Beyond the Ordinary

Chapter 4

KATE 

My father and I drove back to our house and he helped me bring everything to my bedroom. He placed the bags onto my bed as his eyes searched around my room, taking everything in until they settled onto all of the pictures that I'd brought that were sitting on my dresser.

I felt my stomach sink in guilt as his eyes started to water.

I should have warned him, I thought to myself.

But he didn't look angry. Instead, he took one of the pictures off my dresser and gently ran his thumb over its surface. It was the picture of my father holding a baby me in his arms with my mother standing right beside him, her eyes light and happy.

"Can I keep this one?" He asked in a small voice, thick with emotion.

I nodded. "Yeah, of course."

He walked out of my room with the picture in hand and I heard the door to his own room open and close.

I shook my head and started to sort through my school supplies bag first. Then, I proceeded to go through all of my new clothes, organizing them the way I saw fit. After that, I picked out an outfit for school the next day and laid it over my desk chair.

The outfit I laid out was a little more girly than what I was used to wearing, but I was going to be meeting with the principal and new people. I wanted to make a good impression because I knew that it would disappoint my father if I didn't.

I took my wastebasket downstairs after I was done to empty it of all the tags. Passing by my father's bedroom, I heard the incessant ringing of his phone which signaled that he refused to answer.

It must be my mother, I thought as I headed down into the kitchen.

I headed back up the stairs, and without paying attention, I almost crashed right into my father. I could tell that he'd been crying - his eyes were red and puffy and his expression was melancholy and fatigued, making him look much older than he actually was.

Without thinking, I dropped my wastebasket and pulled him into a hug. Without resistance, my father hugged me back, holding me close to him. I felt his chest shake as he slowly let out a long breath.

"Was that mom calling you again?" I asked quietly.

He nodded, not saying anything.

"Wait here," I told him. Heading into his room, I grabbed his still-ringing phone off of his bedside table.

Sure enough, the caller ID showed Elizabeth.

My mother's name.

Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and answered the call.

"Hello?" I said, even though I knew who was on the other line.

"Kate? Is that you?" My mother's voice was slurred.

"Yeah, mom. It's me," I responded, though the word "mom" felt foreign on my tongue.

"How are you, sweetie?" She asked, sounding like she actually cared.

I could tell that she'd sobered up a bit - her words had become less slurred and I could hear her more clearly.

"I'm okay, but I'd feel better if you'd stop calling," I answered honestly.

The line went silent for a little while, giving the impression that my mother had hung up, but I knew that she was still there since I could still hear her soft breathing.

Finally, she spoke up again after a few moments "I'm sorry. About everything."

She sounded honest, but I knew it was the alcohol talking. She probably wasn't even aware of what she was saying.

"Goodbye, mom." I hollowly said, trying not to choke on my own words.

"Wait, Kate, don't go-"

I hung up before my mother could finish her sentence.

Trying to calm myself down, I placed my father's phone back onto the table and switched it to silent in case my mother tried to call again.

I turned to head back into my own room, only to see my father standing in the doorway. He was leaning against the frame, his arms lazily crossed over his chest.

"You've grown up so fast," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He smiled.

I smiled proudly back. "It's just you and me now, dad. I'm not going anywhere for a while."

He walked up to me slowly and kissed my forehead gently. "Thank you for doing that." Although he was an adult, at that particular moment, he sounded like a child - lost, sad, and afraid of the unknown.

"You're welcome, dad," I whispered. I left his room and walked back downstairs to start making dinner.