Returning Home

Max

A low growl spilled from her chest as her alarm broke through her dreams. Slamming her fingers on the screen of the phone, she groaned, knowing she would have to open her eyes to stop the sound. The latest iOS update made it impossible to shut off an alarm unless she was at least half-awake. Succumbing to her fate, she opened her eyes, finally finding the button to shut the sound off. With a dramatic yawn, Max rolled out of bed to start her morning routine.

Every morning was the same. Pee, shower, teeth, get dressed, eat, leave, and finally stop for tea. She was so used to it she could do it with her eyes closed, and most mornings, she did as she tried to wake up from another alcohol-fueled night. It was only when she was showered that she realized what today was. She was leaving for California and would hopefully soon meet her son.

Her son. A smile crept on her face as she thought about the day ahead of her. It had been a week since Jason left, four days since she gathered the courage to call Ruby, who responded in an oddly calm manner, two days since she finished her last day at her job, and one day since her parents demanded she shows up to a planned family dinner Saturday.

She wasn't thrilled about the mandatory appearance knowing that everyone would be there. She thought back to Jason’s warning and decided it may not be a bad idea to keep Junior close if Drew allowed it. Drew was always on her mind despite their minimal communication. She was receptive to Max's move and would send occasional videos of Junior, but that was all.

Time flew by as Max finished her morning routine, returned the keys to her landlord, and packed the last of her stuff. Most of her things had been sent ahead, and her house was bare. She thought back to when she first arrived and how lucky she was to get this place, but it never truly felt like home. With one last glance over her shoulder, Max left for the airport.

She barely paid attention to the taxi ride as anxiety coursed through her. Pulling out enough money to pay the driver, tip included, Max thanked the man for the ride. She grabbed her things and headed into the airport. There was no running away this time. She needed to face reality head-on even if it hurt.

Drew

“This is a terrible idea,” Lupe’s voice rang through the shop as Drew finished sketching a client’s latest tattoo. If she had been working on someone, she would have been angry at the interruption, but she wasn't doing much of anything.

With a heavy sigh, she turned towards her best friend. She was tired of this conversation that had been nonstop between just about everyone and herself. She could understand their concern, but this wasn't about her or them. This was about Junior. The mantra that played in her head continuously was starting to grind on her nerves just as much as the repetitive topic.

“I'm not having this conversation anymore, Lupe. I have a client coming in 30 minutes.” She hoped the brunette would finally ease off and leave. The day was stressful enough as it was knowing that an hour after her shift was over, Max would be home.If she gets on the plane. The annoying thought pressed down on her as she tried to shake it off.

“Drew, you can't think this is a good idea.” She wasn’t clear enough that she wanted to be left alone. “Why on earth would you allow this to happen? She walked away, leaving you pregnant and alone.”

“She didn't know I was pregnant!” Her voice was angry. She wanted everybody to stay out of this. She knew the argument was useless; nobody seemed to care that Max didn't know. At the end of the day, she still left. This was why only her father knew when she continued looking for Max. Her friends and family were overbearing, overprotective, and generally excessively annoying.

She quieted her irritation as she looked Lupe in the eyes. The angry girl stared back stubbornly without moving an inch. “Technically, you and Shayna are at fault for this happening.”

“She could stay at a hotel!” Lupe shouted with anger. As real as it was, it wasn't right, and Drew knew that.

“For a few days, as she had originally planned when she was coming for a visit. This isn't just a visit, though; she’s moving here. She starts work Monday and will be able to look for a place in her spare time. It's not fair to promise her a place to stay, which is what prompted her to move, and then leave her out to dry. You threw the tantrum that leads to Ruby asking me to begin with.” Drew was tired of her friends and their attitudes. “Unless Junior is around, I doubt we will be near each other much anyway.”

Drew moved to finish the drawing and prepare for the man who would be there in 15 minutes. She didn't have time to deal with everybody and their opinions when she was on the fence about it all herself. This could go well or bad. She wasn't sure what the outcome would be when Max found out that plans had changed last minute.

“Ruby never even asked permission..”

“Why should she ask if her sister could stay with her?”

“Her sister, who I hate.”

“That's unfortunate considering that technically, Max did nothing to you, or S for that matter.” She felt like she was back in high school, listening to her friends dictate who she could talk to and who could sit where. She hated it then and hated it more now.

“She broke our best friend’s heart; of course, she did something to us.” It was true, in a messed up way. It was time to grow up and try to work things out, though, and she couldn't help but wish they would realize it happened to her, not them. They helped her through it and saw her devastation, but they didn't feel the gut-wrenching pain. “She has a week and then she's out. I'm not letting her anywhere near you alone.”

