Colleen awoke the next morning to the sound of something heavy
hitting the floor above her and a soft 'Ow.' Tim, she thought. She lifted
her head and noticed Randy was just awakening too. He smiled down at her
then kissed her lightly on the forehead.
"We better go help him before he kills himself." Randy spoke, his voice groggy and soft.
"Yea." She agreed sitting up. He sat up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and placed his chin on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" He asked gently.
"Yea, better then ever." She shifted slightly to him a quick kiss.
The two headed up the stairs hand in hand to find black smoke filling the kitchen. Randy acted quickly, grabbing the nearby fire extinguisher and sprayed it towards the toaster. He'd obviously had to do this before.
"Dad, what did you do?" he asked coughing slightly.
"I was trying to get the toast done quicker so I upped the power."
"Why didn't you just save yourself the trouble, douse the kitchen in gasoline, light a match and toss the toast on?" Colleen asked sarcastically, grabbing a rag to clean up the mess.
"I see Randy's sarcasm is beginning to rub off." Tim joked.
"Nope, that's just me. Now if you two will get the heck out, I'll make some un-charcoal breakfast." She began to shove them towards the couch. "Come on, it's Saturday, I'm sure there's some kind of cartoon on."
"Yea, yea, the kitchen is the women's place." Tim remarked.
"Excuse me?" he challenged.
"Just kidding." He put his hands up defensively. She headed back to the kitchen to salvage what was left of the bread for french toast. Soon Mark and Jill came downstairs, over whelmed by the delicious smell of breakfast. They all sat down at the counter to enjoy another great meal.
"Colleen, where did you learn to cook like this?" Mark asked.
"Yea, and why didn't you do this down in Costa Rica? I was kind of sick of rice and beans three times a day." Randy smirked.
"If they'd had the resources, I would have of, and I always cooked for my little sister at home Mark."
"Oh, well you're really good." He smiled at her warmly.
"Yes Colleen, I really do appreciate all this, but you are our guest, you don't-" Jill began.
"I told you Jill, I want to. You guys have been so warm and welcoming. It's the least I can do."
"We really want you here." Randy told her smiling. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"
"I have plans with friends." Mark announced. "Movie. You guys wanna go?"
"Do you?" Randy inquired to Colleen.
"Sounds good." ~ After the movie ~
"Well that was fun, but I think I might go upstairs and lie down for a bit if you don't mind." Colleen said softly when they'd arrived back at the house.
"Okay, but are you feeling alright? You look a little flushed." Randy asked concerned.
"Yea I'm fine, I'll talk to you later okay?" She turned and darted up the stairs before he could say anything else.
Colleen ended up sleeping for about four hours and Randy was a little worried. He took a glass of ice tea up to her room but he almost dropped it when he opened her door. She was tossing around in her bed whispering what he thought was 'no' over and over. He ran to her side, set down the tea and tried to awaken her. She suddenly sat upright breathing hard, her eyes searching the room. He gaze fell on Randy and she relaxed slightly.
"What's wrong Colleen?" Randy asked scared.
"Nothing, it's nothing, just a little bad dream." She tried to sound nonchalant.
"No, Colleen, I know there's something you're not telling me and if there's going to be anything with us, you have to be honest with me. I care about you, I want to be there for you, if you let me."
"Randy, I care about you too, but there's just so much." She began.
"Then we'll start out slowly, what was wrong a minute ago?"
"I just had a nightmare, about my mom." She looked down sadly. "She died when I was ten from lung cancer. My dad was a smoker. I missed her a lot, but my dad was really bad, he slipped into depression and began to abuse me." Tears formed in her eyes and spilled out onto her cheeks. She didn't want to tell him, she wasn't ready, but once she'd started, there was no stopping the flow of emotions. Randy pulled her into an hug, rocking her gently.
"Shh, sweetie it's okay, I'm here, I won't let him hurt you, never. You're safe."
