Small Town Serendipity

5

Jack drove them home. 

Lillian was zonked out on the sofa with another bottle in her hand and three by her feet on the floor. Mia chucked a blanket over her and pried the bottle from her strong fingers to go dump them with the rest. 

Even though Jack knew the Ross's family since Emily was in kindergarden, he had never step foot inside their house. 

"It's a bit messy. We don't get a lot of guests." Mia picked up more wrappers Lillian had left lying around the place. 

In Jack's eyes, it was far from messy. It was almost pristine looking, there was nothing lying about on the counter tops. No left over dishes in the sink, even the floors were shining. Everything was so clean as if it was still brand new and hadn't been used. 

He noticed a stark difference between the Ross's house and his own, there was less signs of life. They had no pictures on the walls. Wendy was almost excessive with theirs, every single room in that house had to have some kind of picture of the family, or it wasn't a proper room in their house. 

"It's nice." Jack didn't really know how else to describe it. 

With a nod of aknowledgement Mia led him down the hallway and opened the door to her bedroom. The other difference between the Ross's house and the Harrisons, was that not all of the rooms were furnished. They didn't have a guest bedroom because no one came to stay. It used to be Mia's father's office space, but the doors been locked ever since he left all those years ago. 

"You can use my room." Mia tidied up a couple books she left on her bedside table and pulled her closet door shut. "We don't have a guest room." 

"I'll take the floor." Jack started unwravelling a sleeping bag that looked like had seen the bottom pits of many dark streets. 

"It's okay. I'm sharing with Lillian." Mia smiled, she didn't mean for it to become akward again. "It's fine really." 

"Thank you." 

Mia shuffled on her feet akwardly again and left. She peeked into Lillian's room, despite having cleaned it earlier it was back to it's natural warzone. But that's not all that was in it, there was a 6 foot 200 pound man lying in the center of it snoring his lungs off. On second thought maybe the sofa cushions would make a nice futon to sleep on the floor with. 

Mia tiptoed back down stairs, Lillian was half way awake, sitting up this time. 

"Mom." Mia whispered. "When did you bring someone home?" 

"Be a dear and help me up the stairs." Lillian swayed towards Mia. 

Sighing, Mia helped her mother climb up the flight and led her back to her room. 

"Have you met Bernie?" Lillian slurred on the way up. "He's such a sweetheart. He's going to be your new dad." 

If Bernie was such a sweetheart why wasn't he the one helping you up the stairs, Mia really wanted to ask but she bit her tongue. Lillian said this about all the men she brought home. Every single one, every single time. It was nothing new to Mia. She dumped Lillian half on what Mia assumed was Bernie and half on the bed itself. 

"Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite." Mia whispered and shut her door. 

When her dad was still around, Lillian and him would read to her everynight, then Lillian would say that phrase and her dad would kiss her forehead before she went to sleep. Tiptoeing back downstairs Mia dragged a few of the couch pillows onto the floor and grabbed the baseball bat hanging from inside the coat cupboard under the stairs. 

Mia hated sleeping outside her bedroom when Lillian brought "guests" over. A few times she watched TV until she fell asleep waiting on Lillian, her friends would go downstairs for another beer or something to find Mia sprawled out on the couch harmless. Some stared and drooled, then a few of them got handsy.