The next week went by easily, as Leah was feeling much better, more grounded, since her neighbors all came together to help her. She started running every morning again, wondering if Boomhauer still saw her through his window…
She was looking forward to her upcoming pool party at the end of the week.
Friday began like any other, rolling through slowly and lazily, everyone's attention spent more on the anticipation of the weekend than anything else. Leah was getting her work done at least, sitting at her computer in the office, but her mind kept sliding over to what she would need to pick up at the grocery store for her party tomorrow. She was excited to have everyone over, especially…
…
… she was torn from her daydreams by a sudden phone call.
The sick feeling she always got when her phone rang jolted her stomach, as usual. She was probably about due for another call or text from Dan again.
When she looked at the phone screen and saw it was her older brother Michael, she simultaneously felt relieved and worried. Michael never called her.
Filled with trepidation, Leah answered, "Hello?"
"Leah," Michael said quickly, nervously, in a voice so unlike him, "Leah… it's Dad."
She hardly realized she had driven home. Her mind was whirring a mile a minute, straining to not think of the worst case scenario, trying not to imagine how her father must look right now in that Oklahoma hospital, lying in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes and machines…
Leah gasped back a sob and shook her head. She had to focus on a game plan right now, and step one was packing for the trip home.
It was still mid day, therefore no one was out in the alley, as they were all still at work. At least, she assumed Boomhauer was at work. She still wasn't clear as to what he did for a living.
Why was she thinking about him right now? She had to find her stupid duffel bag and get out of here.
Finally she found it, remembering having stuffed it on the top shelf of the linen closet for some reason. She unzipped it and fluffed it open on the bed, then tossed a few outfits inside. How much clothing would she need? How long was she going to be staying?
Her mind very briefly wondered if she was going to need a funeral outfit, and she burst into tears of stress and frustration.
How could she be expected to drive for five and a half hours when she couldn't even get a grip on herself?
She stopped to breathe for a moment, and was able to re-center and focus long enough to pack the rest of her things, like toiletries and her phone charger. She ticked down her mental checklist, certain she was forgetting something, but she didn't have time to double check. She needed to leave now.
As she trudged quickly to the back door, the long green spider plants hanging in front of the window caught the corner of her eye. Someone would need to water them, and all her other plants, both indoor and out. And maybe get her mail too, as she wasn't sure when she would be back…
After stuffing her luggage in the trunk, she dearly hoped Peggy was home, and scuffled quickly across the alley, through the Hills' backyard, and knocked on the sliding glass doors. She hoped her knocking didn't sound too frantic, because she was frantic, but was trying to act normal for the time being.
She breathed a sigh of relief when Peggy's friendly face came around the corner and into the kitchen. Peggy slid open the door and said, "Leah! How nice to see- are you alright?"
Her worried expression scanned over Leah's face. Leah was certain she looked red and puffy from crying.
"Hi, Peggy," she strained, "I have to go back to Oklahoma. Family emergency. Can you water my plants for me? Maybe get my mail?"
Peggy stepped out onto the patio, her brows creased with concern. "Is everything okay?"
Leah looked at the ground and tried to steady her shaky voice. "My dad is in the hospital. He...he drinks a lot. And last night he drank a lot more than ever before. He's already not in the best of health…" She closed her eyes, and two big tears hit the concrete of the patio.
Abruptly she found herself crushed into a hug, with Peggy holding Leah tightly against her in a motherly embrace. Leah stiffened with surprise at first, then let the nurturing comfort envelop her, melting into Peggy's love.
"I'm so sorry," Peggy soothed. "You don't have to worry about anything here. I'll take care of your house things."
Leah sniffed and wiped her eyes after Peggy let her go. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."
"It's no problem at all." She smiled warmly. "If you need anything else, just call me. Call any of us."
Leah said goodbye and quickly scurried to her car. The long drive ahead of her was daunting, and the thought of her ailing father anguished her to tears. But, somehow, Peggy's hug and compassion made her feel... better, if only just a little.
