Invited

Six - Timber

I paced the hotel room. Paul didn't want me going back to my house just yet, and I wasn't allowed to sleep there. Bogus, if you ask me. The guy was worried about a paparazzi spying me going in and then a media storm hitting. There were things I wanted there. Instead, I had to provide as accurate of a list as possible for someone else to bring my things to the ship and hope I didn't forget something vital.

Every so often, I glanced at the clock. At two in the afternoon, right on the dot, there was a knock on the door. I rushed over and peered through the peephole and saw Paul...and my parents. They looked so different from when I had last seen them. It hadn't been that long ago, either. The summer. That should have only been about five or six months, I think. We tried to keep track of time as best as possible, but it was hard. I could have been way off.

The differences in my parents were mostly in wear and tear. They looked so much older than I remembered. Mom had thick dark circles under her eyes and Dad was so thin. Their wrinkles and sparse gray hairs stood out more. So did their sadness. Both of my parents were usually so happy. My going away wrecked them.

I took in a deep breath before opening the door. Couldn't say anything to anyone because as soon as I got the door open wide enough, my mother buried me in a suffocating hug, followed by my dad. Breathing was hard, but I didn't complain. I hugged both of them back, tears pooling in my eyes. I missed them. As much as I missed Talia too, I was glad that I was getting time separate for just my parents. I never knew how much I needed and loved them until I couldn't talk to them anymore.

"You're really here," Mom whispered in between her sobs. She grabbed my face, running her fingers over my skin. Then she showered me with kisses. I closed my eyes and soaked it all in. When I opened them, I noticed Paul was gone and it was just the three of us.

"Are you okay?" Dad asked, finally releasing me. "Maggie, let him breathe."

"Let's sit down," I suggested. Gently, I took Mom's arm and walked her to the couch in my suite and helped her sit. I was next to her, and Dad was on my other side.

Dad put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not sure how much you've been told..."

"Not much of anything. It's all been kind of hush-hush. Are you in some kind of trouble? In the witness protection program? What's going on?" Dad's voice was tense and hoarse. He was going to have a breakdown.

I probably was too.

How did I even begin explaining everything? This is where Paul could have stayed to help me explain all of this. Somehow I found the words, and from the very beginning of my time at the mall, up until coming back to Earth again, I spilled the entire story.

"...and here we are," I mumbled.

Dad let out a quiet whistle. "My first response is to ask who brainwashed you into believing this stuff, or if maybe this is some kind of new project you've been working on."

"It's not." I scowled, not even bothering to hide how much that insulted me. "You know I wouldn't do something work-related where I would just drop off the face of the planet to pull some kind of prank or publicity stunt. Even if I was desperate for work, I wouldn't sink that low."

"I know," he said. "It's a lot to take in, and it's difficult to believe."

"Trust me, I know. I've been trying to absorb it all for the past however many months it's been." I shook my head. "When Paul comes back, ask him and he'll tell you more. He'll back me up."

My mom swallowed. "So the world is going to be destroyed soon?"

"Yeah, and I get to be a part of telling everyone." Just thinking about the press conference made me want to puke. "The good news is you can come back with me. We can be safe and continue on together. Lia and Nathan too."

Both of them were quiet for a while. Dad was the one to break the silence. "It's a lot to think about."

I frowned. "What do you mean it's a lot to think about? I'm not sure I understand. We're being given the option to live together as a family and continue forward, or die."

"Yes, I figured that much out. The thing is, Timber, while you were gone..." He took a deep breath. "I was diagnosed with incurable cancer in my prostate gland. At Christmas, the doctors told me I had up to about six months to live." Dad forced me to look into his eyes. "As much as I want to live happily ever after with you on this other world that's being offered, it doesn't seem right for me to take a space that could be given to someone else who will be around a lot longer."

"But they could heal you. These aliens have insane technology. I'm sure they've got something they can do to make you better again. Let me talk to Paul," I said, laughing, if only in an attempt to keep the mood light. My father was dying, and I had missed all of it. So much time was lost because I had been taken away from home. I should have been there when he got his diagnosis. There might have been something more I could have done. Money doesn't make everything better, but I could have paid for better treatments – something more than doing nothing. If anything, I would have at least been around to offer my support.

Dad laughed as well. "You're guessing, hoping, I get that. And maybe you're right, but maybe you're wrong too. Like I said, it's a lot to think about. I'll keep what you're saying in mind. This whole situation is a lot to sink in."

"Yeah..." He had no idea.

He hugged me close. "I love you. Always remember that. And I'm so proud of you. It sounds like you're doing well for yourself there. I've always believed you were capable of greatness. I'm so glad I've made it this far. Deep down, I knew you would come back and I would see you again before..."

"Before nothing. They're going to make you better," I stated. Whether he wanted them to or not, I would make the Achlivans fix him. There was no way I was going to let him stay behind and suffer while the rest of us got to be safe.

Mom kissed my forehead. "Let's not talk about this right now. How about some lunch? Are you hungry? You are taking care of yourself right? The food on this spaceship isn't making you sick, is it?"

"No, the food is fine," I said. "It's probably fresher than anything I can get from any store. I promise, I'm fine."

"Good." She let out a soft sigh. "I'm having a hard time believing all of this, but you say you're not making it up and that it isn't some kind of a prank. I have to trust you."

I chuckled. "You should. Besides, you raised me to know better. Especially since I know you'd probably kill me if I ever put you in that kind of a position."

"I knew I did something right."

"You've done a lot of things right," I said softly. Someday, I hoped to be as good of a parent to my kids as my parents were to me.

Dad ruffled my hair. "So, food? What are you in the mood for? We can go anywhere you want to in the area. While you say the food is great, it can't beat the –"

"Best Japanese in town." I smirked at him.

"Yup, exactly what I was going to say."

"You know me well." I nodded. "Okay, let's go. I think I can sneak out."

Paparazzi didn't follow my parents around anyway, not unless they knew for a fact I was with them. I was still bothered by everything my dad had told me. There was a lot more I wanted to say, to explain, but it would have to wait until later. I could sense there was still skepticism. I mean, I would be skeptical if the roles were reversed. If I hadn't actually been taken aboard the Salvation and seen space with my own eyes, I would have laughed at Paul when he told me all about how I was kidnapped by aliens. Somehow I had to prove to my parents that I was serious and not crazy. They talked to me like they understood, but I could tell it was going to take more convincing to get them to come back with me.