Finding Home

Part Twenty

Chapter 20

Five Years Ago...

Tobias paces back and forth debating whether he should leave the building or not. His mother, a woman he has not spoken to in a few years, recently contacted him saying that his father is in the hospital with days, maybe hours, left in his life. Tobias has not spoken to his mother nor father for the past five years. The moment he turned eighteen, he left his home and never looked back.

Evelyn, his mother, left his father when Tobias was only nine years old. Growing up in his household was a hellhole for Tobias. His father was an alcoholic who enjoyed going to bars almost every night after work wasting away his money on liquor. His father, Marcus Eaton, would come back home not only reeking of alcohol but women's perfume as well. Marcus was far from a loving father and a kind man. He blamed his problems on his wife which led to Tobias spending most of his childhood locked away in his room, and sometimes closet, listening to his parents arguing at night. So when Tobias was nine years old, his mother had had enough with Marcus' bullshit. She packed her bags while the boys were asleep.

"Tobias, Mommy's going to go away for a while okay? But I'll be back before you know it," Evelyn has said to nine-year-old Tobias. She kissed his forehead and that was the last he heard from her for almost a decade.

It was a surprise to Tobias when he learned his father had attempted to sober up after Tobias went away to college. Marcus had contacted Evelyn and they tried to work things out. It took many months for Evelyn to trust Marcus again. Tobias didn't even know his parents were trying to work things out until three years ago when Tobias was a junior in college. But he wasn't going to talk to his parents again, especially after what Marcus did to him and his mother. No way in hell was he ever going to agree to see them. His mother didn't even bother to contact him after he left. His father had spent many years tormenting him. No way, no way, was he ever going to see them ever again.

But it wasn't until he got a call a week ago from an unknown number.

"Hello?" Tobias sighed into the phone. Tris was cuddled up asleep into his side, and Tobias was riding the high he just got after being intimate with Tris.

"Tobias?" Suddenly, Tobias tensed and his face became pale. "Tobias? Is that you?"

Tobias slipped away from Tris' grasp and went into the other room. Suddenly, he felt angry and he wanted to throw something across the room. "Evelyn." He says through gritted teeth.

"Oh, Tobias. I'm so sor—," He cuts her off.

"What do you want, Evelyn." He spits, a sudden sour taste rising in his mouth.

"Your father—," She starts.

"I don't care about Marcus. I told you this last time, and I'm going to say it again. I want nothing to do with the both of you. Don't call me again." He's about to end the call when he hears Evelyn scream.

"He's dying! He only has about a week left. He wants to see you, Tobias. Please, son." Tobias feels like he should feel some sort of emotion about learning that his father is dying, but he feels nothing. But there's some part of him that feels like he should maybe see Marcus one last time and say the things he wished he could say before.

So there Tobias was, pacing back and forth in front of the hospital his father was at.

"Fuckkkk. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckkkk." Tobias sighs and puts his hand to his forehead. Tobias glares at the people who pass him and gives him weird looks. "You can do this. You can do this, Tobias. It's not that hard. Just do it," he mutters to himself. And face the man who tormented you and abused you your whole childhood? God, I cannot do this.