I'm Comin' Home

Chapter Thirty-Five | I'm Comin' Home

Lyn waisted no time in snagging her phone out of her bag and propping it up on her desk for Parker to use. The teenage Borrower was pacing back and forth as he contemplated what he should say first. What should he tell her? Was she angry with him? Frustrated? Disappointed? All of the things he felt himself?

When Lyn propped up the phone and he saw the digital dial pad, he felt himself freezing up. Something about the glow of the phone made Parker feel more apprehensive than ever. Compared to all of his other decisions, this one gave him pause.

It wasn't until he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder from the tip of Lyn's finger that he felt a surge of courage in him. The encouraging look in her eyes helped support him. He tilted his head over and gave her finger a thoughtful headbutt as he reached out and pressed the numbers onto the screen.

"Do you want some privacy?" asked Lyn.

Parker thought about the whole situation and then shook his head.

"No, if that's okay. If… If I need you…" He didn't need to finish his sentence. Lyn seemed to understand Parker's fears and, in a moment, would be there to help him.

Gosh, I really like this girl.

Parker leaned over and pressed the "Talk" button and put the phone on speaker. The dial tone made him jump and sounded like fateful tolling bells. Each ring, Parker anticipated his mom to pick up the line, but it didn't.

The first call rang all the way through to voicemail, which alarmed Parker. His mom never missed a call, and she certainly wouldn't be away from her phone if something important was going on.

His heart flipped nervously against his ribs as he redialed the number.

Same thing.

Each ring felt like an eternity, and the sound of the click before the voicemail made Parker feel sick to his stomach.

