The Ruins of Our Lives Chapter 23

"Like a Painting, That Blue Skyline"

Randy's POV

Mark is lucky in a way. Between Boston and Los Angeles, Boston is a much more beautiful city. Looking out the window of the plane before we landed was like looking at a painting. The bright November sunlight was reflecting off the water underneath us and off the glass skyscrapers and office buildings.

I've been going over what I'm going to say to Mark in my mind at least a hundred times. We all decided that I would be the best choice to talk to Mark.

I think this might be a tad bit easier, except for the fact that I feel like I let Mark down.

'Alright, it's the moment of truth' I mumble under my breath, hand raised and ready to knock on the door of apartment 527. I rap the door three times, and wait. And wait. And then finally an elderly man with a white hair and a white beard wearing overalls and a Red Sox hat answers the door.

'Can I- You're Randy Taylor! Mark, your brother is at the door!' the man who I assume is Willie says. I hear footsteps pounding down the hall, and then see Mark come running through the kitchenette and ultimately come to a sliding stop at the door. The routine has obviously been rehearsed.

'So you and mom and Brad must be here now. I was just busy uh…packing. Where are mom and Brad at?' Mark says, having a sudden change in attitude.

'They're on their way up. Listen, Mark, I know I've said this a thousand times already, but I'm sorry that none of this worked out. But I can almost guarantee you things will be alright now' I say.

'No you can't. The only way that could happen is if dad came back from the dead, and we all know that won't happen' Mark mumbles. I try to suppress the smile that's making the edges of my mouth curl up. It doesn't take long for it to become a full fledged smile.

'What the hell are you smiling about?' Mark asks, trying to read my eyes and facial expressions. Before I get a chance to answer, as if on cue, mom, then Brad, and finally dad walk through the door. The same kind of smile that overtook my face sweeps over Mark's.

'How…? What…what's going on?' he stammers.

'It wasn't me that died that day at Tool Time, it was Tim Allen' dad explains after hugging Mark.

We just stand there for a few minutes and enjoy being together again.

'Where do we go from here?' Mark asks.

'We fly back to Detroit and go explain to Laura and Katie Allen what happened to Tim' mom says.

A/N: I know this chapter was a little short, but I'll have the other one coming up a little later, with more to follow.

Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait between chapters.

Please read and review, it's much appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

-Yours truly, Randy Taylor