Cody Returns
Chapter 21: Cody Returns
The skyline, what there was of one, was laid out before Cody like the story of his life since he first set his eleven year old foot down in the town. This small town was his home, more than London had been, more than any place ever would be. Cody had found a plane ticket and the keys to his beloved car in his jacket pocket as he left the Dollhouse. That meant his family had been there. “I’ve disappointed them before beyond,” Cody mumbled to the night sky. His car had been waiting for him at the airport, but that thought had him driving around aimlessly for a while. He’d been parked on the hill for the past four hours, just staring down at Castle Rock. It’d started raining about forty five minutes ago and he really should be heading to the store to face the music. He reached the point where he was so wet and miserable he was approaching dryness and happiness from the other side.
He barely registered the drive into town and it seemed the car was the one leading to the bookshop, leading him home. Cody traced the familiar Wilde At Heart lettering on the window and steeled himself before he opened the door.
No one was immediately in sight and for one awful moment, Cody debated leaving again.
Suddenly he noticed a young woman who seemed to work there. Wondering if his Dad had hired someone to take over for Cody, the young man tapped her on the shoulder. “Excuse me, miss, I’m looking for my-oh my god.” He stopped himself as the girl turned around.
“Five years is a long time when you’re a teenager. Lots of changes.”
“Sally? You look-” Cody waved a vague hand. His sister was taller, slimmer, definitely not a kid anymore. She’d have to be nineteen now. He’d missed her eighteenth birthday, which they had been planning since her eighth.
Sally smiled and suggested, “Thin?”
“Grown-up. I…I…” Cody trailed off again and felt the tears rushing from his eyes unbidden. He sat down heavily on one of the plush armchairs provided for customers.
Sally knelt down at his feet and looked up at him, her own eyes looking distinctly damp. “Hey there, big brother, what you crying for?” She put her arms around her brother and cradled his head into the crook of her neck.
Ben emerged from the backroom at the sound of weeping, behind him the whirlwind that was Dean on a mission, entered the room.
Both stood speechless for a long time before the older man moved first.
Ben reached down and pulled his wayward son into his arms, whispering soothing words into the crying boy’s hair.
“I’m so sorry, Dad,” Cody was chanting, “I’m so sorry.”
“We’ll talk about that, yeah?” Ben pulled back to look into Cody’s eyes. “Dinner sound good? We’ll get Chinese.”
“It’s not Thursday,” Cody replied.
Smiling, Sally picked up the phone, “We’ll make an exception.” She went into the back room to order.
Cody looked up and, having nothing else he could manage to get out of his mouth, he mutely held up his keys.
Ben smiled. “We figured you’d gotten to LA so fast you must have sold your car for a plane ticket. So, we got her back for you. But it’s up to you to apologise proper. I think a nice bottle of oil and some new tapes for her cassette deck are in order.”
The younger man smiled. “Of course.”
Dean held back until Ben excused himself to go see how Sally was getting on with the food. Once he was out of the room, she stepped forward. “Welcome back,” she said, holding out her hand.
When Cody reached his out, he gasped in pain. She was clutching his hand in a vise-like grip despite the smile pasted on her face.
“I hope you know how much hell you put your Dad and sister through. They may forgive quick, but I ain’t your blood. It’s going to take actual work to put any trust of mine into you.” The girl let go. “They may have oodles of forgiveness, but I don’t. You fuck up like this again and we are done. Got it?”
“Got it,” Cody solemnly said, a promise wrapped in his words. A moment passed and he just had to ask, “Oodles?”
Dean quirked a smile. “Too much time around Sally does shit to my vocab.”
Cody nodded. “It does, doesn’t it?”
The skyline, what there was of one, was laid out before Cody like the story of his life since he first set his eleven year old foot down in the town. This small town was his home, more than London had been, more than any place ever would be. Cody had found a plane ticket and the keys to his beloved car in his jacket pocket as he left the Dollhouse. That meant his family had been there. “I’ve disappointed them before beyond,” Cody mumbled to the night sky. His car had been waiting for him at the airport, but that thought had him driving around aimlessly for a while. He’d been parked on the hill for the past four hours, just staring down at Castle Rock. It’d started raining about forty five minutes ago and he really should be heading to the store to face the music. He reached the point where he was so wet and miserable he was approaching dryness and happiness from the other side.
He barely registered the drive into town and it seemed the car was the one leading to the bookshop, leading him home. Cody traced the familiar Wilde At Heart lettering on the window and steeled himself before he opened the door.
No one was immediately in sight and for one awful moment, Cody debated leaving again.
Suddenly he noticed a young woman who seemed to work there. Wondering if his Dad had hired someone to take over for Cody, the young man tapped her on the shoulder. “Excuse me, miss, I’m looking for my-oh my god.” He stopped himself as the girl turned around.
“Five years is a long time when you’re a teenager. Lots of changes.”
“Sally? You look-” Cody waved a vague hand. His sister was taller, slimmer, definitely not a kid anymore. She’d have to be nineteen now. He’d missed her eighteenth birthday, which they had been planning since her eighth.
Sally smiled and suggested, “Thin?”
“Grown-up. I…I…” Cody trailed off again and felt the tears rushing from his eyes unbidden. He sat down heavily on one of the plush armchairs provided for customers.
Sally knelt down at his feet and looked up at him, her own eyes looking distinctly damp. “Hey there, big brother, what you crying for?” She put her arms around her brother and cradled his head into the crook of her neck.
Ben emerged from the backroom at the sound of weeping, behind him the whirlwind that was Dean on a mission, entered the room.
Both stood speechless for a long time before the older man moved first.
Ben reached down and pulled his wayward son into his arms, whispering soothing words into the crying boy’s hair.
“I’m so sorry, Dad,” Cody was chanting, “I’m so sorry.”
“We’ll talk about that, yeah?” Ben pulled back to look into Cody’s eyes. “Dinner sound good? We’ll get Chinese.”
“It’s not Thursday,” Cody replied.
Smiling, Sally picked up the phone, “We’ll make an exception.” She went into the back room to order.
Cody looked up and, having nothing else he could manage to get out of his mouth, he mutely held up his keys.
Ben smiled. “We figured you’d gotten to LA so fast you must have sold your car for a plane ticket. So, we got her back for you. But it’s up to you to apologise proper. I think a nice bottle of oil and some new tapes for her cassette deck are in order.”
The younger man smiled. “Of course.”
Dean held back until Ben excused himself to go see how Sally was getting on with the food. Once he was out of the room, she stepped forward. “Welcome back,” she said, holding out her hand.
When Cody reached his out, he gasped in pain. She was clutching his hand in a vise-like grip despite the smile pasted on her face.
“I hope you know how much hell you put your Dad and sister through. They may forgive quick, but I ain’t your blood. It’s going to take actual work to put any trust of mine into you.” The girl let go. “They may have oodles of forgiveness, but I don’t. You fuck up like this again and we are done. Got it?”
“Got it,” Cody solemnly said, a promise wrapped in his words. A moment passed and he just had to ask, “Oodles?”
Dean quirked a smile. “Too much time around Sally does shit to my vocab.”
Cody nodded. “It does, doesn’t it?”