What Happened to Wyatt

06 ｏｐｐｏｒｔｕｎｉｔｙ

"We?" I manage to say after a moment of silence.

"Mom and I. Mom really misses you, and so do I. Just hear me out, okay?" Olivia pleads.

"Okay," I reply with a sigh.

"There's nothing here for you anymore. Delilah is gone. She left you and she's not coming back. You need to move on and stop living in denial. You need to come home. I need you to come home, Mom needs you to come home. Your family needs you." Olive conveys. Once again silence envelops the small living room.

"I can't." I murmur after a while.

"What do you mean you can't?" Olivia asks in disbelief.

"I-I can't. I have a life here, a job. I can't go back. I'd be reminded of her every time I stepped outside. If I go back to that town she'll be everywhere. It's where we first met, where we had our first date, where everything came together for us. Besides, I doubt Dad will welcome me home with open arms." I say frankly.

"A life?" Olivia scoffs. "Wyatt, this is no life. You have no friends, no family, and you work in a Walmart for christ's sake! Do you really want to spend the rest of your life living alone, working a dead-end job? You could do so much better and we could help you. Help you find a decent job, help you move on from Delilah, it's about time you did. I assure you Dad won't be a problem. Just...Come home, Wyatt."

"It's funny, you're starting to sound a lot like Dad," I say with a cool laugh.

"Well, Dad never should have kicked you out, or pressured you the way he did, but he did have a point. You have so much potential and you're wasting it." Olivia replies pointedly.

"I can't believe that's what you think of me, that you drove five hours to sit here and criticize me. I thought...I thought out of everyone that you would understand, that there would be no judgment between us. But I guess I was wrong." I say dejectedly. I get to my feet and begin pacing the floor.

"I'm not judging or criticizing you, I'm trying to help you!" Olive exclaims. I whirl around to face her, my eyes cold.

"I never asked for your help!" I shout in aggravation.

"Wyatt I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, I just...I just want what's best for you. I-I want you to be happy." Olive mumbles, her voice cracking as she averts her eyes from mine. Guilt immediately washes over me. I run my hands through my hair in frustration before sitting down beside my sister, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, O. I know you mean well, it's just...A touchy subject I guess. I didn't mean to yell. I'll...I'll think about it, okay?" I murmur apologetically.

"Okay." She says quietly, closing her eyes with a content sigh. We stay like that for a while and soon I'm lost in thought, thinking about all of the possibilities moving home could bring.

****

Sunday came and went in a blur, and soon enough Monday afternoon arrives and Olivia is packing up the last of her things. The weekend has come to an end, and so has my sister's stay. With my good hand, I help her carry her bags down to her car. We load everything up and soon enough she's all set; ready to make the long drive back to our hometown. It finally dawns on me that I'll soon be by myself again, left alone with nothing but my thoughts. This realization is enough to make me want to pack up and leave with her. There is no doubt in my mind that I'll miss my over-exuberant sister.

"You gonna miss me, Wy-guy?" Olive teases, voicing my thoughts with that grin of hers.

"More than you know," I say, smiling a sad smile before pulling her into a hug, taking a breath before pulling away.