Lifetimes

Marcus

We pull up to the house we grew up in and you could practically feel the oxygen leave the car as anxiety sits into both of us and I look at Riley and ask are you ready for this? She takes a deep breath and saysas ready as I'll ever be, I nod as I say I'm here for you every step of the way you know that right? She nods as she says but don't say anything unless I need you too or she talks to you ok? I look at her and ask are you sure? She nods as she says I need to do this on my own and she opens her door, I nod and follow behind her, I watch her and mom's eyes connect and Riley stops in her tracks as I whisper to her breathe Rye, she nods and begins to walk again as I follow behind her, I watch her and mom hug and then mom comes over to hug me.

I feel my whole body stiffens as I hug her back and say hey mom, she smiles softly as she says Hi son, I didn't know both of you were coming, Riley looks at her and says well I didn't want to come alone. I feel a bit of sadness come across mom's face but she replaces it fast with a smile and says well come in, lets talk. We both nod as Riley follows mom into the house and I follow behind her shutting the door, I watch her and mom sit down and I sit down next to Riley as mom ask so where is Tommy?

Riley takes a deep breath and says he's at school mom, she nods in disappointment as she says I was hoping to see him, I watch Riley sigh and say mom I told you that we had to have a conversation before you met Tommy, I'm not gonna bring him around people he doesn't know without a conversation. Mom scoffs and says well we all know why he doesn't know us Riley Ann. Riley nods her head and says yeah mom we do don't we but why don't you tell me why you think he doesn't know y'all?

Mom sighs and says because you left! You and your brother took off in the middle of the night! I felt the rage boil in my chest as Riley jumps up and yells BECAUSE YOU LET DAD KICK ME OUT!! I WAS 18, PREGNANT, BROKE AND SCARED AND YOU KICKED ME OUT!! Mom jumps up too and yells back ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS MARRY PATRICK SO THE BABY WOULD BE BORN IN WEDLOCK AND THE FAMILY NAME WOULDN'T BE SHAMES BUT YOU COULDN'T EVEN DO THAT!! I DIDN'T WANT TO KICK YOU OUT BUT YOUR FATHER IS THE MAN OF THE HOUSEHOLD, I HAVE TO FOLLOW HIS LEADAND KEEP THE FAMILY NAME PURE!!

Riley scoffs as she says well you following his "lead" and keeping his fucking family name "pure" caused you to lose your daughter and your son! Riley shakes her head and tries to push back the tears from coming as she says this was a mistake Marcus lets go home, I nod as I stand up and open the door to get greeted with my father's face as he asks what do we owe this pleasure? I turn to see the fear in Riley's eyes as I grab her hand and say firmly we were just leaving and I pull her out the door until we hear him ask Riley Ann I told you not to come back if you kept that bastard child so since your back where is it?

I clench my fist and turn before Riley could say anything and say don't you dare call that boy out of his name! Ever again! His Name is Tommy and he's at school, she came back because your wife begged her too. My father walks up to me trying to show his intimidation as he says son I didn't ask you I was speaking to your whore of a sister, now are you gonna protect her or are you gonna step aside and let me be a father or do I need to beat you too? I watch as he hand goes to his belt and I step up to him and say Riley get in the car as I keep my eyes trained on him and say well your talking to me now and I'm not a little boy anymore dad you don't fucking scare me.

I watch his eyes falter but he tries to stay strong as he says it was always like you to protect your sister, to take a beating for her, I chuckle as my own intimidation doesn't falter and I say try it dad please do, because I've been waiting my whole life for this exact moment and I'll have you on the ground before you get that fucking belt out of the first loop! I watch his intimidation turn into fear as he asks are you threatening me son? I smirk and say no dad its not a threat its a promise. We stand in silence as we stare at each other like we are trying to find each others greatest fears but both coming up empty as dad finally says why don't you and her just get out of here, I scoff and say gladly.

I walk to the car and get in the driver's seat as I see Riley curled into herself. I crank up the car and speed out of the driveway leaving their shadows in the dust. Riley and I didn't talk the whole ride home, I gave her space to process and she gave me mine. When we get back to town I stop by Patrick's house and tell him everything that happened and say look man she needs Tommy tonight, can she stay here? He sighs as he says yeah sure, I nod and walk back to the car and open Riley's door as she asks what are you doing?

I look up at her and say your staying with Tommy tonight, Patrick is ok with it. She looks at me with tears in he eyes and asks what about you? What about my car? I look at her and say I'll be ok and I'll bring the car back in the morning ok? Before she could fight me on it Tommy runs out and hugs both of us as he says Hi uncle mark I smile for the first time since coffee with Juliette as I say hey buddy and hug him as he asks mommy you gonna have a sleepover with me? She smiles brightly as she says yes baby I am. He claps happily as he pulls her inside and I wave bye.

