Disclaimer: All characters, etc., belong to their owners...yep...just wrote this story here.
A/N: I realized I never mentioned that this would be the last chapter...well, it is, and there will be a part II to this story eventually. Need to finish it up. Oh, and I couldn't resist the chapter title.
Chapter 12: I Know
About a month after the summer began, Drake was running around the house, getting ready to leave for work before he was late. He ran into the computer room and noticed he had a new email. He went to read it but realized it was getting too late. He'd have to let it wait. He flew out the door as quickly as possible to avoid the morning traffic.
If he'd noticed who the email was from, he might have stopped to read it. However, he needed to hurry or else explain why he hadn't made it on time that morning.
Drake quickly walked out to his car later that day. It had been quite a long day, and all he wanted to do was go home. He glanced over his shoulder and noticed someone hurrying toward him. She looked familiar. Yet he couldn't place her. Then he finally saw her face.
"Dr. Parker, I finally caught up with you."
"Can I help you, Mrs. Malone?"
"I've been trying to find you. It's not easy. I wanted to talk to you about Jeff."
Drake shifted uneasily. He didn't know if he wanted to have this conversation. Was she here to blame him?
"Okay," he said.
"I...I...had finally sent him to the psychiatrist you recommended."
"I see," said Drake.
"I just don't quite understand."
"When there's more than one thing going on in a person's life, it all comes into play. It's not necessarily something done wrong. It just becomes a lot to handle. Sometimes they feel it's too much."
"I know that now. I worry that I expected too much. He was a straight A student, and when that went down, I..."
"Don't blame yourself, Mrs. Malone. I should have done more to convince you and him. I'm sorry for that."
"No, you only saw him once. You can't take blame."
"See what I mean by more than one thing?"
"I do now."
"I'm truly sorry for your loss. I hope you and your family will be all right. While the pain of something like this might not ever go away completely, it will hurt a little less as time goes on. Good luck, Mrs. Malone."
"You too," she replied.
Drake had forgotten the email all day until late that night. He was exhausted and was ready for sleep. He remembered, though, and finally opened it.
Drake,
I'm having a great time in New York, like I've said a few times before. The end of the summer seems like it will come too quickly, and I have to tell you something now. I don't want to leave. I want to stay here and go to school here. Please understand that I'm connecting with my family, and it's only going to help if I go to school here. I've got to get going. I'll talk to you later.
Rob
Drake stared blankly at the computer screen. Rob didn't want to come home? After growing up in their house, he didn't want to come back? Drake turned off the computer and headed upstairs to bed. He was silent while getting dressed. He didn't talk to Christine like he normally did.
"Drake," she said, looking up from her magazine. "I was wondering when you wanted to go camping with Josh and Lana this summer. I mean when do you...have...time..." She slowed her sentence when she saw the look on her husband's face. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"
Drake sat down on the bed. He didn't speak for a moment.
"Rob doesn't want to come home."
"Why not?" Christine asked.
"He says he's connecting with his family, and he doesn't want to ruin that. He says he wants to go to school in New York. I just can't believe it."
"Drake, I'm sorry."
"I tried so hard. I tried so hard to be a parent to him, but I couldn't. I didn't even try to get him to stay. I just let him go."
"Drake, how would you have kept him here? He wanted to know what Sylvia wanted. He's grown up well. He's more than half of who he is because of you. Just let him figure out who he is."
"I don't know how."
"I don't know how either except to give him his space."
Drake finally looked at her. He noticed she was crying. She was just as upset as he was that Rob wanted to stay in New York.
"Did I act this way when I left?"
"You came back, Drake. Twice."
"So how do I let him know I still care?"
"The same way you always have...just at a distance now. Things will get better. He'll come to miss us, you'll see. He loves you whether he says it or not. Whether he wants to believe it or not. You can't grow out of love."
"Ford did."
"Ford. I don't claim to be an expert, but when I think about it, he never seemed to be in love with your mom in the first place. You and Rob aren't Ford. You told yourself that a long time ago."
"I know. I never said I was like him. I want Rob to come back, but no one can promise that."
"No. But I can promise that things will get better, and you'll feel better soon. You'll still talk to him. You'll be finishing your fellowship soon. You'll set your own hours. You'll have things to focus on to help these things get better...Angela loves her daddy, and I love my husband. As much as I'd like to see Rob come home too, we'll have to give him his time and space. You've given him so much. This isn't it between you two. He's more like you than he thinks he is. He'll realize that someday, but for now, he's distant. "
"I wish things weren't this hard. We spent so long taking care of him, and he's gone now."
"I know. I'm sorry you didn't get the kind of relationship you've been hoping for, but it's never too late. Maybe someday things will change, but for now, just let him know you're still here. You've done so much already by just letting him go. No matter what happens, he's going to be fine, and that's because of you."
"I hope you're right. I mean, he's got to come back someday, right? After all, I'm the only brother he's got."
"Yes, you are. And Megan's his only sister. He'll at least come back to visit, I'm sure."
"I just wish..."
"I know. I do too."
The two fell silent. Things suddenly seemed empty.
"He'll be back," Drake finally said. "I know he will."