Definitely not ending the story just yet. Aw, hell nah. This chapter was somewhat a challenge, because I needed to fully understand a Wife's grief, in understanding her sadness of not having her Husband. So, I turned to music, and Hania Lee was the perfect example of grief and sorrow. Hella yeh.
NOTE: I just finished editting the fourth chapter of this story. It needed more SEXY sauce - too bland.
I think it's been about two hours in that car, driving back to my house.
I could remember where my place was located, driving through somewhat roads and passing gas-stations that were pretty much rundown or visited rarely. The forest region was where I lived, out in the rural part of town. Since I had Paul and Henry - my two boys - being very young and active, they needed tons of space to play and use their youthful energy on outdoors-discovery. Lisa didn't really like the idea, but eventually warmed up to the plan when she could be able garden and exercise freely without visiting a gym.
On the drive there, Eddie was asleep in his seat. He was an extremely silent sleeper; I could hardly hear him breathing. Perhaps just another paranoia technique he taught himself back in Mount Massive Asylum. I was actually surprised as to how calm he was in the car. I had thought for sure he would of lost it, being in a moving vehicle again. But the Groom wasn't phased - hell, he even knew how to use the seatbelt correctly! Eddie is an interesting man I need to understand more thoroughly.
He also didn't mind the car-radio on. Playing aloud was some new single, by a younger band called 'Magic!' Their single was called 'Rude,' and the fucking song couldn't be anymore ironic. Wedding issues, it was about. I looked at Eddie's sleeping face whenever the song hit the chorus, smiling and chuckling to myself. I could finally laugh at it now.
Looking at the man's face as he slumbered soundly, I couldn't help but note on how peaceful and lax he looked. His face was completely drawn, able to take a breather without panicking. I couldn't wait to sleep, either.
Another long fifteen minutes after, and I drove up into a familiar area with a curvy road that led down a hill. Yes, this was starting to look more familiar to me now. I went down the road, passing by brushes of outgrown grass and tall pine trees standing orderly like a uniform. I then spotted the black roof appearing over the line of brush beyond my sight, and my heart nearly dropped.
Home.
Driving up into the entire driveway, I parked in front of the house, taking a long moment to stare at it. God... everything I had escaped for, narrowly dodging death numerous times, climbing out of Hell... Here I was, back home. It almost felt surreal, being here again. The driveway was unoccupied, and the garage was opened with no car, which meant Lisa was not home, and neither the boys.
"Mmph..." Eddie groaned, stirred awake from the jeep being immobile. He opened his eyes tiredly, lifting his head up, inhaling deeply through his nostrils until his chest was full, back stretching out. When he exhaled, Eddie looked at me, then at the house. He furrowed his eyebrows, with an unsure look on his face. "Darling?" He asked of me, rubbing his eye. "Where's this?"
"This is my house." I answered, looking back to him. "I live here with some others."
"Are they here?" He blinked, completely unafraid.
"No, but, maybe soon..." Honestly, I didn't know where my family was, but, surely they were fine. "Let's go inside."
Out of the jeep, both Eddie and I headed towards the short stoop of my house approaching the front door. Automatically, my hand went for the welcome-mat on the porch, discovering the spare key. I was surprised - still remembering Lisa's small hiding habits. I smiled at the old, dingy key, turning it over once or twice, before inserting it into the keyhole, turning it to unlock, and opened the heavy door.
Everything looked just the same as I had left. Lisa had a inspirational love of decorating in modern-style, and everything was just as she had wanted it to look before I left. The furniture was there, and the family photos were either hanging on the walls or on top of the fire place. The smell... it was the same aroma of Lisa's sweet perfume and the boys' soccer-shoes. I could see some of my kids' toys sprawled in the middle of the living room floor.
As I ventured into the second room, to relish on the home I left, I didn't notice that Eddie was eyeing a family picture upon the unlit fireplace.
When I came into the living room, I saw Eddie standing there, looking straight at that family portrait that he now held in his hand. I nearly crapped my pants - I forgot about my family seeing Eddie. Also, him discovering I had a family of my own. That picture was taken a year ago, before my family and I had moved to this new place. It was a beautiful photo, with my two boys and Lisa smiling brightly, along with me in it, arm wrapped around my Wife. I looked at Eddie, paralyzed where I was. Would he flip out on me?
"... Is this your... family?" Eddie asked dully, not taking his eyes off the portrait.
"... Yeah." I answered, frightenedly, but tried to sound calm. "Th-That's my Wife, Lisa... Those are my two boys, Paul and H-Henry." I swore mentally at myself for sounding so scared. Eddie could likely feel the damn fear radiating right off of me as I spoke. I gnawed at my bottom lip anxiously as Eddie nodded to the picture, before placing it back where he found it.
He then looked right at me. Right fucking dead at me... and smiled.
"I knew you had someone else." His eyes were mixed in many emotions flourishing, but his face seemed especially calm. "I didn't think you'd... have children, though..." He then turned fully to me and strides right at me. I made a flinch when his hand outstretched to me, thinking he would hurt me. But instead, Eddie touched his fingers over my cheek carefully, looking in my eyes just a bit longer. I wished to read his thoughts, because right there, Eddie look so completely unreadable. It was fucking scary. "How old are your children?" He curiously asked.
