No Place Like Home Ch 13 pt 2

Charlie and Rose were still picking things up when Charlie thought he heard a noise.  He looked out the window, but couldn’t see anything but snow and trees.  Perhaps Rose was just freaking him out with all of her ghost talk.  1

“I found a photo album!” she shrieked and began waving it in the air.  “This could help me out a lot.  Maybe there’s pictures in here that will help me find Gilbert’s family."2

She opened it up and saw several pictures, they were all yellow stained from the poor photo processing done in the 1970’s and they had sustained some water damage, but the images were still quite clear.  The red haired women, teenage girl, and baby from her dream were on the first page.  Rose suspected that the teenager was Cindy because she was wearing the same butterfly necklace that Rose had seen before. She wanted to show Charlie the picture and tell him that these were the people she’d had visions about but that would mean putting up with his questioning her sanity, once again, and she was getting quite tired of that.  She was positive that the baby had to be Gilbert.  For a minute she considered how cute they all looked, but reality brought her back to the true tragedy their lives had been, and she felt a lump in her chest.  In the background she could see a young man, his face covered by long hair, but he was too far in the distance to make out clearly.   “That must be Eric, Cindy’s brother.” she thought to herself, remembering the diary entries that made him look like a low class, drug dealer, thug.  “Maybe the military could have straightened him out.” she thought, then remembered with sadness that he’d been missing in action, and presumed dead for over thirty years.  She wondered why a loving God would allowed entire families to suffer that way.  As she began to turn to the next page Rose thought she heard the front door rattle.  A surge of adrenaline lifted her off the bed, she hissed at Charlie to hide in the closet.  3

“Rose, I know you’re in there.  You’re van’s parked outside.  Open the door please!” David said.  “I just want to talk to you.  I owe you an apology!”4

She did not answer him right away and froze when she heard a gunshot and the ominous sound of  the door knob hitting the linoleum in the entryway.5

Charlie tried to grab Rose but she pushed him away.6

“This is no time to be a hero!” she whispered.  “Get in the closet! Now!  I don’t think he’s angry at me, but if he even sees you, you’re dead meat.  I stand a way better chance of calming him down.  Now Go!”7

Charlie did as he was told because Rose had made a good point and on top of that he was a chicken.  If he saw Charlie there he would probably just shoot both of them.  He trusted that Rose knew what she was doing, but kept the door open enough to hear what was going on.  Sturgis was cowering in the corner with every ounce of his thick coat visibly shaking.8

David opened the door and saw Rose standing there.9

“What are you doing, here?” he asked, his voice a strange mix of curiosity and rage.  10

Rose scanned the room trying to find anything that would give her a plausible excuse.  Then she saw Sturgis’ dog dish sitting on the counter top.11

“I came to get the dog’s bowl.  I mean where else would I be able to find another dish that says STURGIS on it?”12

“How did you even know to look in here?  Is it because of the dream you had, or is it because this is where you found that baby that crazy patient kidnapped? You never think I'm listening, but I am.  It's part of my job description. Just admit it Rose, you've been here several times, nevermind that it's not your property.”13

“I did have a dream about it and decided that it was worth checking out. Yes, I've been here several times. So What! I saw the dog dish and since nobody lives here I didn’t think anyone would mind me taking it.”  Her anger was coming to the surface and she decided to start having the conversation she should have had with him several weeks before.  “Your patient, huh.  Are you that nice to all of your patients?”14

“You do know this is private property,”  David said, trying to change the subject. “and you’re trespassing.”15

“Can’t I have the stupid dog bowl!” Rose whined, trying to minimize the fact that she was guilty of breaking and entering.  “You owe me at least that much.  Come on! You cheated on me you creep!  Who do you think you are?” Rose screamed.  She no longer cared that he was carrying a gun.  Throwing caution to the wind she began letting him have it. “I trusted you.  I called you my boyfriend and I loved you!  I should have turned and walked away from you the first day we met!  I hate you, I hate you!” 16

“You don’t know how bad you hurt me Rose, when you broke off our engagement.  How do you think that made me feel?  What do you think that was like, or do you ever think of anyone other than yourself?”17

“I can guarantee that was probably not as bad as catching you with another woman!  Why didn‘t you have the guts to break it off with me first? ”18

Their quarrel was quickly becoming an all out lover’s feud, but Rose’s anger actually seemed to soften him. He sat down on the couch and looked like he was going to cry.  Rose had never seen him show any weakness in human emotion before and she wondered if it was real or merely an act.19

“I don’t want to talk about this right here right now.” Rose said, “ In fact I really don’t want to talk about it at all.  Do you know the trouble you caused with your little ‘fling’?  My best friend had her child kidnapped and now, your ex-wife who is very sick woman is awaiting trial, because she relied on you to help her.  I just want you to leave me alone!  Everything you touch turns to crap and I really don‘t even want to so much as look at you!”20

“Fine!” David, snarled.  “But you’ll be sorry.  There is not another man out there who can give you what I can.  If that‘s the way you want it, get out of my house and out of my life.”  He got up off the sofa and opened what was left of the door, motioning to Rose to leave.  Sturgis whimpered and followed her outside.  Climbing in her van Rose was getting ready to leave when she heard a loud crash and the right side of her front windshield splintered into tiny spider webs.  The huge ceramic dog dish with Sturgis’ name on it broke into several pieces before landing on the hood of her van.  21

“You forgot something!” David yelled,  before turning on his heels and walking back into the woods.  It was all Rose could do to not step on the gas and mow him down.  She took a deep breath and revved her engine.  A couple of minutes later, Charlie emerged from the house looking terrified.  22

“I told you we shouldn’t have come out here.”  he said.23

“Whatever.” Rose replied, and neither one said a word to each other the entire way back to Topeka.24