Disclaimer: All characters, etc., belong to their owners...yep...just wrote this story here.
Chapter 7: I'll Be Home for Christmas
It was Christmas Eve, and Rob lie awake in his bed. Not for the reason he used to lie awake, which was due to excitement of what was coming the next day. No, that's not what was keeping him awake this time. Tonight, he couldn't sleep for the same reason that had kept him awake night after night the past few months. A question he just couldn't find an answer to: Who was he?
It was silly because he was Robert Parker, son of Ford and Sylvia Parker. He was one Belleview's track stars and all around good student. But those were really just basic facts. Who was he really? He'd been thinking about this a lot lately. It took Lucy Kramer shattering his heart into a million pieces to make him see that these thoughts were at the back of his mind. Christmas was supposed to be a happy time, and here he was, thinking about what he really wanted. His own life.
Sure, people knew him for running track, but he was still more well known for being brother to Drake Parker. He didn't want that anymore. He wanted to know who he really was. Was he really like Drake? Was he really like Ford? Or was he like his mother back in New York? He just had to know.
Where was he going to find these answers? Here in California? Or was he going to take his mom's offer and go to New York for the summer? He turned over in his bed, trying to get comfortable. He still had a few months to decide, so he shouldn't worry himself about it this much. So why was it eating away at him? Did he feel he had to decide now? Actually, if he did decide now, he wouldn't worry about it later. But now he was thinking like Josh. There's a thought. Did he want to be like Josh? Was he like Josh? No. Josh was too...spazzy. Rob sighed.
Soon it would be Christmas morning, and it would be time for family. The past few years, Rob had been starting to feel distant from the family. It was like he was just the random guy living in the house. He had no idea who his real family was. He'd known his father until he died, but he'd known his mother for a shorter amount of time. Drake couldn't tell him much about his mother. His father, yes, although, it might have been slightly biased information, but Rob couldn't blame Drake for that. If Rob had gone through what Drake had, he'd probably feel bitter toward his father too.
Rob glanced over at the clock. It was 4:30 in the morning. He might as well forget about sleep. Angela would be up in about fifteen minutes and would be begging him to get up so they could open presents. There was no way he'd sleep through that. She'd jump on the bed and laugh until he finally came downstairs. He used to think that was fun. A Christmas morning ritual they had. Sometimes he'd pretend to still be asleep which would make Angela giggle, but his heart wasn't in it this year. He didn't even make a list this year. What he wanted, no one could just give him, that was his own life.
Instead, he got up and headed down to the kitchen. He began to make a pot of coffee. If he was going to get through the morning, he'd need it. He had no idea how he was going to get through the day. They were going to Audrey and Walter's for Christmas dinner. They hadn't been to Christine's family's for the holidays in years. She'd had a terrible falling out with her step-father some time before Angela was born. The reason was that she and Drake had fallen behind on a few bills. It wasn't easy with Drake in medical school and Christine only starting her career. He wasn't exactly sure what happened, but he figured it had something to do with "that rock star husband." Actually, the guy was such an ass to Drake. Drake was trying to get through medical school, and he was working besides that. Instead of offering a check, which Drake and Christine would turn down anyway, but it still would have been decent to offer it, he asked Christine if she wanted to move back home. Rob wanted to bop this guy in the head. He was incredibly kind to Christine's mother and Christine...until the argument that day. They hadn't visited Ruby and Tim since. Ruby they saw, but they never visited when Tim was home. Rob remembered the day clearly. Christine had argued with Tim, argued some with her mother, then when they got home, she argued with Drake. Definitely not a day Rob wanted to remember.
Rob heard noises upstairs and knew Angela was probably waking up Drake and Christine. He sighed. When was the last time he had been able to do that with his parents? Years. He hadn't when he and his father lived with Drake's family that one year. He had the previous year and the years before, but it was gone when his mother left. Maybe that was what he needed, to see his mother. He knew Drake and Christine weren't his real parents. It hurt, but it was true. They never had been, and they never would be.