I cleared my throat. "Paul and Henry are twins, so they're both twelve."
That was when Eddie made a bewildered look on his face. "Aren't you twenty-eight, darling?"
"... Yeah." I quietly answered with a nod. He must have done the math in his head.
I found myself thinking of Lisa's safety, if she were to meet Eddie. What would she think? What would he do? And, what about my boys? I knew Eddie wanted children, but he hasn't seen any in years. Shit, what the fuck to everything?
After memorizing and relishing on the first floor, Eddie and I went upstairs to also explore. No, nothing changed there, either. Seemed that Lisa's inspiration had begun to die down. As we walked down the long hall, I looked through an open door nearby the staircase, and saw that it was my sons' room. Heh, still as trashed as I remember it being. Paul was usually the clean kid, though, while Henry was more of the messy one. Twin differences - a classic scenario.
"What about this room?" Eddie looked into a room that was cleaned out and furnished as a casual guest room. Lisa, I could remember, wanted to touch up the design, to not make it so bland.
"That's the guest room. A lot nicer than a crummy hotel room." I shrugged, but Eddie nodded.
Then I found the sacred room of all in the house. No, not the bathroom. The parents' room - mine and Lisa's.
As I had almost guessed, it was cleaned and untouched. But, the floor was littered with ripped-out magazine pages on fashion, bits and pieces of Greg wallpaper strewn about, and pencil drawings on printer paper in paperballs or tossed aside as they were. Seems like she was trying to keep herself occupied with so much projects. But, it looked like none of it was going along anywhere. Lisa had made countless drawings on dresses, fedora hats and such.
"This is my room." I answered, as I allowed Eddie to step inside. "It's, uh... well, you know, the parents' room."
"... Oh..." Eddie only answered quietly, seeming too interested in scanning the entire room with his eyes. I still felt the familiar fire of anxiety riling up to every movement and touch Eddie made to the furnish or photos. Just seeing the big bed now, he knew it was where Lisa and I laid. I couldn't see what his expression was, as he had his large back turned to me, but something deep in the back of my mind told me that it was either the look of lost, or the look of potential threat. I didn't want to touch him, while he were in that state. I just tried to keep my distance, unknown whether he'd lash out or not. Eddie remained silent as a mouse.
And then, a sound downstairs caught my attention. Eddie paid no mind to it, so, I decided to check out the noise myself.
Walking out the room, down the hall towards the top of the staircase, I looked down to see if there were anyone there. And I saw...
"Henry, go and take your shoes to the backyard. The cleats are dirty." A woman's sweet voice spoke aloud, calmly as it could through her tired voice. "Paul, can you go and see if I left the AC on while we were gone?"
"You always leave the AC on when we're gone, Mom." A young boy's nonchalant voice said, but went to go check anyhow.
"Mom," another young boy's spoke, while untying his shoes. "Is Dad coming home soon? My soccer game's almost coming up."
The woman thought for a moment with eyes shifting to the floor. Then, she looked back to her blonde son with a sad smile. "I'll try calling him again, Henry. I don't know when he'll be home, but, he can't be gone forever." She tried to act as normal and happy as she usually feels, but, deep down, she was completely unhappy right now. Her son, too involved with himself, noticed nothing of it, as he finished untying his shoes and slipping them off, walking off to the back patio door in the kitchen.
Now she just stood in the foyer, arms crossed and thoughtful. Her face looked coated in worry and anxiety. When will her Husband be home? It's been too long now. Much too long. Will he have to stay at that asylum forever? But he was just a technician. Why would he need to stay there with days on end? She knew he was doing this work to help support the family, and doing a career he enjoyed, but now... She has been missing him for months.
The beautiful woman laid her back against the closed front door, exhaling heavily to herself. Perhaps she could try calling his cell, but, it always sends her straight to Mount Massive's administration. When she asked of her Husband, they wouldn't allow calls. Even that motherfucker, Blaire, decided to be extremely nosy and invade her phone calls. She left him a nasty message to express her hate for the boss that forced her husband to be sealed off in that cursed place. How dare he keep her Husband away? It wasn't fair.
Shuffle. Shuffle.
Footsteps coming down the staircase in front of her made the Wife open up her eyes, thinking it was one of her boys. But, then, she was heavily, and silently, startled by the sight of a full grown man before her, at the last step. She froze up, unable to recognize him at first, due to the dirty clothes and injured face decorated in bruises. Her eyes widened when she noticed something coming into view from her misty Mind's eye. This man had dirty blonde hair, the same big blue eyes as her Husband's, and even the same height as him. Was this...?
"... Lisa?" Waylon smiled with his bloodstained lips. "... Lisa, it's me."
His voice. Dear God, his voice...!
"... Waylon?" Lisa couldn't blink, nor move. She continued to stare, awe-struck. "W-Waylon?"
"Yeah... It's me." He chuckled once, feeling just as pinched.
