CHAPTER 29

       At thirty minutes past eleven on Sunday night,Carly finally dragged her luggage from the bay,a sleepy Teddy following after her.It had been a long flight and she felt even  more tired than she had been the last time she flew.That was when she flew to Australia. Seventeen hours in the air wasn't an easy thing for her and she knew her son felt double or triple of the exhaustion being his first flight. She walked a little further into the arrival waiting bay and set her luggage there then sat down. Teddy slumped into a chair next to her and yawned.Carly pulled him towards her and laid his head on her lap then ruffled through his hair.

          "Uncle Carl will be here in a few minutes and then you will go have a good rest at home,okay?" He nodded without lifting his head.His mood had turned sour again the moment he realized that the hostess had lied to him about landing within thirty minutes the moment he asked. It had taken much convincing for him to drop the subject. He had then slept for almost halfway of the remaining journey.He had then woken up to have his meal and after that, he had played vedio games for the rest of the way.Carly was aware his level of exhaustion would at least take two to three days to wane.

    She looked around to see if she would locate her brother. He was supposed to be there waiting for them some minutes ago.He was well aware how long the flight took and she had informed him of their departure six o'clock that morning.She turned on her phone but there was no service so she returned it inside her hand bag.

   When she looked up, she saw him walking towards them with a huge smile on his face.Her face lit up with excitement. He looked taller and a little older than she remembered.It had been two years since he last visited them.Amazing how two years are enough to make such a difference.

          "Wake up sweetie, uncle Carl is here," she shook her son gently.He looked up,rubbed his eyes then smiled when he saw him.

        "Uncle Carl!" he shot up and ran towards him.Seconds later,he had his hands wrapped around his neck in a tight embrace laughing.

       "You're so grown big guy!" Carl exaggerated and Carly rolled her eyes in disapproval. Teddy's body had refused to grow out and there wasn't even the slightest hint of a change. However, Teddy beamed at him excitedly clearly enjoying that complement and she had to smile.

   Carl put him back on the ground and opened his arms wide for her.She moved into the embrace immediately, seeming shorter than him.Her head now fitted exactly the same height with his chest.She leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his body.

      "Man,you have grown some muscle. What is  Olivia cooking for you these days?" she teased.

       "There's no Olivia right now but I have been doing some exercises."

   Carly moved back and looked at him directly. " You,my very own brother going to the gym?How did that happen? Unless someone dragged you in there," she laughed.

       "Apparently being close to gym freaks converts you into one," he replied with a grin then held up his upper arm showing his grown biceps. "You sis haven't been eating though.You look frailer than I remember, what happened to you?"

          "Shut up,nothing is changed in me," she replied and slapped him in his exposed arm.

         "Ouch!I definitely didn't miss you doing that to me.I forgot how violent you are."

  Teddy laughed, "You are such a baby uncle Carl."

         "And you have grown so cheeky.Just like your mom was when we were growing up," he turned to him and lifted him off the ground once again. "Ready to go see pops?"

         "Yeah!" he nodded quickly. His sleep had reduced somehow.

Carl took a trolley nearby and placed the luggage then Teddy on it and pushed it towards where he had left the car.He arranged everything in the trunk while Carly opened the back door for her son.She fastened his safety belt before getting in front where Carl joined her.

          "How was the flight by the way?" he asked as he started the engine.

          "Longer than I remember. I'm sure we are both going to have jet lag for two days,Teddy more than me."

        "The distance is the only reason I didn't visit frequently. It always put me to bed for a few days.It's almost like being sea sick except there's no salty smell in the air."

        "How is mom and dad?" she asked after a while even though she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer. She looked in the back seat and saw that Teddy was already drifting off to sleep again but lowered her voice anyway, "Are they still mad at me?"

          "They both can't wait to see their grandson.You on the other hand,I think it's gonna take some time for them to forgive you fully. You shouldn't have talked to them the way you did.That was the only source of their anger."

         "I know," she stated. "I was young and stupid. All I wanted was to do what I thought made me happy and I ended up being the complete opposite of it."

       "Did you leave the country though because you wanted to or because you had to?"

    That question surprised her.They had never talked about the real reason she had left the country.He had supported her thinking it was what she wanted and he never went against what seemed to make her happy. Even when their parents had tried to keep her from leaving, he had tried to talk them down.They hadn't listened and that was when she got angry and used some words she deeply regretted after.Especially when she found out that they had been right all along.

        "I don't know the answer to that," she lied but only because she wasn't ready to get into what was going on in her mind in her condition. She needed to rest first and then start from the very bottom to make things right. 

Carl looked at her for a moment ,alternating between her and the road and as if he understood she wasn't ready for that talk,he said,"It's good to have you back sis.I missed you."

         "I missed you too bro," she replied with a smile. She then turned towards the window on her side and faced outside. Time would tell if it would feel nice to be back but she knew even if it wouldn't, she would have to leave with that. She had made a decision to be back in her home country,to have a fresh start with her son and her family if they would take her back.

