Will & Indie

20.

Something even scarier than the art of trying

Is that of trying again

"Happy birthday, Will." Betty woke Will up on Saturday morning, her soft voice stealing him out of his dreamless sleep.

Will rolled over, squinting his eyes at his mom. "Thanks," he replied groggily. He fumbled with his glasses for a moment before putting them properly over his eyes. He was far from being fully awake; the world was hazy, his head pounded with the possibilities of a new day, his eyes were glazed over with exhaustion and stinging from tears of the past.

"Your father and I have a surprise ready for you downstairs, whenever you're ready." Betty smiled, exiting Will's room.

Will looked in the mirror, feeling less than exceptional. He didn't want to celebrate without the person he truly loved, and he missed her more than anything on this particular day. He felt pathetic that he could hardly live without her when she'd only been gone for a week, but deep down inside him he knew Indie missed him just as much. Maybe it was a new type of delusion he'd discovered, but it made him feel better nonetheless.

The number 18 appeared over and over in Will's mind. He didn't feel any older, any worse or any better; he merely felt indifferent on the subject. 18 seemed like such a big step forward, and yet, he felt like the same old Will he'd been for years.

After showering and getting dressed for the day—a yellow flannel and tan pants—Will heard his door burst open. Alice flew into his room as quick as lightning, giving Will a hug that nearly knocked him off of his feet.

"Happy birthday, geezer!" Alice exclaimed, spinning Will around, despite being almost half his size. "You better get out your pen and start filing your taxes and balancing those checkbooks, my dude."

Will couldn't help but laugh as he recovered from the initial shock of Alice's entry. "Uh... thanks, Alice." He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"It's the least I could do. I forgot to get you a present." She chuckled nervously.

"Oh, hey, that's ok. I didn't need anything anyway-"

"Just kidding! It's hiding downstairs." Alice added. There was a sense of mischief in her eyes that Will recognized from their childhood years. "See you there, gramps!"

Will shook his head as Alice sped out of his room once again. He looked around at the mess in his room. He took a deep breath in and scooped up all the tissues, dumping them in the trash can by his desk. He tried to ignore the pink and gold cover of Little Women that sat beneath the unopened Saturn necklace, but it was practically impossible. Indie was everywhere; in the sky, in any and all objects surrounding Will, in dreams and nightmares alike. He couldn't escape her.

As Will shoved his emotions in the back pocket of his mind and went downstairs, he began to smell the pleasing aroma of breakfast wafting up the stairwell. A few presents sat in the center of the dining room table, which was already set. Alice was already eating her breakfast, shocking to no one, while Clyde cooked up some eggs on the stove and Betty took a tray of bacon out of the oven.

"Wow," Will smiled.

Betty set the bacon down on the counter, noticing Will and smiling. "Will!" She exclaimed. "This was all your father's idea, by the way."

Will looked to Clyde, who gave him a wink. He felt parts of his shattered heart begin to mend as he watched his mom and dad working together in the kitchen, helping one another cook and clean up. He was thankful that they were able to work past their differences, and that Clyde had decided to try and change his ways.