Where's my mom? What's going on? Is she okay?

~~~^*^*^~~~

Amanda stared at the ceiling of her room with a completely blank stare. Everything hurt, but not half as much as her heart. Every beat made her heart feel like it was tearing in half. Like a shred of paper being pulled apart, each thump of her heart tore the seam.

Her eyes were dry from hours of crying. A dull headache kept her conscious, but the sleepless nights kept her exhausted. She knew she hadn't eaten for the past few days, but she didn't feel hungry.

"Amanda? It's alright. We'll try a different path tomorrow." Amanda could barely hear Kers' voice over the sound of her thumping heart in her ears. He was standing on her bedside table, which only made her choke up. The way he stood and the way his shadow hit the wall reminded Amanda of Parker. It was the same bedside table Parker had lived on for many years before getting a room of his own.

"Amanda? You need to eat." It was a good suggestion from the little Borrower man, but it was no use. If she ate anything, Amanda knew it would come back up within minutes. Instead of getting up and eating something that wouldn't upset her stomach, she elected to continue laying in bed and watching the sun set lower and lower on the horizon. The shadows cast menacing faces across the room, reminding Amanda that her son was out there with those shadows.

"Amanda? Don't give up. Parker is out there, and we're going to find him," said Kers. When Amanda didn't respond once again, the Borrower decided it was time to get some rest. He would need to push himself to his limits the next day if Amanda was going to make any sort of recovery.

For the past couple days, Kers had swallowed his nerves and had stepped into the clutches of a human – something he was deathly afraid of – just to find a fellow Borrower. By all reasoning, he should be rejoicing that a Borrower managed to escape the clutches of his human captor, but that wasn't the case at all. A mother was missing her one and only son. Size didn't matter.

Family mattered.

The two of them had scoured the streets up one side and down the other to make sure Parker wasn't on the sidewalks. Amanda had stayed out in the open while dropping Kers off by the base of trees and various holes to peer inside and investigate. From the highest branches to the lowest spaces, the two of them combed through the area inch by inch.

Alas, no Parker.

It was a final act of desperation for Amanda to actually drive her and Kers to the park where she found her son all those years ago. Amanda confessed that she told Parker that he was hiding under the bench of his childhood home, and something was telling her that Parker was going back to that space.

The two of them went out and explored the park and the route back, but the only thing they saw was a little girl riding on her bike. For a moment, Kers felt the hair raise on the back of his neck, but he dismissed it. He usually got those sensations when he was apprehensive of someone. It was an instinct that signaled when someone was dangerous.

Thankfully, the girl didn't stay around for more than a few minutes and it let Kers slip out of Amanda's pocket to go exploring nearby. There, Kers found a set of small footprints which he told Parker's mom about immediately. He also told her about the little cross and the name "ZEKE" scratched into the base of the bench.

This peaked Amanda's spirits and she tirelessly combed through the entire area in search of her son. The long shot proved unsuccessful sadly.

They had returned not too long ago, and Amanda had been practically unresponsive for the past hour as Kers sketched a search map and potential areas that Parker might have gravitated toward.

Now, after so long, Kers decided he just needed to leave Amanda to her own devices.

There was little to nothing else he could do now except to dedicate every waking moment he could to finding Parker.

So, there she was. Amanda was alone and staring at the ceiling. Everything she never wanted to happen came to pass, just like all those years ago when her husband left her. No matter what she did, it was the wrong decision.

Her mind continued to spiral as every decision and debate flashed in front of her eyes. Each time wrenched at her heart. She swallowed, her throat feeling like sandpaper, and closed her dry eyes. No consolation was there in the darkness for her. No comfort. Only buried grief.

Amanda nearly turned over to hide herself under the covers when she heard something on her bedside table. Heart jumping into her throat, she whipped around quickly toward the sound. She was both crushed and stunned when she saw a new face looking back at her.

It was the face of a woman, and she was a Borrower. She had pale, glacier blue eyes and dark brown hair that had been tied up into a kind of messy bun. She was wearing a very simple shirt and pants that cut off right below her knees, which Amanda only noticed because of the prosthetic leg the woman was wearing.

A yarn line attached to her hip and a hook in her hand, she looked at Amanda with eyes full of sympathy and cautious trust. The Borrower said nothing in the moment. She simply began winding up the line after attaching the hook onto a belt that hung on her hip. Once finished, she stepped up to the edge of the bedside table lamp and she sat down on the lip of the base.

"Hello, Amanda," she said quietly. "My name is Mira, and… well… I just wanted to come down and tell you how sorry I am. All of us are worried about your boy, and we all want him to come home safe." Amanda shivered and laid back down, this time facing the light and Mira. The darkness of the room closed in fast, leaving only the bedside lamp illuminating the space.

"All of you? You sure?" she said bitterly.

"Yes, of course," Mira insisted. Amanda couldn't meet this new Borrower's gaze for long. There was something intense about it that she didn't see when she looked at Kers. Her son's words played in her head, which involuntarily forced Amanda's chest to constrict.

"Parker said you all thought he'd been captured; that I'd taken him from his family." Amanda knew her voice sounded defeated, and it made Mira squirm.

