A Fresh Start by Trisha Grace Page B

car.
    He took a bite of his pizza. He wasn’t leaving right then anyway; no harm spending a little more time with Paige. “Fine.”

Chapter Seven

    After dinner, the Seymours drove over to the grocery store, leaving Paige and him to walk home. Paige took out her cardigan, draping it over her arm as they strolled along.
    “How was high school for you?” Paige asked with a smile.
    “I wasn’t bullied. I wasn’t popular, but I was rather large for my age and I never ran from a fight.”
    She laughed softly, pushing her hair back behind her ear. “I don’t doubt that.”
    He loved her smile; something about it always made his own lips curl.
    “Most people stay away from me. Everyone knows about my situation, but I guess as a kid, you won’t know what to say or how to behave.”
    He watched Paige’s head bobbed up and down.
    “But there are others—like Gloria—who shunned me simply because they despised me.”
    “And Travis?”
    “Travis and Amy were the two who were brave enough to talk to me.”
    “There are plenty of brave souls who want to talk to you now.”
    “You know, Mr. Seymour fought in the Vietnam war.”
    “He did?” Paige’s brows rose. “He’s pretty strong, even now. Gosh, Mrs. Seymour must’ve had a really tough time then.”
    “Not knowing if he was dead or alive?”
    “Yeah.” She smiled wryly. “I used to call my mom every day and night because I’m afraid to receive her calls. I’m afraid it’d be a call to tell me that Andrew’s hurt or,” she choked on her words. Clearing her throat, she continued. “Or dead.”
    She laughed nervously, pulling the ring in and out of her index finger.  
    Justin could understand. He never needed an alarm clock to wake him up. Every morning his eyes would shoot right open, and he’d be drenched with fear that his mother might be dead. He would make a quick sweep of the house, looking for her.  
    Sometimes, she’d be right outside the house. Sometimes, he would have to put on his shoes and head out to look for her around town.
    When he found her, he’d always put his finger to her nose and check if she was still breathing.
    “I can’t tell you how my heart dropped when we heard he was shot.”
    “That’s why he’s back?”
    “No, that was a few years back. He went back to Afghanistan the moment they declared him fit for duty.” She sighed. “It was his duty, he’d said.”
    He laughed when he saw Paige rolling her eyes. “He’s brave.”
    “I wanted to kill him myself. He had served; I think he’d covered his duty.” She paused for a moment. “At least he’s home now. Lost half of one leg, but he’s home.”
    His eyes widened, sending Paige into a lighthearted laugh.
    She shook her head, her lips easing into a small, rueful smile. “He was in a humvee when they got ambushed. His humvee got hit by some bomb. It’s a miracle he’s even alive.”
    “How is he coping?”
    “Good. He has his prosthetic leg fixed and is apparently up and running as he was before.”  
    Her words grew softer toward the end and that made Justin wonder if she truly believed what she had just said.
    Silently, they strolled along side by side while he looked down the streets.
    “Can I ask you a question?”
    He nodded.
    “Why didn’t you want to come home? Why did you leave for 10 years?”
    “I never felt this place was home.” He could sense her eyes on him and the heartache she felt for him.
    “Then where do you feel at home?”
    He drew in a deep breath. “I don’t know.” He’d been to so many different places, but none of them was appealing enough to make him stay.
    She reached over, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll find it someday, especially when you’re moving around all the time. You’ll find a place you can call home.”
    He didn’t reply her. They continued strolling along until he suddenly asked, “Can I ask you a question?”
    “Mm-hmm.”
    “You looked upset when Mrs. Seymour said I was