What Happened After

Chapter 14

"Shit, they got us our own house? Hot." 
Chapter 14.

          My hands were shaking as I trudged up the front steps of my parents’ house, suitcase in tow. It was the day after Ruesso’s panic attack, and we had decided it would be best if I went home to my mom and dad, so Ruesso’s own mother could take care of him. That is, after I spent one more night at his house.

          We had sat on the floor of his bathroom for an hour, him shaking, crying, and apologizing, and me holding onto him. At one point, he turned so he could face me, placing his head into the crook of my neck and breathing in deeply. It seemed to calm him, so I hadn’t stopped him. After a while he got up, with red eyes, and held his hand out to help me up, too. I took it and stood up to follow him into his bedroom, where he lay down in his bed and opened up the covers for me, as well, offering them. “Your hair looks really good. You look like Rayn again,” he mumbled, then sniffled. My hand immediately went to my head, feeling my almost-dry hair. I had completely forgotten that the reason I was even here today was so I could dye my hair. I gasped and rushed out of his room and into the bathroom, so I could look at myself in the mirror. Sure enough, my hair fell in loose waves just past my shoulders, and was back to my original blonde. I looked just like I did in high school. Just like I had before.

          Sighing, I turned the bathroom light off and went back into Ruesso’s bedroom, closing the door behind me. His eyes were closed, as if he were asleep, but when he heard me shut the door he held one arm out, gesturing for me to come get in bed, eyes still peacefully shut. I got into the bed, lying on my side with my back to his chest, then he pulled me in closer so that we were touching.

          I had woken up with Ruesso’s arm wrapped around my middle, him breathing quietly into my neck.

          Now though, I opened the front door to my parents’ house—it was never locked—and turned to wave goodbye to Ruesso, who had come to drop me off. My mom must have heard the door open, because she came around the corner holding a tray of freshly baked cookies with an oven mitt, and nearly fell over when she saw me.

          “Rayn!” she exclaimed, gaining her balance. “Oh, honey! We weren’t expecting you for at least a few more days; we were planning on picking you up at the airport! How did you get here?”

        “Oh, a um, I had a friend down in Berkeley who happened to be coming up this way. I had him drop me off on his way home so I could surprise you….Surprise?”

          “Ooh, it’s a Him? An important Him?” my mom asked, smiling knowingly. I smiled back, softly.

          “No, mom, not an important Him. Just a friend. He’s gone anyway.”

          “Ah. Well, you nearly gave me a heart attack, hon. So glad to have you home, though.” She set the cookie tray down onto the counter and took the oven mitt off, fanning it in front of her face. After my welcome home hug, she said, “I made cookies, as you can see. Help yourself while I go wake up your dad.”

          “Okay.”

          I was nibbling on a cookie when my dad came into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes sleepily. His eyes widened, however, when he saw me there sitting on the counter. “Rainbow! What are you doing here so soon?”

          “Hey, dad,” I smiled. “Good to be back.” I walked into his arms, which were open for another hug. After the night I had had, it was nice to be comforted by someone else.

~~~~~~~~~~

          “We’re expecting snow soon,” my mom was saying during dinner that evening. “Within the next couple of days, I think.”