Line of Time

Bus Ride

A few more weeks passed and Chase was called to take Tino home. Finally, Tino was finally able to come home and be somewhere that he liked. He could be with his friends and with his dad. He was excited and could barely wait for Chase to arrive. When he did and he was ready to go. Tino couldn't stop smiling for the whole truck ride home, he was so happy to be away from the shots and the smell that the hospital carried. He and his dad caught up as they went home but the first thing that Tino wanted to do when he got home was take a shower, a real shower. Not like what he had at the hospital, those were awkward since he had a nurse watching him to make sure he didn't fall or hurt himself while washing himself. 

But now he was free to wash himself without that feeling of being watched. He felt safe here, he was finally home, in his home. Not Miss Cooper's house anymore and he had his dad. Tino was the happiest kid in the world at the moment. 

After he came into the kitchen when his shower was over he sat at the table in front of his dad. He gave him a smile as his dad then reached across the table and picked up a strand of hair that was in his face. Tino gave him a curious look. 

"You're hair's getting long, bud. What is it, down to your shoulders now?" Chase said as Tino then picked up the ends of his hair and looked at the length. It was at his shoulders when it was wet. He also now noticed it was in his eyes. 

"Yeah... I didn't notice before now. Guess I need a hair cut, huh?" Tino said as his dad smiled. 

"Or... We could do this." Chase said as he walked over to his son and took an elastic from his pocket and tied his hair back. Tino then looked down the hall to the mirror that stood there and smiled. 

"I wanna try." Tino said as his dad handed him an elastic that he found on the counter. He thought Tino was going to put another in his own hair but then he was surprised that his son was motioning for him to bend down. He did and felt him tie his hair back. Chase stood up and looked down the hall into the mirror and then back at his son who was laughing. He had made a ponytail right on the top of his head. 

"Ya wanna play that game, huh. Alright I can play too." Chase said with a laugh as he did the same to his son. 

He looked down the hall before he burst out laughing again after a moment of curiosity as he looked at his reflection. 

"Now we match, bud." Chase said as laughed with each other. 

There day went on with silly little antics as Tino made sure to stick close to his dad. He had a feeling that at one point he would wake up and he would be back in Miss Cooper's house. Not that being in her house was bad. But he was scared that he would wake up from a dream and be faced with his dad being across the seas and fighting a war. Tino was thankful that his dad was home and he was set on not letting himself stay from his side for a while until he was sure that Chase wouldn't leave again. 

Chase had a feeling that Tino wasn't going to leave him alone but to be honest. He didn't mind, he didn't want Tino to leave his side either. He had missed his son just as much as he had missed him if not more so. 

For the rest of the day they spent their time together and when Chase saw that Tino was getting sleepy after a few rounds of cards he wheeled him down the hallway. Tino put his hand on his door frame and looked up with tired eye. 

"You're getting a little old to be sleeping in my room, ya know that right?" Chase told him. 

"I just want to make sure that when I wake up you're still here and this isn't all a dream." Tino said as his dad looked down at him, he found no trace of a lie.

"Alright... But tomorrow you sleep in your own bed." Chase told him as Tino nodded. 

"Sure..." Tino said with a yawn.