And that was when everything boiled over like mad. Lisa covered her mouth with both hands, inhaling deep as she felt the first set of tears prickle at her eyes. Her large brown eyes lightening as her missing Husband was finally standing in front of her. He looked like he just survived a freight train crash, wrecked and bruised black and blue, but, here he was.
"WAYLON!" Lisa pounced at her Husband, engulfing him in her arms, holding him as tight as she could. She finally started sobbing hard, right onto Waylon's shoulder, one arm around his shoulders and the other hand over the back of his head to keep him close. She hadn't openly sobbed during those months alone. She always had to hide herself in her bedroom to cry in private, so that her children wouldn't have to worry about her. "Waylon... Waylon, it's really you!" She sniffles, unable to stop smiling.
Waylon's heart burst out of sheer joy, feeling himself crying along with his Wife. He wrapped his arms around her back and held onto his best friend, not wanting to let her go ever again. Hearing her voice again, and to hold her like this, just made him so alive.
"Mom, why'd you shout?!" Paul ran into the foyer, hurrying to check his Mother. And he immediately stopped when he saw her hugging someone he hadn't seen in months. Waylon turned his head to his Son, and smiled widely at him. "D... Dad? Is that-?"
"DAD, YOU'RE BACK!" Henry bolted into the foyer, straight at Waylon's side to latch his hyperactive arms around. "DAD, WHY WERE YOU GONE SO LONG? DID YOU DO A LOT OF COMPUTER STUFF? ARE YOU STAYING HOME NOW?" Yes, Henry was still the same loud-mouth Son that Waylon loved.
Paul was stricken, unable to seriously process what was happening. He was always the calmest in the household, so showing too much emotions was almost like an overload of overwhelming feelings. Now, he stood, dumbfound. Waylon understood his quiet Son's immediate reaction, and decided to approach him himself. Releasing Lisa from his arms, Waylon approached Paul with a wide smile. It scared Paul, but nonetheless, the boy wanted to be embraced by his Father again. A tear ran down his young cheek.
"Dad, how'd you get back? Did you steal that jeep outside?!" Henry hurriedly asked his Dad in excitement.
And that was when the explosive moment came to light. "I had help from my new friend there," Waylon gestured up the top of the stairs, and the three looked to where he notioned. They saw Eddie Gluskin. Lisa accidentally made a startled gasp, when she saw the Groom's scarred, red face. Paul was quietly shocked out of his mind. Henry looked on at the guest with glittery, awe-struck eyes.
And Eddie was staring right back at them in shock.
They hadn't seen a madman before.
Eddie hadn't seen a proper family in years.
The moment came when Eddie was at the bottom of the staircase, and standing before Lisa and the twin boys. His eyes were wide, mouth sealed shut like it were kept closed with super glue. The trio tried to be polite and not be drawn back by Eddie's frightening stature and his damaged, blackened eyes. Perhaps it was a bad idea to even introduce the family to a complete lunatic, but, Waylon couldn't hide him forever. How could he?
"Hello," Lisa smiled sweetly at Eddie, hands behind her back. But she brought one out to extend for a handshake. "I'm Lisa Park."
Eddie couldn't react quick enough. He hadn't seen a woman in... fuck, years. Well, never a formal, proper girl, like Lisa, to be precise. She was awfully nice to begin with. It almost made him want to just stand there and never introduce himself. But, he reached out a hand to careful shake her's. "Eddie Gluskin. Charmed." He cracked a smile. He was actually meeting THE person that his darling had committed himself to. Somehow, he knew it'd be a woman. He just had that urging feeling.
"Hello! I'm Henry! You look so cool! How'd you get those scars?! Did you-"
"Henry," Paul quieted his obnoxious twin with a hiss. He then looked at Eddie. "Sorry - my Brother kind of has too much energy. He didn't mean to offend you about that question. My name is Paul." He maturely introduced himself, as he always has been.
Eddie stared at the boys, with petrified eyes. God, he was standing before Waylon's KIDS. It was almost like a dream, being there and hearing children for the first time in way too long. Eddie just stared at their youthful faces, seeing how they were incredibly identical to one another. And yes, they looked just like their Father. While Paul looked more serious, Henry looked like a typical, overeager boy full of energy. They shared Lisa's large eyes, and her button-nose, but the rest just screamed Waylon right on spot.
"I-I, uh..." Eddie didn't know what to do. He's dreamt of having children of his own, but now... standing right in front of these boys... "A pleasure to meet you..." He sounded ready to run and vomit. All of it, seeing a Wife and two kids, was making Eddie physically sick. Yet he tried hard to keep his composure. Tried his best.
"Please tell me you're staying." Lisa looked to Waylon and Eddie. "You aren't going back to that asylum, are you?"
Both men made sour faces to the memory of that asylum architecture. They gave each other a quick glance, before answering fast, "NEVER."
"Is he staying with us?!" Henry eagerly pointed at Eddie.
"Stop pointing." Paul deemed at his Brother again.
Eddie made an unsure expression, looking to his dear lover for assistance. "I'd hate to oppose..."
"No, stay!" Waylon and Lisa said at the same time. "There's no trouble of you being here, Eddie. You're more than welcomed."