Parole (Hypernaturals 7)

First Light

"Hey. Asshole." I heard Helen call. I woke up from where I fell asleep, head on crossed arms, arms laid over knees, back leaning against the building. Two cars are in the parking lot. A Honda Civic from the 1990s that must be Holly's, and a mile-long white Dodge Ram pickup.

"Wha? Oh. Hey." Morgan leaned out the window, looking me over critically. Helen taunted me from the back seat. I heard my girls in the car, Diana asking "Is that daddy?". Rachel making happy baby noises. She loves riding around in the car.

"Out for a test drive in your new toy?" I asked Morgan

"Holly called this morning to make sure you are OK. Said you two downed a few and talked." Morgan non-replied.

"Yeah. She got a cab out of here because she was too drunk to drive." I replied.

"You don't know how to call cabs?" Morgan asked.

"I do. I was not ready to face the music, because I would rather jump out of an airplane over Travis without a parachute again than face you three mad at me. I basically sat here and thought about how to make it right, and I realized I can't make it right with you, and that I have work to do on me... Still. Always. Never-ending work. It's never going to end..." I whacked my head back against the wall. Lightly. "Never end."

"Holly said you are forgiven, dumbass. She got worried you are upside down in a ditch someplace, so nice work. You scared her." Helen noted.

Morgan added "Helen told her you are fine, and that you are still at the bar. Here you are. It is like she is married to you and knows what a fine kind of complete moron you are."

I could not deal with Morgan calling me a moron, so I changed the subject. "So. Where are you all headed to?" I asked. "Breakfast Tacos?"

Jessica leaned past Morgan and said out the window. "Get in the truck before I come out there and kick your ass in front of the girls."

"Yes, ma'am." I told her. Jessica got out and I slid into the middle of the front. Two car seats and Helen filled the back.

"Hi, Daddy!" Said Diana, as if this is a normal, everyday thing.

"Hi, little darling." I said back.

Morgan sniffed at me. "Did it rain last night?"

"Yeah. A little." I replied.

"And you sat out there in it?" Morgan asked

"Again. Yes. Not like it will hurt me." I shrugged. "It's water. From the sky."

Morgan started the behemoth rolling. "It is a good thing I love you because you are the most idiotic man I have ever met sometimes. Honestly."

"You are mad as hell at me. So is Jessica. So it Helen. Hell, the only one NOT mad at me is Holly. What the hell is rain in that circumstance?" I asked.

"I told you to make it right with her." Morgan scolded. "You did. I do not know what you said to her. I heard the call to Helen. If anything, whatever you said made her go from mad to mad with worry. Call her. Now."

Helen wordlessly handed me her phone, Holly's number set up. I called.

"Helen? You find him?" Holly's voice came.

"Hi, Holly. It's me. They found me. They decided that since the girls are with them in the monster truck to put me inside the truck rather than under it. I was not missing. I was still at the bar. Thinking is all." I explained

"You scared me half to death. I am super glad I didn't drive 'cause we damn near killed that bottle. You idiot. Never do that again. Damn. I shoulda just stayed there and fucked you until dawn. Be better than this. Then I'd only hafta deal with three angry women fer sniping their booty." Holly was scared / angry in an equal mix.