"I know, and I can never thank you enough, but what about Julie? I can't help but think he's begun to hurt her." She cried harder now, her entire body shaking.
"We'll think of something, I promise."
"We better go help him before he kills himself." Randy spoke, his voice groggy and soft.
"Yea." She agreed sitting up. He sat up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and placed his chin on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" He asked gently.
"Yea, better then ever." She shifted slightly to him a quick kiss.
The two headed up the stairs hand in hand to find black smoke filling the kitchen. Randy acted quickly, grabbing the nearby fire extinguisher and sprayed it towards the toaster. He'd obviously had to do this before.
"Dad, what did you do?" he asked coughing slightly.
"I was trying to get the toast done quicker so I upped the power."
"Why didn't you just save yourself the trouble, douse the kitchen in gasoline, light a match and toss the toast on?" Colleen asked sarcastically, grabbing a rag to clean up the mess.
"I see Randy's sarcasm is beginning to rub off." Tim joked.
"Nope, that's just me. Now if you two will get the heck out, I'll make some un-charcoal breakfast." She began to shove them towards the couch. "Come on, it's Saturday, I'm sure there's some kind of cartoon on."
"Yea, yea, the kitchen is the women's place." Tim remarked.
"Excuse me?" he challenged.
"Just kidding." He put his hands up defensively. She headed back to the kitchen to salvage what was left of the bread for french toast. Soon Mark and Jill came downstairs, over whelmed by the delicious smell of breakfast. They all sat down at the counter to enjoy another great meal.
"Colleen, where did you learn to cook like this?" Mark asked.
"Yea, and why didn't you do this down in Costa Rica? I was kind of sick of rice and beans three times a day." Randy smirked.
"If they'd had the resources, I would have of, and I always cooked for my little sister at home Mark."
"Oh, well you're really good." He smiled at her warmly.
"Yes Colleen, I really do appreciate all this, but you are our guest, you don't-" Jill began.
"I told you Jill, I want to. You guys have been so warm and welcoming. It's the least I can do."
"We really want you here." Randy told her smiling. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"
"I have plans with friends." Mark announced. "Movie. You guys wanna go?"
"Do you?" Randy inquired to Colleen.
"Sounds good." ~ After the movie ~
"Well that was fun, but I think I might go upstairs and lie down for a bit if you don't mind." Colleen said softly when they'd arrived back at the house.
"Okay, but are you feeling alright? You look a little flushed." Randy asked concerned.
"Yea I'm fine, I'll talk to you later okay?" She turned and darted up the stairs before he could say anything else.
Colleen ended up sleeping for about four hours and Randy was a little worried. He took a glass of ice tea up to her room but he almost dropped it when he opened her door. She was tossing around in her bed whispering what he thought was 'no' over and over. He ran to her side, set down the tea and tried to awaken her. She suddenly sat upright breathing hard, her eyes searching the room. He gaze fell on Randy and she relaxed slightly.
"What's wrong Colleen?" Randy asked scared.
"Nothing, it's nothing, just a little bad dream." She tried to sound nonchalant.
"No, Colleen, I know there's something you're not telling me and if there's going to be anything with us, you have to be honest with me. I care about you, I want to be there for you, if you let me."
"Randy, I care about you too, but there's just so much." She began.
"Then we'll start out slowly, what was wrong a minute ago?"
"I just had a nightmare, about my mom." She looked down sadly. "She died when I was ten from lung cancer. My dad was a smoker. I missed her a lot, but my dad was really bad, he slipped into depression and began to abuse me." Tears formed in her eyes and spilled out onto her cheeks. She didn't want to tell him, she wasn't ready, but once she'd started, there was no stopping the flow of emotions. Randy pulled her into an hug, rocking her gently.
"Shh, sweetie it's okay, I'm here, I won't let him hurt you, never. You're safe."
"I know, and I can never thank you enough, but what about Julie? I can't help but think he's begun to hurt her." She cried harder now, her entire body shaking.
"We'll think of something, I promise."