The closer Leah approached Oklahoma City, the stronger the nerves in her stomach jangled. She was very homesick, so the prospect of returning home for the first time in months was exciting. She was worried about her father, about what state she would see him in, and if this was the last time she was going to see him again. And she was also terrified that Dan would find her while she was here, that he might somehow see her, that he might somehow hurt her again, or worse.
If only yoga or crystals could make it all go away.
The sky had darkened a while ago, the dense clouds a steel grey. The rain fell in sprinkles at first, then rapidly escalated to a downpour. Leah had her windshield wipers turned on to max speed, and she squinted through the brief moments of clarity it provided.
She drove straight to the hospital, the same hospital she had last seen almost three years ago now. It loomed over her like a towering monster, cold and hostile, opening her wounds that still had barely begun to heal, yanking out closed off memories like a rope of scarves.
She wasn't sure if she could go in. It had been nearly three years, but it was still so fresh in her mind and in her emotions. It was the last time she saw her mother alive.
Leah forced herself to get out of the car and trudge through the pouring rain. She skittered through the lobby, tracking in water from her shoes and clothes, but she could hardly pay it any mind.
She drew in a ragged breath, ignoring the nausea that churned in her stomach, and set off for the last door in the third floor corridor.
Her father was on a different floor than her mother had been, and the layout of the room and the set up of the furnishings were also not the same. But he was still in the same hospital, with the same sickening sterility, blinding white walls and floors, beeping machines, and the deafening hush of dying.
She tried and tried to prepare herself, to keep her emotions locked in place, intending to march into that room and sit primly at her father's bedside with dry eyes. However, the moment she stepped through the doorway, the second she saw her father lying in that bed, under the white hospital blanket, tubes running from his nose and into some computerized apparatus, she burst into tears. Her knees must have been weakening, she barely registered it, but eventually she realized Simon was helping her to a chair at their father's bedside.
"Leah," her father croaked, reaching out to her.
She gingerly took his hand, afraid to open her mouth in case a sob escaped.
Her hair was messy and damp, framing a pale face and swollen eyes.
"I'm happy to see you." He tried to smile. Leah knew that smile, underneath the tubes trailing from his face, and underneath the bloating from the alcohol and whatever medicine they were giving him here. It was still him under everything, the same strong and burly man she knew, with the same small, loving eyes that crinkled at the corners.
But alcohol was trying to take him, over all of his long days and nights of self medicative drunkenness… And it almost succeeded.
"Dad," she managed to squeak, her eyes brimming with tears. "I came as fast as I could."
"Don't put yourself out for me," he joked quietly, "I'm not going anywhere."
Simon spoke behind her. She had nearly forgotten that he was there. "He's going to be okay, Leah."
She wanted to believe that...but she was afraid to. Afraid to accept any ray of hope, only to have it ripped away from her again.
Just like before.
While Leah was, once again, contending with the grisly idea of a parent's morality, life in Arlen continued on as it always had. The evening air was mild, the sky was clear and pleasant, and the alley was occupied by Hank, Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer.
Hank sighed in satisfaction after getting a few sips of beer in.
"Yep."
Boomhauer was feeling relaxed and contented. The weekend was upon him now, the summer breeze held alluring promises, and tomorrow was Leah's pool party. It had been a while since he had been swimming, and the glittering water looked so inviting. And… he'd get to see Leah again.
"Yep," he agreed.
"I picked up lots of meat on the way home," Hank told them, "The best hot dogs and burger meat they had."
"This party is going to be lit!" Dale delighted.
Worriedly, Bill asked, "Do you think John Redcorn is coming?"
"Why? Still afraid Leah is going to fall madly in love with him?"
Bill didn't answer, although his silence said "Yes."
"I don't think Leah is going to invite him this time," Hank assured him.
They discussed the party, the propane grill, and the weekend in general for a few minutes longer, until Peggy arrived home from the store. She stepped out of her car and walked over to them, her tone serious and worried.
"I don't suppose any of you have heard from Leah?"
They all shrugged and shook their heads.
