Sweet Encounters

Chapter 18

Colin

Flashback to the Past

The world outside was a blur of colors and sounds, but in my mind, I was six years old again, standing in the living room of our old house. It was a sunny Saturday morning, and I remember feeling an odd mix of excitement and dread as I watched my parents from the corner of the room. They were arguing, their voices rising like a storm brewing overhead.

"Why can't you just listen to me for once?" my mother shouted, her hands gripping the edge of the kitchen counter as if it were her only anchor.

"I'm trying to help, but you refuse to see reason!" my father countered, his face flushed with frustration. I could see the tension radiating off him, a coiled spring ready to snap.

At six, I didn't fully understand the weight of their words, but I could feel the cracks forming in the foundation of our family. The warmth of the morning sun felt cold as I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest.

I glanced down at my toys scattered across the floor, trying to focus on the vibrant colors of my action figures. I wanted to be anywhere but in that room, caught in the crossfire of their anger. It was supposed to be a day for playing and laughing, but all I could hear was the sharp edge of their voices slicing through the air.

"Colin, go outside and play," my mother said suddenly, her tone shifting as she caught sight of me. The concern in her eyes was fleeting, replaced quickly by the urgency of the argument. I nodded, wanting to obey but feeling a tight knot form in my stomach.

As I stepped outside, the bright sun hit my face, momentarily banishing the gloom that had settled in my heart. I tried to push the argument from my mind, focusing instead on the sounds of the neighborhood-children laughing, birds chirping, the distant hum of lawnmowers. But every laugh felt hollow, a reminder of the tension I had just left behind.

Moments later, the door swung open, and my father stepped outside. He looked down at me, his expression softening. "Hey, buddy. Why don't you come help me with the garage?"

I hesitated. "Okay," I replied, though my heart wasn't in it. I followed him, hoping that the change of scenery would ease the heaviness that hung over our home.

We spent the next hour sorting through boxes and organizing tools. My father's hands moved quickly, but I could see the worry etched on his face. "You know, Colin, sometimes adults have disagreements. It doesn't mean they don't love each other," he said, attempting to reassure me as he handed me a dusty old toy.

I nodded, though I didn't fully understand. All I knew was that the laughter I used to hear in our home was slowly fading, replaced by tense silences and whispered arguments.

Later that evening, I lay in bed, the sounds of my parents' raised voices creeping under my bedroom door. My heart raced as I tried to drown it out by covering my ears with my pillows. I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing I could make it all go away.

It wasn't until I heard the front door slam that a cold dread washed over me. I slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the hall, peeking through the crack of the door. My mother was sitting on the couch, her face buried in her hands, and my father was nowhere to be seen.

"Mom?" I called softly, the word trembling in my throat. She looked up, her eyes red and puffy, and the sight struck me like a punch to the gut.

"Oh, sweetheart," she said, her voice shaky as she rushed to me. "It's going to be okay."

But I knew it wasn't. I could feel the weight of their problems pressing down on me, suffocating my childlike innocence.

The weeks that followed were a blur. My father moved out, and the laughter that used to fill our home was replaced with silence and sorrow. I remember watching my mother try to hold it together, her smiles growing more infrequent as she fought to keep our lives stable.

I learned to be quiet, to hide my feelings, to pretend everything was fine. But inside, a storm raged-a confusion of emotions that I couldn't express.

As I grew older, the wounds of that day festered beneath the surface, shaping the man I would become. I buried the fear of abandonment deep down, swearing to never let anyone close enough to hurt me. The memory of my parents' arguments became a ghost that haunted me, a reminder that love could turn to chaos in an instant.

Now, as I stood on the rooftop with Adrienne, the weight of that past threatened to spill over. I felt the pull of her warmth, the way she made me feel alive and free, but I also felt the walls I had built around my heart tightening.

I couldn't let her see the scars that ran deep. I couldn't risk losing her the way I had lost so much before.

As the stars twinkled above, I took a deep breath, knowing that I had to confront my demons if I wanted a chance at happiness with Adrienne. But for now, I'd hold on to the moments we shared and savor the joy she brought into my life, even as the shadows of my past lingered just out of sight.