I finally left the safety and comfort of Jacob’s bed to go to class a few hours later with the promise to return later that night. It’s around five o’clock that evening when I get back to my house. I’m planning to change and drop off my things before leaving to meet Chloe, Trey, and Jacob for dinner. I had finished my paper earlier today and turned it in and managed to take my midterm and despite the tumultuous current state of my life, I was able to focus for the ninety-minute exam. My phone begins to vibrate just as I’m walking into the house and I know without looking that it’s Jacob wanting to know how the rest of my day went and what time he should expect me at his house. My finger hovers over the button to accept the call when the sound of the television in my living room catches my attention.

I walk into the living room and my eyes widen when I see Parker lying on the couch under a blanket and surrounded by mountains of pillows. He’s wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with his hood pulled up over his head making him look younger than usual. Almost like a teenager that’s home from school because he’s sick with the flu. Snacks and drinks cover the coffee table and I wonder if his mother has already made a trip to the store for him. I look from the television to him and back again in shock that he’d flown back without even telling me that he’d been discharged.

“You’re here?” It’s a statement but I know it comes out more like a question as my eyes blink several times. Am I hallucinating?

“Nice to see you too, dear,” he jokes before holding up the remote to mute the sound. “I got home about an hour ago, Mom went to the hotel.”

Wow, I’m shocked she didn’t insist on staying here.

“She didn’t want to step on your toes by staying here.” He rolls his eyes and I frown like I’m the difficult one.

“She wouldn’t be.”

“Oh, come on, Whit, she knows you don’t like her.”

“What! She doesn’t like me. I… have no problems except for the fact that she hates me and wishes you were with your ex-girlfriend and I even try to be cordial in spite of that!” I shake my head, not wanting to go down the road of his mother again when there are bigger things here. “But that is not the point here. You’re home? I mean… why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I could have picked you up from the airport or…” Not made plans to meet up with Jacob.