Randomly dedicated to CourtneyOldham, FlavourOkoli, Maariiyahxx, rajkunwar92, narkkie, TorieB3

Three days later...

Jeremy's P.O.V

The house wasn't as I had left it. I guess time brought change. Eight years saw a once white walled home transformed into a lime green abode with a three feet tall wire fence spanning the entire front yard. The grass was neatly trimmed, not at all like the wild jungle it used to be when I was younger. The old flower garden below the kitchen window was alive with petunias and daisies just like when my mother cared for it once upon a time. A wave of nostalgia hit me as I gazed at the spot where my sandbox used to be as a child. Planted in its spot was a small, fountain that spouted water dutifully from the mouth of a cherub.
I've been standing on the front steps for about three minutes, riveting in two minds. Part of me was swimming in unbelief. I wasn't here. I couldn't be. This place. This house. I swore never to see it again. That was the plan. It was true that I still regarded my father with the fear of an eight year old who had been beaten daily. Being here brought that reality to light again. It brought with it painful memories too. Every inch of this house had a memory attached to it. The very steps I stood on cued images of me crying, begging my mother to stay with me. To stay with us. To not leave again. Her suitcase clattering down the steps, her hair tousled by the wind, her mind set with determination. I shook myself from that recollection.
The other part of me believed in Mrs. Paul. I didn't want to admit it, but her words had hit me harder than I would have ever imagined. I kept hoping that if I did this, everything would be okay. My marriage would recover from its place on the rocky edge. I would never raise my voice or hands again. That my relationships would be ones I actually felt proud of. I knew that it was silly to place such high hopes on something as small as forgiveness, but I couldn't help it. I needed closure. I needed to release as Mrs. Paul believed.

"Just knock the damn door," I whispered in an effort to coax myself.

It didn't work. The mental war within me was raging fiercely. It was becoming difficult to stick to one decision. Leave or stay. Leave or stay. Leave or stay.

The front door swung open suddenly. My heart leaped in response. There was a woman standing in the doorway. She looked like she was in her late forties with short, strawberry-blonde hair. Her eyes twinkled and the skin around them was crinkled with smile lines. She watched me from head to toe, assessing my demeanor, trying to guess my reason for standing outside her house. I was about to apologise for intruding. Apparently the person I was looking for didn't live here anymore, but then something behind her caught my attention. There was a framed picture of a family hanging on the left wall. I had to squint a little to see it properly, but I was certain of the faces in photo. The family was all smiles. Husband and wife standing side by side with the ocean behind them. A little boy was hanging around the man's shoulders, his arms open wide, his mouth spread into a silly grin. He was missing his front teeth, but he obviously didn't care. That day was probably the happiest he's ever had. The happiest he'll have in a while.

"Can I help you?" the woman quizzed, breaking me from my gaze. I met her eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked boldly.

"Excuse me? This is my house. I should be asking you that,"

I shook my head.

"I'm sorry. I'm looking for Hal Novak. Is he around?"

"Hal's my husband. Who are you? What do you want with him? Are you a salesman? Look we've got enough -"

"Let him in Luce," a voice called from down the hall.

I felt the hair on my neck stand erect. I knew that voice. I'll never forget it no matter how hard I try.

Luce studied me again and then stepped aside.

Is it too late to turn around? My mind asked, suddenly alert with fright.

I could just get the hell out of this place.

I don't have to do this. I have nothing to prove.

"Come on in son. I won't bite,"

Looking down the hall, my gaze landed on familiar dark eyes. The same eyes that stared back at me in the mirror every day.

The man down the hall was walking slowly towards me. His frame tall and bulky just like I remembered. Each step had a peep of confidence that old age could not steal. He must be at least fifty two by now, I think. I'd stopped keeping track the day I moved out.
His dark curly hair had receded over time to create a patch of bald in the middle of his head.

"I wasn't sure you'd actually come," the man continued.

"I almost didn't," I replied.

"Yet here you are,"

The man stopped in front of me. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He held his hands out to me.

"It's been a long time Jeremy. Come give your old man a hug," he broke out into a huge smile.

"Hello Dad,"

Hello readers!!
Thank you as usual for reading and commenting. Your support and patience mean the world 🙏❤️

Sooooo we finally met Jeremy's father (and learned Jeremy's surname😂😂)
I want to know what you guys think is going to happen between Jeremy and his dad. Will he be able to talk and work things out? Or will it all be too much to deal with? No opinion is a silly opinion. I would love to hear y'all's responses😋😘😘