Guys Our Age (Wattys2017) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Chapter 31: We All Fall Down (Hailey)

"I'm getting the mail." I knocked on Hannah's door, but she didn't answer. She's probably asleep still.

"I'm getting the mail." I yelled through the quiet house before grabbing the keys and flipping my jacket's hood on.

I ran to the mailbox in the rain and nearly knocked our mailwoman over. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." She waved me off and started sliding letters and bills into the boxes.

"Can I give you the package key after I get the package?" I asked her as I unlocked the box.

"Sure." She took the key after I handed it to her. "Happy Holidays."

"Happy Holidays." I smiled at her before getting the mail out of our box. "Have a good day!"

"You too!" She waved, and we went our separate ways.

I locked the door behind me, kicked my sneakers off, and carefully draped my wet jacket over my arm that wasn't holding Dad's box from Amazon.

"Your books are here, Dad." I tossed my jacket onto the counter and set his box by it. "Bill, bill, mortgage, Christmas card from Grandma, and a letter from Mase."

I sat the bills and Christmas card on Dad's box and walked to my and Hannah's rooms with my mail and jacket.

"Hey, I got a letter from Mase if you wanna read it with me." I said through the door. "Justin can join if he wants, but that could be weird if it's a love letter proclaiming Mason's undying love for me."

Hannah didn't say anything or even laugh, so I took at as a cue she was sleeping or didn't want to talk to me.

"I left Grandma's Christmas card with the bills and Dad's box on the counter in the kitchen." I told her before going to my room to read Mason's letter.

I hung my jacket up on its hook on the back of my door before crawling back into bed. I grabbed the fancy old letter opener Grandma had gotten me for Christmas a few years back and opened the envelope then dumped it's contents on my lap.

I stared in confusion at the key, ad for apartments downtown, and a somewhat readable note written on stationery from a motel.

I placed the key by the framed picture of Hannah and I on the first day of high school that was sitting on my nightstand, but ignored the ad and read Mason's note.

Hails,

So Walt decided to wait until we were on the road before telling me why he was in town. Turns out he was applying to be an overseer (not a manager!) at the new gallery, and he got the job! We're headed up to his old place to pack it up then we'll be back, hopefully before New Years.

Walt says you're welcome over anytime and that the key is his belated birthday/ early Christmas present :), so I'm gonna be 25 minutes away instead of 12 hours.

Love ya, Mason

I read the note five times before it sunk in. They were coming back, Mason was coming back.

"Oh my God!" My smile felt bigger than the one for NYU's acceptance letter.

"Hannah!" I flew out of my room and banged on her door. "Hannah, open up! Mason's coming back!"

I opened her door when she didn't answer, but she wasn't in her room.

"Hannah? Justin?" I opened Justin's door expecting them to be passed out or making out on his bed, but his room was empty too.

"Dad." I ran to his room and pushed the door open, not caring if he was changing. "Hannah and-"

Dad wasn't in his room. Or bathroom.