Chapter 6
1466 Words
-Present day-
Matt grabbed his truck keys and followed Jenny outside. He wasn't sure he was ready to face his family but ready or not here he goes.
Jenny looked at him and gave him a small smile. "Ready?"
Matt just nodded, he started the truck and backed out of the driveway. He pasted by all the familiar roads, even the same dairy queen he would go to with Sarah with as a kid.
" So how bad are we expecting this to be?" Jenny asked, clearly nervous.
"I'm thinking nuclear bad." Matt offered her a smile of reassurance.
"Yeah that's kinda what I was afraid of." Jenny pouted.
"You know you didn't have to come." Matt giving her a way out knowing full well she wouldn't take it.
"Not a chance your stuck with me." Jenny said grabbing his hand not on the wheel and squeezed it.
Matt pulled around the last corner and a wave of emotion slammed right in his face as he pulled up into the driveway.
The last time he was in that house he was told to never come back, never set in the house again. Matt intended to listen, so being back here was not something he ever planned to do again.
"Alright let's do this." Jenny said confidentiality.
Matt hoped out of his truck and stared up at his old home, memories flooding back inside memories that he thought he laid to rest. He rubbed his hand over the finger his father snapped years ago.
Matt and Jenny stood at the front door, Jenny looked at Matt for direction on whether to ring the door bell or not.
Matt rang it, and waited. The door opened and there stood his mother. Though her hair has grayed over the years, she has aged well.
"Matthew, Jennifer." Celine stated, as she reluctantly moved aside for them to enter.
Matt walked in, and it looked exactly the same inside as if time has stood still.
Matt smelled food coming from the kitchen, and had to wonder who they hired after Sarah left. Sarah had only stayed for as long as she did for Matt and once he left so did she.
"Dinner will be ready in 45 minutes." Celine said formally.
"Timothy and Emma will be here shortly."
Matt just nodded thinking that Emma must be the women Tim re-married.
Matt and Jenny sat on the couch and gave each other a look. Celine took the small one seater and her hands placed in her lap.
The awkwardness was felt throughout the room, Matt cleared his throat.
"So what are they saying about dad?" Matt finally asked.
"Maybe a few weeks before...they are keeping him comfortable." His mom's voice broke.
Matt felt sorry for his mom, he saw the pain in her eyes. It never mattered the type of man his father was his mother loved him regardless.
"I'm sorry Celine." Jenny said sincerely.
Celine nodded. Jenny jumped a little as the loud doorbell rang thoughout.
"Hi mom, were here." Tim's voice carried into the living room.
Tim stopped suddenly his eyes found Matt's instantly. Matt took in his older brother, he got a small beer gut, his face looked older, but overall he looked good.
Matt of course didn't recognize the woman standing next to his brother, though she was clearly pregnant.
"Matthew." Tim said.
"Tim." Matt reciprocated.
" This is Emma." Tim motioned to his wife.
"Congratulations." Matt offered motioning to her belly.
"Thank you." They both said in union.
" Hi Jenny, it's been years." Tim said without meeting her eyes.
Jenny ignored him and looked at Emma.
"Congratulations, being a mom is amazing."
" Well now that is out of the way shall we head to the dining room for cocktails?" Tim suggested.
Matt figured they would all need alcohol to get through this.
Tim made everyone's drinks and they all sat around the table.
"How's dad today?" Tim asked.
"He's having a good day today, we can go in there once his nurses are finished with medication and bedsheets." Celine explained.
"So Matthew what is knew in your life?" Timothy asked looking directly at his brother.
Matt hesitated, he could feel Jenny tense up next to him
"Work is good, I travel alot." Matt keep it short and sweet.
"That's good, work is important." Tim said, taking a big drink.
"Are you two married?" Emma asked looking between Jenny and Matt.
Jenny let out a snort. "No,no he's my cousin."
"I actually married his best friend." Jenny said nudging Matt.
"Oh, sorry." Emma embarrassed.
"Are you married?" Emma asked, trying to be polite and make small talk.
The table fell silent. Matt watched Tim and their mother exchange glances.
" No, I'm not married." Matt said, but wanting to say so much more but knew it was cause more problems then solve them.
" Oh." Emma looked confused noticing everybody tensing up.
" How about you Jennifer? How's your mother doing?" Celine asked.
Matt knew that Jenny's mom Lily didn't talk to his mom anymore. They were never very close and what happened between the sisters well they just never made the effort to fix it. Matt could understand that feeling he was pretty sure things between him and his own brother is probably broken forever.
"Things are good, work is well. My mom is doing good still working at the office." Jenny replied, before taking another drink of her martini.
The room fell quiet everybody trying to think of the next small chitchat to ask.
"How much till the due date?" Jenny finally broke the silence.
"Just a few weeks."Emma beaming, her smile so wide.
"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?" Jenny continuing the conversation.
"Boy." Emma rubbed her stomach.
"We are naming him after dad." Tim said proudly looking at Matt.
Matt did his best not to let Tim get a reaction. "It's a good name."
"You know I'm surprised you even bothered to show up." Tim's voice carried that same tone as their father's had.
Matt had noticed that Tim had already 2 refills of his rum and coke, well mostly rum.
"Timothy please."Celine begged.
"To be honest I'm surprised I showed up too." Matt challenged back.
Tim huffed pouring more rum into his glass he didn't even bother with the soda that time.
"Yeah well a guilty conscience will make you do the right thing."
"I have no guilty conscience, I came here because Jenny asked me to." Matt stated truthfully.
"You fu@king kidding me?!" Tim slammed his glass down.
"You were a spoiled brat, and I guess some things don't change." Tim shouted.
I guess pleasantries were over Matt thought.
" Yeah I was definitely spoiled wanted to live my life true to myself." Matt fired back.
"It's a small town Matthew, and mom and dad are respected people in this town and you were selfish!" Tim stood up pointing a finger at his brother.
" Selfish! Are you fu@king joking?" Matt shouted back
"Please Tim." Celine begged once more.
Emma sat there looking scared and confused. Jenny looked ready to punch Tim, her fist balled up.
"Well then I guess being gay is selfish." Matt said calm.
Emma looked at her husband with a shock look on her face, then back at Matt.
"Get out!" Tim yelled, coming around the table.
Matt stood up and Jenny as well.
"Fu@k you Tim!" Jenny shouted.
"Matt is 10 times the man you will ever be!" Jenny exclaimed.
"I think it's best you both leave, you can try another time to visit your father." Celine motioning them toward the door.
Matt put his hands up, he wasn't going to fight his brother in front of his pregnant wife and there dying father right up the stairs.
Matt opened the door and the crisp Oregon spring weather felt like relief. Matt remembered that strangled feeling all to well in that house and it hadn't changed.
"I'm so sorry Matt." Jenny head was down.
" I shouldn't have asked you to come back here." Jenny sobbed.
Matt pulled his cousin in a hug.
"Don't be sorry, there's nothing else that made me happier then you and Justin and Angie, my actual family."
"You know you are prefect just the way you are." Jenny said looking at her cousin with tear filled eyes.
Matt laughed, "Come on, I'm starving we never got dinner."
Jenny looked her cousin, and the amount of love she had for him was unmeasurable. She looked back at his family home and hatred burned in her heart for the way they had just treated her cousin.
"Come on let's grab some pizza and wings and bring it back for everyone and watch a movie." Matt said putting his arm around Jenny.
- Writer
