I Think I'm in Trouble {Reimagined}

LXXX.

~ The Year Previous ~

June 28, 1993

When Monday morning rolled around, Stevie was up by 10 that morning, just getting herself together for the meeting she had scheduled with her band about her album.

As she poured a cup of coffee, she heard everybody making their way down the stairs.

It was often that everybody stayed in their rooms until there was a parent to bother downstairs and keep them company.

Robert then entered from the front door, bringing in both the mail and the newspaper.

Jeffrey then made his way to the kitchen, hugging and kissing his mother before opening the cabinet for a mug.

"Anything good? Perhaps a paycheck?" Shannon smirked, looking over her father's shoulder.

"You don't get your paycheck at work?" he read her name on the envelope and handed it over to her.

"Nope," she smirked, happily opening such things as she settled her textbook on the dining room table. "I have class, can you take me?" she wondered. "I would have asked when you were taking Nick this morning, but I could not get up."

"That's fine," he read through the rest of the mail, but then he paused when his eyes landed on his son's name. "Jeff..." he extended his hand out.

"For me?" he creased his brow, walking over in order to take it.

Robert arched his brow, pursing his lips.

Shannon read the room instantly, more than sure of what he was receiving.

It was Stevie who was a bit in the dark, but the atmosphere change made it intense for her.

"It's a letter of deployment," he cleared his throat. Taking a breath, he looked up and kind of laughed nervously as he read his parents' expressions.

"Are you serious?" Shannon had to ask.

"Yeah, I thought I was never gonna get one," he explained. "It's been since March that I finished boot camp and they said months to a year..." he shrugged. "I'm sad to leave, but still prepared and kind of excited to go," he claimed. "This is what I wanted."

To the mother, it sure sounded like he was trying to make himself feel better about all the decisions he had made in that year.

"Does it say how long you'll be gone?" the singer asked.

"No, but I know even if I get a date, it'll change," he explained. "But again, this is what I wanted," he added once more for good measure. "We all know I'm athletic and anything else, it's not really for me."

"It doesn't break my heart any less, Jeffrey," Stevie assured. 

"When do you leave?" Robert asked.

"Next Friday," he glanced back at the date to ensure he was reading everything correctly. "Yeah, next Friday," he nodded.