Lovers at War - (A.R.)

Chapter 14

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A Drug Called Progress

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Present Day, 1955:

I WOKE UP suddenly, every previous thought in high definition. My eyes took in every ray of light, and without a doubt, I knew I had slept too long. Sighing, I threw my blanket over my face, and while enveloped in the darkness - my breathing rate soon began to steady.

These painful memories would come to haunt me often, as they were just the same as nightmares. They would vanish once I awoke and today was no different: I opened my eyes, let in daylight, and the nightmares would have no choice but to leave.

I was washed and dressed in a fraction of the time it usually took, leaving my bedroom for another tiresome day. Before heading downstairs to prepare breakfast, I checked up on Wesley in his bedroom - only to find the little boy still asleep like he hadn't a care in the world.

As soon as I reached downstairs, the first thing I did was check up on Arvin in the sitting room, suddenly remembering that he had stayed over last night. What came to no surprise - but to my slight disappointment - was to find him nowhere in sight. Even the blankets that I had lent him last night were folded neatly on top of each other. Glancing out the window, my suspicion was confirmed, as his truck was no longer parked outside.

I wasn't going to admit it out loud, but I liked it when he was around. Last night was different, especially during dinner. Maybe it was because there hadn't been another person at the dining table other than Wesley ever since my parents. . . Or maybe it was because Arvin seemed to bring in a sense of comfort. He had been so kind (albeit a little awkward), and for a moment I felt that he was a friend that I'd like to see more of in the future. Plus, it'd be a clear lie if I said that Wesley didn't like the man's presence: he'd probably even made Arvin his best friend by now.

Later that morning as I cleaned around the house, I'd stumbled upon a small note in the sitting room where Arvin had been sleeping. Curiosity had once again gotten the better of me, and I flipped the note open to see a few sentences written in messy scrawl. Likely his writing.

H̶i̶.̶ ̶H̶e̶l̶l̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶.̶ ̶H̶o̶w̶d̶y̶!̶ ̶D̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶i̶n̶g̶.̶.̶.̶ ̶F̶a̶y̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶W̶e̶s̶l̶e̶y̶,̶ ̶

Morning,

Thanks for letting me stay the night. I had to leave early because i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶a̶l̶ ̶d̶a̶y̶ my family must be getting worried.

P.S: Sorry about whatever went down yesterday in town.

⸺ Arvin R.

Smiling, I folded his note back into place and slipped it into the pocket of my jeans. Arvin was forgiven a long time ago, but I was mainly surprised that he still remembered yesterday's events.

And just like that, my peaceful morning quickly came to an end as the slightly annoying sound of my brother was heard from behind me. Turning around and giving a brief greeting to him, I beckoned Wesley over to the kitchen as he told me all about what he had planned for the day. Definitely more productive than whatever I'd be doing: I had a shift at work today that I was not looking forward to at all.

Well, that was still a few hours away, so there wasn't any need to worry about that right now. But I still dreaded the time when it would come.