A relieved sigh was released from her throat. She had hoped one of her friends would give up on the Max ban. A week wasn't exactly much time, but it was a start. She wasn't truly prepared for Max to be living with her even temporarily, but she was willing if it came to that. Of course, Max could stay with her parents. Her dad had offered the idea initially, but Annie alone with Max right now might send the other girl back to New York.

“Thank you,” she murmured as she looked back at Lupe.

“When is Ruby picking her up?” She was not prepared to answer this question. She thought about the best way to answer as the bell rang above the door. She never thought she'd be so happy to hear the sound as her customer came in grinning, and Lupe took it as her cue to leave. She was grateful this piece would take her a few hours as she walked up to show her work that she would soon be adding to the young man’s arm.

Max

Max stretched as she stood outside LAX, and waited for her sister. The flight had been long and exhausting. She stared out the window for five hours, unable to close her eyes. She never really liked flying, and the claustrophobic environment heightened the tension in her body from what lay ahead as she flew above the clouds.

Occasionally, she would pull out her phone and watch the videos Drew had sent her over the week. It served as a reminder for why she was doing this, and her heart soared when the lady sitting beside her asked if the boy was her son. Nodding enthusiastically, she couldn't help the smile that spread as she answered the affirmative. She hadn't told anyone in New York; this was the first time she told another individual that she had a child.

The woman told her about her grandchildren as she pulled her phone out, showing pictures. Before the conversation could switch back to her situation, the plane was landing. She made it safely and would soon be meeting him for the very first time if it all worked out.

She pulled herself from her thoughts when she heard her name being called. Soft eyes stared at her as she swallowed her shock of seeing Drew standing nearby, opening her trunk. As she placed her suitcases inside the compartment, she tried to figure out why Drew was here.

“Ruby is fine, and I just thought we should talk before you go to her house.” Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Max smiled as the blonde drove towards the freeway. “I hate this airport,” Max laughed, knowing that everyone hated the airport. She knew the next words before they slipped from Drew’s lips. “I hate rush hour traffic even more.”

Drew was patient about many things. Driving was not one of them. Suppressing her giggles, Max glanced out the window. The feelings of nostalgia flowed through her as she watched familiar sights go by.

“Thank you for picking me up.” She hadn't meant to be so quiet. It was hard not to be when there were so many memories going through her mind. “Where's Junior?” She couldn't help the tinge of sadness that escaped her when she realized he wasn't with Drew.

Drew shot her a knowing sideways glance. “At the apartment with Ruby. He was fussy, so I let him take a nap with his aunt.” Max never thought about Ruby being an aunt. She had no doubt Ruby was terrific with him. She had always been great with kids. “He always goes down easily for her. I don't know how she does it.”

The drive was silent as Max's eyes raked over Drew. She was dressed down compared to the girl she once knew—T-Shirt and jeans with minimal make-up. Max couldn't help but notice how beautiful the girl still was. Her favorite Drew make-up free, wearing her gym shorts and a wife-beater. Her choice, Drew, relaxed and straightforward with untamed hair, lounging around the house. Exhaustion began to take over Max’s body as she fell asleep, thinking of the girl to her left. Too soon, she was being pulled from her sleep and looking into beautiful eyes. Her favorite shade danced before her as she stretched herself out as much as she could in the confined space. “I guess it's time to go inside.”

Retrieving her bags, she felt Drew’s hand on her back. Taking a deep breath, she continued forward as Drew opened the door. Everything around her went silent as she looked in front of her to see Ruby's brown eyes staring at her. As Ruby walked towards her, she realized Drew’s hand was still on her rubbing small soothing circles.

A punch landed into her gut, and air rushed out of her. She stifled her groan, not wanting to be loud as she was pulled into her sister’s strong embrace. She didn't realize how much she missed the taller girl’s presence. She never knew how much she needed her sister’s touch until now. “I will kill you later, but for now, it's good to see you.” The contradicting words raced through her mind, and she knew that the conversation ahead would not be easy. She fully expected more punches to be thrown at some point.

She heard a deep voice call out from beside her, “I won't kill you if you give me a hug too.” She turned to see Dwayne smiling at her. Falling into her brother's arms, she let out a choked sob. She knew it wasn't going to be comfortable coming home, but she wasn't prepared for how emotional it would be. She wasn't ready to see Dwayne today, but her heart soared knowing he was here.

“We have to go, and we have dinner plans with Shayna and Lupe.” Ruby’s tone was even, but she looked scared to leave. As if Max wouldn't be there when she returned. “I'll pick you up in a few hours.” Max nodded as Ruby walked out of the front door.

“We have plans tomorrow, just the two of us,” Dwayne stated as he gave her one last hug.

