Forgive Us Our Sins (Moral Orel Fanfic)

Chapter 11 (AUTHORS NOTE)

Authors note: Apologies for this coming out so late! Classes started up for me, and life gets in the way!! That being said, let's see what's up.

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With every I dotted and T crossed, this only meant one thing. On the road this family went.

The trunk of the Puppington car was filled with duffel bags and snacks, and as the trunk door closed the family hopped into the car. "Okay, bags and phones.. Oh, has everyone gone potty?" Orel asked his kids "Dad, we're not bab-"
"Crap, I forgot!" Mary ran back into the house. Christian rolled his eyes and looked in the driveway. There stood Feltina. He rushed over to give her a hug.

"Text me as soon as you get there man. Ooh, and buy me some weird Moralton crap! They have trinkets and shit, right Mr. Puppington?" Feltina asked him. Orel shrugged "I can get you a baby Jesus skeleton keychain from the museum." Feltina looked at Christian and laughed "Sick, I'm down for it." She then looks at her phone and groans "Aw, my dad wants me home before the streetlights come on. I gotta bounce, see you guys!" She smiles and heads out on her bike.

"Shoot, is it really getting that late? It's only six.." Orel stared at his phone. Mary zips back out the house and hops into the car, which meant it was time to get going. This wouldn't be the first family road trip, however. Whether it was coaching new hires at a teaching conference, aiding a women's shelter, or the annual praying contest (now with a biblical quote competition), the small family adored the trips where they could get closer.

This time was different. Nobody knew what to say. Mary, who was usually a chatter box, stayed silent, watching movies she wasn't allowed to due to her age on her personal tablet. Bypassing the parental locks were easy, Orel always used the same password for everything. Eventually he added numbers to the codes, which confused Mary for ten seconds. But then she figured it out as easily as the other times. Time for R Rated movies!

Christian, on the other hand, was a silent nervous wreck. All he could truly think of was this trip, guilt felt as if it were physically eating him alive. Would his father hate him for this, growing to resent his own son because he just HAD to have this specific birthday gift? Christian felt as if he was going to be sick. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out some earbuds and blasted some music.

Checking the rear view mirror, Christina noticed her children wouldn't be able to hear her. This gave her some relief, but this trip was going to kill her. She hated seeing her husband so nervous, so riddled with guilt for leaving his brothers behind. But what could he do? That was so long ago, and it isn't him he has to think about anymore.

"You're still upset, aren't you?" Orel asked, occasionally glancing at his brunette wife. Christina sighed "I won't lie, I am. But it's not anger, more-"

"Worried I'm gonna spiral?"

"Yep."

Orel hadn't a clue what he could say to ease his wife's tension. All he could do was be honest with her. "I know, I'm worried about it too." He sighed.

"Look, this is the weirdest timing. It's all sudden too, and me and shapey haven't talked in so long. But this feels.. different. I mean, now that I'm grown my father can't pull me into his study to spank me with his belt. I hold more power now.. maybe it's time I finally burned that bridge."

Christina chuckled, shaking her head. "Orel, you don't get angry. Remember when the kids were toddlers, constantly testing how far we'd go? You never even raised your voice in a concerned octave. I don't think you have a burning bridges gene in your body." Christina reminded him.

"I did the day we left moralton."

The car was eerily silent now. The duo sat in it for what felt like hours "Yeah, You're right. You did. But you're not an angry man."

Hearing his wife say this gave him confidence. He could do this, it would be easy!

... right?