Texas. Maybe it would be far enough from California, New York, Arizona,
and Florida. But why should distance matter? He's not running away-or
towards anything.
He had to do it, Robbie did. The realization had been sudden and he hadn't said goodbye. He didn't even know if they had realized he was gone-and that too was why he had to go.
They. The Camdens. He would be forever grateful to them for taking him in off the street. He had even truly been in love with Mary. But he had grown and she hadn't and that had been that. And it wasn't that he hadn't tried, because he had. Tried at least three times, maybe more. (He'd lost count.) But in the end, he had kept growing when every other person in that house had stood still.
Still he had stayed. If leaving was easy, it made him too much like his father. And so he stayed, wanting to be a Camden and not share a name with the creep who'd abandoned him more than once.
But time passed and all at once that he could never be a Camden. Not by marriage, for Mary would never grow up, at least, not without a lot of pain, anyway. And Lucy had Kevin. Robbie had his doubts about the man and his intentions, but Lucy had made it quite clear he wasn't welcome. And even though he lived with them, he knew now that he would never have the bizarre world-view that belonged to those who were Camden by birth.
And so all the sudden, everything had come together and Robbie had left. Left the Hello Kitty room, and Lucy and Mary and all the Camdens.
He was not running, he assured himself. He was not like his father, nor like the Camdens. Unlike the Camdens, he could grow up and out, and so he left.
Robbie knew that he could never go home again. But he wouldn't want to. That house in Glen Oak had never been his home, though he would use what he had learned there to build one of his own. You can never go home again. But you can go home to begin.
He had to do it, Robbie did. The realization had been sudden and he hadn't said goodbye. He didn't even know if they had realized he was gone-and that too was why he had to go.
They. The Camdens. He would be forever grateful to them for taking him in off the street. He had even truly been in love with Mary. But he had grown and she hadn't and that had been that. And it wasn't that he hadn't tried, because he had. Tried at least three times, maybe more. (He'd lost count.) But in the end, he had kept growing when every other person in that house had stood still.
Still he had stayed. If leaving was easy, it made him too much like his father. And so he stayed, wanting to be a Camden and not share a name with the creep who'd abandoned him more than once.
But time passed and all at once that he could never be a Camden. Not by marriage, for Mary would never grow up, at least, not without a lot of pain, anyway. And Lucy had Kevin. Robbie had his doubts about the man and his intentions, but Lucy had made it quite clear he wasn't welcome. And even though he lived with them, he knew now that he would never have the bizarre world-view that belonged to those who were Camden by birth.
And so all the sudden, everything had come together and Robbie had left. Left the Hello Kitty room, and Lucy and Mary and all the Camdens.
He was not running, he assured himself. He was not like his father, nor like the Camdens. Unlike the Camdens, he could grow up and out, and so he left.
Robbie knew that he could never go home again. But he wouldn't want to. That house in Glen Oak had never been his home, though he would use what he had learned there to build one of his own. You can never go home again. But you can go home to begin.