Peggy sighed. "Well, there won't be a party tomorrow. She had to go home for a family emergency."
"What happened?" Hank asked. "Is she alright?"
Peggy dithered slightly, not wanting to put all of Leah's business out there. "Her father is in the hospital. She's not sure when she's coming back."
They all mumbled condolences.
Boomhauer hoped Leah was alright, and hoped her dad was doing well.
He was fortunate so far that neither of his parents had any significant health issues or scares. Years ago they had won the lottery and moved to Florida. The increased financial security and relaxing environment probably helped preserve their well being.
"What can we do to help her out while she's gone?" Hank asked Peggy.
"She already asked me to water her plants and get her mail."
"We could take care of her pool," suggested Dale. "We can clean it, put in the chemicals, swim in it…"
He saw the questioning looks everyone gave him, so he added, "Swimming helps the water from getting stagnant."
Ignoring his flimsy excuse, Hank seemed to think the idea was a good one. "Taking care of the pool would be a load off of her mind…"
"I'll mow her lawn!" offered Bill, happy to once again be able to do something for her.
Boomhauer wondered what he could do, but it seemed everything was covered. He could do some electrical work, but he didn't know what needed to be done. There had to be something he could do, something that helped her and acknowledged his sympathy for her father.
Leah stayed in Oklahoma for a few days, waiting restlessly at her father's bedside. The first night there, she stayed in his hospital room, hardly sleeping as she hovered anxiously beside him. The subsequent nights he insisted she sleep at his house instead. She did, though very reluctantly. She was afraid that Dan would somehow see her there, or see her car in the driveway. Even though he lived on the other side of the city, and he knew Leah wasn't living with her father, she was still paranoid at the thought. She was barely able to rest or relax in the hospital, and she was barely able to rest or relax at her father's house, as every little noise or shadow shot her nerves through the roof.
Every morning she would quickly get ready and then go straight to the hospital, swallowing the visceral reaction that always sickened her when she arrived. Days went by, long days in the crisp, bright hospital room, and she would have never left if it wasn't for her father and brothers urging her to get out and enjoy some time back in Oklahoma. Michael and Simon had taken her out to eat a few times, and once to a large park hosting a summer festival. It was nice to be home again, and to see her family, even if the circumstances were dismal. But she still kept looking over her shoulder, wondering if Dan was around, if he could somehow see her, in this large city filled with hundreds of thousands of people...
She sat alone with her father in his hospital room, another day during her already several day stay. Michael and Simon were stopping by later. Michael and his wife were even bringing their boys, who Leah was excited to see again.
She knew her father felt like he was burdening his kids, causing them to disrupt their lives just to see him half dying in a hospital bed. He never liked to ask for help, or accept it. After the death of his wife, Leah's mother, he had fallen into a deep depression and turned to the bottle to cope. And now here he was, with cirrhosis, alcohol poisoning, and a host of other problems…
Her father had agreed with his doctor to seek treatment for his alcoholism, and to see a therapist to help him work through his depression and grief. The doctor had even said though her father's physical recovery was sure to be difficult, he could expect to live a normal life if he followed his treatment plans. It was good news, much better than anyone was expecting. However, Leah was still afraid to breathe her sigh of relief…
"I'm sorry I haven't been here. I shouldn't have left. I should have been here for you…"
It was a thought that always plagued her and guilted her. Finally she verbalized it, after holding back for days.
Her father placed his comforting hand over hers. "No. You need to be out there living your life. It's not your job to look after me."
"But if I was here-"
"You were here, and I wasn't here for you. I kept you away, and you got hurt."
His voice tightened at the thought of her getting hurt by Dan, and that she never told anybody what was happening for almost two years. He had told her before he felt disgusted with himself for not seeing the signs sooner, as if it was his fault. With another pang of guilt, she wondered if that was another reason why his drinking had ramped up in recent months...
"I can come back. I can look after you." Her eyes were bright and eager, trying to sell the idea to him.
He sat up further now to better look into her eyes, to make her understand.
