“welcome home, jasper!”
you took it all in as balloons and banners hung from the ceiling and you smiled that bright smile that made my heart do flips. you looked at everything closely and it was your home. you were home and nothing was better than this. after twenty months of not being in your own home, you stepped foot in it once again.
your parents clung to your side ever since you arrived at the police station a few hours ago. apparently they questioned you before we saw you and nobody is telling me anything. you’re breathing it all in and you’re holding my hand and even though mine is probably clammy, you didn’t care. i just squeezed tighter and this all felt surreal, like you actually weren’t here. but you were. you are.
“thanks everyone,” you said sincerely. “i’m happy to be home.”
“we’re happy you’re okay, jas,” your mother said, already wiping the corner of her eyes. have i mentioned they all have been non-stop crying? that, too. “we’re so, so happy.”
you looked out of the corner of your eye at me and you grinned. i had to look away and i hid behind my hair. you started to walk and you pulled me with you. you wouldn’t let go, either. you walked up to the picture frames and you looked at each of them individually. you sighed at each one and your fingers stilled on the one of me and you.
“i missed your birthday,” you whispered hoarsely.
“you did.”
“i missed christmas and thanksgiving.”
“you did.”
silence ricocheted off the walls and suddenly it felt very tense.
“i missed a lot, huh?”
“yeah,” i replied. “you did.”
you went to scratch your head with the hand you were holding mine in, so you let go. my hand fell down to my side and it suddenly felt cold. i frowned. you didn’t notice but you walked up the stairs and i followed you. you stopped midway walking up the steps and you turned to face me.
“can i just have a few minutes?” you asked. “i just…”
“yeah,” i said, holding my hands up in surrender. i was hiding the little bit of hurt i felt, but i pushed it away. you needed a few minutes to yourself and that was okay. “of course.”
you nodded and looked back up. “sorry,” you whispered, not looking at me.
confused, i drew my eyebrows in. “take your time.”
you glanced back down and back up, then you walked up the stairs. i stayed still until i heard a close of a door, which was probably your bedroom door, and i sighed.
“where’s jasper?” a voice behind me asked. i jumped and placed a hand over my chest. i turned around and it was my mother.
“he said he needed a few minutes to himself,” i shrugged.
my mother nodded and looked up the staircase. “come join me in the living room?” she asks.
looking up at the staircase once more, i bit my lip.
“sure,” i said. “be there in a sec.”
she smiled at me and wheeled herself to the living room and i scratched the back of my neck. i began walking away and i could’ve swore i heard a distant sound of glass breaking.
“fuck!”
my walking stopped at the sound of your voice and your parents looked alarmed and so did my mother. and with that, your father and i ran up the staircase.