“I'm going to start dinner, make yourself comfortable.” Drew disappeared before she could respond. She took a look around and marveled at how open the floor plan was. In the middle of the room was an enormous couch with two love seats on each side, creating a semi-circle in front of a white wall. Searching the room further, she found colorful paintings hanging on the walls. Some were professional; some Drew had done herself. Pictures were placed all over the house. Most had Junior in them, and a few had both of their families, friends, or the whole group.

Looking on the last shelf, she saw a picture of herself with her arms wrapped around Drew. They were laughing together and staring into the camera. She didn't remember taking the picture, but it felt so familiar. Pulling out her phone, she looked at her background photo and noticed the similarities. It was almost the same pose except Drew had her arms around Junior.

Filing the information away to ask about later, she found the projector and turned on the screen. Settling on the couch, she flipped through the channels. Realizing it was Thursday night, she turned on the football game before quickly throwing on her jersey and beanie and jumping back on the couch. She was surprised that she almost forgot about the game.

Max wasn't a loud person unless sports were on. Knowing Junior was sleeping in the house, she barely kept her cool when the Seahawks scored the first touch down. Jumping up, she danced around. Hearing a sound, she turned to see ahead of blonde hair hiding between the couches. Not wanting to startle Junior, she turned around and sat back down. She barely stifled the urge to jump up again as the extra point field goal attempt was made.

Suddenly ahead of blonde jumped and clapped. She wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to talk to him, but it was too soon. Drew hadn't introduced them yet. She didn't want to overstep any boundaries.

She watched from the corner of her eye as the little boy climbed onto the couch. He was no longer paying her much attention and was focused on the game. She wasn't sure that he had any idea of what was going on, but she loved watching his facial expressions. The quarterback was sacked, and she clapped her hands and yelled out, “yes!” She didn't mean to yell, but they were playing a rival team, and it was hard to control her emotions. She felt a little hand slapping her shoulder repeatedly as the little voice, closer to her ear than she was prepared for, exclaimed, “YES!”

She smiled excitedly. He was the cutest 12th man she had ever seen. She thought back to the purchase she made when she found out about him. She knew he would only get to wear it if she were the one who dressed him. Everyone except Dwayne and herself were 49er or Rams fans. Drew never cared for sports, but she still curled her lips in disgust at the thought of her son wearing anything else.

Slowly standing up, she walked over to her bags. Pulling out a mini football, 12th man jersey, and Seahawks beanie, she walked back to the couch. She always wore the same outfit on game day for luck. They only lost when she forgot a piece of the outfit. It was science. It had been proven over and over again. It wasn't just any jersey that would work. It had to be this specific one that she could only wash at the end of the season. The last time she washed it during the season was right before the Super Bowl. She had spilled on it, so she washed it. Her heart still wept for how terrible the loss had been as a result.

This was science, and her son would need to learn the science behind it. For a win, you had to have a 12th man navy blue jersey with your last name on the back and a lime green beanie. She frowned as the 49ers kicked a field goal. They weren't tied, but she was still annoyed that they scored. Junior looked at her with confused eyes. She assumed he was wondering why she didn't cheer.

“The wrong team scored, baby boy.” His eyes lit up at the sound of her voice. “Will you let me change your shirt?” She slowly went to remove the shirt he was wearing, making a note of the soccer balls on it. She was pleased with his obvious preferred sports if the soccer ball in the corner of the room and the way he reached for the football were any indications of what he liked. He allowed her to change his shirt and place the beanie on his head.

With his blonde hair covered, he indeed was her clone. Smiling, she placed a kiss on his head and turned back to the game. As the game continued, he began to take cues from her cheering at the appropriate times and mimicking her groan when things didn't go their way. By halftime, he had spread himself across her lap as she played with him.

She didn't want to throw the ball in the house, but she wanted to play catch for a little bit. “You two can take that in the backyard during halftime if you'd like.” The soft voice startled her, and she almost missed when Junior's hands flew up, almost hitting her in the eye. “Slow down, buddy; you want to go play?”

“Yes, mommy!” He responded, charging to the back. Max chuckled as she got up to follow. Drew was playing with the remote as she glanced back. “Come on!” Junior screeched impatiently.

“You better go, the game's recording now, you can fast forward through halftime when you get back.” Drew smiled as she walked back into the kitchen.

Max blushed as she thought of all the times Drew took care of things before she realized what was happening. “Thank you,” she murmured to herself. She'd have to remember to tell the girl when she was in hearing distance. A ball hit her in the stomach when she walked outside.

“Play!” The demand was filled with excitement, and she was drawn to the little boy again. They ran around the yard, playing and laughing. Momentarily, she realized how disgusting their jerseys would be at the end of the season if this is how they spent every halftime. She lit up at the thought. She didn't care how caked with dirt they got if she was able to spend every game day with her son.

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