In The End We Are Still The Same (Reddie)

Taking It Slow

Chapter 9: part 1

Richie's earliest memory, was he thinks, his mom and his dad taking him to the playground during December. It was some random day, before Christmas, he can't remember how old he was, or if he could even talk by then. But he did remember, the way it was so cold, that no other kids were at the park but him.

He had just gotten back from the dentist. He was told how lucky he was that his father was his own doctor. But he didn't really know, his gums still hurt, and he still didn't like it there.

So they took him to the park, as a reward.

The sun felt nice, but he couldn't enjoy it fully, because his nose felt like it might freeze off, and the air that escaped his lips would be steamy. He kind of liked the effect though, made him feel like he was smoking, trying desperately to mimic his parents.

His tiny hand was being held by his mother's, he was wearing a winter coat that was far too big on him, and she was in some kind of sweater. It looked itchy and uncomfortable. He reached out and ran his hand over the material to see. It was.

But most of all, he distinctly remembers how his mom looked with the sun peaking through her hair, like little strands of light sculpting her face. She smiled at him and lifted him up to the slide, letting him sit on the cold metal.

He gripped her hand tight, scared he might get hurt, but she just pressed a kiss to his chin, and pushed him down.

In retrospect, going down a 3 foot slide should be by all means, safe. But Richie had absolutely freaked out, and stuck his feet out, causing him to jam his heals into the bottom of the slide and flip out of it, landing on his face in the wood chips.

He could hear his mother and father quickly run up to him, his dads strong arms lifting him off the ground. They both looked at him with worried eyes, looking over his small frame for  possible injuries.

They watched him, waiting, then, he smiled. Big, wide, lopsided and goofy.

"I want to do it again!" He laughed hard, causing his tiny body to bounce.

And the worried expression on his parents faces were replaced with amusement just as quickly, until they were also laughing, heads falling back. They walked him back over to the slide, placing him down again.

The second time he was able to get it right, he clapped, proud with himself.

And when they smiled at him, Richie thought that, that is what love looked like.

His prospective on life definitely changed over the years however.

Richie sat in his room, having previously cleaned it up a bit yesterday, because he knew he would have company. He shoved his now growing collection of Play Girl magazines under his mattress, his cheeks flushed with the distant memory of how he was able acquire them.

"So you are getting this for your girlfriend?" The guy asked, looking Richie up and down as if he didn't believe some awkward, scrawny, coke bottle glasses kid could ever get a girl.

"Yeah. We are trying to spice it up a bit. You know how it is with the ladies, always looking for more ya know?" Richie gapes, rubbing the back of his neck and trying his best to avoid eye contact. The dude was in his early 20's probably, and only agreed the get Richie the magazines from the store if he gave him a few extra bucks.