Author's Notes: I wrote this instead of packing for an upcoming trip so I'm not exactly sure what I wrote here, but I know you all deserve more. The good news is I have the ending and epilogue already outlined.
I predict either 1 or 2 more chapters and then the epilogue left to this fiction. Also, I appreciate all of you reading this story and the other 2 I have written. Your opinions are invaluable to me, please feel free to leave your thoughts as a review!
This is definitely not edited yet, but I promise to review it as soon as I can.
I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 19: Change of Plans
In the following few days, Norma has been quieter than usual and even more distracted. Every time Dylan sees his mother in the house, she seems to have her head in the clouds. She always has a strange smile on her face, almost as if she is secretly plotting something.
On this particular evening Dylan snickers as he watches Norma from afar miscalculate the distance to a nearby wall, startling herself once her body hits the solid structure. Her eldest son then watches on as the unexpected thump causes her to stumble backward. Once she recovers her balance, the familiar odd grin graces her lips once again before she shuffles into another room.
He's not sure if Norma's new behavior is somehow connected to his talk with her the other day, or if this is some sort of mental break. All Dylan knows is he can't possibly handle another breakdown in this family, especially with Norman still walking on shaky ground after his last episode.
Dylan takes a deep breath while he hesitantly follows his mother into the kitchen, not sure what he'll find. His question is quickly answered when he notices his mother staring out the window, with one hand gripping what appears from his line of sight to be an empty glass and the other resting on the countertop.
"Norma?" He asks quietly, while carefully stepping closer to her. When he receives no response, Dylan continues to walk closer and calls out her name a little louder this time but is met with the same result. Just as he is about to reach out to shake her shoulder, a yelling voice causes his body to flinch.
The unexpected noise leads to a crash of the cup in Norma's hand to drop and break on the counter's surface, knocking her senses back into reality. Her head whips around to witness her youngest son being physically restrained by her eldest.
"MOTHER!" Norman screams over and over again, interrupting the previous tranquility of the room. The plans to mend her broken soul continually running through her mind for the past few days abruptly end.
"Calm down, Norman! Jesus, she's fine, RELAX!" Dylan roars, struggling to keep his younger brother under control. However, his grasp is broken when he feels a sharp pain to his knee. In an instant Dylan collapses to the ground in a heap with a wince, realizing quickly it was his younger brother who delivered a swift kick backward to make contact with his knee.
"Oh my God Norman! STOP IT!" Norma screams as she runs passed her youngest son, to rush toward her eldest. Immediately, she drops to her knees and attempts to assist Dylan to his unstable feet without even a glance at Norman.
Seeing his mother rush to Dylan's side stirs a terrible ache in Norman's heart. "NO! NO! NO!" He shouts repeatedly while tugging on his own hair with a frantic grip.
When Dylan is finally able to stand with the aid of his mother, he leans his back against the closest wall and puts his full weight on his left leg to avoid any more pressure to his right knee. His breath heaves as he observes his mom attempt to restrict Norman's self-destructive acts the best she can.
After a few minutes, Dylan sees Norman's movements still and his gaze glaze over. Norman's head then falls forward with his forehead hitting his mother's shoulder. Instinctively Norma wraps her comforting arms around her shaken son, holding him close as she whispers calming words into his ear.
Feeling like he's an intruder on a family moment between mother and son, Dylan hobbles on his wobbly knee while using each nearby wall as a guide into the living room. Once he reaches the couch, Dylan settles down in the cushions and rests his knee atop of one of the decorative pillows. He takes a deep breath and slips his eyes closed, needing a break from everything and everyone around him for just a moment.
The sound of footsteps hitting the hardwood floor trigger Dylan's eyes to shoot open in time to observe an almost catatonic Norman being led up the stairs by a tearful Norma. After beholding the miserable sight of his brother's condition, Dylan once again closes his eyelids to rest his thoughts.
"Just a little further honey," Norma encourages quietly as they finally reach Norman's bedside.
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When almost an hour passes, Norma emerges from her youngest son's room and carefully closes the door behind her. While sluggishly moving down the stairs still out of sorts, Norma halts her footsteps and clutches the banister tightly with her right hand when she notices Dylan resting on the living room couch with his knee propped.
A tear slips from the corner of her eye as she warily tip toes closer to Dylan. She can't stop blaming herself in seeing the grimace on his otherwise peaceful face. Quickly wiping the wetness from her cheek with her fingertips, Norma rushes into the kitchen. After grabbing some pain relief, water and an ice pack, Norma balances all the supplies in her arms and then strides back into the other room. She places 2 aspirins and a glass of water on the coffee table next to her son, while delicately arranging the ice pack on his damaged knee.
