Martin pulled up to the curb and looked over at the large house. He glanced across the street at his father's old place. Bill Brewer had long since moved away from Glen Oak, his 'work' taking him to Washington.
He focused his attention back to the Camden residence. Simon's car was parked in the driveway, the others were unrecognizable to Martin. What if she's in there, he asked himself. How can I face her after all of these years?
Mustering up all of the courage he could, Martin got out of the car and walked up to the front door. He rang the doorbell, feeling weird as he hadn't ever really done that. It was odd that the house he'd once called home felt unsafe to him now.
"Martin?" Annie Camden asked as she opened the door. She threw her arms around the tall young man and hugged him fully. "I'm so glad to see you! Come in and don't you ever ring that doorbell again!"
Annie was aging well, still fighting away the grays, probably with the help of some dye, but looking well none-the-less. As she led Martin through the house to the kitchen, he took note of some changes. Sam and David had new school pictures added to the wall. A small shrine to the late family dog, Happy, filled a small table in the hall. And they had painted. It all made Martin, only 24, feel old.
"Look who's here!" Annie announced, taking Martin's hand.
Martin spent a few minutes shaking hands with Eric, offering another congratulations to his friend, Simon, and just catching up.
"Matt and Kevin should be by shortly, then we can all go to the tailor's," Simon said.
"Matt's here?" Martin inquired.
Matt and Sarah, along with their two children, Gregory and Noah, had been off in Africa, doctoring at a clinic over there and, apparently, in no rush to come back.
"They all flew in late last night. They're staying in the garage apartment, but I thought I'd let him sleep for a bit since he's probably feeling a little jet-lagged."
Kevin walked through the door just then, handing Dylan off to Annie and shouting instructions to Savannah. He stopped when he saw Martin, not sure whether he should hug the young man or slug him.
"Martin," he said finally. "You look well."
Martin gave Kevin an odd look and offered a hand to him. The two shook, but Martin still thought there was something oddly unfriendly about Kevin.
When Matt walked in, eyes droopy from lack of sleep, the catch-ups began once again. Martin was eager to get out of this house and on to the tailor's. Every second that ticked by felt like an hour. Sweat began to bead on Martin's forehead, as his nervousness began to take over.
And then it happened. The back door swung open and in walked Ruthie. She froze. Martin froze. The two glared at each other. No one said a word. The tension in that room was so thick, you could have cut it with a knife.
"Ruthie! Look who's come home?" Annie announced with a smile.
Ruthie marched up to Martin and, without so much as a word, slapped him hard across his handsome cheekbone. With that, she turned on her heal and marched out the door.
"Tough greeting," Matt shrugged.
As everyone stood, curious, but not saying a word, Martin left through the same door as Ruthie, increasing his pace to catch up to her.
Ruthie was out on the street, just about to get into her car, when Martin came charging up, Ruthie's handprint still on his face.
"So that's it?" he asked angrily. "Six years and that's how you say hi? A slap to the face?"
"I could add a kick to the groin if that would help?" she offered defiantly.
Martin stepped back, afraid she'd make good on her threat. "You have nothing else to say to me?"
Ruthie's teeth were gritted. To Martin it looked like fury. For Ruthie it was only a means of holding back the tears. "You want me to say something to you?"
"Anything," he whispered.
"I hate you," she spat. "I can't believe that you'd have the nerve to show your face in my family's home after what you did!" Ruthie opened the car door further and got in. She looked back up at Martin and said, "You look like hell", before she drove off.