7 Dougie's POV
Getting home, Tom didn't cheer up all that much. Buzz looked happier though, crawling straight over to his toys and grabbing his little guitar. It was actually a ukulele, but for him it was perfect guitar size, and he adored the thing. Maybe that was half the reason why he'd been so distressed the last few days, he didn't have his guitar with him...
Whatever, he was happy now, Tom though, he didn't seem at all okay. He seemed to be working on autopilot or something. He didn't take a second to breathe after walking through the door, instead announced that he was making lunch and went straight to do it. Danny ran after him to help, but for some reason, I got the distinct feeling that Tom couldn't decide if he wanted the help or not. For a second he looked relieved, and then so disappointed. Like we had just told him that he couldn't do something he loved.
It was worrying, and I had no idea on what to think of it at all. I didn't know what to think of any of this. Tom's wife had left him, and he'd just... stopped. He had utterly stopped. What was that all about? He didn't stop for anything, had worked through so much without batting an eyelid, and he never ignored Buzz. Never. Buzz was always the centre of his attention, even when the boy was sleeping.
"What happened, huh? What happened to you and your dad?" I asked the child, who was happy to be shaking his rattle with the hand that wasn't holding his guitar.
"Don't suppose you know either, do you? You're too little." I sighed, pulling him into my lap for a hug. I felt like it was needed, for the both of us. I was so unsure of the situation, and poor Buzz had just lost his mum. I couldn't imagine losing a parent this young, it was bad enough at fifteen, let alone this young.
In reply to my last sentence, Buzz hit me on the head with his rattle. I suppose I deserved that, for asking him questions he couldn't answer. Stupid idea really, but the only one I had to figure out what was going on right now. Tom wasn't exactly being forthcoming with answers, and would only say that she'd left. Not the reasons why, or exactly when, or if it was just temporary, or anything. Just that she'd left. And that it was his fault.
I wasn't even sure on what to think about that. Tom had seemed so solid with her, like they'd be a couple that were together forever. The house was still covered in photos of them together, and a lot of them, and so many of Buzz. Lots of her things were still here too, I could see her books on the shelves, along with her DVDs. Her clothes hadn't been in the bedroom, but that seemed to be the only things missing. Everything else was still here. If she'd left, why hadn't she taken everything with her? Why hadn't she taken down the pictures, or acted like she wanted to leave for ages?
And why hadn't she taken Buzz? She loved Buzz, adored him, did everything for him, why hadn't she taken him?
Then again, I knew more than anyone else in this house that sometimes people just left with no warning. Dad had done it to my family, just upped and left with absolutely no warning whatsoever. One day he had been there, the next he hadn't. It wasn't that uncommon I guessed, it was possible to leave everything, including your children.
But a baby, to leave a tiny one year old behind? How could someone do that? How could they honestly just leave like that, leaving everything behind, including children? It didn't make sense to me, none of it made sense.
Though, admittedly, I was glad Buzz was still here. God knows how Tom would have been if Buzz had been taken from him too, he'd have been a complete wreck. Well, even more of a wreck than he already was, if that was possible.
Still though, how the hell had his wife left like this, so soon? I couldn't make heads or tails of it. And I doubted I ever would.