Return II

Chapter 19

Paris's POV

Everyone piled into grandma's and Taryn's cars after the nurse shooed us out of Natalie's room for the night. We are upset to have to leave, considering it's her last day on life support. You would think at a time like this, they would let you stay as long as you wanted. 

As we sit in the car, we predict the reasons as to why my dad was being held up. "He's probably just saying some things to Nat." Grandma suggests and Taryn nods. 

"Maybe that nurse is giving him an earful." Grandpa adds. 

I turn my head to the window and see my dad exiting the hospital looking a bit worried. He opens the door to my left and slides himself in next to Taryn. Everyone looks at him, and silence falls over car.

"What's wrong, dad?" I ask. Dad shakes his head. I throw my hands up, then back down and hang my head. "There's obviously something, you look like you just witnessed a murder." I blurt. Taryn snaps her head in my direction. She playfully slaps my thigh with the back of her hand and smiles at me. I chuckle, looking away from her and back to my dad, who is still shaking his head.

"That nurse in there just told me she knew who I was." Dad finally confesses and everything falls silent once again.

"What?" The words fall out of my mouth with shock. My dad stares out the window and nervously bites his lower lip.

"What was her name?" Grandpa asks impatiently. "Did you catch her name? Who was it?" 

"Um, her name tag read 'Grace,' I—" Dad continues but is cut off when my grandpa yanks the handle to the driver's side door and shoves it open. 

"Dad!" Dad calls at the same time I say "Grandpa," and Grandma says, 'Joseph!'

Blanket's POV

I jump up from the couch when the door bell rings and my brother laughs. "Don't get too excited." He jokes. I stick my tongue out at him. He laughs and makes his way toward the door with me close behind. 

"Hi, Jackson?" The delivery man asks and Prince nods. "That's us," he says with a smile. "How much?" 

"$10 even." The delivery man says, and Prince's eyes widen. "Wow, I thought it'd be more than that, but okay." My brother grabs his wallet from his back pocket and pulls out a $20 bill, then hands it to the man in exchange for two large pizzas.

"Thank you." The delivery man smiles wide. "Say, you look familiar. You're Prince Jackson, right?" He asks. My brother nods his head and smiles politely. "Wow, that's so cool. I'm a huge fan of your dad's." The delivery man says. Prince smiles, nodding once again. "We get that a lot. Thank you." Prince and I step further away from the door so he has no chance in seeing me. I don't want to be acknowledged, especially now. 

The man moves to give Prince the change, but my brother refuses. "Keep it," He assures. "You're a kind man." Prince waves to the man and slowly closes the door just as he waves a sudden goodbye.

My brother and I chuckle as we make our way to the living room and sit on opposite couches. We open both boxes simultaneously and withdraw slices of pizza without further words. 

Prince snatches the remote from the arm of the couch that I'm sitting on and I yell, "Hey!" with a mouth full. "Close your mouth!" He demands with a smile. I roll my eyes and watch as he flips through multiple channels before settling on one.

"Breaking Bad, really?" I ask and Prince nods. "Duh, this is the best show ever." He looks at the TV and his eyes widen. "This is the episode where Walter nearly gets busted for using a bong in—" 

"That's enough." I interrupt my brother before he can finish. He shakes his head and continues focusing on the TV.

I don't understand how Prince can watch the same movies and TV episodes more than once and still get the same thrill out of them. I can only watch them one at a time because if I watch them over and over and over again, I will get tired of it altogether. It annoys me.

As I sit up and reach for another slice of pizza, the front door flies open and Prince and I snap our heads toward it. Our family piles into the house without warning and we stare at them.

"What are you all doing here?" Prince asks as everyone removes their shoes and jackets. "The nurses sent us home." Mom answers. "Apparently it's hospital policy that people can't stay longer than three days in a row." Paris adds. "But tomorrow is—" Prince begins and my grandma glares at him. He stops talking and leans back.

Shit.

I had forgotten about Natalie for a while. I had forgotten that today was her last day. I jump up from the couch and run past my family, up the stairs and to my room. I slam the door and throw myself on my bed.

Michael's POV

Watching Blanket run away like that made my heart sink. I move to follow him, but my father grabs my arm and shakes his head. "Just let him be," He demands. I stare at him blankly. "He has those moments all the time, he just needs to let it out." I draw in a deep breath and nod. 

"Want some pizza?" Prince offers and smiles suddenly appear on everyone's faces. Voices soon fill the house and as my family piles into the living room, I take the time to look around.

It has been so long since I have been in my mother and father's house. It astonishes me that they still live in the very same house we had moved to when my siblings and I were kids. 

Memories fill my head, and suddenly, I am hearing the voices of the young Jackson's and seeing them running all around the house.

"I call this room!" 

"No, I want it! I called it first!"

"Have you guys seen this bathroom?"

"Woah, this kitchen is huge!"

I wander around the house some more and soon find myself standing in front of the door to the bedroom that had once belonged to me. I press my head against the closed door and lie my hand on the knob. I hear sobbing on the other side and emotions fill my body once again.

This is Blanket's room now.