“Then what do you mean?” I asked, trying to smile through the question, even though knots had started to form in my stomach at their tone.

“You’ll be back here.” And with that, Ralphy turned on their heel, leaving me wondering what the hell that was all about and why it gave me a distinct chill down my spine.

But I didn’t have much time to think on it, or to go chasing after them, because I heard someone call my name.

“Dad!” I exclaimed when I turned around and saw my father of all people walking down the hallway toward me.

“Hey, Rose,” he said, a big smile on his face. “I’m here to pick you up.”

“What were you doing?” I asked, pointing toward the hallway behind him. The entrance was on the opposite side of the lobby and, as far as I knew, the hallway he’d just come from only led deeper into the AM.

“Oh, just wandering around.” He shrugged. “It’s been a while since I’ve walked around this place—they’ve really gussied it up.”

“Do you approve of the work?” I joked.

“They could have done a smoother job on joining the additions to the older parts of the building…” he mused, looking pointedly around him, “but it’s pretty decent. Stamp of approval granted.”

I laughed, looping my arm through his and walking us out of the gargantuan main atrium. We went home and I made my parents’ favorite salmon dish for dinner, feeling alive and awake and like part of my family in a way I never have before.

community/TheUnusuals post by n/thatsahumanperson

For those of you that have been wanting an update on my dad and his thoughts, I’ll write more soon, but … we have an answer now, I guess. For why his thoughts have been behind a strange fog, why I’ve had such a hard time getting to them. I can’t say more right now—it doesn’t feel like my story to tell, or maybe it is, I don’t know, it affects all of us, how could it not—and I’m not sure when I will be able to talk about it. Or how.

I’m okay. For whatever that’s worth. Like with my sister and her dreamdiving, my inability to read my dad’s thoughts has more to do with what’s going on in his head, not mine.

I wish it was me that had the problem.

chuckxavier

Without a drop of sarcasm or pedantry: I’m here if you want to talk about any of this stuff. No judgment, no preaching about safe and respectful mind reading practices. It sounds like you’re going through something hard and I’m sorry for that. I want to do what I can.

onmyown

Ditto. I hope everything is okay but if it’s not, we’re here.

tacotacotaco