Family Reunion

Sunday Night: Meet the Russ's.

Stephanie went to knock on the door but Gabe stopped her.
"This is your home, you don't need to knock." He smiled and opened the door. Stephanie was greeted by an old dog that was all too familiar to her.
"GRIZZ!" She said bending down to pet him. He was too old to jump on her but greeted her by licking her hand when she moved down to him.
"He remembers you." A voice said from the hallway. And Stephanie looked up to see her mother with a cast on her arm. Abigail Russ. She didn't look any different. She had to of been sixty five years old and still looked the same forty years she was when she had Stephanie. She was scrawny but not weak looking. She had her gray hair up in a messy bun and she was wearing a white cardigan. She had the same blue eyes as her brother.
"Hey Mom." She said trying to forget the past. She decided that she would give every one a clean slate. In her mind her mom was not the crazy lady from her past, but just her mother. She she walked over to give her a hug making sure not to hit her hurt arm. "What happened?"Stephanie looked at her moms arm and her mom looked up at Gabe.
"Oh well.. I slipped. I'm getting old ya know." She said smiling. Stephanie could sense there was something else but she ignored it. She didn't want her paranoia to get the best of her.
"Oh come on your not old. Your like what...forty five?" She knew how old her mother really was but she wanted to make her feel better.
"Your sweet Stephanie. It's no secret that I had you at an old age." Her mother said putting her hand on the arm that wasn't broken onto Stephanie's hand.
"So where's Dad?" Stephanie could sense the tension in the room.
"That's actually one of the reasons why we asked you to come here Steph..." Gabe walked over to her and put his arm around her. "Why don't we all grab a seat?" He walked her over to the living room as if she didn't remember exactly where it was. They sat down and she feared the worst.
"Is he dead?"
"Stephanie Russ, you've never been afraid to say what's on your mind have you?" Stephanie's Mom chuckled and continued to explain where her father was. "Mark was... in an accident."
"So he's dead?"
"No, no, no dear. He's bed ridden. We don't know what's wrong with him yet." Stephanie started to wonder. He's hurt. And not in the hospital. Is that why they wanted her to come home? Because she was a doctor and maybe she could help him? Stephanie stood up.
"Let's go. Show me his room."
"What? Steph you just got here." Gabe stood up  next to her.
"I want to help him. That's why I'm here right? You guys want me to check on him since you won't bring him to a real doctor? After all these years your still afraid of people in the outside world?" She locked eyes with her mother. Stephanie was disappointed. Disappointed that her mother would rather let her father die then take him to a hospital. She'll never understand why she doesn't trust anyone. They all paused for a minute. "After all these years? Nothings changed?"
"A LOT HAS CHANGED STEPHANIE!" Her mother stood up and screamed putting a look of shock on Stephanie's face. "I DID! OKAY! I DID TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL..." her anger started to turn to sadness and tears ran down her face. "They didn't know how to help. They found nothing wrong with him. We called you here so you'd have a chance to say goodbye." She looked light headed and sat back down. Gabe showed Stephanie to her fathers room and there in his bed he was still. Mark Russ. Sixty Seven years old, heavy and buff. He didn't have any hair on his head but he did have a slight beard. And although his eyes were closed Stephanie knew he had her same brown eyes. She examined him that night. His vitals, his temperature. Still she couldn't find anything wrong. She fell asleep with her head on his bed next to him.