A Car Ride Home

T A L K

P r e v i o u s l y

Lilly walked towards the closet burger shop, and order. While she waited for their food she turned to find Al. Soon her eyes landed him, cleaning off the table, and stealing two chairs from neighboring tables. She watched has he looked at the snagged spot with a proud smile, before taking a seat. Since yesterday when he opened up about his family, and his time in the military, Lilly found herself wanting to talk to him about her own situation, but she was afraid. She didn't want to burden him with her troubles. He had his own, but she noticed how his brows seemed to lift, and his eyes lightened after, and she wanted that too.

"Miss, your order is ready," the boy at the counter interrupted her thoughts, and she retrieved the food. When she turned back Al was waving her down.

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A   m o n t h   l a t e r 

"Okay, so electrical bill, cell phone bill, junk, junk junk. Oh wait- what is this," Lilly says raising her brow at Al, who was making dinner. He turned towards her, whipping his hands on the dishtowel draped on his shoulder.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Why don't you check?" She handed him the envelope a wide smile on her face. She knew very well what was contained inside. Al had been working everyday, even taking on the graveyard shift during the nights when she stayed at the ballpark. When they got home, sometimes he would help her with her homework, while he cooked. They might try out some dance moves or partake in a song here and there as they worked in the kitchen. Together they would eat dinner, take Brody on a walk, and say goodnight, before going to their separate rooms. 

Al took the white envelope with his name printed on it, and tore the sealing open, reviling a check! His first check in almost a year. He's making money. He can support Lilly for a change. He stared at the tiny print of $952.89, and sighed. 

Lilly hopped off her stool, and gave Al a hug. "Congratulations, working man!" She cheered, before pulling away however, Al took her hand. "Lil, I'm going to be a man that makes you proud. I'm not there yet, but I will be soon," he vowed.

"On the contrary, you've been there for a while," she whispered, looking down at his hand on hers. She needed to tell him. She needed to finally open up to someone, and she wanted it to be him. "Can I tell you something?"

Al's brows knotted together at the sound of her voice. Al had been waiting to hear those words come out of Lilly's mouth for almost a month now. "Anything, let me just," he went back to the lasagna, and placed it into the oven, before going to her, and taking her to the couch. Together they sat there Al waiting for Lilly to talk, Lilly not knowing where to begin. 

Al had just started talking when he told her everything those few weeks ago. Here goes, "My parents and younger sister, Rose, are dead," she started, emotion clear in her voice, as it was obviously the first time she had actually uttered the words together. "They died 3 years ago, while I was away at college preparing to pass the bar. They were driving to see a movie. They loved going to the movies together every friday, but it was one of those rare rainy nights, and a man, drunk as can be, wasn't driving on the right side of the road. He hit their tiny Chevy going 90 mph. Rose and my mom died on impact, but my dad fought hard to stay alive long enough to see me. I got the call right before going to sit for the test, and rushed home. When I got there the doctors had said my dad had a good chance of living, so I was hopeful. I walked into his room only to see and saw a man laying on a stretcher hooked up to tubes. He's face was badly distorted, and his body was wrapped to the nine, but when he looked at me none of that mattered, for his eyes were all my dad.

He sighed upon me entering, and tried to lift his mouth into a smile, but it was pained. 'I'm glad to see you, baby.' He had whispered to me, and I broke down in tears. I laid with him, for what seems like hours, before I fell asleep. Then, I heard a beeping sound. My dad had gone with my mom and sister. For the first time in my life I was all alone. They were my everything, and then they were just gone. No warning. They were ripped away from me, and after that. I didn't know what to do with myself. I moved back home, and packed their belongings. I had read somewhere that that was the first step, but it did nothing for me. I got a dog, and that helped. I wasn't has alone, but I still couldn't step foot into Rosie's room. I would sleep on the couch. God! " Lilly had to stop. It felt like she was opening a wound that had healed leaving a distorted scar behind. Each word spoken was a knife slowly tearing the skin tell it was exposed for Al to see.

Al held a sobbing Lilly, trying to offer all the comfort she lacked. He had faced death and loss, but not in the sense Lilly had. She lost her family. "You're sleeping in their room aren't you," Al asked, urging her to continue, knowing there is so much more to her story. 

She nodded her head against his chest, before lightly pushing away to stand, "I decided to go back to school, but not to complete the bar to complete the life my sister never got to. I wanted to be a teacher for her; to help the children she never got too. Rosie had such a passion for it. Our parents wanted us to do only what made us happy, and the more I studied, and took part in the observations the more it became my passion too. It made things easier. I slowly found some peace with the decision, but even now I can't go into that room. I had some friends come by and pack her things, but it felt wrong, so I told them to stop that's why it's only partially complete. My parents were hard to lose, but in the back of my mind I knew they were going to leave me eventually it was inevitable, but my little sister. She was suppose to be there till the very end. She was suppose to grow old with me. I miss them so much," she finished, everything was out. Lilly let go and told him everything. She tried not to hold anything back and the tears that followed were like the last. 

Al held her through it all. Together they sat on the couch. Al tucked her head under his chin with her legs curled up, and just held her. Eventually the tears stopped and the soft sounds of sleep emitted from Lilly. Al didn't know if he she should stay on the couch, or put her to bed, but one thing was clear; he didn't want to leave her. 

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To be continued . . .