The Indefinite Choice

Chapter 4

I hear some distinct noise inside the house while I'm walking towards the front door. And most definitely, the noise is coming from the great room/living room.

"What David, you don't get to tell me it was just a coincidence. This is not the first time I've heard that excuse from you!". I hear Regina's heels pacing back and forth on the marbled floor.

I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything. It's just that I wanted to know what's going on. I saw her nursing a glass of, I might say, whiskey while talking to her phone and based on the name, of course it would be my father she is speaking with.

"No, you don't. This is ridiculous. Call me when you have another excuse." She says and huffs. I almost expected her to throw the phone or maybe the glass but she didn't. She just slammed it back to the stand.

"Uhm- I'm gonna head upstairs." I say and she looked at me with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there Emm-ah." She says with that husky voice. "Have you had dinner yet?".

She then drank whatevers left on her glass.

"Uhm-yeah. I ate at Granny's." I said while battling to ask if she is okay. If both her and dad were okay because if they aren't, I'm gonna pack my bags and head back to California first thing tomorrow morning.

"Okay. I hope everyone was nice to you in this town." She says and grabs the bottle of Jack and poured her glass again.

"Yes. They were nice. A-are you okay?".

"Wouldn't you like to know?". She mutters.

"If you and dad were having problems, I don't want to impose. I could go back-".

"Go upstairs Emm-ah. Everything's fine. You will be accompanying me tomorrow and I will still have to show you around town." She says and takes another drink again.

"Okay." I said and turned around. I can feel her burning gaze behind me but I immediately walked upstairs to my room.

After taking a bath, I plopped down to my bed and started to read one of the books I brought with me, The Canterbury Tales.

There was a knock on my door, followed by a tentative, "Emma?".

"Come in."

"Are you all settled in?".

"Yes. Thank you."

"Emma..." She starts and I looked at her biting her lip. "Your father and I, we're on a rough patch right now. But I'm letting you know that I'm glad you are here and you should not be caught in the middle of it."

I stared at her while she stares at me too, I nodded and smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry about being rude to you." I said.

"It isn't you who should apologize." She says in her husky voice.

"Have you had dinner?". I asked trying to stray the subject.

She sighed and walked further in my room.

"Not yet Emma, I've lost my appetite. And I will just throw them all out later when I wake up." She says and another sigh. She then looked at my guitar. "I told your father to tell you that it's okay to put your instruments down by the music room."

"Yes, I could set them up tomorrow?".

"Sure you can." She says and she stared at me again.

I don't know how long it's been but I'm also staring right back at her. Getting lost in those brown orbs. Then she cleared her throat.