The Perfect Family

Fleeting Peace

This was the last volleyball game of the season, the one that would earn their school the championship trophy, if the team emerged victorious.  Cora was feeling the pressure of the moment, and the only way she could seem to unwind was to smoke a joint with her teammates in the locker room before the coach called them out to the field.

Her mother would disapprove of her drug use, but at this point in her life she didn't care.  She was already numb from the trauma of her childhood, spending sleepless nights tossing and turning to bad dreams and seeing silhouettes of her birth father everywhere she went, so she had no qualms with resorting to drugs to keep her nerves at bay.

She took a puff from the joint and passed it to her friend. "We better get our shit straight before the game starts. Coach will kill us if we blow this."

"You're going to do fine, Cora." Her best friend, Beth, assured her. "The other team has no chance."

The door to the locker room opened a few seconds later, and the joint was smashed against one of the lockers before their coach could see it.

However, the smell lingered around like a bad date, and their coach shook her head with a frown. She picked up the joint and displayed it in the air with disapproval. "How many times do I have to tell you girls not to smoke that shit? This stuff slows your brain down, and it will affect the game."

One of the girls shot up from the bench, lacing her hands in front of her like a prisoner begging for a second helping of tasteless food.  "Please, don't tell my parents about this.  They will kill me!"

Cora rolled her eyes at her teammate.  She was the daughter of one of the baptist preachers in town, so it would be quite the scandal if she was busted doing drugs.  The coach seemed to understand her plight, because the put her hands on the girl's shoulders and gave her a reassuring smile.  "I'm not going to tell any of your parents, as long as you girls make sure not to do it again."

"We won't." Beth promised, "You have our word."

"Good.  Now let's get out there and win that trophy!"

And that's exactly what they did.  Cora played one of her best games of the year, and they beat the other team by twenty points.  When they got back to their hometown, they celebrated by going to Beth's house and drinking the bottle of vodka that was locked in her parent's liquor cabinet. 

Cora hung around there until one of her friends started throwing up, then she decided to head back home before she became nauseated herself. 

She walked five blocks to reach her house, stopping in her tracks when she saw two other cars sitting in her driveway.  One belonged to her ex-stepfather, James Reed, and she couldn't place the other. 

Her mind immediately filled with frustration.  "Oh, God.  Please tell me this is not an intervention."

The only time her parents got together was when she had gotten into trouble. They took turns lecturing her on the error of her ways, then they would beg her to find a good church to attend with kids her age that were better behaved than her friends.  It was the same song and dance every single time, and she was tired of hearing it.

She turned around, ready to walk back to Beth's house, until her front door opened.  Hope came out with a smile on her face, carrying her son in her arms.  "Where do you think you're going, Cookie?"

The tension immediately fled from Cora's body, and she ran to give her a big hug. "Aunt Hope, I had no idea you that were coming."

"Your mom wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well, it definitely was."  She pulled out of the hug and looked at Jacob, running her fingers through his blonde hair.  "Wow, I can't believe how much he's grown."

"You want to hold him?"

"Yes, please."  She took the baby from her arms and bounced him up and down, her smile growing when he began laughing.

She really had missed Hope and Jacob more than she could have imagined.  Every time they visited, things around the house were a lot more laid back and happy.  She didn't have time to argue with her mother because they were all too busy laughing.

She often wished they would never go back home.

The smile on Hope's face faded when she caught the smell of alcohol on her breath.  She took her by the chin and whispered, "Have you been drinking?"

Cora's eyes shifted to the ground.  "Yeah, a little."

Hope reached into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out a pack of mints.  "Suck on these for a couple of minutes so your parents won't be able to smell it.  I don't want them getting upset at you."

"You mean, you're not gonna tell them?"

"No."  She answered, "But I want you to stop doing it.  Alcohol is so bad for you, Cookie."

"I know.  It's just that-" She stopped and shook her head.  "I can't stop thinking about my father."

"Have you told your mom about this?"

"No.  She has enough problems of her own without having to worry about me."

"Honey, it's her job to worry about you."  She took her face into her hands.  "And you shouldn't try to deal with this alone. Let your mom help you."

Cora pinched back the tears that swelled in her eyes and laid her head on her shoulder. "Mom will never be able to help me, Aunt Hope. She's just as afraid as I am, and she deals with it by drinking all night."

"Give her a break, Cookie. She's trying her best."

"I know, but it's not enough."

Hope wrapped her arm around her shoulder and started leading her to the house. "Don't think about it right now. Let's go inside and have some laughs."

They went into the house to find James and Emily sitting on the couch, both of them rising to greet their daughter with a warm embrace.

James ruffled her hair and smiled. "How was your game, kiddo? Did you win?"

Cora forced herself to smile.  It wasn't often that her parents were in the same room without arguing with each other.  "Yeah, we won."

"That's great."

Emily smiled as well.  "It sure is, sweetie.  We are both super proud of you."

"Is that why everyone is here?"  Cora asked, her eyes narrowing.  "To praise me on a game well played?"

James shook his head.  "No, I just wanted to see you, Cora.  I've been thinking about you a lot lately."  His eyes fell back on Emily.  "Both of you."

Cora mashed her palm to her face.  "Oh, God."

"It's not like that, baby.  I didn't come here to beg your mom to take me back.  That ship sailed a long time ago, and I have come to accept it.  I swear, I just wanted to visit with you for a little while before I go away on another business trip."

"Where are you going this time?"  Hope asked, trying to break the tension in the room.

"Japan.  I'll be gone for two months."

Cora tried to maintain the stoic expression on her face, but her eyes softened.  She really was happy to see him.  Things had began to crumble between her and her mother the day he left, and she wanted to use this time to savor the little bit of peace that his presence brought back, if even for a couple of days.

"Well, while you're here, let's watch some movies and gorge ourselves with ice cream."

And they did just that. They spent the entire night eating ice cream and laughing about the terrible special effects of the science fiction movies they were watching. To most people, it would seem like any other night at home, but to Cora it meant the world.

She cherished each moment, never suspecting that their happiness would soon crumble all over again.

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AN:  Just wanted to thank you all again for reading, commenting, and voting on the story so far!  ❤️❤️