Complicated Lovers Book 1: Jan

Chapter 5

I got back to the apartment. I was greeted by my mother.

“Where the hell were you?! I was about ready to call the cops!” She looked scared. I was taken back but then I thought maybe she was just mad that I left her at the bar. Either way, I was too tired to even try to defend myself. That’s when I heard a familiar man’s voice speak out from behind Mom.

“Jan, are you alright? We were worried.”

Oh crud. It was my father. Why was he here?! He is never here! I thought I was only gone last night!! Did Claire or Rachel call him? I stood there completely dumb founded. My father was wearing his work suit and his smoked grey hair was slicked back. His aged face stared at me as he walked past my mother. He put his arms around me and hugged me tightly.

I wanted to cry, like I was 5 years old, when my father first left me with my mother.

It has been two decades since my parents divorced. My father remarried a nice woman named, Mary. They got married when I was 10 years old. I went to the wedding. Despite my mother forbidden me. Mary made me a promise that no matter what happens, she will always welcome me as her own son. Mary had no children of her own when she met my father. After 2 years of marriage, they had my sister, Claire. I grew to like Mary. I used to visit them on the weekends when I was still in school. Mary would go to my soccer practices, when my father wasn’t able to, and cheer me on. To me, Mary has been a good mother and friend to me.

Last year, Mary died in a car accident with a drunk driver. I have never seen my dad cry so much. Claire was waiting for Mary to pick her up from her afterschool cheer practice. I had to pick her up instead. It was a long rainy day. I feel like all the missing years has caught up to me in this moment.

Dad brushed my head and spoke gently. “Where did you go Jan? What happened to my boy.”

He led me to the couch and sat me down. Mother sat across from me, placing coffee cups in front of herself and dad. I trembled as I explained everything to the detail.

At the end, my father stood up abruptly. He stormed over to the landline. My mother was pale and sat in my father’s spot and hugged me tight. She kept apologizing to me. My father called the police. Then there was a knock at the door. For some reason I was jumpy. My mother got up and answered it.