"I know you want to help me. But what I want is for you to do your own thing. You're building a new life and you need to keep at it. You need to be happy." His eyes looked wet, and Leah's started doing the same. "You've been through more in these three years than any of us, what with your mother and your, well, that jerkoff."
Leah suppressed a sob.
"I can't lose you. I won't be able to go through that again." She said it in a small voice, and she felt selfish saying it. But she meant it…
"You won't lose me. I'm going to try and get better." He watched as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "And maybe soon I can come see your new house. I want to see that garden you told me about."
She wished for that day, more than anything else.
For the next several days, Peggy watered Leah's house plants and brought in her mail. In the garden, Minh and Nancy watered, weeded, and deadheaded. The pool was tended to, thoroughly, by Hank, and swum in by Dale. Bill mowed her lawn just as he volunteered.
Boomhauer stood idly beside Bill and Hank at the pool's edge, watching as Hank skimmed the water with the net, dodging it around Dale who had decided to take a swim.
The rippling of the pool water had a mesmerizing effect on Boomhauer, allowing him to reflect on his thoughts with more clarity. He tried thinking about what he could do for her… to express to her how great she was, how intriguing, how captivating…But platonically, of course.
Therefore, flowers were out of the question. She had her own flowers, anyway, plenty of them blooming along every perimeter and creeping up every corner of her yard.
His mind roved to the things she had offhandedly shared about herself, things she liked, her particularities. He thought about how full of light and life she was, and how he saw it dimmed out of her, so much so that she stopped running and doing all of her other usual activities for a while…
"I just got off the phone with Leah," Peggy announced to them as she bustled into the backyard. "She is coming home tomorrow!"
The other four of them cheered.
"That's great news!" Hank grinned.
"Is her dad doing better, then?" Bill asked.
"She said he is. He's doing better than they expected, apparently, and is clear to go home today. Leah was trying to stay with him longer but he is insisting she come home. And, quite frankly, she sounded a little homesick."
Floating in an inner tube in the pool, cigarette in hand, Dale offered a suggestion. "Maybe we can have a welcome home party."
"I think that's a great idea!"
"I grilled all the meat I bought for the pool party last week," Hank said, "But it's all the more reason to get more."
"You guys finish up out here and we can get it planned out," Peggy instructed, then she turned on her heel and left.
Dale climbed out of the pool, dripping wet in a speedo, which Hank pointedly looked away from.
"You know what, Bill?" Dale asked as he toweled himself off, "Leah will probably need a shoulder to cry on…"
Bill seemed to like the idea. "I have a shoulder. Two of them, actually."
"Now don't use her family's situation to your advantage," Hank said sternly, "It's rude."
Dale shrugged and flipped his towel over his shoulder. "Don't hate the player, Hank. Hate the game."
"I still think Bill letting things happen naturally is going to be the best course of action."
"Nothing wrong with a little divine intervention giving nature a push."
Boomhauer's attention slid out of focus as Hank finished with the pool. He was happy that Leah's father was doing better, and he was happy that Leah was coming home tomorrow. Rainey Street was much brighter when she was around…
He had noticed that his thoughts of her had been blurring the line between friend and wanting something a little more. But he couldn't want more. He didn't want to ruin anything between them. Their friendship, and living so close to each other would become awkward if things went south.
Besides, he didn't want a girlfriend. He never did. And he didn't want just a fling with Leah. She was worth more than that.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became.
But within his muddled thoughts, the thoughts in which he tried not to think about how beautiful Leah was, and how much he craved to talk to her alone for once, that he finally thought of something he could do for her for when she returned home.
Leah's father was settled in back at his house now, moving carefully and tiredly but seemingly in a positive mood. She wanted to stay with him longer, but he sat her down and told her, quite directly, that he would feel much better knowing she was off living her life, knowing he wasn't tying her down.
"I'm supposed to take care of you," he maintained, "not the other way around."
She wondered if his grief over the passing of her mother would become more manageable after he started seeing a therapist. She hoped he would keep going. Michael and Simon assured her they would be there to make sure he did.