Norma pats his leg soothingly with the palm of her hand as a sign of comfort and then thoughtfully drapes a blanket over him. She then strides toward the other couch in the living room and takes a seat, watching her son lovingly.
Only a few minutes pass before Dylan leisurely blinks his eyes open to connect with his mother's stare. "Norma?" He questions with a coarse voice after the strain on his vocal cords almost two hours earlier. "How is he?"
"He's sleeping," Norma replies with a tearful smile. "How are you sweetie?"
Dylan rolls his eyes and leans forward to grab the medicine his mother set out for him. "My knee will be fine." He swallows down the aspirin with water and then sets the empty glass down. "You don't have to concern yourself with me Norma. I'm not Norman."
"I know, but you're still my son and I want to help." She states with a tremble in her tone.
Dylan scuffs as he sits up a little straighter on the couch, adjusting the ice on his knee with the change in his position. "Just focus on Norman," Dylan pauses, pushing down the blanket his mother just covered him with. "And yourself. What's going on with you lately anyways?" He asks with a raised brow and a pointed stare directed at his mother, who has a look of confusion etched on her features. "I literally watched you walk into wall today."
"Oh. Um, well, sweetie. I just-."
Dylan groans in frustration. "Ugh, spit it out Norma."
"I was thinking about Alex," she admits with hesitation. "And about our last conversation. Anyway, I guess I've been distracted lately. Your words made me aware of how wrong I was when it came to him. How I truly can't let him go."
Dylan smirks at her confession.
"However, things have changed now." She states with surety, trying to convince not only her eldest son but also herself. "I can't – "
The young man's knowing grin, turns to a frown in hearing his mother's words. "Don't," he murmurs under his breath with a shake of his head. "Don't use your son as an excuse again," his voice grows louder and more forceful. "It's not for the best to leave the Sheriff behind. You know this. In times like these, adding another form of support can only help him… And you." Dylan sighs, tired of repeating the same conversation. "I can't be here forever, Norma. Keep that in mind."
Dylan's words remain in her mind as she watches her son drift away to sleep. After a few quiet moments, Norma stands from her chair and approaches Dylan to once again cover him with the previously discarded blanket. She gently swipes his sandy blonde hair from his forehead with her fingertips and then leans down to kiss his forehead. With one last smile no one sees, Norma gradually walks up the stairs still consumed with possibilities.
Norma walks into her room and lies down, it's been an exhausting evening for her family and she has no more strength to fight her tiredness. Though unfortunately for her, sleep will not find her tonight. While both her sons rest peacefully, Norma endures consciousness despite the yawn she exhales.
Moving images of Alex slowly touching her face with his soothing fingertips, lovingly staring at her with his warm brown eyes and whispering sweet words in her ear while lying in his protective arms is all she can think about while she stares into the darkness of her room. Squeezing her eyes shut briefly, Norma tries to shake the precious imageries from her mind but it doesn't work. No matter how hard she tries to justify her actions of pushing Alex away, she just can't let go of him.
Norma spends the evening tossing and turning, obsessed with trying to find everyone's happy ending.
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A couple of days after the blow to his knee, Dylan still feels a sharp pain when he prepares for the day. When he pulls open the blinds with a squint in his eyes at the blinding sun, Dylan glances outside in time to see a familiar figure walking into the motel office. He smiles in anticipation of seeing Emma this morning, finally allowing himself to tell her how sorry he is for every time he's pulled away from her. The mistakes he's witnessed his mother make when it comes to the Sheriff, is enough for him to realize the fault in his own actions in dealing with Emma.
The similarities between him and Norma when it comes to relationships, frightens him to the core. This will be his chance to start over and break free from whatever cycle he's caught in.
Dylan hops down the stairs with his left leg receiving the brunt of his weight in order to preserve the soreness in his right knee. He glides the palm of his hand down the banister to use as a crutch to relieve the aching pressure building and distracts himself from the pain by rehearsing the words he's prepared to say since his epiphany.
His strategy of distraction continues to aid him down the dreadfully long outside staircase until his final step hits gravel. Dylan takes in one last strong inhale and exhale before limping his way into the motel office to have one of the most important conversations he's ever had.
The hanging bells hit against the glass of the front office door, alerting Emma to his entry.
"Hello. Welcome to the Bates' Mo – . " Emma chirps politely as she pops her head up from underneath the desk. "Oh, Dylan?"
"Um, yeah hi." He replies sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand out of nervousness. "I was hoping I could talk to you. Do you have time?"
