Dear August

|Twenty-Seven|

I wake up with a slight gasp. Taking in my surroundings I realize I'm still at Finley's. The party died down around 2 this morning and I must've fallen asleep after most of the people left.

I lift my head up and laugh at all the red solo cups everywhere on the floor, party streamers along with them with some of them still being taped to the walls and ceiling, and is that silly string? Huh, I don't remember having silly string last night.

August face lays next to me, his arm acting as my pillow. Gross so he felt my sweat from that dream all night and made no attempt to move. Guess that's how you know it's real.

I quietly stand up and head to the bathroom, catching glimpses of the other three and a few random people hanging off the couches and sleeping on the floor.

My nightmares are coming to an end. Or I guess the end. I splash cold water on my face not wanting to think about it.

I don't want to relive that pain.

•••

"Bye!" Finley waves out the window at me as I walk up the stairs.

"Later."

"Hey, lets have lunch at the diner tomorrow! I'll pick you up!"

"Okay, just text me!" I shout from my door. She gives me a thumbs up and drives off. I smirk to myself as I unlock the door and relive the party. Luca kicked out about three people, one wearing woven shoes -the guy claimed they were from Mexico- and the other two wearing Birkenstock's.

Towards the end of the night some people were getting fed up with Lucas constant rules that they threw him into the lake. I laugh as I push open the door.

"Mom I'm home!" I shout as I close it behind me. Her footsteps approach from the kitchen. "Luca ended up kicking out three people for wearing ugly shoes, then some guys got fed up with him and lifted him up to throw him into-"

"Riley," she interrupts me. I turn my attention from my phone and look up at her.

"Yeah?"

She fiddles her fingers a little as she tries to conjure up what to say.

"Wait wait, don't tell me. You're pregnant!"

She opens her mouth.

"No! Wait wait, I've got one better, you're running away to Cuba with the love of your life and leaving me to the old orphanage on the outskirts of town?"

"Riley your father is here."

My face drops, along with my phone. I can feel my heart pounding against my rib cage. This would be a real good time to go into cardiac arrest.

"He's sitting in the dining room."

"Well, good seeing you, I'm gonna go lock myself in my room until midnight."

I turn to my room but she catches my arm and raises her eyebrows at me.

"You're going to talk to them young lady."

"Them?"

She sighs and places a hand on her hip. "Yes them. He brought his kid."

I make another attempt to escape to my room but her grip on my arm tightens. She takes my other arm into her free hand and guides me towards the living room.

"Is she pretty?" A child's voice sounds from the room over.

"Oh she's very pretty," a deep voice answers.

Mom guides me around the corner then retreats back into the kitchen. I turn my attention back to the strangers in my home.

My eyes immediately fall onto ones that resemble mine. Middle aged, wrinkled from stress. His hair was already graying too, speckling his beard as well. He seems shorter than the last time I saw him. Or I've just grown.