A knock came on the door the following morning. A tired Matt came down the stairs and opened the door to find a young woman in her twenties standing there. She was dressed in black and her eyes were puffy, giving off the appearance that she had arrived from a funeral. Her hair, a thick curly chestnut, was pulled back into a loose bun with the tendrils flying in the wind along the sides of her face. She had almond-shaped, strikingly beautiful cobalt blue eyes and slightly pouty lips doused with strawberry red lipstick and lipgloss. She looked Mediterranean with the olive skin and the buxom body, and she officially stood at 5'6" with a three-inch heel accentuation. She seemed as mysterious as the Mona Lisa, but trusting as the truest of friends.
Matt let her in and led her upstairs to the bedroom where Jeff was laying. He was, as usual, motionless...but he wasn't awake. The young woman touched his flesh and felt the warmth, while Jeff shuddered in discomfort. He awoke with a start, and the woman quickly moved her hand away from his face. he didn't turn his face yet and it seemed he was going into his familiar mode of depression.
The woman carefully sat on the bed and moved his color-streaked hair from his eyes to try and get a better look at him. She finally bent down and kissed his cheek, which soon prompted him to turn his face and look at her. His eyes soon began to well with tears, but out of happiness. The young woman smiled back, and soon so was Matt who was joined by Amy and his father.
"Jeff," the young woman whispered, "it's Starr. Baby, it's me. I'm home. I've come home, darling. I know you've missed me, and I have missed you, too."
Then, Jeff's trembling hand began to raise from underneath the sheets where it had continually laid at his side. He stroked her face with the back of his hand and spoke the first words that came out of his mouth......the first words he spoke in such a long time.
"Welcome home....my angel. Welcome home."
Matt let her in and led her upstairs to the bedroom where Jeff was laying. He was, as usual, motionless...but he wasn't awake. The young woman touched his flesh and felt the warmth, while Jeff shuddered in discomfort. He awoke with a start, and the woman quickly moved her hand away from his face. he didn't turn his face yet and it seemed he was going into his familiar mode of depression.
The woman carefully sat on the bed and moved his color-streaked hair from his eyes to try and get a better look at him. She finally bent down and kissed his cheek, which soon prompted him to turn his face and look at her. His eyes soon began to well with tears, but out of happiness. The young woman smiled back, and soon so was Matt who was joined by Amy and his father.
"Jeff," the young woman whispered, "it's Starr. Baby, it's me. I'm home. I've come home, darling. I know you've missed me, and I have missed you, too."
Then, Jeff's trembling hand began to raise from underneath the sheets where it had continually laid at his side. He stroked her face with the back of his hand and spoke the first words that came out of his mouth......the first words he spoke in such a long time.
"Welcome home....my angel. Welcome home."