"I… I know," sighed Mira. "And we know that wasn't the case. Not now anyway. From someone… like us… well… we have to jump to conclusions like that to keep ourselves safe. When… my daughter came to Parker, she only had his best interest at heart. It was the wrong decision, and I'm sorry for that."

Amanda glanced up and met Mira's gaze. From one mom to another, Amanda could see the genuineness in her eyes. There was true remorse in her words. It didn't change anything, but hearing it brought a drop of comfort in the bucket of tumultuous emotions swirling in Amanda's heart.

"Thank you," mumbled Amanda finally as two realizations clutched her tight. "But that won't bring him home; and even if he does come home, he won't want to be with me. He'll want to stay with a family his own size." Fresh tears stung Amanda's eyes. She turned toward the pillow to hide her face. It was heart wrenching, but to Amanda it was all too true.

"Amanda. Amanda, no. That's not what will happen. Listen to me." Mira's voice drifted through the air like a spring breeze. "Parker will make it home, and he's your son. He knows this. He loves you, Amanda. I know it."

The silence between them was tangible. Even though Amanda had tried reassuring herself of all of these things a million times over, hearing it come from someone else who knew the love of a mother somehow let the message sink in. Amanda pulled her face out of her pillow to look into Mira's glacier blue eyes, this time able to meet her gaze for more than a few seconds.

The intense moment between the two of them unfortunately was shattered when Amanda's phone suddenly began buzzing. It was so loud that it made Mira leap toward the edge of the table, hook in hand. The two of them glanced at the rectangular box as an unknown number came onto the line followed with the words, "Unknown Caller."

To Amanda, this felt like another scam caller. She'd gotten so many calls earlier from different numbers, and this one felt no different. She reached over and tapped the silence button.

"Sorry," Amanda apologized. "I've been getting a lot of random calls today, as if I need something else to deal with."

"It's… okay," breathed Mira. She was obviously trying to calm herself down. "I think all of us are a little on edge, Kers included. I don't think he's slept in a few days." Amanda, hearing this, felt surprised. She glanced over at Mira whose hand was over her heart as she breathed deep, calming breaths.

"He hasn't?" she asked. Mira shook her head.

"No. He's been gridding out the entire neighborhood on the roof. He's probably out in the yard right now if I'm being honest," said Mira.

Again, the phone began to ring.

Same number.

Weird. They didn't leave a message either. Probably wrong number. If it calls again, I'm telling them wrong number.

"He's… a decent guy. I wish there were more guys like him out there," stated Amanda as she watched the call click to voicemail. "I… well… thank you for coming down. I should tell him the same thing when I see him again."

"And if we see or hear anything, I promise I'll come down directly," stated Mira. "You have my word."

"I certainly hope you hear something," sighed Amanda. "I just hope he's safe an…"

Again, the same number came up on her phone. Amanda had enough. She carefully reached over and snagged her phone off of her bedside table which was a few inches away from Mira and swiped the talk button.

"Hey, I see you've called a few times. I think you have the wrong number. Please, don't ca-."

"Mom?"

Amanda's heart stopped. Her entire body shuddered as she clutched her chest. Never before had she heard something so sweet in all her life.

"Parker?!"

On the other side of the line, Parker could've jumped to the roof he was so happy. He was terrified as he heard his mom's voice trying to dismiss the call, but now that he heard her voice fresh tears sprung to his eyes. He hadn't expected to get choked up, but now all of the words he had attempted to rehearse moments ago were completely blank.

"Parker? Are you there? Please…" He heard his mom choke on a sob, which only made his heart clench. He knew he was the cause of her pain, and he would've given anything to take it all back.

"Yeah…. Yes, mom, I'm here," Parker swallowed, biting his lower lip. He felt himself rocking back and forth slightly as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"Are you safe? Where are you? Whose phone are calling from? Oh, Parker… I was so worried." Amanda's mind was racing. Was he in danger? Was he, as the other Borrowers said, "caught?" Had he managed to find a random phone and get it to work? How many seconds did she have before the call dropped because the battery ran out of juice?

"I know. I know. I'm… I'm safe. I… I found a friend," sniffled Parker. "Mom… I'm… I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, mom. I… I didn't mean what I said. I didn't mean to hurt you. I thought… I thought I had something I n-needed to do." Each word barely cleared his constricting throat.

"Oh… oh Parker. I know. Shh… I know. It's okay, sweetheart. I'm just so glad you're safe," said Amanda. Relief battled the feeling of compression in Amanda's chest as she listened to her son's voice. Mira, eyes wide and an immense smile on her face, was also jumping for joy as she listened to the one side of the call. Tears were glistening in the corners of her eyes as she watched Amanda's reaction.

Before, the Borrower mother wouldn't have guessed she'd ever witness this level of love and care from a human mother to a Borrower child – and yet it was happening right there in front of her.

"Where are you? You said you found a friend? Who is it?" Amanda couldn't fire off her questions fast enough.

"It's… It's Lyn, from school. She's here right now actually. Say hi, Lyn," said Parker as he glanced back at his friend. Lyn's eyes widened momentarily at being put on the spot, but she quickly regained her composure before leaning closer to the phone.

"Hello, Ms. Silverstein. This is Lyndsie Sullivan, one of Parker's classmates. It's nice to meet you, virtually at least," Lyn said giving a slightly nervous chuckle as she attempted to lighten the mood.

"Lyndsie? Yes! Parker's told me so much about you," sighed Amanda as she breathed a sigh of relief. He was at least with someone who he trusted, which only partially relieved Amanda's nerves.

