The Long Walk to Redemption

Chapter - 4

"Here you go, hun. Let me know if you need anything else." I smile politely, picking up the coffee mug as, Margie, the graying woman that owns The Retro Diner walks away to attend the other patrons at the counter.

The year my mother died, we'd come here every Friday after school until the accident; to a nine year old it was exciting. Margie was my mother's best friend, and whenever she needed any help my mother was always quick to grab an apron and jump right in. This was always my safe place after she died, and some things never change.

The bell chimes over the door, the sound of loud thuds of boots on linoleum fill the small space, "why do you always seem to pop up in club places?"

Psycho slides into the cracked red booth seat across from me. Cold, blue eyes pinning me in place as I stare blankly at my already cooled coffee. "It's not exactly a club place if everyone in town frequents it, now is it?"

His eyebrows raise in surprise, his head tilting as he inspects me, and I could understand why. Even to my ears my voice sounds dead and solemn, a night of reliving some of your worst memories will do that to you.

"What are you even doing here, Angel? If you don't want to be apart of the club, why'd you come back?" I meet his glare, forcing myself to release the smallest of fake laughs.

"Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning? I came back because I wanted to, nothing more, nothing less." My eyes stay glued to my coffee mug as his cellphone rings; he pulls it from his inside jacket pocket.

"Pres? She's right in front of me. I will tell her, but I doubt she'd be willing to. Yeah." He ends the call before putting it away, and staring straight at me.

"What did daddy dearest want? To scold me about fighting a rival club member? Or maybe to get me to apologize to that wife of his?" I lean back into the booth, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow, waiting for his answer.

"He wanted to invite you to a family dinner tonight, around seven o'clock. You're going, your brothers want to see you."

"The hell I am, I have stuff to do, and places to be." I stand from the booth bench, dropping a few bills onto the table, "I have to go." Walking away from the table, I make it to the door before his voice fills the space between us.

"At least, go for Michael."

"I'll see you at seven thirty." I hiss as I walk out to my bike, I better not regret this.

~~~

Pulling up outside of my father's house, I pause a moment before walking up the sidewalk and stopping at the front door. I lift my hand, taking a deep breath to calm myself before knocking.

I wait for a two minutes before the door is opened, a young girl around fourteen, with long black hair and brown eyes stands before me, "Can I help you?"

"Uh, I'm here for dinner." She stares at me for a minute before closing the door, a couple minutes later the door is opened Henry standing in front of me.

"Brooklyn, come on in. Dinner is almost done, Susan is getting the bread out of the oven. I'm glad you came." I follow him to the dining room, my brothers and their wives sit around the table along with their ten children, ranging in ages eight to twenty. Along with a woman who's name that I don't know, but I assume that she's Liv, Susan's daughter, and Psycho sitting at the end of the table next to one of the three empty seats.

"Please take a seat, Susan she's here." I walk silently, dropping into the seat to the left of Psycho.

"Who are you?" The girl that opened the door asks. Before I have a chance to speak, Amelia is already speaking.