2
“Here we are! Home sweet home!” Luke threw open the door
to his apartment, standing to the side so Lucky could enter. It was a long and silent walk to the club
and an even quieter walk up to the apartment.
“Pull up a blanket Cowboy and make yourself at home!”
Lucky sighed and collapsed on the
couch, burying his head in his hands.
Gone. Everything was gone. The guitar Elizabeth had given him…his books
and laptop…everything he had owned was in that apartment and now it was all
gone.
“Cowboy? You ok?” Luke grew concerned.
He had never seen Lucky like this.
Not even when he was angry or
scared.
“Gone dad. Everything I’ve worked for…everything that had made me
independent and self-supporting was in that building and now it’s gone. Like it didn’t even exist or matter.”
Luke sighed and sat next to his son,
hoping that his words would reach Lucky and pull him out of this new state of
depression. Feeling sorry for himself
was not going to help find out who was behind the fire and who the real victim
was.
“All those things in that apartment
were just that. Things. What you said about being independent and
self-supporting…all that is inside of you Cowboy. You are what make you independent, not things. Not a job, a guitar, nor a new laptop. You.
And that’s one thing no one can destroy because I won’t let them. Do you understand me? And that sweetie pie of a girlfriend of
yours won’t let them either, so I’m not alone here.”
Lucky looked up into his father’s eyes, wondering if Luke really
did believe those things about him. For
someone who couldn’t stand to be in the same room a year ago, Luke’s opinion
was once again important to him.
Looking into the identical blue eyes as his own, Lucky knew his father
spoke the truth. “Thank you.”
Luke smiled and pulled his son close,
wanting to protect him from the bad thoughts running around in his head. “No, thank you. Thank you for letting me be here for you when you need me. Last year…I would have been lucky just to
get a lump of coal from you on Christmas.”
Lucky and Luke laughed together. The first laugh they had since the fire. Luke looked at the clock, noticing how late it was and Lucky still had school in the morning. Luke stretched, releasing Lucky from the fatherly embrace. “So Cowboy, what do you say, you make yourself comfortable in the bed and I take the nice comfortable couch here.”
“Dad no…”
“I insist. You’re still a growing boy that needs his rest for school in the
morning. You won’t be able to get that
rest if you sleep on this couch. Now
scoot mister.”
Lucky laughed. It felt so good to be around his dad
again. To have this nice banter that
they used to have so long ago. It
almost felt like old times. Old times
except Lucky wasn’t ten anymore and Luke was no longer the perfect and
invincible hero Lucky had once imagined him to be. “Good night dad.”
“Good night son. Sleep tight.”
Lucky smiled, getting up and
disappearing into what was his father’s room, still feeling a bit guilty for
taking the bed.