Page 43 of The Homecoming

“Mom and Jason are raging on two different sides,” she said.

“They both mean well,” he replied.

“You’re mad at me too?” She didn’t look at him, but felt his eyes on her.

“Mad? No, I’m not.” He sighed. “I wish you had made a different decision. But ultimately, it is your life. You’re going to have to live it as you see fit. And that means making mistakes. All I can do is watch, but as long as you learn from them and move on, you’ll do alright in this world.”

She nodded. “Thanks. I’ve spent the last few weeks pretending it’s not there. But then I saw it in the ultrasound, Dad. The baby, it’s in there. It’s real.”

He rubbed her foot. “Well, now you have to realize it’s not about you anymore. And it’s not about what those nosey old busybodies say, either. You’ve got something far more important coming. That’s what you need to focus on.”

Tears slid down her face.

“And for the record,” Walter said, “I still think Dan’s a good guy and when he comes back, if you decide to make a life with him, that’d be fine. If you don’t, it’ll be alright too.”

“I’m just worried about what Jason will do if Dan comes back,” she said, wiping tears from her cheeks.

“Oh, he just needs some time to blow off some steam.”

“I wish I felt that confident about it.”

“I think if he sees how Dan treats you, it’ll change his mind,” he smiled. “It did mine.”

She seriously doubted it. “Dad,” she said. “I’m worried there’s something wrong with Jason.”

“Coming back from war is difficult,” he replied. “It can take a while.”

“How long is a while before we start suggesting he visit a doctor?”

“Just give him time,” he replied. “Now, dry your eyes and get ready to go pick out a Christmas tree.”

She sat up. “We’re seriously doing that?”

“Yes, your mother wants to.” He patted her shoulder before leaving her alone again.

23.

The tension filling the car was heavy enough to crush a tank. Jason’s eyes remained glued out the window opposite from Autumn, his lanky legs crammed into space behind their mother’s seat. His body pressed toward the door so hard that if it unexpectedly flew open, he’d fall out.

He didn’t want to be there, that much was obvious. Autumn clutched her coat closed around her neck and shivered as Christmas music blared from the speakers.

“It’s been years since we’ve been able to pick out the tree together,” Shirley said. “And since I don’t know when we’ll get to do it again, just the four of us, we’re going to have a good time as a family. A happy family together on a happy Christmas. Does everyone understand?” Her tone left no room for a response from the peanut gallery.

Autumn closed her eyes.Yeah, happy family for a happy Christmas, like a freaking Rockwell painting come to life.Only Norman Rockwell never painted this crap—a knocked up daughter and a war-traumatized son. Her father hummed along with the radio as everyone rode to the tree lot in silence, the cheerful music out of place with the mood of the occupants.

At the lot, she and Jason trudged along behind their parents, neither acknowledging the other’s existence. They may as well have been strangers shoved together in some odd social experiment that had the potential to fall into disaster at any moment. His ball cap was pulled low over his eyes and his hair curled out from under the sides. Shirley and Walter strolled along a row of trees, pointing out one or two trees to discuss which would be the perfect one. They showed the trees to Autumn and Jason, but neither of them spoke, making Shirley scowl.

“Just pick a tree and get on with it,” Jason grumbled.

“Look,” Shirley said through gritted teeth, “you two pick one, and we’re going home and decorating it as a family. I don’t wanna hear another negative word.”

Autumn and Jason sighed, each pointing at the same tree.

“Now was that so hard?” Shirley asked. “Walter, find the man and pay him for the tree.”

***

The man from the lot tied the tree to the roof of the car, and they were almost ready to go when a pretty blonde ran up to them. “Hey,” she exclaimed at Jason. “When did you get back?” She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him longer than most friendly embraces called for.

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