Who Is Lucas Ryker O'Riley?

24. MOVING TOO FAST

With the neighbors gone, Mom asked me to give her a hand cleaning up the patio from our impromptu neighborhood welcoming party.

I helped clear away the bowls and straightened the chairs. Then, as I wiped down the patio table, I looked out at our amazing luxurious grotto pool.

This pool was far more extravagant than anything I had ever seen before. Absolutely breathtaking is what it was. The way the original owner designed the pool and the landscaping, our backyard looked like a pond flowing out of a grotto, fed by a waterfall, in the middle of a lush jungle oasis.

The pool was completely surrounded by large natural-looking rocks and had a hot tub area tucked behind the waterfall and a water slide built into the rock on one side.

With such an attractive pool and backyard, I couldn't wait to go swimming, but with my current situation, I would have to rectify my lack of an appropriate bathing suit.

As my thoughts trailed off about making good use of our new beautiful pool, it struck me how much I missed who I used to go swimming with.

While Mom and I cleaned up, Dad enlisted Dave to help with some final unpacking; mainly setting up and organizing the tools, workbenches, and storage shelves in the garage.

Once the patio was cleaned, I joined them.

A few hours into our project, I caught sight of my old motorcycle helmet at the bottom of one of the boxes. After dusting it off, I tried to put it on but had no luck getting it over my ears.

When I last wore that helmet, I still had a kid sized head, now I would definitely need a teen-sized helmet.

The sad futility of watching me trying to fit into my old helmet caught Dad and Dave's attention. Dad chuckled, then turned his attention back to his work. Dave, on the other hand, laughed at my failed attempt and made jokes about me having a big head.

I had also sat on my old bike while trying to get the helmet on. It was almost comical how small my old bike looked underneath me now, since my last growth spurt.

I made a pouting expression towards Dave as he chuckled at my attempt.

Dad looked back up and after a moment, spoke.

"Looks like we need to do a little more than clothes shopping. How about after we sell these, we look at getting you guys some bikes that are the right size for you? And helmets." Dad offered to our astonishment.

"Oh yes, please!!! Thank you!" Dave and I almost simultaneously responded as we jumped over to Dad, embracing him in a surrounding bear hug.

I think this was Dad's way, in his mind, of making up for the trauma of our move and uprooting us from our friends so suddenly. No, it wouldn't fix my feelings of loss for Mandy, but I wasn't going to argue. New toys have a way of taking one's mind off of everyday problems and responsibilities.

It also wasn't lost on me, how Dad was treating me. It was like he wasn't as happy and lighthearted as he normally was with the two of us. He was treating Dave the same as he always had, but I felt like he was giving me a subtle cold shoulder.

Sure he agreed to get both of us new bikes, but the way he said, 'you guys,' just felt a little passive-aggressive.

We continued organizing the garage until Mom came out and informed us dinner was ready. I asked her about going to the mall after dinner and she assured me we would go tomorrow morning.

"Aww," Mom called out, reacting to seeing the footlocker I was about to open. "That's my keepsake box. It has my wedding gown in it."

"Maybe I'll get to after all," she commented, to no one in particular, as she began moving towards the box.

"Get to what, Mom," I inquired.

Dad spoke before Mom could. "She ah, she's just feeling nostalgic over her dress."

Mom pulled her wedding gown out of the footlocker and held it up against herself. She spun around and stopped in front of Dad.

I could see the love in their eyes as they smiled at each other.

At that moment a thought occurred to me and I realized what mom was about to say before Dad stopped her. This means, he was trying to tell her she was moving too fast and it made him uncomfortable.

When I went to bed that night, I felt a little apprehensive about Dad's acceptance. It was something I desperately wanted and needed, yet I didn't feel it was fully there yet.

Climbing into bed, my mind filled with thoughts about shopping for my new motorcycle and the possible adventures riding a new, more powerful screaming off-road beast. The three of us, jumping hills, dodging trees, and covering ourselves in mud, just like we used to.

As my eyes became heavy, closing for the night, my last waking thoughts were of tomorrow's shopping trip with Mom, which caused a few tired butterflies to stir in my stomach as I slowly drifted off to sleep.