The Days After

Meanwhile

At the Gordon household, Lucas had just plopped down on his full-size mattress, which was covered by electric blue swirls. He sat for a minute, replaying his entire day. He smiled when he thought about traveling swiftly from class to class. To Lucas, school was just a thing he had to get through, but what he really enjoyed were the people and the fact that there was potential to experience new things. The simplest parts of life wowed him. For example, the fact that your heart was beating whether you knew it or not. So when he was able to interact with other human beings, with heartbeats that lived on the spinning rock in space, he often had trouble containing himself.

Lucas laid back on his bed and placed his head behind his head. He stared up and the plastic stars on his ceiling and smiled.

"Today was a pretty good day." he thought.

Right then, he felt something that he rarely ever felt. Like a pinch on the bottom of his neck. It only happened when there was some doubt, or negative thought was trying to arise. Lucas would have none of it, so he shook his head, got up, and went to look outside his window.

"Hmph, when did the sky turn grey? Looks like it's about to storm."

A smile started to form on his narrow freckled face.

"I love the sound of rain. It's so peaceful," he said, closing his eyes and imagining the rain.

Lucas's thoughts drifted from the sound of rain to how an oven works for 30 minutes until his mom called him for dinner.

...

Marie had finally made it home. She began to turn her key to open the door, and when she went to open the door, it wouldn't budge. Maria went to push the door again, and still, the door wouldn't open.

"What is wrong with this door!?" Marie screamed. "Is this the right key?"
"Oh my God, did I lose my key at school? Oh no, oh no, no no no."

Marie began frantically searching her pockets and her bookbag. She started searching her socks, her hair, and then the door swung open, followed by howling laughter.

"Dad! This is not funny!"
Still laughing. "Were you gonna' find somethin' in your hair, little lady?"

Marie clenched her fists, threw on her book bag, and stomped through the front door.

"Oh Charles, why are you always picking at her? You know how she gets," said Marie's mom.
"Come on back here, Marie, let me look at you."

Marie's mom was in the kitchen cooking what smelled like Chili, and this made her mood instantly improve because chili was Maria's favorite dish. Maria walked back to the kitchen and hugged her mom.

"Hey, you, how was the day?" her mom asked.
"It was okay, I guess."

By then, Marie had let go of her mom, stepped back, and was eyeing a spot on the floor and twisting her finger. Marie's mom stopped stirring the pot, turned around, and bent over to speak to her daughter at eye level.

"Marie, my dear, are you okay?"
"Yea..." said Marie, still eyeballing the floor.
"Are you sure?"
Marie sighed. "I just don't understand why I get so worked up about everything."
"Awww, come here."

Marie's mom hugged her daughter tightly and kissed her forehead.

"You know your Grandma; Grandma Connie used to get like that. Them fits skipped me and landed right on you."
"Oh great, lucky me."
"Listen to me, ain't nothing wrong with you, you just worry. You'll be just fine. And who's that girl you were telling me about that  helps you?"
"Umm, you're talking about-"

Marie's phone and all the memories of the day came flooding back.

...

Daryl's dad sat across the table from him. He sat there back straight, fork in one hand, knife in the other, waiting to receive his plate. Everything about the man read military. His posture, his clean-shaven face, and his muscular yet functional frame were clear indicators that he meant business all the time. It frustrated him that his namesake was the opposite. Daryl had no interest in order, discipline, or the military. It wasn't his calling, nor would it ever be necessary again. Not that Daryl knew that then.