Wolfwood rode through the desert to January, the city in which Veronica and Damon resided. His suitcase was fastened tightly to the back of his motorcycle, jam packed with clothes and other necessities for his stay at Veronica's.
He arrived in January around four p.m. and proceeded to Veronica's home. He came upon a large two-story house that was supposedly Veronica and Damon's and parked his bike in the front, unloading himself and the suitcase.
He walked slowly up the steps and rang the doorbell, stepping back and waiting for the door to open. The door was opened and Veronica stood in the doorway, smiling happily to see Wolfwood, tightly embracing him. Wolfwood felt like he was home again.
"I'm so glad to see you Daddy," whispered Veronica, kissing Wolfwood on his cheek.
"I'm so glad to see you too, Veronica," responded Wolfwood, running his fingers through her long black hair and kissing her on her cheek.
"Come on in and I'll show you to your room." Veronica pulled away from the embrace and closed the door behind Wolfwood, turning on her heel and walking down the hallway and upstairs. Wolfwood followed her, admiring the house and how nice it had turned out to be.
He remembered when they had first moved in and he and Millie had come to visit them. The house was decrepit and falling apart and the conditions seemed to be unlivable. He had tried to convince them to sell it and buy a nicer one, but Veronica wouldn't listen.
'No Daddy,' said Veronica. 'You wait and see, this house is going to be the house of my dreams.'
'Veronica, it's falling apart,' he argued.
'Give it a chance.'
He sighed and nodded his head, hoping that the newly weds had not made a mistake.
He examined the once cracked walls that were now covered with coats of paint and the cracks filled in. The floors had been redone and all the doors had been replaced. This old decrepit house turned out to be the house that Veronica had always dreamed of.
He walked up the stairs and into the guest bedroom where Veronica stood, lightly tapping her foot, shooting Wolfwood a humorous glance of scolding for taking so long.
"Look, I'm pregnant and I made it up here before you," scolded Veronica, rubbing her rather large stomach, still glaring at Wolfwood. "You are getting old."
"You're damn right," joked Wolfwood, slumping over and holding onto the door handle for support. "I need to start playing the role of grandpa after all."
Veronica laughed as Wolfwood straightened up and lifted his suitcase, carrying it to the bed. Veronica attempted to take the suitcase from him, but received a slap on the hand for doing so.
"I'm quite capable of doing it myself," said Wolfwood sarcastically. "I'm not that old. I'm only fifty-two for God's sake!"
He tossed his heavy suitcase onto the bed and turned to face his daughter once more.
"Do you remember that large cross that I had when you were younger?" he asked, reaching into his pocket for a cigarette and his lighter. He retrieved them and placed the cigarette into his mouth, lighting up as he did.
"Yes, I do," replied Veronica, covering her mouth and staring at the cigarette in Wolfwood's mouth.
"Well, that thing was a lot heavier than this suitcase, so don't worry about me carrying heavy things. I can manage."
"I won't worry about you lifting heavy things. Could I ask you a favor?"
"Sure."
"Would you mind not smoking in the house? It's bad for the baby."
Wolfwood froze and stared at his daughter, memories that he didn't want to have right now floating through his head.
...Wolfwood pulled his cigarette and lighter from his pocket and placed the cigarette in his mouth, lighting up and placing the lighter back in his pocket. Millie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and sighed.
'Uh uh uh,' she scolded, waving her finger in front of his face. 'Smoking is bad for the baby.'
'You're right dear.' Wolfwood tossed the cigarette to the ground and stamped it out.
Wolfwood took the cigarette from his mouth and put it out in his hand, looking up at Veronica and smiling, pain searing through his body.
"Sorry," he mumbled, biting his lip to avoid yelling out in pain. It had been so long since he had pain inflicted upon him that that tiny burning sensation felt as if someone had shot in twenty times in the same part of his body.
"We should go downstairs and check on Damon," said Veronica. "Supper should be ready soon." Veronica walked out of the room and Wolfwood followed.