"Oh? Really? Well, all good I hope. It's been a pleasure getting to meet Parker in person. You have a wonderful son," replied Lyn as she glanced down at Parker and winked at him. Parker's heart jumped into his throat as his cheeks burned scarlet. The same uncomfortable warmth returned as he directed his attention back to Lyn's phone.

"Ah… well… thank you. He's certainly very special," stated Amanda. "And I'm sure this has been… a bit of a shock with Parker being... well… a bit… different."

"Mom, she knows… about Borrowers," interrupted Parker. Amanda felt completely stunned as she heard Parker use the word. She was more astounded that someone else knew about the existence of these small beings.

"But… how?"

"It's a long story, but let's just say there's a lot we can talk about if you want to know more," replied Lyn. "But I think what matters more… Parker." Lyn's prompt was enough for Parker to know exactly where she was going. He could practically read it in her face.

"Yeah, I… well," Parker took a breath and braced himself. "I… mom… can… can I come home?"

"Of course, Parker. Of course you can. You're always welcome home," Amanda's response took barely a moment to reach the teenage Borrower boy. "Why wouldn't you be?"

"I… I was afraid that… after what I did… that you wouldn't want me anymore. I… I hurt you, and I didn't mean to," muttered Parker. "I didn't know if you'd forgive me after what I said and with me leaving, I…."

"Parker, you are always welcome home; and you are always wanted. Don't let yourself think otherwise. I've always loved you. You're my son. That will never change," reassured Amanda. The tension in Parker's shoulders released as he hid his face in his bandaged hand.

"I… Mom… I missed you," Parker mumbled.

"Oh, Parker, I missed you too. I love you, sweetheart," echoed Amanda.

"I love you, mom."

Lyn watched Parker wiping the tears away from his eyes as his shoulders shivered and shook while the Borrower teen's fears slowly melted away. She could only imagine that his mom was doing the same thing.

"Um… Lyndsie, I know this whole circumstance is… unique," Amanda said after a minute of silence while she and Parker composed themselves. "But if you could forward your address to me, I would really appreciate it."

Suddenly, a million other issues slammed themselves right into Lyn's lap, and now she was in a predicament.

"Um… well… here's the thing," Lyn started. The nervousness that was slowly dissipating in Parker suddenly shot back up. He turned around to face Lyn as he noticed the hesitation in her tone. His stomach clenched as he feared the worst – that Lyn was suddenly having a change of heart.

Amanda, at the same moment, thought the same thing. Immediately, her hands started to tremble. She put Parker on speaker and began frantically searching on how to trace or track a call on her internet browser.

"Lyndsie? What is it?" asked Amanda. Parker knew his mom's voice well enough to know when she was feeling nervous. She was obviously trying to keep calm, and Parker was starting to think he should do the same.

"I mean… it's nothing serious, but we do live in a gated community. My parents don't know Parker is here and I don't plan on telling them because, obviously, no one is supposed to know about his size. If a strange woman shows up with the gate code and knocks on the door, it's going to look suspicious to my parents unless we align our cover story.

"So, when I go down for dinner here in a bit, I'll let them know that my classmate's mom is going to stop by because we have a project we're working on together and he needs some stuff that I have. They'll probably invite you in and ask you some questions about the project, which will be our science project, and then I'll come grab you and then we'll be good to go. Sound like a plan?"

Amanda breathed a silent sigh of relief as she pressed her hand to her chest.

"Yes, that sounds good to me. Good thinking, Lyndsie," breathed Amanda. Parker grinned and nodded.

"Always thinking ahead," he sighed admirably.

"Great. Then give me ten minutes or so and then you can head on over. I'll text my address. I don't think we live that far away," said Lyn. She reached over Parker and quickly punched in a series of numbers and letters that spelled her address as well as the gate code. "And, um… Ms. Silverstein… would it be okay if I came by tomorrow and visited Parker?"

There was a brief beat before Amanda replied, "I think that would be alright."

Parker's cheeks flushed pink. After everything, he was a bit worried he would be on complete lockdown. There was no doubt there would be consequences to his actions which he was more than willing to accept after everything he put his mom through, but at least he could finally start seeing one of his friends in person.

"Great. Then… I guess I'll see you here soon. Drive safe," said Lyn.

"Yes, I will see you very soon; and Parker, I love you." Amanda choked a bit on the words.

"I'll see you soon, mom. I love you too." Parker stepped forward and pressed the little red icon, ending the call. Parker breathed a sigh of relief before glancing back at Lyn.

"Thank you, Lyn."

She smiled and reached over to give Parker a nudge on his uninjured shoulder.

"Anytime," she breathed. Then, with a wink, she added, "You're lucky you're so cute. If I didn't like you, you'd be completely out of luck."

Parker, caught off guard, was blushing harder than he'd ever done before in his life. Every hair was standing completely on end as he shivered, a pleasant rush racing up and down his spine.

"Y-you… like… what?" he stammered. Lyn grinned knowingly as she pushed herself up away from the desk.

"You heard me. I didn't stutter." Lyn shrugged one shoulder sassily as she eyed Parker before she walked toward her door. "Now, I've got to give my parents a heads-up and find something to hide you in."

With that, Lyn left the room. Parker listened to her fading footsteps and muffled conversation, but that was far from the first thing on his mind. Her words alone put him on cloud nine. If they meant what he thought they did, then things were really starting to look up for him.

Though his trust with his mom would take time to rebuild and consequences were undoubtedly waiting for him, the horizon was looking brighter by the moment. He'd been given a second chance, and he was about to make the most of every moment.