soon, I promise. There’s just some things I need to take care of before I come home.”
Her mother cried some more before she finally got off the phone. By now, more girls were walking in and out of the locker room. She spotted Piper chatting with another coworker, hating to bail on her so suddenly. Natalie’s friend made eye contact with her and seemed to sense something was wrong just by the look in her eyes. Piper quickly finished up her chat and made her way over to her.
“You okay?” she asked, a worried look on her face.
Natalie didn’t know what exactly to say. She was still in shock about the whole situation. How could he be gone so soon? “I’m leaving,” she announced quietly, her blue eyes looking anywhere but at her blonde friend. She didn’t want Piper to see how emotional she was becoming. As the tears welled up in her eyes, it took everything not to let them go. “I have to go home, my family needs me. I’m sorry, Piper.”
She turned away from her friend, unable to look her in the eye. As she began to stuff everything from her locker into her black backpack, it really hit her. She was going home.