tragically beautiful | grayson dolan

twenty four

grayson

I blink a few times to make sure my eyes aren't deceiving me. There's no way this beautiful, two-story brick house is owned by my deadbeat father. The fresh garden on the side of it is blossoming with roses and daisies, something I never thought I'd see.

Ethan, Callie, and I are standing in front of it, admiring every square inch of the property. The taxi drove away about ten minutes ago, but nobody decided to move. I didn't picture this environment for somebody as chaotic and unorganized as my father. The grass apparently is greener on the other side.

"So, this is way different from Newfield." Callie finally says, breaking the awkward silence in the air.

"People actually seem friendly in this town. They all say 'howdy' and 'y'all.' I swear if dad talks like that now, I'm heading on the next flight home." Ethan's eyes look around the neighborhood. People are walking their dogs and waving to each other. Kids are running around playing tag. Everyone seems happy and at peace.

"How much longer do you think we can stand out here without them noticing?" I gulp. My nerves are kicking in.

"I'd say twenty more minutes." Ethan shrugs.

"At least the sun is shining." Callie squints her eyes and looks up at the sky. 

The weather is a lot warmer than the harsh Massachusetts cold I've been experiencing. I'm practically sweating through my mother's denim jacket, which I have on my body. I couldn't do this without a little piece of her around.

"Let's just get this over with. People are starting to stare." Ethan lifts his suitcase off the ground.

I grab onto Callie's hand and she squeezes it for support. Inhaling a deep breath, I begin to walk up the stone driveway. A part of me feels like we have the wrong address. There's no way my father is living here.

Before we can reach the door, it swings open. My eyes widen as I take a step back. Elaine is standing before us, looking just as shocked. The short woman with crazy blonde curls glances between the three of us.

"Oh! There you kids are. We were waiting for your arrival." She sends us a grin.

"Nice to see you again, Elaine." I press my lips into a line, not knowing if I should hug her or not.

"I'm so glad you boys are here! This means a lot to your father." She pulls me into a hug, and I awkwardly pat her shoulder. Ethan goes for the handshake, which makes the situation even more cringeworthy.

"This is my girlfriend, Callie." I introduce her with a nod.

"Oh honey, you're gorgeous! I love your nail color." Elaine looks down at her fingers. 

They're painted a bright pink color, curiosity of Dani. I smirk at her statement. Callie complained about it the whole plane ride.

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you." She shakes her hand.

"Is that my boys?" My father's deep voice seeps through me as I step inside the house.

"Hey, dad." I clear my throat as he wraps his strong arms around me. We've never hugged like this before, it's starting to weird me out.

"You look great, Gray." He examines me head to toe.

"Dad, good to see you." Ethan says, a hint of sarcasm laced in his tone.

"How have you been? You two look so grown up. Did you get taller since the last time I saw you?"

"I don't think so. We've been this height since high school." He says with a flat tone.