Here's To Someday

HTS Part 7

Chapter 13

Landon biked me back to the hospital and I drove home in silence. Too many things are running through my mind I can barely keep my eyes on the road. Honestly, the thing haunting me the most was the look in Conan's eyes. How he said Vicky will never know she was enough. I suppose I never thought that she and I may feel a similar sense of loneliness. I slam the steering wheel. I never meant to hurt Conan; that baseball makes me wonder what other questions he imagined asking her someday.

I pull into the driveway and see the kitchen light on. Oh, this is going to be ugly. I open the front door slowly and brace myself for yelling, but I am met with utter silence. I poke my head into the kitchen and see John sitting there. Head in his hands while his phone plays some awful hold music in front of him. He lifts his head, and I am startled by the bags under his eyes and his unkept stubble. John was always so well put together.

He forces a smile, "Hi, sweetheart. Where were you today?"

I cock my head to the side. How could Will not have told him? His car is here.

"Um...have you not spoken to Will today?"

John sighs, "Seems whenever I speak to your brother it only ends in yelling. He came barging in here and started yelling and I yelled back because I was on the phone with a very important brand deal."

I step further into the kitchen in disbelief, "Your son was in duress, and you shooed him away for a deal?"

His eyes droop, "Look I don't need you lecturing me as well. I will talk with Will."

His eyes come back up to me and he gasps, "By God, Vicky, what happened to your face?"

I chuckle, "I was slapped at a hospital, ironic huh?"

"Wha...what? Who on Earth slapped you?"

I grab a bowl from the cabinet, "None other than your crazy son."

His eyes widen as I slam the bowl on the table, "You didn't think you should have told him with me there? So, I could explain myself?! Now he thinks I want to murder mom."

He stutters, "I...I didn't think he would go to such extremes."

I huff, "That's all you have to say? Your son assaulted his sister! And you're here on hold!"

The chair squeals back as he braces his hands on the table, "What do you want from me, Vicky?!"

The phone goes silent, and I hear, "Mr. Yun, are you still there? So sorry about the wait."

John breathes deeply and picks up the phone, "Yes I am here."

He makes to turn away, but I am faster. I launch myself on top of the table and yank the phone right out of his hand. I hit the hang-up button and toss his phone back on the table with a crash.

"You know what I want from you?"

I reach behind me into the cupboard and grab the box of frosted flakes. I rip it open like a crazed animal and dump the entire box into the bowl and on the table.

I throw the box at him, "I want you to wake the fuck up!" His eyes go wide, "I want you to realize that you are so absent from this family, even when you're under the same roof, that you can't tell your daughter from me."

He just stands there frozen.

"This...this isn't possible. I know my daughter-"

"Do you? Maybe once upon a time you did, but now? It's been days, John. Days."

Footsteps come stomping down the stairs and Will appears. Eyes red and puffy.

I stop him as he's about to speak, "Save your breath; he knows."