Coming Home

Jace

I pulled my truck up in front of my house, my mom waving at me from the porch. She and my dad still lived in my childhood home, which happened to be right next door to my house. It was pretty convenient, being a single dad, having my parents right next door to help me out with the kids at any time.

I used to live about twenty minutes away, but after being alone with two young boys, I thought it was better to be close by.

We lived at the end of a dirt road, with only one house close by, with lots of nature surrounding us. We’d always loved it out here. Growing up here was great, and I was grateful my kids got to experience this as well.

"Hey, mom," I greeted her as I stepped out of my truck.

"Hi, honey! Good day?"

I walked up the steps to the porch, giving my mom a quick hug.

"Yeah, it was fine."

I worked for my dads company, as a contractor, building and fixing houses all over town. It was hard work, but I enjoyed it. My dad was partially retired, but still ran most of it, while I and a couple other guys did most of the physical work.

He’d had a stroke a few years back, but had made a full recovery. But my mom didn’t want him climbing ladders or walking on roofs, so he’d promised her to stick to the business side of it all.

My mom ran a small shop in town, selling knitting supplies, and home made garments and items. She hosted a group one afternoon a week, having a bunch of old ladies meet up and do crafts together. And if anyone of her friends made something they wanted to sell, my mom did it though the store.

"Did you notice?" She asked, and I looked her over to see if she had changed anything in her appearance. But nope, she was the same old mom, light brown hair, just like mine, pulled back in a clip, shirt and knitted cardigan, and her usual glasses, that varied between sitting on her nose and hanging around her neck.

"No?" I said, hesitating, wondering what I was supposed to have noticed.

"The old Faraday-house? Someone’s there," she said, with a secret smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I saw a Volvo in the drive way earlier. Do you think she’s back?"

"I don’t know. But if someone’s there, maybe I should go say hey."

I looked down the road, towards the house. It was old and run down, and needed a lot of care, so it was good if someone was there.

"You ok to stay with the boys a little longer, while I go say hi?"

"Yeah, I’ve got it covered. If she is back, invite her for dinner!" My mom smiled at me as she headed inside, and I jumped back in my truck and drove the two minutes over to the Faraday-house.

When I was a kid, my best friend lived there with her father and her aunt. They moved in because her dad got sick, and her mom was already gone. Piper was only five when they moved there. Her aunt took care of them both, until he died when we were fifteen.

Ok, so, best friend is an understatement. She was the love of my life, and I was so heartbroken when she moved after high school. She wanted a different life, to go to school far away, and explore the world.

I didn’t want to leave my home, so I stayed, and she left.

I was really hoping she’d come back when her aunt died about month ago, but she was no where to be seen. So the thought she could be back now was making my stomach feel like it was filled with butterflies.

I pulled up next to the Volvo my mom had seen, and hurriedly walked up to the house. I was so nervous, I was a little dizzy, when I knocked on the door. What if it really was her? Was she back for good, or just to settle the estate?

I waited for what felt like an eternity, and had almost lost hope, when the door creaked open, ever so slightly, and I saw her.

Piper Faraday, the one that got away.

She didn’t look like I remembered her. She was always so radiant and beautiful, filled with joy and life. The woman in front of me was so skinny she looked like she might break. Her skin was pale, her naturally blonde hair was pulled back in a clip, but it was easy to see it had lost its luster.

She wore a maxi dress with flowers, that looked like it was two sizes too big, with a brown cardigan over her shoulders, making her petite figure look even smaller.

Her blue eyes looked like the light they used to hold had been dead for a long time, and I was shocked to see the vibrant woman I knew had withered away. It had been twelve years, but still, she was completely changed.

"Piper," I said, unable to take my eyes off of her.

"Jace. What are you doing here?" She squeezed her tiny frame between the open door and the wall, like she was trying to hide the inside, even though I didn’t care about anything other than her.

"My mom told me someone was here. I had to see if it was you," I said, looking into her eyes, feeling my heart pounding in my chest.

"So, are you back for good, or are you just here to… sell the house?" I felt a pain stab through my chest at the thought she was here just to leave again.

"Oh, um, I was thinking of staying. At least for a while," she said with her beautiful light and breathy voice, that I had missed so much.

"That’s great! If you need any help with the house, just let me know. I work for my dads firm, so,"

"Like you always wanted to," she smiled slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, he still runs the business, but I run the show at the sites now."

