Sixth Grade Beginnings

Chapter 4

"I just don't understand it..." Miles said as he sat down in the living room with his wife and parents. Dinner had recently concluded and Arnold had just retired to his room for the evening, leaving the adults to entertain themselves without him.

"Well, what's there to understand, son?" Phil asked, as he got comfortable in his lounge chair. "He's a growing boy! You weren't always open and honest with your mother and I at times, right Pookie?"

Gerty smiled and rested her hand on her son's shoulder, who sat next to her on the worn sofa. "He's right you know, Miles. Let Arnold decide for himself when he will come to you."

Letting out another frustrated sigh, the adult male slouched back like a stubborn child and crossed his arms, causing his wife to smile at her childish looking partner. "He will come to us when he's ready, dear. Just be patient. You're acting more his age then even he is right now." she laughed softly, hoping he would come to terms with the situation.

Miles peered over at Stella, eyes full of hurt and confusion. "How can you not be worried?"

Stella shook her head and rested her hand on his knee. She looked into her husband's eyes with concern, understanding full well the deep rooted frustration he was feeling. "I am just as worried as you are, but getting all upset like this won't solve anything. He's just a boy, Miles. You can't just expect Arnold to confide all his intimate struggles with us just yet."

"I agree..." Phil chimed in with a wary tone, causing all attention in the room to focus on him. "Arnold isn't a complicated lad. He is normally pretty open and honest with us when he feels it's needed so I wouldn't worry too much about it." The old man took a swig of his iced tea before continuing. "And not for nothing, and I mean this with all the love in the world, but you just came back into his life. It's going to take time for young Arnold to come around and adapt. He's growing up pretty quick with all those hormones n' stuff kicking in right about now..." He finished as he gave a warm smile to his son that was now giving him a nervous look. "You know what I'm talking about..."

"Dad!" Miles groaned, shutting his eyes and dreading the thought, causing Gerty to laugh alongside her husband.

"Ahh... the good old days..." She smiled lovingly towards Phil, reminiscing of long days past. "You were quite a handful yourself, young man."

"Yeah. Always getting into trouble with the neighborhood kids. Picking on little girls and stealing their dolls..." Phil mused to his wife.

"Putting tacks on their seats, kicking their marbles all over the floor... Rolling them in honey and sticking them on top of ant hills..." Gerty continued fondly, clutching her hands over her heart.

"No, Pookie that was you." Phil interrupted.

Gerty put her hand thoughtfully on her chin and cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, was it?"

Stella couldn't help but laugh at their ramblings of the past and tried to imagine her husband a child picking on kids. "Did you really do all that, Miles?"

"Of course not!" He stood up and cried, waving his hands in the air. "I was a wonderful child, thank you very much!"

"Uh huh... You're definitely you're mother's son..." Phil mumbled to himself before taking a bite of an oatmeal raisin cookie and washing it down with another swig of iced tea. "The point is, let Arnold have his privacy and he'll eventually come to you. He's a good boy."

After a few more discussions, the couple had decided it was time for their own retirement and bid their parents a good night. Gradually they made their way to their room, worries still hot in their mind. It was natural for them to feel this way. After years of separation from their beloved son, they were finally back home where they belonged but didn't anticipate that adjusting would be this hard. Sure, it was a nice thinking that everything to just work out and they could pick up where they left off... however, it wasn't realistic. Arnold was on the verge of becoming twelve years old... and they left when he was just starting to walk on his own. The gap was far too large to be sealed with only a mere 3 months of reconnecting to fill. They understood his feelings yet it was too painful for them to accept.