Chapter 0305
Logan glared at his father for a long moment. Then, clear and crisp, he replied. “What happened to you, father? You were never a good man, but you were, at least, once a man. Now.” Logan waved to the entire state of his father. “You are a broken husk ”
“Do as your grandfather wants you to do,” Logan’s father said, his face twisting with bitter rage. He stepped closer, but he was wobbly and off–balanced. Drunk. “Stop ruining my fucking life, you ungrateful ingrate!”
With another unsteady step, Logan’s father tripped over his own feet and fell down face–first to the ground. His drink spilled all over the carpet. The glass rolled off the side, miraculously unbroken. Not even chipped, it seemed.
Logan turned his back to his father, who now had begun sobbing into the carpet.
Looking at me, Logan said, “Let’s get out of here.”
Back in our temporary apartment, Logan spent the rest of the afternoon staring out the window, lost in thought. He didn’t say much to me, nor did he eat much of the late lunch we shared.
I could only imagine what he was going through. With his father in such a sorry state, and his mother in a
mental hospital, it had to seem like the life he had grown accustomed to was falling apart.
At least he had reconnected with his foster parents.
“Maybe we can call Tammy and Frank later,” I said. I’d been texting them, but I was certain they would still welcome a phone call. “They’d love to hear from us, I’m sure.
“That would be nice,” Logan said, offering me a small smile. A moment later, the smile faded and he returned to staring out the window.
There had to be another way to help him.
“Maybe…. I mean… If you want to…” I hesitated with my newest idea. After seeing Logan interact with his father, I wasn’t sure this idea would be welcomed. Still, someone had to say something. “If you want to go visit your mother, I will go with you.”
He looked at me, somehow surprised again. Did he not understand my dedication and love to him? I would follow him to the ends of the earth. I would face off against his vindictive, rich, and powerful father at his side. Did he truly think I wouldn’t be willing to visit his mother in a hospital?
“I don’t know what kind of state she’s in,” he said. “She might be even viler than father was being this
afternoon.”
“It doesn’t matter to me,” I said. “I can handle it – especially knowing she is unwell. If you are worried about her, we should go see her.”
Logan returned his gaze out the window. “They are the most wretched type of people. I have no idea why I care about either of them as much as I do. They never had the same affection for me.“–
Walking closer, I sat beside Logan on the couch and lifted my legs up onto it, tangling my knees with Logan’s.
A lot happened today that I couldn’t relate with. My family was never rich. There was never any pressure
TO
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0305
from a grandparent for my life to go a certain way.
But I did know about loving people who didn’t deserve. My parents were terrible people, who neglected me from a young age, yet I still sought their affection and approval. Even know, if they called me to talk, I might consider it, despite all that had happened between us.
They were my parents. They might not have deserved my love but they still had it, even if I hated them at the same time.
“Families are complicated,” I said to Logan. “Even if they don’t deserve it, it’s hard not to put them above ourselves sometimes.” I placed my hand on Logan’s thigh. “You want to be a good son. That is a
reflection of the good in you. It doesn’t have anything to do with them.”
for
Logan placed his hand over mine on his thigh and squeezed. We sat in silence for a long while, there f each other without words.
Finally, after several minutes, Logan said quietly, “I would like to see my mother.”
“Then we’ll make it happen,” I said.
Tracking down where Logan’s mother was took some doing, and Dylan’s involvement, as she was registered under a false name for the sake of privacy. All evening, we called and recalled any place she could be until finally Dylan made a connection and found her.
–
“We’ll go in the morning.” I told Logan, who nodded.
“I’ll be at work,” Dylan said. “But call me if there is any mishandling. If something needs done, I’ll step up immediately.”
“Thank you,” Logan said.
Dylan left then, after saying goodbye.
Logan and I retreated upstairs where he held me all through the night.
Around two in the morning, I stirred as I felt him brush his lips to the back of my neck.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you….” he whispered.
You’ll never have to find out, I answered in my mind. Outwardly, I pretended to be asleep.
In the morning, I dressed conservatively in jeans and a nice sweater. Logan wore slacks and a button down shirt. We didn’t say much, but he did steal a mint–flavored kiss from me as we brushed our teeth.
Wordlessly, we went to the car and Logan drove us to the mental hospital.
The building itself seemed nice, surrounded by lots of flowers and grassy areas. Park benches and pathways crisscrossed across a wide open space, with some patients and nurses walking around.
That was encouraging. Maybe his mother wasn’t quite as bad off as Logan’s father made it seem. I kept my hope to myself though, not wanting to lift Logan’s spirits only to be wrong.
Logan parked and we walked into the building. We were immediately greeted by a bright as sunshine Teceptionist. When we told her who we were here to visit, she seemed surprised, but stayed kind as she showed us the way to the correct hallway.
2/3
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0305
“Room 222,” she said and left us to our own devices.
The interior of the building was as nice as the outside, with light blue, well painted walls and lots of windows for added light.
Peeking into the rooms we passed as we walked along, I noticed the rooms were spacious and well furnished, like studio apartments more than hospital rooms.
As we came near to the twenty rooms, I clutched Logan’s hand for support.
Room 220…
- 221.
And finally… 222.
We stopped outside. The door was half–opened, half–shut. Inside, soft instrumental music was playing on a radio.
I waited for Logan to make the first move forward. He inhaled deeply. Exhaled. Then he stepped forward, pushing the door open’fully.
Thad met his mother before, but this woman sitting upright in her bed was but a shadow of the woman h remembered. Her long hair had been sheered short. Someone had tried to style it into a pixie cut, but it was awkward, far too short on one side.
She wore a simple blue gown, no makeup, no jewelry at all, not even her wedding ring.
A large window was to her left, showing a beautiful view of the flowers down in the courtyard and the forest beyond. Yet she was not looking out the window
She was staring straight forward, her gaze totally blank.
