A Promise Fulfilled [WattyAwards#2012]

Chapter IV: A Heart Once Broken

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Chapter IV: A Heart Once Broken

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"It's a father's duty to give his sons a fine chance."

― George Eliot, Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life.

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Dex actually showed up at 4:54 on the following Friday, and spent a few minutes on the doorstep wondering if he should knock or not-maybe Timmy needed those six extra minutes, after all-before a voice from behind made him practically slip down the stairs.

"Are you going to move now, Sasquatch, or do I need to endz you?"

Dex turned around quickly only to find himself face to face with Haley, who was standing there with her hand on her hip and murderous expression.

"Well?" She took a step closer, narrowing her eyes.

Dex blinked and moved to the side. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"Whatevs." She strode up to the door and tried the doorknob. It didn't budge.

"Shit," she hissed, before slamming her gloved hand against the wood several times. "Ryeille! Open the damn door!"

Dex stared upwards when one of the windows on the second story creaked open and Timmy stuck his head out. "Oh my God, Haley, either shut up or remember to bring your friggin' key next time!" His head was wrapped in a towel, and it looked like he was wearing some sort of threadbare bathrobe. His expression softened and his cheeks flushed pale pink when his eyes alighted on Dex. "Hey there! You're early! I'll be down in one sec, alright?"

Dex nodded, but Haley threw her arms up in the air in exasperation. "Would you just let me in, Timmy?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely..." Timmy disappeared for a moment before poking his head back out and tossing something small and silver down onto the front step, right at Haley's feet. "That's mine though, so give it back or I will murder you."

"Right," she said. "Thanks." He rolled his eyes and shut the window.

Haley reached down for the key and jiggled it into the lock. After a few tries, it turned, and she shoved herself against the door to make it open. She stumbled a few steps into the hall and turned back to stare at Dex. "Well, are you coming?"

"Oh...yeah..." He rushed in after her and closed the door. Haley was already kicking off her shoes as she walked down the hallway, leaving the beat-up things lying in the middle of the floor. Dex stomped his feet a few times to clear off the snow, and wondered if he should take his own shoes off. He never had before, and he was 99.8 percent sure his socks today were the ugly grey ones with holes, so he decided to keep the shoes on and followed Haley. The hallway looked different, today, and Dex realized that there were several new paintings on the walls now overlapping the old ones-intricately detailed scenes of elves and fairies and dragons that looked like something straight out of a storybook. Dex had never imagined fantasy would be Timmy's preferred style, but then, he didn't really know Timmy well enough to be able to predict him. He moved from the hallway into the living room area. It was cleaner than usual-no paint, no brushes, no canvas, and even the stains on the floor seemed to be missing. The light were all on, and there was a pot bubbling on the element in the kitchen. Haley slid over across the floor into the kitchen, slapped the key down on the counter-top and screamed, "Ryeille! I'm putting your key on the counter!"

"Thank you!" Timmy's voice came from upstairs. "I'll be down in a minute!"

Haley began to pull off her jacket. "Well, be faster! I'm sure as hell not gonna entertain your boy toy!"