Second Chances? – Chapter 49
By MyNameIsCAL
-Fang's POV-
The days after Mom's funeral seemed to blur together. It was like I wasn't here and life was just passing me by. I stayed in bed most days, Max forcing me to eat. I didn't want the medicine to work, so it didn't, and I stopped taking it, making things worse. What I wanted was for Max to come in here and scream in my face, I wanted someone to be angry at me, someone to blame me for everything, but no one did, and maybe I was frustrated because I knew that I was the only one that was holding myself back.
Max sat on the edge of the bed. I had my back to her, my eyes closed, pretending to sleep.
"I know you're not asleep," she said.
I said nothing in response.
She sighed. "Fang, c'mon, let's go out and have lunch or something."
Again, I didn't respond.
"Please, Fang." She rose off the bed. "I miss you."
I held my breath until she left the room, bursting into tears, no one to comfort me. Pulling the blankets over my head, I hoped that maybe I'd accidentally suffocate myself, that I wondered if it was possibly to drown in your own tears, but the door opened and Max came back in.
"Fang…" She sat next to me. "Shhhh, Fang, it's ok."
I shook my head. None of this was okay.
We stayed there for what seemed like days and days to me, and Max held me for the entire time. I always thought I'd be the one having to comfort her, but I guess I had this all backwards.
And when the tears were gone, and I had exhausted myself, I took her hand.
"I'm…I'm gonna shower and we can g…g…go out, Max."
"It's alright, Fang, we don't have to do anything if you don't want."
I got out of bed and wobbled to the bathroom. Max looked worried, and I closed the door behind me, turning on the shower. The water felt good though, and I stood under it for a while, my head clearing for a while. I realized I needed a haircut and a shave. When I got out of the shower, I resisted the urge to look in the mirror. Max had clothes set on the bed for me and I changed into them, making my way out into the hall, seeing the sun for the first time in days.
Alex was so happy to see me when she came home from school later. I sat in the kitchen with her, watching her to her homework.
"You know, you'll have to let go, Fang." Max sat next to me, head resting on my shoulder. "She has to grow up."
"I know," I murmured, taking her hand under the table. "I feel like I missed too much."
She squeezed my hand. "But she's still got so much more ahead of her, and you're here now."
I let out a sigh, and Max knew I still needed some more convincing, but the phone rang before she could say more.
"Hello?...That sounds great, Ig…Alright, of course…I'll let you know in a sec…" Max covered up the speaker of the phone and turned to me. "Dinner at Iggy's tonight? I mean, only if you're up for it."
I nodded.
Suddenly things fell back in to place, and I guess for so long I was just used to being stuck. It was different, and it was refreshing, but sometimes, I felt scared, like it was diving into cold water.
"Hey, Daddy?"
"Yes, Alex?" I sat watching TV with her. It was way passed her bedtime, but Max was always the one ushering her to bed, so I felt I had to be the lenient parent.
"I'm glad you're better now."
I gave her a small smile. "Me too, Alex, me too."
-Max's POV-
Fang had his good days and his bad days, but things were looking up. His mood went up and down, and I could project how he would be feeling by what he said to me when he woke up. Sometimes he would ask me for breakfast and other mornings he'd be asking me to go get bandages.
But this morning was one of those mornings where things seemed uncertain.
"Thanks, Max," he said, looking a little embarrassed.
I tucked in the end of the bandage. "You're welcome."
And then, to my surprise, he pulled me down and into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling his chin on top of my head. His hands were still shaking a little, and I closed my eyes, taking in a breath.
"I just wanted to say I was sorry too."
"Sorry, why?"
"For everything I've done to hurt you."
I shook my head. "You don't have to apologize."
We stayed in silence for a while.
"I'm sorry too," I added.
It was his turn to question me, "Why?"
"Because I've done my share of hurting you too." I squeezed him, thinking all the way back to the beginning of when everything fell apart, with the divorce papers and getting involved with Roland. If I had been there when he needed me, we may have never found ourselves here.
"Max, you could have probably slapped me across the face and disowned me and I'd still be stupid enough to go after you." He sucked in a breath. "Thank you for not leaving, for not giving up on me."
"I'd never give up on you, Fang."
He dropped his hands to his lap, frowning at them, still unsteady. I took them, weaving my fingers between his.
"Then shall we forget what's happened and move forward now?" I asked. "And the only reason we should have to look back is to smile, and to remind ourselves that we've come this far, that we learned from the mistakes we've made, and all that matters is that we're here together, right now, and that we're going to be okay no matter what."
He nodded. "I'd like that."
I gave him a smile. "Then let's start today, Fang, c'mon."
I stood, leading him down the hall and to the back door.
"Where are we going?"
"We're going to start with the one thing that's always given us peace in the world." I unfurled my wings.
And we took off into the sky, a weight lifted off our shoulders, and the future brighter than it had ever been.
The next chapter will be the end. I've got it written, but I need a few days to let it sit in my mind and make sure that's where I want it to stay at. Hence this chapter being split between Fang and Max's POV because I'm ending with Fang's POV, but Max still needs her last say. Stay tuned and thanks for reading, as always!
