FAMILY MATTERS Always

Just Stay Out the Way, Steve

"Hey Steve, you alright?" Eddie asks, breaking up Steven's negative thoughts about his hurtful past. He gawks at his parent's house for the first time in forever, prompting a knot the size of a baseball to form in his throat. He swallows it down before finally acknowledging Eddie.
"Yeah, just got a lot on my mind, I guess."
"Like what?" Eddie inquires after sitting Laura's bag on the ground. He sits Steve's bags next to hers as Steve exits the car.
"Has anyone seen or heard from Herb or Roberta?" Steven asks, calling them by their first names like he's done his whole life. He walks over to help Eddie with his and Laura's belongings. Eddie humps his shoulders slightly before jamming his hands in his pocket.
"I think I heard mom and dad mention seeing your father last year some time, but that's pretty much all I've heard about them." Steve's eyes grow as big as saucers. So, his parents are alive! Well, at least his dad is.
"Well, did he have Roberta with him? What did he say? Did he stay long? Did he mention me?" Eddie puts his hands out in front of his chest to gesture to Steve to slow his roll.
"Urk, I just told you I don't have much information about that. You're going to have to ask my parents all of those questions." Steve nods his head disappointedly as if he understands. Eddie displays a caring grin, "Don't worry about it, Steve. I'm sure you'll hear from your parents now that you're back in Chicago. Maybe they had a hard time locating you when you and Laura moved away. They were already in Russia when you left."
Steve produces a slight smile, even though he knows Eddie's words aren't true. When he and Laura first decided to relocate a couple decades ago, he called the places his parents were known to stay and mailed letters to the addresses he had for them to let them know he was moving and to where. He even left handwritten notes all over the Urkel's home just in case they came back, so there's no doubt in his mind about whether they knew or not, because they most definitely knew.
"Hey, do me a favor and tell mom and dad I said hi. I have to get back to work. I told the boys I was going to the bathroom." Eddie smiles facetiously while walking towards the driver door like he got away with something, "A 45 minute bathroom break... Ha! I guess it is believable nowadays with the crap I've been eating lately." He humps his shoulders before jumping in the vehicle. He pulls off while Steve grabs his and his wife's bags from the curb.
"I'm telling you, ma, I wish you could have seen Laurence walk across that stage with all of those accolades attached to his name! The announcer was introducing him for so long, we were at his graduation until the next day." The ladies laugh at Laura's joke as Steve stumbles in the house with their luggage. His loud entrance captures both of their attention.
"Hey, Steve! Welcome home, son!" Harriet says ecstatically. Steve nearly falls when he prioritizes closing the door over sitting down the bags first. He fixes his glasses on his face once the heavy bags hit the floor. "Laura, why didn't you help him?" Harriet pats her daughter on her arm with her question. She stands up slowly to hug her son-in-law.
"Help him why? He had it." Harriet ignores Laura's unacceptable answer while she embraces Steven.
"Hey, mom! Thank you, it's nice to be home," Steve exclaims as authentically as he can. A fake smile comes next. Harriet takes a step back and looks at him curiously.
"You know, I might not be able to see as well as I once could, but I can still tell when you're not being honest with me." Steve takes a deep breath.
"Yeah... you got me. I actually did want to talk to you about something-"
"Ma! Come here. I found the video of Laurence's graduation I was telling you about," Laura interrupts. Harriet faces her daughter with a bothered expression.
"Laura, don't you see me talking to Steve? Stop being so rude!" Harriet faces Steve again, "Now, what were you saying?"
Steve's dimples reveal themselves as another fake grin covers his face. He shakes his head, "Nothing. I'm fine, mom. We can talk later."
"You sure?" She inquires with a look of concern. Laura butts in again.
"He said he's fine, ma, dang! Sit back down and look at this video. Oh! And I have to tell you about what your granddaughter, Stephanie, did! I'm telling you, that child is going to be the death of me!"
Laura runs off at the mouth while Steve drags himself towards the swinging kitchen door. He's so used to dealing with his issues alone that it's almost second nature to him. "Just stay out the way, Steve," is what he usually tells himself. He enters the kitchen and flops down at the kitchen table. He rests his head in his hands.
"Steve?" He hears, turning his head in the direction of the familiar voice. He spots Carl standing at the bottom of the stairs in front of the refrigerator wearing striped pajamas and a housecoat. Steve jumps to his feet.
"Big Guy!" Steve rushes over to hug Carl, nearly knocking him back into the fridge. Carl laughs after almost falling. They separate.
"I didn't know you were here! Where's Laura and kids?"
"Laura is in the family room talking to Harriet and the kids are spreaded out across the country doing God knows what. You know, I don't understand this new generation." Steve shakes his head with a serious expression while Carl shakes his head with a humorous one.
"Welcome to parenthood, son. Don't forget, you kids weren't the easiest children to raise, either."
"Is that my daddy?!" Laura blurts out from the other side of the kitchen door, butting in yet another one of Steve's conversations. She busts through the door a couple seconds later, "Daddy!" He holds out his arms for her and she rushes between them, nearly knocking him down just like Steve did. She lays her head on his chest, "Ma told me you were sleeping. I've missed you so much! I was so worried about you, dad." She begins crying without warning. He rubs her back gently.
"I'm alright, baby, I'm alright. A little Dementia will never get this old dog down."