Chapter 15: Together or Departure?
Reaching up to the golden knob, a vague frown crunched his forehead. He had never heard such horror sound from his father, he was so nice to him and his mother before, and now he was in her room yelling at her. He doesn't understand. He never portrayed Cole as a man who could be so mean and terrifying. He was his father; he was supposed to be loving and caring.
"I'm not going anywhere until we get this straighten out." Cole clenched his teeth, trying to keep his cool, while gripping tightly on the knob.
"There's nothing to straighten out Cole!" Phoebe whispered, "It's over, I'm happy. Let's keep it that way."
"Are you Phoebe?" Cole skeptically quizzed, "If you were happy than why would Junior say that I made you cried?"
"He's a kid, what does he know?" She mumbled turning away from his sight.
"From where I'm standing: more than you." Cole remarked, angrily.
"Cole, get out!" Phoebe pushed Cole aside and yanked the door opened, sending Junior flying in and slammed his face on the floor.
Grasped in astonishment and disbelieve, Phoebe covered her mouth in horror and quickly kneeled down and picked Junior up cradling him in her arms.
"Oh, Junior." Phoebe cried, "Oh, baby I'm so sorry. Oh, God." She caressed his face.
All Junior was able to do was touched his nose and started crying.
Cole kneeled down next to Junior and removed his hand to reveal a bloody nose.
"Oh," Cole gasped, "It doesn't look so bad. We can take care of that." He then grabbed the box of Kleenex off the night stand and brought it over to Junior. Took several sheets he dabbed it on Junior's nose to stop the bleeding. "Let's put some ice on you."
Walking out to the kitchen, Phoebe set Junior down on a stool, and removed the Kleenex while Cole replaced by a towel with ice on the bridge of his nose.
"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry." Phoebe caressed his cheeks and kissed him.
"Mommy, did he hurt you?" Junior managed to make out.
"What are you talking about honey?" Phoebe asked in confusion.
"He was yelling at you." He sniffed.
"We were just talking, baby" Phoebe answered looking a bit sad.
"I'm sorry." Cole suddenly apologized.
"Forget it."
"Phoebe, will you stop dismissing stuff?" Cole asked.
"Cole, not now!" She clenched her teeth.
"No, now just the perfect time." Cole said, a bit loudly, and startled Junior.
Biting her lips, Phoebe looked down at her son, and helped him down from the stool.
"Can you go to your room for Mommy?" Phoebe asked her son, gently caressing his head.
Quickly to replied, he shook his head. "No Mommy, he'll hurt you." Junior pointed to Cole, which made his heart jumped a little.
"No, sweetie. No he won't." Phoebe convinced him, while looking up at Cole. "Go on, for Mommy." She kissed his head.
"Okay, Mommy." Junior obeyed, and slowly walked out with his nose up in the air.
Turning back to Cole, Phoebe signed and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"Forget it."
"Now who's being dismissive?" Phoebe queried insinuatingly, looking up amusingly at him.
"I meant every word I said." Cole solemnly commented.
"So did I." Her voice turned gravely. "What are we going to do?" Phoebe inquired looking down at her fidgeting fingers."
"What'd you mean?" he looked up with a slight frown.
"This. You. Junior." Phoebe answered. "This whole arrangement. You can't live in the wasteland...now."
"So what are you purposing?" Cole asked musingly, approaching her.
"I'm just saying you can't leave Junior now that he knows about you."
"Are you suggesting that I stay here?"
Shrugging her shoulders, she looked up at him. "Your house, your call."
"It hasn't been my house since I left, Phoebe." Cole said, "You own this place." He explained. "Are you comfortable with me being here?"
"I'm just thinking about Junior right now," she answered, "what's best for him."
"And what's best for him is me?" Cole asked amazed by her suggestion.
"Well, technically you ARE his father." Phoebe remarked. "It's getting late," Phoebe changed the subject hastily trying to avoid whatever was coming next. "You should go back to bed."
"He thinks I'm hurting you." Cole exclaimed a bit hurt.
"No, he doesn't."
"Yes, he does."
"He's just very protective." Phoebe answered with a weak smile. "Don't worry about it. Just explain to him, he'll understand. He's smart."
