His Return

20~

This is only the third update this year... I am literally the worst...

The silence in the car is unnerving...

I have no idea why my father insisted he come with me when I go to pick the kids up from school with Michael and I, but he did and now the car reeks of tension.

My feels as if it has slowly wound into a tight coil, ready to burst at any moment.

My mother rides in the passenger seat, anxiously playing with my silver locket my father bought her years ago.

"You'll wear the chain out again." I tell her, watching from the corner of my eye as she tucks the necklace into her sweater. "What are you thinking about?" I ask her once her necklace chain is safely hidden from her fidgeting fingers.

"How much I hated this town when you first moved here." She says plainly and as the car slows to stop for a red light, I take a moment to glance at her. "It was too far from New York to begin with." She starts, looking out the window at the small downtown area that surrounds us. Anything you could need it right here on this small strip of main drive. Lever's market, Oma's Diner, Hank's hardware, and other
shops with odd necessities for daily life are all in one central location of town. "The town is too small too," my mother continues. "You don't just have nosey neighbors, everybody is nosey town folk, they all know everybody's secrets, but I suppose that's like family." My mother glances at me quickly before looking back out the window while we drive past the school gates. "This town hasn't let you down, they took care of you when you needed it." I watch as her eyes look in the rear view mirror. "You're happy here." I park the car and she looks at me. "This town became your family."

She's right. When I most needed a family, this town surrounded me.

"Well," I clear my throat glancing at the stoic looking man sitting in the back of my car. "We needed a change." Michael's chest slowly rises and falls as he takes a deep breath. "We needed Stadia." With a small smile I turn the car off, getting out while thoughts flash through my mind.

We needed fall festivals to help us not feel lonely on Thanksgiving. We needed Christmases in the town square to help us forget the empty chair at our dining table.

We needed the support and warmth of a small town.

And Stadia needed us.

"Does Kella still babysit?" My mom asks as we walk toward the small apple tree just to the left of the schools main doors, right where Arianna knows she is expected to meet me.

My dad suddenly chuckles quietly.

"Does Mikey still have a crush on the young girl?"I laugh lightly in response, waving to a few parents who walk past. Images of my middle school son following his babysitter around in a daze and I laugh again.

"He's grown out of it, for now." I add, glancing at Michael who is slowly looking around us as children start to file out of the school, searching for their waiting parents. "You sure you want to work here? Stay?"

His blazing green eyes meet my own icy ones.
"I will always want to stay mi amore." He tells me quietly, the fire in his eyes softening when he sees something behind me.

"Granddaddy!" Arianna's voice squeals as a small body rushes past me and into the arms of my father. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too Princess." My father lift Arianna up into a bear hug. My daughter may not have had as much time with my parents as the twins, but their phone calls are her favorite time of the day. Ari grins at her grandfather before whispering into his ear. "Granddaddy, did you see Daddy is here?" My father's smile falls at the reminder of Michael.

"Yes, I did see your father."  He spares a glance toward Michael who, on the other hand, is grinning at Arianna's loud whisper.

"What about my hug?" My mom asks, and my father sets Ari down to hug her grandmother.

"I missed you Nam." Ari small arms wrap around my mothers waist. My mother herself bends down and kisses Ari on the top of the head.

"Nam!" Another voice joins us as Sofia runs up to us, wrapping her a arms around both her grandparents. "You guys are here!"

"Sofia," I ask my daughter as she turns to hug her Dad.

"Hello, dolce piccola fragola." Micheal kisses the top of her head glancing up at me, a mix of agony and hope in his eyes.

"Did you know your brother called your grandparents?" I ask my daughter whose smile falls.

"No." Micheal's hand around Sofia's shoulder suddenly tightens. "Mikey called you guys?" She asks her grandparents who both frown as a shadow behind me. "Hi Sheriff Bailey." My daughter says and I turn, right into a solid mass.

Hands wrap around my upper arms. "Sorry." Dan apologizes, smiling at me quickly. "Hello again Sofia."

Sofia presses herself against her fathers side, Micheal silently glances from me and back to Dan.

"Um, Dan, these are my parents." I motion behind me and Dan smiles charmingly.

"Mr and Mrs Anderson, it's a pleasure to meet you both."

"Momma, Daddy, this Dan Bailey, he's Stadia's sheriff."

"Sheriff." My father firmly shakes his hand. "It's great to meet you."

"You as well." Dan turns back to me. "Can we talk about your son and my own for a moment?"

"Sure, I'm sorry for Mikey's behavior, he is being punished."

"Don't punish him too much. Toby is fine and honestly deserved it. And I really tried to get Principal Zimmerman to not go through with the suspension, it wasn't necessary to suspend Mikey."

"Suspend Mikey?" My fathers voice booms, making me jump.

"Daddy," I try to calm him as he turns to Michael.

"This is your fault. Everything that's wrong in her life is your fault."

"So is everything that's right."

***