Discovering Parker. ✔ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ

Chapter Nineteen| You Can Hear It In The Silence

 It's been a long time coming, but here it is, chapter nineteen.

CHAPTER NINETEEN| YOU CAN HEAR IT IN THE SILENCE

I walk home the next morning in a state of euphoria, a smile stretched across my face. I take the boardwalk, the winter crowd buzzing underneath the Christmas lights that are strung up overhead. The air is biting and harsh, but I welcome it, enjoying the way it feels blowing through my hair. I smile at the people I pass, ignoring the small pinch of dread in the back of my mind. I want to leave with Parker, I was going to leave with Parker, but still a small part of me told me to stay. What about my parents? What about Nolan? What about everything I built here, everything I had? Would I really be able to leave it all behind?

I’m not naive enough to think that it wouldn’t be hard, that I wouldn’t wake up someday wishing I was home. Homesickness is a feeling I know all too well. We’ve been acquaintances since the first sleepover I went to when I was six.

Growing up I had this massive fear of leaving for school or friends house and coming back to nothing. This constant fear resulted in me never wanting to leave and when I did leave the homesickness was just that, a sickness.

But no matter how hard this nagging feeling tried to pull me down with it, I wasn’t going to let it. I was leaving.

The house is warm, the sound of the fireplace crackling meeting me at the door and joining me as I slip my boots and coat off. I can hear the sound of a television playing in the living room and the sound of dishes clanking together from the kitchen. I take a deep breath, gathering courage as I walk towards the sound of clanking dishes.

Mom stands at the stove singing to herself while dad hunches at the counter cutting bell peppers. They pass each other things every so often, smiling as they did so. I watch from the door frame, admiring the look in dad’s eyes everytime he looks at her. It was a look I’d seen my whole childhood but it held a different meaning to me now and maybe thats because I have someone who looks at me that way.    

When dad finally catches sight of me he smiles, “Songbird, how was your night?” They look at me, waiting for an answer.

“It was nice, yeah. We talked a lot.”

Dad smiles, nodding as he turns back towards the bright red bell pepper in front of him. “That’s good, Sable. I’m glad you had a nice night.”

“Yeah.” I move closer in the the kitchen, making sure to stay out of the way. “Uhm, I have something to ask you.” I say hesitantly, sliding my hands into my pockets.

They both look up at me, signaling for me to continue.

“Uhm, you guys both know how Motley hasn’t been doing well since…” I trail off as dad simply nods, his eyes lingering on me. “... yeah, well Parker thinks it might be a good idea to take him on a road trip. You know, try and get his mind off things and stuff.” I was cringing at myself, screaming to just hurry up and ask already when mom spoke up.

“I’m assuming you want to go?” She says, abandoning her wooden spoon to turn to me, smirking. I nod. “Yes. Go ahead.”

I stand there, a mixture of relief and confusion clouding my brain. “Yes? Just like that?”

Mom laughs to herself. “Well, I mean, we can make you work for it. Sable, you’re father and I think it’d be a good idea. In fact, we’ve been talking about it a lot lately.”

“You... have?”

“Yes, we have. It’s good you’re trying to help Motley during such an awful period of his life. You two are great friends. Now go get ready for dinner.”