The house was locked. My heart sank. I didn’t know what I was expecting. I guess I wanted them all to come flying out the door and embrace me. But no. They must have gone on an afternoon road trip.
I put my suitcase down on the front porch and slowly walked to the bridge. I could feel the promise of spring in the air. I sat in Annabelle’s old spot and let my legs swing back and forth.
I thought about school. I’d missed all of last semester, and now I’d gone two weeks without going back to school. I wondered if South High would even take me back. I hoped they would. It wouldn’t be easy, but that was nothing new to me.
My fingers felt something carved on the worn wood. I looked down and saw a small heart with A & TJ in the middle. There was a huge X scratched through my name. I smiled. I knew I deserved it.
I found myself drifting off as I let the spring sun warm my body.
“Wake up, TJ.” Mae’s sweet face was looking down on me. A little white boy was standing next to her. His black hair looked like someone had cut it using a bowl to shape the edges. I looked at the two of them for a minute before I grabbed Mae and hugged her while she squealed. I stood up with her still under my arm. She waved at the boy. “See, Jack. I told you TJ is a big teddy bear.” She looked up at me as her feet kept trying to touch the ground. “TJ, this is Jack. He’s new here.”
I put Mae down and held my fist out to the young boy. “What’s up, Jack?” He carefully tried to tap the top of my fist with his small fist.
I looked up from the two small kids and let my eyes focus on the porch. A red-haired girl was standing still on the top step. She was staring as Miss Dixie came waddling down to the pond. The big woman was waving her arms in the air, and she was yelling, “Oh, TJ! Oh, TJ!” I left the little kids and ran up to throw my arms around my foster mother. She smelled like fresh baked bread.
“I’m home, Miss Dixie. If you’ll let me stay.” I looked at her. Thankful I was having the homecoming after all.
She kissed my face ten times before she spoke. “Oh, honey! You know you can stay with me for as long as you want.” She nudged me. “Miss Miller called and said this might happen.” I looked surprised. “We won’t get money for you.” She laughed and patted my back. “But I don’t care. Prince has got a good job and is working evenings while he goes to college during the day. The extra money will help.”
“But I can help,” I began.
“Let’s not talk about it now.” She hugged me again and looped her arm into mine pulling me toward the house.
I saw Annabelle awkwardly look down at her feet and then up again. My heart raced. I wasn’t sure how she felt. Was she so angry she wouldn’t talk to me? But she was standing there looking and then trying not to look. Miss Dixie giggled, “I think Annabelle is happy you’re home too.”
“I don’t know,” I said as I watched her suddenly run into the house.
“Give her time, TJ.” She patted my arm and added, “You know how she is.”
I walked through the front door and noticed nothing had changed. Jack had taken Rico’s old room, which left me with my old room. I unpacked my suitcase. I took Mae’s Barbie and climbed onto my old bed. I gently placed her on the window sill. She was still smiling at me. I laughed and fell back to stretch out on my bed.
I let my body relax. It must have been a half hour before I was startled by noise. I turned my head.
“So you want to go to the bridge before it gets too cold?” Annabelle had shoved open my door. I sat up on the bed.
I smiled and crossed my arms. “What do you think you’re doing? My door was closed,” I teased.
She had on blue jeans and a tight sweater. She leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed. “Well, it seems to me you need someone to show you the neighborhood.” She just stood there. “Are you coming or not?”
I stood up and walked up close to her. She didn’t move. My nose touched the top of her hair, and I let the smell of strawberries fill me. “Yeah. I’m coming. On one condition.”
I lifted her chin, and I could see tears begin to fall. She whispered, “And what would that be?”
“I want you to know I never moved on. But I was wrong to try to push you and this place away. I should have called. Well at least said something when I called.”
Her eyes got big. “So that was you?”
I smiled. “Can you forgive me?” She leaned into me and kissed me. I kissed back. “I guess that’s a yes,” I laughed.
I took her hand. She looked down and touched the small tattoo. The tattoo looked like a broken chain to me. Not an unfinished one. I knew I would have it my whole life. I sighed, “It’s a long story.”
We walked to the bridge and dangled our legs over the water.
The sun was starting to set. We stayed out on the bridge and talked until the cold chased us back indoors. Back to my place at the dinner table with Miss Dixie and all her children. Back to saying a prayer before dinner. Back to holding Annabelle’s hand. Back home.