As he walked down the stairs he silently thought to himself...damn it was good to finally be home again.
He arrived in January around four p.m. and proceeded to Veronica's home. He came upon a large two-story house that was supposedly Veronica and Damon's and parked his bike in the front, unloading himself and the suitcase.
He walked slowly up the steps and rang the doorbell, stepping back and waiting for the door to open. The door was opened and Veronica stood in the doorway, smiling happily to see Wolfwood, tightly embracing him. Wolfwood felt like he was home again.
"I'm so glad to see you Daddy," whispered Veronica, kissing Wolfwood on his cheek.
"I'm so glad to see you too, Veronica," responded Wolfwood, running his fingers through her long black hair and kissing her on her cheek.
"Come on in and I'll show you to your room." Veronica pulled away from the embrace and closed the door behind Wolfwood, turning on her heel and walking down the hallway and upstairs. Wolfwood followed her, admiring the house and how nice it had turned out to be.
He remembered when they had first moved in and he and Millie had come to visit them. The house was decrepit and falling apart and the conditions seemed to be unlivable. He had tried to convince them to sell it and buy a nicer one, but Veronica wouldn't listen.
'No Daddy,' said Veronica. 'You wait and see, this house is going to be the house of my dreams.'
'Veronica, it's falling apart,' he argued.
'Give it a chance.'
He sighed and nodded his head, hoping that the newly weds had not made a mistake.
He examined the once cracked walls that were now covered with coats of paint and the cracks filled in. The floors had been redone and all the doors had been replaced. This old decrepit house turned out to be the house that Veronica had always dreamed of.
He walked up the stairs and into the guest bedroom where Veronica stood, lightly tapping her foot, shooting Wolfwood a humorous glance of scolding for taking so long.
"Look, I'm pregnant and I made it up here before you," scolded Veronica, rubbing her rather large stomach, still glaring at Wolfwood. "You are getting old."
"You're damn right," joked Wolfwood, slumping over and holding onto the door handle for support. "I need to start playing the role of grandpa after all."
Veronica laughed as Wolfwood straightened up and lifted his suitcase, carrying it to the bed. Veronica attempted to take the suitcase from him, but received a slap on the hand for doing so.
"I'm quite capable of doing it myself," said Wolfwood sarcastically. "I'm not that old. I'm only fifty-two for God's sake!"
He tossed his heavy suitcase onto the bed and turned to face his daughter once more.
"Do you remember that large cross that I had when you were younger?" he asked, reaching into his pocket for a cigarette and his lighter. He retrieved them and placed the cigarette into his mouth, lighting up as he did.
"Yes, I do," replied Veronica, covering her mouth and staring at the cigarette in Wolfwood's mouth.
"Well, that thing was a lot heavier than this suitcase, so don't worry about me carrying heavy things. I can manage."
"I won't worry about you lifting heavy things. Could I ask you a favor?"
"Sure."
"Would you mind not smoking in the house? It's bad for the baby."
Wolfwood froze and stared at his daughter, memories that he didn't want to have right now floating through his head.
...Wolfwood pulled his cigarette and lighter from his pocket and placed the cigarette in his mouth, lighting up and placing the lighter back in his pocket. Millie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and sighed.
'Uh uh uh,' she scolded, waving her finger in front of his face. 'Smoking is bad for the baby.'
'You're right dear.' Wolfwood tossed the cigarette to the ground and stamped it out.
Wolfwood took the cigarette from his mouth and put it out in his hand, looking up at Veronica and smiling, pain searing through his body.
"Sorry," he mumbled, biting his lip to avoid yelling out in pain. It had been so long since he had pain inflicted upon him that that tiny burning sensation felt as if someone had shot in twenty times in the same part of his body.
"We should go downstairs and check on Damon," said Veronica. "Supper should be ready soon." Veronica walked out of the room and Wolfwood followed.
As he walked down the stairs he silently thought to himself...damn it was good to finally be home again.