Finding Out After Eight Years

Chapter Three

"Hi" He spoke, his mouth dropping, the shock written all over his tanned hardened face. Scarlet took him in, his stormy grey eyes and blonde hair were the reflection of her son, their son, although shorter and finer cut then it had been back when they were teenagers, gone was the wild flowing hair. The tan continued down his body or what she could see of it in his tight-fitting grey V-neck shirt, showing off his visible abs, with faded jeans and black high top converse.

"Hi Parker" Scarlet said nervously pulling at her jacket sleeve, biting her lip as she stood on the front steps. "Could I-" she begin to say gesturing to inside of the house.

"Of course" Parker managed to fumbled out moving to the side in order for her to come in.

"Thanks" Scarlet mumbled as she made her way inside. She felt the heat overwhelm her body after feeling like an ice cube, when she was outside, Melbourne the place where she had grown up felt so out of touch to her now, unfamiliar, that safe feeling of home was gone to her. Home to her now wasn't the Gold Coast either it was Andrew and Phoebe, her work, all the people she loved, how she felt when she was helping people through her work.

They both stood awkwardly in the hallway for serval minutes. "What the hell are you doing here Scar?" Parker finally managed to ask, leaning against the wall still in a state of shock of who was standing in front of him.

"Honestly...I don't know" Scarlet told him, looking up into those eyes. "I'm about to go and face my family after, god, eight years and I just had to come here first Parker and know why?" She asked him, her voice coming out husky.

"Why to what? You're the one who left and no one heard from again Scarlet! That wasn't me, I didn't pick up and leave without even saying goodbye. I should be the one asking why!" Parker exclaimed to her. "You hurt me doing what you did, it was like I was nothing to you! And you know what, I was the one left here to watch how your mess affected everyone"

"I hurt you? Parker I wrote to you, I tried to stay in touch with you, you were the only one I didn't just block out, that I couldn't just block out" Scarlet told him crossly.

Parker gave Scarlet a dumbfounded look, she could suddenly see it in his eyes, the confusion, the pain. "What? You never wrote to me Scarlet" He responded with angry coming through.

"Oh my gosh," Scarlet face dropped instantly, "I wrote you after I left, sometimes randomly, sometimes multiple times in a week. And you never responded to one of them, I ended up giving up and not sending anymore, I got sick of not getting a response I guess" She felt the tears coming to the bream of her eyes, she forced herself to blink them away, she would not let him see her break.

"What was in these apparent letters?" He asked soberingly.

Scarlet softly giggled, taking in a deep breath before responding, "Your son, Parker that was what was in those letters, that I know were sent. His birthdays, his milestones, first steps, words, first footy game, the day he was born for chrissakes. Photos of all the big stuff. I know I hurt you, I hurt myself too! With the guilt, the pain of knowing what I had done to you, to my family.  But don't you dare say I didn't try because I god damn did the best I knew how" Scarlet told him, her angry growing as she spoke. Scarlet walked down the hall to the front door without waiting to hear what he had to say.

She hugged herself tightly, walking along the sidewalk tears rolling down her cheeks freely. How could he of spoken to her like that, like she hadn't tried, all she could remember at that moment was trying. For all, she knew and what she thought was that somehow, he'd never seen that she tried, on the other hand, how could she know if he wasn't just making it seem like he hadn't because he didn't want to face it. That just didn't seem like the Parker she had known but she didn't know him anymore, not in any real way.