Fifty Reasons to Stay (Book Three)

Chapter Eleven-Home

Come get your kids before I go mad. I have to find a job and I can't take them to the interviews!!!! They need you!

I'll be there tomorrow and I'll take Andrew to New York.

What about Teresa?!?

I don't know. She shouldn't come.

YOU ANNOY ME

Calm your non-existing hoo-has and go drink your morning coffee. Okay? Thank you 😊

~~
Donnie and I had talked a bit over the phone and texted in the eight weeks that passed. We just.. needed time apart?

He told me I should move back in with them after I told him I didn't remember hurting him, he'd said that many times, but I couldn't. I was too ashamed. And I was doing stuff. Things he wouldn't understand.

The plan was for Andrew to spend a week with me before school started. I was going to take him back to New York.

I knew it wasn't the best idea.

Hesitantly, I parked in the driveway and stood on the porch, politely ringing the bell. Somebody doesn't know how to work a lawnmower. The grass wasn't tall it just wasn't cut perfectly. And the garden? Dead.

A screaming sound came from inside as Teresa planted her face in the screen door. "Daaaddyyyy!!" She cried excitedly, reaching for the handle.
I smiled and waved down at her. "Hi, sweetie."

"You come home!!"

My eyes filled with tears as I opened the door for her, and she leapt into my arms. I hugged her tightly, eyes shut. "You're getting so big.."

She giggled a bit but kept her face in my shoulder.

Donnie walked to the door. "Hey." He looked different and I was immediately taken aback. He was sick, he had to be. His upper arms were so thin I could wrap my hand around it easily. And he looked tired as if he didn't sleep anymore.
"Hey...." I stood up, Teresa in my arms.
"Uh.. welcome.. back." He bit his lip and embraced me. I used my free arm to hug back, keeping it semi formal. I could feel his shoulder blades sticking out of the loose teeshirt he wore. "I don't understand why you can't stay.." He said as I pulled away.

I sighed. "I just can't do that right now. It's not what's best at the moment." Maybe it was. Maybe I should've stayed.

Donnie nodded slowly. "You know..you know I didn't tell anyone, right?"
I looked at him, remembering that terrible day when I hurt him... "I know. I trust you."

"So you'll come back to me when this is all over.. or are you and Karai dating.."

"I never said that.. but I'm not going to lie about my relationship with her." I told him. "May I come inside for a moment?"

"Yes, please come in.. mind the mess." He opened the door. I followed behind, looking around. He kept up an immaculate house before, but now I could see he obviously didn't care. And I concluded that no one came over anyway as Donnie probably didn't have any friends or family on this side of the country. Being born and raised in New York City, everyone he'd ever known still lived there.

Donnie kept looking at me; he knew I wasn't too happy about how the house looked. "I'm sorry, I didn't have time to.." He sat down on the sofa. "I'll be working on that when you take them."

"I can only take one."

His face fell. An awkward silence filled the air, and there was one thing I could possibly say to ruin things, and I said it. "Are you okay?"