"You always were pretty handy, so it makes sense," she smiled again. Her smile was hollow, but still beautiful, and I would do anything to make her smile.

It looked like she was about to excuse herself and close the door on me, when the cry of an infant filled the air. Piper closed her eyes, and sighed, like she didn’t want me to know she had a baby. But seriously, she has a baby? I know I can’t judge or anything, I’ve been married and have to children, but if she has a baby… is she married?

"Sorry," she excused herself and walked into the house, leaving the door open, which I took as an invitation to follow her.

She walked into a messy living room, with stuff covering pretty much every inch, and picked up the crying baby from a basket on the couch. She rocked and soothed the baby for just a moment, before it became quiet again, and she put the child down.

"You have a baby," I stated.

"Yeah," she nodded, putting a blanket over her child.

"How old?" I asked, feeling like I was prying. I hadn’t seen the woman in twelve years, this was really none of my business.

"Four weeks. Her name is Iris," she responded, and turned to look at me.

"So, are you… married, or?"

"No!" She answered, before I could even finish my thought.

"No, it’s just the two of us. How about you? Aunt Ida told me you got married some years ago."

"Oh, yeah, well, I’m not anymore. But I do have two kids, though."

We just stood there, awkwardly looking at each other for what felt like an eternity.

"So, my mom told me to invite you for dinner. You can of course bring the baby! I think my mom would love that, actually. She adores being a grandma, and misses the baby time," I chuckled.

"Oh, I’m not sure," she stuttered, hesitatingly.

"Please, my parents would love to see you. And I’d love to hear all about your life since you left. Please, Pipes? For old times sake?” I practically begged.

She sighed and looked down at her sleeping baby.

“Sure,” she nodded. “But only for a little while. Are you staying with your parents?»

“Great! I actually built myself a house next door, so I’d be close to my parents, when I became a single dad. Do you want to come with me now, or come over a little later?” I was so excited she was back, I didn’t want to leave, in fear she might disappear again.

"Oh," she hesitated for a moment. "I’ll just freshen up a little, and be over in about thirty minutes, ok?"

"Of course," I smiled, even though I had hoped she’d come back with me now. "I’ll see you in a little while then, yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded, a weak smile playing on her lips.

I smiled and left, driving the short distance back home. As soon as I came in, my mom started questioning me, and I told her Piper was back, and she was coming for dinner. I neglected to tell her about the baby.

While my mom was finishing up dinner, I had a quick shower and a change of clothes. My dad was out back playing with the boys, and I could hear their laughter, which made me smile. I loved my boys more than anything, and I’d do anything to see them happy.

I came back downstairs and helped my mom set the table, when I saw car lights flashing outside, and walked to the hall, peaking out, seeing Piper park her car next to mine. It felt oddly like home, seeing her mom-car parked next to my truck, outside of my house, watching as she pulled a carseat and changing bag out of the back seat.

It was like she belonged in my picture, with me and my kids, her kid. I knew I was getting ahead of myself, but I kept thinking that maybe, one day in the future, we could be a mixed, but happy family.

I never stopped loving her, even when I got married to another woman, and watched her have my children. Deep down, I always knew Piper was the one. All though, I never told Lauren that, but we both knew we’d settled with each other. I never got over Piper, and Lauren had never gotten over her high school crush, even though he never loved her back.

At least with Piper, I knew we had something real before she left. We grew up best friends, and in junior high, I asked her to be my girlfriend, she said yes, and we were together until the day she left.

We were each others first everything, and here I was, fantasizing she’d be my last everything, too.

My mom went out back to get my dad and the boys, and I opened the door for Piper, inviting her in.

"Thank you. It smells lovely in here. And I really like your house," she smiled, looking around. She put the bag down by the door, and set the carseat with the baby down as well, to slip her coat off.

"Thanks," I smiled back, taking her coat and hanging it up.

"Did you build it all yourself?"

"Yeah, me and my dad did all the work. Mom helped a lot with the interior stuff, though," I laughed, and she smiled. She looked exhausted, but beautiful, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. She had changed into a long sleeve knit sweater, and a pair of jeans. Her hair was still in the clip, hanging down her back, just pulled away from her face, except two pieces, framing her face perfectly.

The kitchen door closed, and suddenly the house was filled with noise. My boys came running towards me, my youngest wanting to be picked up.

"Dad!" They shouted, not having seen me since I left this morning.

"Hey, kiddos," I smiled happily, embracing them both.