She thought about how different her and her father's lives would be if they both saw a therapist after her mother died, rather than letting it manifest into issues that have damaged them for years, and probably will for years to come.
Her mother had died quickly, barely four months after her cancer diagnosis. It was too advanced by the time it was caught, and nothing could be done. Quickly she withered away. Someone who was once so healthy and full of life, reduced to a depleted husk on the day of her final breath.
Leah took it hard, of course, as her father had, though she didn't take up binge drinking. But she, too, was cripplingly depressed, fallen down the deepest, darkest well of grief and anguish, barely getting out of bed, rarely eating, entirely apathetic.
Months went by, with little improvement in her, though she eventually let her friends spend time with her. It was through them she met Dan, a cute guy who read books and talked about stars and geography and life. Eventually they started going out, and though he was a little full of himself, he still provided the emotional support she was depriving herself of, and more and more she became entwined in him.
After a few months of dating, he hurt her.
At first he had just grabbed her upper arm and yanked her towards him, snapping her, because she did something he didn't like. Almost immediately after, when she burst into tears, he apologized profusely, groveling, begging for her forgiveness.
And she forgave him.
She was still so emotionally fragile, and so emotionally dependent on him, that she forgave him.
And she kept forgiving him, over and over, after every violent outburst, after every time he screamed at her, after he made her block all of her friends numbers and demanded she stop communicating with them. He would become aggressive when she spent any time with her brothers or her father, paranoid that she was conspiring with them into leaving. He stopped her from running; he threw out her crystals; he tore up her drawings.
And she forgave him.
After two years of abuse, physical, verbal, emotional abuse, her brothers finally figured out what was going on and helped her leave.
Eventually, after living a few months afraid of her own shadow, she decided she needed to start over fresh. Somewhere new, somewhere without all of the memories of her mother, or of Dan, somewhere where she could try and find herself again.
And now she was finding herself...she was feeling better than she had in years, thriving in a beautiful new state full of warmth and sunshine, living in a lovely home with a beautiful garden she grew with her own hands, and spending days with new friends and neighbors, who were almost like family to her now.
She was feeling homesick for her Arlen home. She would miss Oklahoma City, and her father, her brothers, and her favorite old hangouts, but she was looking forward to being back in Texas, and seeing her favorite new hangouts, and her neighbors.
She wondered how Boomhauer was doing…
Tearfully she hugged her father goodbye, and Michael and Simon too, who were there to see her off in the driveway.
"We'll all come visit you soon," Michael grinned as he patted her on the back.
"Do I need to buy cowboy boots when I go?" Simon jokingly asked.
Leah gave a watery chuckle. "No, but you should probably drive your Spyder. It left quite an impression on my neighbors when they saw you parked there."
"Oh, yeah...who drives that Super Bee? Are they cool?"
"His name is Boomhauer, and he's very cool."
Her father stepped forward with sad eyes. She felt her guilt for leaving flaring back up again. "Thank you for coming to see me. I'm sorry it wasn't under better circumstances."
She hugged him again, mostly to hide her face, as she was ready to cry at a moment's notice.
"Please, Dad," she pleaded in a tight voice, "Please call me if you are going to drink again, okay?"
He didn't respond at first, holding back from crying. "Okay."
She wondered if he really would; but there was only so much she could do for him.
It was after another round of hugs and tearful goodbyes (the tears mainly being Leah's) before she finally got in her car and left for Arlen. The drive was mostly straight stretches of highway, but it was still long and lonely. Seeing the "Welcome to Arlen" sign brought her no greater joy. She was finally home.
She had hardly gotten out of the car before her neighbors all surrounded her, greeting and welcoming her, asking how she was doing, asking how her father was, telling her how much they missed her. It was overwhelming, but in the best way. She felt appreciated and loved, and tried her best to respond to everybody.
Peggy hugged her immediately, and Leah felt her anxieties and distress dissolve away.
"We really missed you, Leah," Peggy said with a warm smile.