"Let's hope so."
Reaching up to the golden knob, a vague frown crunched his forehead. He had never heard such horror sound from his father, he was so nice to him and his mother before, and now he was in her room yelling at her. He doesn't understand. He never portrayed Cole as a man who could be so mean and terrifying. He was his father; he was supposed to be loving and caring.
"I'm not going anywhere until we get this straighten out." Cole clenched his teeth, trying to keep his cool, while gripping tightly on the knob.
"There's nothing to straighten out Cole!" Phoebe whispered, "It's over, I'm happy. Let's keep it that way."
"Are you Phoebe?" Cole skeptically quizzed, "If you were happy than why would Junior say that I made you cried?"
"He's a kid, what does he know?" She mumbled turning away from his sight.
"From where I'm standing: more than you." Cole remarked, angrily.
"Cole, get out!" Phoebe pushed Cole aside and yanked the door opened, sending Junior flying in and slammed his face on the floor.
Grasped in astonishment and disbelieve, Phoebe covered her mouth in horror and quickly kneeled down and picked Junior up cradling him in her arms.
"Oh, Junior." Phoebe cried, "Oh, baby I'm so sorry. Oh, God." She caressed his face.
All Junior was able to do was touched his nose and started crying.
Cole kneeled down next to Junior and removed his hand to reveal a bloody nose.
"Oh," Cole gasped, "It doesn't look so bad. We can take care of that." He then grabbed the box of Kleenex off the night stand and brought it over to Junior. Took several sheets he dabbed it on Junior's nose to stop the bleeding. "Let's put some ice on you."
Walking out to the kitchen, Phoebe set Junior down on a stool, and removed the Kleenex while Cole replaced by a towel with ice on the bridge of his nose.
"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry." Phoebe caressed his cheeks and kissed him.
"Mommy, did he hurt you?" Junior managed to make out.
"What are you talking about honey?" Phoebe asked in confusion.
"He was yelling at you." He sniffed.
"We were just talking, baby" Phoebe answered looking a bit sad.
"I'm sorry." Cole suddenly apologized.
"Forget it."
"Phoebe, will you stop dismissing stuff?" Cole asked.
"Cole, not now!" She clenched her teeth.
"No, now just the perfect time." Cole said, a bit loudly, and startled Junior.
Biting her lips, Phoebe looked down at her son, and helped him down from the stool.
"Can you go to your room for Mommy?" Phoebe asked her son, gently caressing his head.
Quickly to replied, he shook his head. "No Mommy, he'll hurt you." Junior pointed to Cole, which made his heart jumped a little.
"No, sweetie. No he won't." Phoebe convinced him, while looking up at Cole. "Go on, for Mommy." She kissed his head.
"Okay, Mommy." Junior obeyed, and slowly walked out with his nose up in the air.
Turning back to Cole, Phoebe signed and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"Forget it."
"Now who's being dismissive?" Phoebe queried insinuatingly, looking up amusingly at him.
"I meant every word I said." Cole solemnly commented.
"So did I." Her voice turned gravely. "What are we going to do?" Phoebe inquired looking down at her fidgeting fingers."
"What'd you mean?" he looked up with a slight frown.
"This. You. Junior." Phoebe answered. "This whole arrangement. You can't live in the wasteland...now."
"So what are you purposing?" Cole asked musingly, approaching her.
"I'm just saying you can't leave Junior now that he knows about you."
"Are you suggesting that I stay here?"
Shrugging her shoulders, she looked up at him. "Your house, your call."
"It hasn't been my house since I left, Phoebe." Cole said, "You own this place." He explained. "Are you comfortable with me being here?"
"I'm just thinking about Junior right now," she answered, "what's best for him."
"And what's best for him is me?" Cole asked amazed by her suggestion.
"Well, technically you ARE his father." Phoebe remarked. "It's getting late," Phoebe changed the subject hastily trying to avoid whatever was coming next. "You should go back to bed."
"He thinks I'm hurting you." Cole exclaimed a bit hurt.
"No, he doesn't."
"Yes, he does."
"He's just very protective." Phoebe answered with a weak smile. "Don't worry about it. Just explain to him, he'll understand. He's smart."
"Let's hope so."