Sunkissed Serendipity

Chapter 18

Julian

When I come back home from work, I head in from the front door because I plan on going out later today. As I make my way into the living room, my ears tune into the sounds coming from the space.

My mom was planning on staying home today because today was her off day, so it's a shock when I find that she isn't home. Instead, sitting on the couch is the same face of the girl that I've become familiar with. She was here again today, and I wondered what my mom was up to and what she had to deal with.

"Hey, Jack," I say as I place my bag on the floor and walk further toward the couches. My brother looks up at me from where he is playing video games, and from the look of him, I knew he had to come from outside, not too soon. I glance over at Isla, who was sitting on her phone, and she looks at me. Her eyes hold surprise, but soon it fades away, and instead she says, "Oh, hi Julian."

"Hi," I answer her, not knowing what else to say to her aside from my greetings. I mean, we could talk about a number of things, but the air doesn't seem comfortable yet, and I didn't know if I wanted to be the one making small talk this time. So I opt to send her a nod and then turn away.

"Your mom said she was supposed to come home around 5," Isla says, and wondering if she was talking to me, I turn to her. It seems I'm right, and she glances down at her phone. "But it's past that time. But you've got your brother now, so I'll go."

Her voice fades away as the noise from the garage door across the rather empty house. She stands up from her spot, and I follow her gaze as she watches my mom enter the room with my dad.

"Dad," I say, instantly feeling myself walking over to him and trying to get a load off my mom. My mom waves me away with a hand in the air, and instead, she wheels my dad further into the room. I'm about to ask about how their day went when my dad catches on to the unfamiliar girl in the room.

I go to beat him to it, but my dad automatically flinches when he sees her. I feel my heart sink in my chest when I see the reaction, as it was hard to see my dad go from a strong man to—well, this. I didn't know how to handle the change, and no matter how many days pass, I hate it all the same.

"Lorraine," my dad says, calling out to my mom instantly, his eyes going to her. "You invited a stranger to our house?"

"Daniel that's—"

My dad places his hands on the wheel himself, starting to wheel backward, and his eyes widen even more. "A stranger!" My dad shouts, the sound echoing off the walls of the now-still house. "Who is she? Why is she here? Lorraine, I've told you—"

I glanced at Isla to find that her face was turning red, and she was naturally moving back to the couch even though my dad wasn't going forward. My dad was shouting though, and his shouts were in anger, so they were scaring her no doubt.

"Do you know how it feels to see someone and not know what they could do?" my dad shouts more, and my mom kneels down to get him to calm down, but it isn't working. He continues to shout, this time his anger progressing as he says, "Who is she? She's standing here in my house and—"

I walk the small distance to Isla, moving in front of her so I can block her from my father's view. I place a hand behind me to ensure that she isn't disturbed and say, "Dad, dad—"

He is looking at me, but he cannot seem to hear me. He is still continuing to shout things, and it is not helping him see clearly. I try to make eye contact with him and then shout, "Dad."

His eyes finally wander to mine, where he stills, looking like a lost puppy for a second. I give him a small nod, walking backward, feeling Isla behind me, and say, "Dad, this isn't a stranger. No, she isn't anyone who is going to—"