Did that mean he should go see his mother? Really, it would only be for the summer. What would it hurt? It might even answer some of his questions. It would be worth it to find out more about his parents, and he'd find out more about who he was. Would Drake and Christine like that? They had said it was his choice. But what if that was what they said just to make him happy? This was all very confusing. He had no idea what to do. Part of him desperately wanted to go to New York, but something else felt like he wanted to stay in California.
Rob sat on the sofa while everyone else was talking in the kitchen and Angela and Rose were playing near the tree in the living room. Rob glanced over at the two girls. They were happy and carefree. Why couldn't his life still be like that? He sighed.
It was Christmas. Why couldn't he be happy? Everyone from Drake's family was at the house. Megan and Josh came with Lana and Rose. Why couldn't this cheer him up? Josh walked out of the kitchen to find Rob sitting on the couch. He appeared to be drowning in misery.
"What's up?" Josh asked, sitting down next to Rob.
"Nothing," Rob replied. He glanced over at Josh. "Josh, if you could...if you had the chance...would you want to speak to your mother again?"
Josh looked startled at the question. He hadn't been expecting a question like that.
"Well," said Josh. "Of course I do. She was a big part of my life. To see her once again would make me happy."
"What about how Audrey would feel?" Rob asked.
"Well, I'm sure she'd support it. She would want me to be happy."
"I see," said Rob.
"Angela, Rob," said Drake, walking into the room. "Time to say goodbye. We need to go home now."
"Okay," said Rob.
"Daddy," said Angela, looking up at him with sweet little eyes.
"It's getting late," Drake said. "You need to get home and go to bed."
"All right," Angela finally relented. She yawned.
"See?" said Drake chuckling. "You're sleepy."
Angela crawled into Drake's arms.
"You know," he said. "You're getting pretty big."
"I know," Angela replied.
"Ready?" Drake asked Rob.
"Yeah," he said, standing up. Rob left the room and headed into the kitchen.
"Is something up with Rob?" Josh asked.
"I don't know," Drake replied. "I've been worried about him. He's been acting strange ever since Homecoming. It's like he completely fell apart after that. It's weird. I can't talk to him anymore. Not that you can talk to a teenager, but I can't figure this one out." He noticed Angela had fallen asleep. He tried to make her comfortable.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Josh responded.
"What if I've done something wrong?" Drake asked.
"Hey, you've done the best you can."
"What if that's not good enough?"
"Drake, he went through so much when he was little, and all he wanted was for you to take care of him. You didn't quit until you were allowed to adopt him. And don't you think being a doctor sets a good example?"
"It's just...I wasn't always home, and I..."
"I'm not always home. It's called a job. It makes us not see our families for hours everyday, but if we want to take care of them...well."
"Our families? No offence, but you live by yourself."
"Well, maybe not for long."
"Why not? Are you going to ask Lana..."
"No," said Josh, eyeing Angela to make sure she was asleep. "I'm not asking that. We're moving in together at a larger apartment than what she has with Rose."
"Hey, way to go. It is weird, though."
"What?"
"That I'm married now, and you're the one still dating."
"I didn't have my world change my junior year of high school to make that happen."
"Good point," Drake responded.
"You ever miss it?" Josh asked.
"Miss what?"
"Dating other girls."
"Well, after being married for seven years, I think I'm content with not. Besides, I haven't talked to many women outside of school, anyway. That takes up a lot of time."
"I suppose it does."
"I wouldn't give up what I have for anything. Not after I worked so hard to get it."
"Drake Parker understands the value of hard work? Wow, I thought I'd never see the day."
"Okay, you can stop now."
"I'm just getting started."
"Goodbye, Josh..."
It was late, and Angela was in bed already. Drake, Christine, and Rob were still awake. Drake was flipping through the instruction manuel to one of the toys Angela had gotten for Christmas. She'd begged him to have it finished before she woke up the next morning. Drake hadn't known how he agreed, but he had. He'd had trouble putting it together and wasn't using the instructions as much as Christine asked him. Finally, after jamming his hand, he'd decided to read the instructions.
Meanwhile, Christine was reading and Rob was sitting on the sofa, deep in thought. He honestly didn't know what to do. His real family was in New York, weren't they? He knew he had a choice to make. He sighed. He finally knew what he was going to do.