It had been a few months Since that trip. Brent had moved out of his brother’s house after a huge argument with him. His Mom lived a few hours away in a small town in the Northern part of the state. Brent had moved in with her and tried to put the experience of that trip behind him. Brent and his mom pulled into the pick-up zone at the airport. Jodi and her Stepfather Randy were flying in from California and Brent had roped his mom into picking them up in her van. “Are you sure about this? I haven’t forgotten about the way you told me they treated you last time. If they say anything like that again, I don’t think I'll be able to bite my tongue.”

  “It’s fine.” Brent replied, leaning back in his seat. ”Her mom Jean was the worst one and she isn’t even going to be here. Randy is a lot more tolerable than Jean.” Brent glanced down at his phone and then up at the entrance of the Airport. ”Jodi says Randy has pretty bad ADHD.”

  “That’s not an excuse and you know it, Brent,” She said, casting a look of disappointment toward him.. “She needs to stand up to her parents. It’s your relationship, not theirs.” Brent would have responded, but he knew his mother was right. Brent tore his gaze away once more to look at the time on his phone. “Are they here yet? It’s been like 30 minutes.”

  Brent had just about taken his eyes off the screen of the phone when his ringtone went off. “Hello?” He said into the phone. There was a silence in the car between Brent and his mom. Jodi’s voice came through on the other end. “Randy Just found his suitcase?” He replied, a feeling of relief washing over him. “See you in a few.” Brent said, hanging up the phone and stuffing it into his pocket. “I’m going to go look for them inside.” He said as he shifted his attention to his mom and opened the door. The warm sun beat down on his face as he made his way across the street. The airport was bustling with the sounds of engines running. The occasional honk of car horns hit his ears before entering the building.

  The inside of the airport was even louder than the outside. The sound of chattering bounced off the walls in all directions. Crowds of people shuffled past him. Brent searched through the crowds for at least twenty minutes before he finally spotted her. He greeted Jodi with a hug and a kiss before continuing back to the entrance. The trunk of his mom’s car flew open and he hoisted their suitcases over his shoulder and piled them into the back of the car.

  The ride home felt long to him, but he enjoyed the conversation. It consisted of several stories and introductions. By all appearances everything was going nicely. Brent’s mom and Randy were getting along just fine. There were even a few embarrassing stories that made Brent want to bury his face in his hands. Something that Brent only expected his mom to do. When they got home that night, Brent’s mom had ordered a pizza and sat down to watch a movie for the night. Naturally Brent made himself comfortable next to his girlfriend.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Brent threw his arm up around Jodi and pulled her close. She shot him a glance back accompanied by a peck on his cheek. Randy and Brent’s mom settled in on the other couch. Brent didn’t pay much attention to the movie. His attention was on Jodi, Reveling in the feeling of having her in his arms. Brent shifted in his seat, trying to make himself comfortable. His arm moved from Jodi’s shoulder and rested on his lap, intertwining his fingers with hers. “Keep them where I can see them.” Randy’s voice rose over the sound of the movie. Brent jumped a little glancing down at his and Jodi’s hands. Brent’s nerves took a hit at that moment. He rolled his eyes and lifted their hands that had sunken onto the couch. “Thank you,” Randy said with a nod toward Jodi. Brent gave a half smile and turned his attention toward the movie. Brent’s mom didn’t say anything, though the look on her face suggested that she wanted to.

  A few minutes had passed before he heard the voice again. “Jodi! come here. Let’s have a meeting.” Randy and Jodi moved into the other room and Brent remained on the couch. Brent’s mom could see the frustration on her son’s face and rose up from the couch to follow them. Brent’s thoughts took over with a force. Anger began to build and the more Brent thought about it the more he just wanted to leave. He was conflicted. Torn between his love for Jodi and his hatred for her stepfather. A voice inside Brent’s head pushed him out the door into the cold night air. He closed his eyes as his feet carried him along the sidewalk. He hated the situation with a passion. All Brent wanted was peace. He wanted to be in this relationship without having to worry being watched like a tiger waiting to pounce. Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes and stream down his face. Dripping along the cement as he came to the end of the street. Brent’s leg muscles grew tense and he fell to a crouch, his hands curling over the back of his head as his gaze dropped to the ground.

  A few weeks passed and the memory of that night stuck with him. He’d begun to dread his conversations with Jodi. While he cared about her, He didn’t care for the control that her parents had established over her. In one call he had finally done it. He broke off his relationship with Jodi and put an end to the control. The pain of the break up left his heart in shambles. At the same time the freedom of the drama was liberating. This was what he thought about as he sat in the bar that night. He set his glass down and let his thoughts gather. Brent poked his head up to glance around the room. The bar was full of patrons, but each of them were occupied with other things. No one seemed to be able to see anguish on his face. No one seemed to care.

  The door of the bar swung open behind him. He peered over his shoulder to get a glance at who had just walked through the door. His eyes became glued to her almost instantly. A beautiful Ginger haired woman with long baby curled hair. Her frame was slender and the red lipstick on her lips only added to the beauty. She flashed him a smile and he glanced down at the seat slightly suggesting that she have a seat next to him. He would never forget her green eyes. Her smile was captivating. “Hey,” he said, offering a handshake to the lady. “I’m Brent. Brent Moore, What’s your name?” He said with a goofy smile.

  She shot him a half smile out of the corner of her eyes. ”My name is Katie.” she said, turning her attention toward him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Brent.”