I drive back to my apartment and when I park I put my hands on the steering wheel and my head on my hands as I take a big deep breath because I feel like I can finally do that without mom or dad trying to condemn me to hell. I get out of the car as I hear music softly playing from the roof and I smile a bit and shake my head as I walk into the apartment building and walk up the roof as I lean against the door and watch Juliette dance as she holds a chinese container in one hand and a glass of wine in the other as she spins around to make eye contact with me and smiles a tipsy smile.

She walks over to me and says I've had a shit day and wanted to get drunk, eat food and watch the lunar eclipse you? I smile and nod as I say ditto on the shit day part, she nods and asks care to join me then? I have enough Chinese and wine to feed and intoxicate a whole village. I chuckle as I shrug my shoulders and say why not, she walks over and says that's the spirit! as she pulls me out of the doorway and hands me a wine glass as she pours me a cup I ask how long have you been up here? She shrugs as she v says I don't know she looks to the sky and back to me and says the yellow thingy in the sky was there when I came out here, its not so much anymore.

I laugh this time as I eat some rice out of the container and sip the wine as I ask so tell me about your day? She sighs as she says just this jerk gave me some bullshit work and when I confronted him about it his words were " I wanted to make sure I was working with someone with a brain and not just someone to look good in the office" she rolls her eyes and I say he sounds like an ass, she nods and sips her wine as she says he kept looking me up and down like I was a piece of meat hanging in a deli. When says that the hair on the back of my neck stands up and I try to not show the jealous reaction I just got over a girl I met yesterday.

I look at her and ask want me to beat him up for you? Part of me joking, part of me serious but she doesn't have to know that. She laughs and it warms my heart as she says no not this time anyway but I'll keep that in mind for the future, I smile and nod as we eat together. I watch her shiver just a bit as I look at her and ask are you cold? She rubs her shoulders and says a little, my legs move before I can think and I wrap my jacket around her as she mumbles thank you, I nod as I stare into her eyes and says softly your very welcome.

We stare into each other eyes as I try to break the tension I ask want to hear a story about the lunar eclipse? I feel myself cringe a bit as I think to myself what am I 12? Until I hear her say I would love to! I smile softly as I sit down next to her and say long ago there was a man named Moon and a Woman named sun and they fell into the most passionate of love, a love that would make a God jealous and it did. Zeus saw their love and how strong it was and his jealousy turned into fear and he knew he had to tear them apart for good. So one day Zeus called upon the moon in faults hopes of them finally having Zeus's blessing but Zeus betrayed him and sent him into the sky where he thought their love could be no more but when the moon would come to the surface of the sky they would meet again.

Zeus feared the power their love created because this man loved the sun so deeply that he moved the whole world every night to see his love so Zeus saw no other choice but to put her in the sky too. He called upon the Moon to join him one day and she did and during that time she begged him to bring him back for them to be together, Zeus told her that he could not pull the moon from the sky but he could put her in the sky without revealing to her that this means they could never cross paths again but before that knowledge was given to the sun it was too late and he sent her into the sky and these two lovers became the moon and the sun, never to see each other or to cross paths again.

But one day something happened, something changed in the balance of both the moon and the sun and one day without Zeus's knowledge they were together again because their love for each other was so powerful that they changed the balance of the earth just to see each other again even if its just for a moment and giving us the lunar and solar eclipse.

I watch she smile softly as she says in a voice barely above a whisper that was beautiful, I shrug as I say its a story I made up when I was a bored little kid, she giggles a bit as she says well it was still beautiful, I nod and say I think that's the wine talking but thank you, she giggles again and I don't know if its the wine clouding our senses but we lean into each other as she mumbles kiss me, I break eye contact and say I think we've had a bit too much to drink. A wave of disappointment hits us both as she asks you don't want to kiss me? my mouth moves faster than my brain as I meet her eyes again and say oh trust me I want to kiss you so bad but I would rather you be sober, she nods softly as I smile and say its some strong wine ya got there, we both laugh as she tries to stand up but stumbles and I catch her and say come one lets get you to bed before this wine really hits you. She looks back and asks what about the mess? I smile at her and say I got it don't worry.

We get to her door and she softly hands me her keys as she says drunkenly why can't more guy be like you, your sweet and nice and hot and want to take care of me and your probably good in bed. I try to hide my amusement as I lay her on the couch and grab the blanket from behind her and cover her up and then I walk to her kitchen and make her a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers. I walk over to her end table and she's asleep before I even get back, I shake my head and slide her trash can in front of the couch just in case and sit her keys down and I shut the door locking it behind me.

I walk up to the roof and clean up the mess and come back to my own apartment and crash into bed as everything she said drunkenly plays back in my head as I wonder just how much of it is true as I fall asleep.