Emma steps out from behind the desk to awkwardly stand in front of him. "Sure. I was just filing some old guest receipts. We can talk in the back room, there's something I need to talk to you about also."
Dylan follows; however, his limp doesn't go unnoticed. "Are you alright? What happened?" She questions with a concerned expression, reaching out to touch his leg but then immediately retracts her fingertips. "Sorry, I didn't mean to – " she apologizes with a blush to her cheeks.
"It's fine Emma. Just a bit of an issue with my knee." He flashes a tight-lipped smile at her nervousness.
They stare silently and uneasily at each other for far too long before both rush out words at the same time, each prompting the other to speak first. Dylan clears his throat and then urges Emma to speak. "You can go first. What is it you want to talk to me about?"
"Well, I have some news." She glances down to her feet briefly before slowly raising her gaze to meet Dylan's. "I'm leaving," she whispers so quietly it's almost goes unheard. Almost.
Dylan steps backward, shock written all over his face while his heart begins to crack. "When?" He struggles to ask in his surprise.
"A week," she replies softly. "I got accepted into the University of Washington in Seattle. I will be telling Norma today." Emma pauses as her fingers twitch to tangle with his, missing his touch desperately. Secretly, she hopes Dylan will ask to go with her to start their life together. However, in reading his body language she knows this is a request she'll never hear. "It's a chance for me to move forward."
Dylan's eyes remain unfocused and continue to look everywhere but in Emma's direction. "Right. Ok, well, congratulations are in order then." He forces a smile, discomfort blatantly obvious in both his voice and stature.
After a few distressing minutes of silence, Emma can no longer handle the quietness. "You wanted to tell me something?" She asks hopefully, giving Dylan one more chance to declare his true feelings for her.
Unfortunately, her hopes are dashed when he finally utters the words she doesn't want to hear. "It's nothing important," Dylan states nonchalantly as he turns around and staggers toward the front of the office. He turns around briefly before stepping outside. "Congratulations again." Dylan mutters under his breath as he disappears from her field of vision.
She covers her face with her hands and allows herself to sob until she has no more tears left.
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Dylan decides to drive to his cabin after the devastating news he just heard from Emma. He doesn't consider this to be his usual coping habit of running away, instead more of a retreat to clear his mind. Besides when he approached the outside steps to his mother's house after the heartbreaking conversation he couldn't even fathom climbing the tricky staircase while his knee felt on fire.
After an initial feeling of overwhelming anger floods his veins, Dylan finally accepts he can only blame himself for everything that has happened with Emma. Though the thought of losing her is unimaginable. How can he just move on when she's all he can think about?
As he pulls into the driveway surrounded by the calming woods, Dylan's head throbs uncontrollably. He applies pressure to his right temple to somehow help soothe the ache with his right index finger when he notices a stack of paper filed on the desk. His eyes widen in remembering the important business meeting he has the next day. With all of the drama from his family and Emma, he's almost forgotten how essential this consultation is. If everything goes smoothly, he could afford to expand his little business to reach past state lines.
Immediately, he pulls out the chair tucked under his desk and gets to work on his laptop. Trying to push his personal life struggles to the back of his mind, Dylan creates the crucial presentation. However, mental pictures of a certain auburn haired young woman with golden brown eyes keeps fracturing his thought process.
When several hours pass and his tired eyes fall shut, Dylan drops his head to the surface of his desk with a thump. In an instant his body jerks awake with a loud gasp in realizing he's been asleep longer than he thought. The young man races around the cabin in a frenzy, but manages to get ready for the trip out of town for his consultation.
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While making the trip back to White Pine Bay, Dylan grins widely and sings along to a random song blaring over one of the radio stations. The presentation went well according to all involved, which means a grand expansion to his small business that he's grown from nothing just a little over a year ago.
The moment the initial plans for the growth had been accepted, Dylan found himself with his index finger automatically hovering over Emma's name in this phone. However, he caught himself a second before touching his screen and instead made a call to Remo to announce the good news.
Still riding his natural high, Dylan pulled into the parking lot of his favorite diner. The tiny eatery has always reminded him of his cabin and the instant serenity it brings him whenever he enters the glass doors. Luckily the place is mostly kept a secret, only known to the dedicated customers who have found themselves enjoying the quietened atmosphere hidden in the outskirts of town.
When he pulls his truck into one of the designated vehicle spots outlined in the lot and turns off the motor, Dylan sees a familiar vehicle parked a few stalls down.
Dylan smirks to himself, knowing the Sheriff is inside and no longer able to avoid him.
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Thank you for reading!