His Return

Shane was coming home. She could hardly believe it and still didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about it. She wanted to see him, but since he had made it clear by not answering her letters and refusing both her attempts to visit him that he didn’t want to see her, she wasn’t going to try. That didn’t mean she would not be a part of his homecoming, though. “Do you think we’re done?” Lorraine, Shane’s aunt, asked her as she fluffed a pillow. Mallory took a step back to look at the small studio apartment she had been working with Lorraine to get ready for Shane to live in when he got home. Sparsely decorated, but she’d done everything she could to make it as homey as possible. There was a sofa on the wall right inside the front door and a TV stand that she’d placed right in the middle of the room, separating the living room from the bedroom areas. On the other side of the front door was a small table and two chairs next to a large window that overlooked the porch. The small kitchen was perfect for one person, in her opinion, and she’d done her best to make sure it was as stocked as it could be for him to come home. She had deliberately bought things she knew he used to like and then anything else Lorraine had asked her to get based on his requests. “Hello?” Lorraine waved her hand in front of Mallory’s face. She shook her head, bringing her thoughts back to the present. “Sorry, I think it’s great. I hope he likes it.” “I think he’ll love it. You sure you don’t want to stay for dinner when he gets here?” “No. Thank you, though,” Mallory smiled at the older woman. “You know, I think you two have a lot of talking to do when he gets back.” Lorraine held the screen door open for her as they left. “I think you’re wrong.” She confessed. The small apartment had its own entrance but was off the back of the hardware store that Shane’s uncle, Mark, owned. Lorraine had told her that Shane was going to be working there when he got back until he found something better. She hoped he did, that he didn’t let this steal his life from him completely. It had already taken enough. He didn’t want to see or talk to her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t wish him well. “Thank you for your help, dear,” Lorraine took Mallory’s hands and gave them a squeeze. “Please don’t stay away now that he’s back.” Mallory smiled, Lorraine had always been able to read her mind. “I don’t plan to for long.” She gave her a wink before walking behind the register to get her purse and keys. “I’m so glad you decided to stay on helping out in the store for Saturdays. It helps me keep Mark out of the store.” Lorraine told her. Lorraine had been pushing Mark to retire, or at least stop coming in so often since he’d had a heart attack two years ago. Only recently had he stopped coming in on Saturdays, letting Mallory handle the store. His trust issues ran deep, had stemmed from having a terrible manager for a while and the mess that he had to clean up and had nearly bankrupted the store. The whole situation had really taken its toll on both of them. Lorraine, who had seemed to age a lot more in the last year all at once, was looking younger today, excited about Shane coming home. She had styled her hair her usual way, but had allowed her hairdresser to finally cut a few inches off, making her long gray hair look healthier. Her wrinkled skin was glowing today as her happiness shown through. They had raised Shane since he was five, and his mother, Lorraine’s sister, had passed, and had always treated him like the son they never had. Shane had tried to be a dutiful son for them, but he seemed to attract trouble. She watched him struggle for years, although her parents had absolutely hated her hanging out with him. “We’re back!” Mark announced as he walked into the store, letting the door slam behind him. Mark’s tall frame, pulled to his full height, standing straight, something he didn’t do anymore, always somewhat hunched over. “That’s my queue,” Mallory said. “You guys enjoy your night.” “You’re not staying?” Mark asked. “Gotta run,” she told him, stepping on her tiptoes and kissing his weathered cheek. “Be careful,” Mark told her, as he did every time she left. Shane hadn’t come in yet, but she hoped maybe he had gone around the back to go up to his apartment and wasn’t still in the parking lot. She just need to get in her car and get out of here before running into him. Luck was not on her side, though. There, leaned against Mark’s truck and right next to the driver’s side of hers was Shane. She took the time to look him over, someone she hadn’t seen in literal years, but had only imagined. He’d grown up in the time he’d been there and put on a lot of muscle. She knew this from Lorraine talking about him, but it was different to see him. He had some tattoos on his arm, something she hadn’t known, and she wondered if there were more. No, she told herself, he wants nothing to do with you. Stop making this harder on yourself. She took a deep breath, fortifying herself and approached her car, unable to not think about him. He didn’t notice her until she stepped off the sidewalk and crunched on the gravel below. “Mallory?” He looked directly at her, his eyes wide, clearly surprised to find her here.