"I missed you guys, too. I'm really glad to be home."
Nancy and Minh each hugged her next.
"We took care of your garden," Minh told her, "We watered and did some deadheading."
She was a little taken aback when Bill hugged her, not quite expecting it.
"I mowed your lawn!"
"I took care of the pool," Hank said proudly with a tip of his head.
"Me, too!" Dale called out.
"Thank you." She smiled at them. "It was such a relief to not have to worry about things here."
"How is your dad doing?" Nancy asked.
"Much better. He is glad to be home and in his own bed again."
Everyone continued chattering, and she continued to respond the best she could. She felt tired, both physically and mentally, and she knew she probably looked about the same. It was only mid-afternoon but she wanted to fall into her bed and sleep for another week. She hadn't had a decent rest in ages.
How nice it will be to not have to worry about strange shadows outside the window...
Boomhauer, true to his nature, hadn't said much, and stood at the edge of the group while everyone else talked to and hugged Leah. Leah wanted to say hello to him individually, but there wasn't going to be a natural moment for it while everyone else was bunched up around her.
"I'm so happy to be home and to see you all again," she said, trying to sound upbeat and not exhausted beyond belief, "But I'm going to go inside and rest for a little while."
"You get all the rest you need, Shug," Nancy nodded.
"Oh, Leah, before I forget," chirped Peggy, "Your welcome home party is tomorrow at our house!"
"I'll be there," she smiled, but then a thought dawned on her. "Oh, no...the pool party! I completely forgot-"
"Don't worry about that." Peggy waved it off. "There's always another day."
"Can I help you bring your bags in?" Bill asked.
"It's okay, I have only one."
She said goodbye to everybody, and tried to wave goodbye to Boomhauer specifically, looking directly into his eyes. He raised his hand in response, looking a bit taken aback by the sudden attention. Leah gave a small smile and turned to go inside.
Her house didn't feel as empty and still as she thought it might; it helped that Peggy had come inside regularly to take care of her plants. The energy throughout the rooms was quiet, but still flowed softly like a meadow stream.
The plants looked as healthy and green as ever, which she was most pleased about. She figured her garden would look just as lush and lively as she had left it thanks to the care of Nancy and Minh, but she was too tired to go outside to look.
Leah flicked through the stack of mail on the kitchen counter, which was mostly junk or the occasional bill. Nothing was a pressing matter, so she put it off to be tended to when she had the mental stamina for it again. She was about to change into something more comfortable to take a nice, long nap in, when she noticed a package sitting innocuously on the kitchen table.
It was a thick, flat rectangle wrapped in plain brown paper. There was no accompanying note with it to indicate who it was from.
Curiously she tore from the corner down, pulling the wrapping away until it revealed a brand new sketchbook. It was from a rather prestigious brand, high quality with heavy paper. She flipped through the empty book, feeling inspired by every blank page, canvas after canvas to be filled with her creative outlet. She couldn't wait to draw again. She hadn't drawn since Dan destroyed all of her old work in a fit of rage. She couldn't even remember what she did to elicit that reaction from him. She probably smiled at a male cashier at the grocery store or something.
She turned the book over, and looked through the front and back covers, but there were no messages or writings anywhere. However, she suspected she knew who left it for her.
She had only mentioned to two people that she would draw again if she had a new sketchbook. One was Bill, and she figured him to want to take credit for something such as this, but he hadn't mentioned a gift at all.
And the other was Boomhauer, whose style was certainly more quiet and nondescript.
The weight of his gesture took a moment to settle in, and when it did, a broad grin grew across her face, and the butterflies had begun their fluttering in the middle of her stomach. It really meant something to her that he actually listened to an offhand comment she made, and remembered it, and graciously acted upon it. Maybe he doesn't ignore me after all, she thought.
She left the sketchbook on the table, where she planned to begin drawing again after a much needed rest. She felt motivated, inspired, excited to put pencil to paper once again.
Sleep came quickly, and she dreamed of lines, angles, and quiet softness…
