Reunion In A Restaurant In Michigan

Under An Umbrella

Sequel to Living In A Fast Car. Yes. Maybe I'll make a separate book for this little series.  

Alfred POV

Compared to the last two years, this has actually been one of the most normal and joyous days out of all them.

We ran to the sunflower fields while laughing. We found a nice patch in the middle of it-the spot we used to go. Ivan timidly said he made sure the planters kept it empty all these years, even going as far as to get himself a job at the farm, just to be involved in it happening.

After that, Ivan hid that sweet lil face in his scarf and didn't come out until I hug attacked him.

He asked me so many questions. I knew some would be hard to answer. Okay, all of them. In retrospect, I didn't realize how weird the past few years of my life had been. Moreover, I didn't realize how secretive I had become.

The first one he asked, with such hurt violet eyes that it actually made me flinch: "Why didn't you come back?"

I had to think about how to answer that one. "M-Mom went nuts after Dad left. She wanted to leave the state and never come back. I didn't get a choice. She drove me all the way across the country. She drove us to this little strange town with only 500 people, and one religion-some very off brand version of Christianity. Once we got to this tiny little town, I...I...I wasn't a-allowed to l-leave. Or talk to you."

His tone was rather plaintive. "Why?"

I pulled my knees up to my chest. "Mom took away my cellphone and my computer and my Xbox and even letter writing stuff."

Ivan's whole demeanor changed as soon as I said that, from hurt and sad to paranoid. It scared me. "What?!"

I stared at the ground in front of me, where a daffodil was growing. "She...sh-she w-wanted to start over."

Ivan's hands began shaking. "Did she torture you?!"

Upon shifting on the hard ground, I felt my penny collection in my pocket rattle. Ivan tilted his head like a puppy at the noise. I almost forgot our conversation, he looked so cute. Ivan booped my nose at random, giggling uncontrollably into his scarf. I was so happy to hear that giggle that I jumped on him.

After a wrestling match and laughing his ass off, Ivan was back to seriousness. "So. Back to the previous question. You do remember, don't you?"

I chuckled. "Yeah."

Ivan teasingly remarks, "Did your attention span mysteriously improve?"

"N-no, th-the oppos-site."

He did the puppy head-tilt again. That cute asshole. "I was so sad, Ivan. I barely remember the first six months. I rebelled against her and we fought several times, but...she always won. She wouldn't even let me go to school, said I needed to just go to church instead."

Ivan silently listened, scooting closer to me to hear me. "I wa-was so out of it for f-four weeks, so zoned out and spacey. It was like being on way too much Concerta, which I mean, I was. I...I was almost b-brain dead."

He suddenly looked scared. "Were you taken advantage of in that state?!"

I resumed staring at the daffodil. "P-plenty of times, all by my m-mom. She cared all ab-about keeping up a-appeara-ances. We sh-showed up to to-town meetings, vo-volunteered, all that st-stuff. Once, I hung out w-with a guy in our little congregation w-while taking the...the...money stuff for churches."

Ivan helpfully pitched in, "Tithings."

Feeling a stab of anxiety, I talked faster, making my stutter worse. "Th-thanks. He-he knew how easily agreeable and manipulated I was. He knew. He o-offered me a job th-there. I was clueless and M-Mom didn't b-bother to help me."