       Thoughts about Dylan had been in the fore front of her mind.It had occurred to her to ask her brother how she was but she didn't have enough courage to bring up the question. She wasn't more afraid that he would ask her why she was asking about her but because she knew he would refuse to answer her.He had closed off topics about Dylan some years back no matter how hard she had tried to coax him.It almost felt like he had been sworn to secrecy. Or had he? She didn't know how she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep because the next moment she opened her eyes,the car was parked outside a very familiar house.

        "Welcome back home," Carl said opening the passenger door on her side.She gave him an almost invisible smile as nervousness began to cling to her.Inside,all the lights were on and that meant their parents were still awake.Carl moved to the back and took Teddy in his arms not wanting to wake him up.She waited for him to lead the way and followed him inside.

                ★★★

      The next morning, the sound of birds singing in the only tree behind the house awoke her.At first she woke up in a state of confusion wondering where she was but the familiar pink colour of her teenage bedroom wall helped her recollect everything including the previous night.Nothing much had happened after she had greeted her parents. They had released her to go to bed and she was glad they had.Sleep and exhaustion  had overcome her and she had drifted off the moment she hit her bed.The room had been prepared prior to her arrival and a smaller bed had been placed in the spot that used to be her studying space.Teddy had spent the night there but when she woke up,he was already out of bed and out of the room.She noticed that he had tried to make his bed but it was a mess.She smiled. Her little son always wanted to be responsible. Sometimes she wondered who he had taken after because it wasn't his father and it definitely wasn't her.She sometimes used to leave her bed unmade,go to school and come back in the evening to sleep in it the same way even as a teenager.

       Judging by the light in the room through her window, she knew that the sun must have been high in the sky.

    ‘Great first impression Carly.’ She thought silently as she slowly got out of bed.She straightened the sheets then pulled the blanket and the covers over it neatly and did the same to her son's bed.

      When she finally got out of the room,she walked into the kitchen but found no one. There was a pot of coffee on the kitchen counter and judging by the smell that still hung in the air,it ahadn't been made too long ago.She poured herself a cup and leaned back on the counter.It was then that she heard voices in the back yard of the house. She went out through the side door in the kitchen and found her dad with some men who looked like construction workers were standing next to the tree.Teddy was standing beside him and he was holding his hand which seemed like the cutest thing ever. She stood on the spot and watched as her father shifted his attention to her son,tickled him then lifted him to his shoulders.She smiled warmly as Teddy laughed when her father spinned them around. When their eyes met,her father had the biggest smile on his face,one she didn't remember seeing in all her lifetime.He then left the men and walked towards her.She stood up straight and stepped outside fully.

          "Morning dad," she greeted.

           "Morning sweetie.We almost thought you weren't going to wake up any time soon."

          "Sorry I overslept.Is there somewhere you need to be?"

         "No.It's just that this guy here overheard us mentioning the beach and now he wants to go there," her father replied. "I like his determination and cheerfulness though."

  Carly laughed nervously.Her father was acting in a way she hadn't expected. Also,he wasn't being his usual silent, man of a few words self. Had the years changed him into a chatty person? And when was the last time he had called her sweetie?

         "He has never been to one.His over excitement is explainable," she replied.

         "I'm guessing he's an early riser too?" It was more of a question.

  She nodded,"Yes he is.Even though I'm surprised that he woke up early after the long flight yesterday."

           "Because you are still jet lagged?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.She nodded. "He's the man after my own heart."

    Carly laughed again but more relaxed this time. The pride in his voice melted her heart with joy knowing that her son would feel at home and had already won his heart.A part of her was filled with relief. As long as her son was accepted, she would not mind any kind of confrontation with her parents. As long as her son would have a home, she could care less what happened to her.

           "Where is Carl?" she asked.

           "Work.He works for the car dealership company across town. He has rented an apartment down there too and we only see him on some weekends but I'm guessing he will be here today."

        "Mom still works at the hospital?"

      "No,we opened a pharmacy downtown. It is where we both work.I only stayed back today because of the guys," he said pointing towards the tree."

       "Grandpa wants to build a chicken house so we can have our own eggs and chicken meat!" Teddy said excitedly.

         "That's right," he agreed."And you are going to help me with them."

         "Yessss!" Teddy exclaimed.

Carly looked at the exchange between the two and wondered why she ever thought they wouldn't accept him.He was so likable and so innocent. He won people's hearts easily. Well,except his peers back in Australia. She was happy and hoped even her mother's reaction would be the same.

        "Well,now that you are awake, I think I can now take Teddy to the beach. Will you be okay finding everything you need on your own?"

        "Yes dad.I'm not a stranger to the house," she replied then added,"Thanks dad,I really appreciate all this."

  He smiled, "We are just glad you are home Carly." He then took Teddy's hand and led the way towards the front after the construction guys. Carly went back inside and stood in the kitchen. "Maybe it won't be so bad after all,"she murmured then proceeded to pour herself another cup of coffee.