All the thinking made his eyes heavy. No need to worry about every little thing. Not this week. He would let go, sit back, and enjoy time with his family.
With that determination on his mind, he raised from the chair, made sure the door was secure and turned off the lights.
Part III - A Casual Oddity
Wonderful days followed. Everyone was having a good time. The stress and jitters of the first day were behind them and they spent their time in genuine enjoyment of each other’s company. Hal couldn’t remember the last time he felt so close to his family. The vacation had turned out to be more than just a time to relax. It was a time to reconnect, to discover, once again, what it meant to be a family instead of just calling themselves one. Not that they never knew. They had just forgotten and let the business of other things get in the way. The time together had allowed them to refocus their priorities.
Board games were instrumental in the familial rejuvenation. Hal thought it was silly at first but it was through them they learned how to communicate and where the bond between them strengthened. They only had brought three but ended up going to the nearest town and buying three more. It was a family affair, the ride to and from the Wal-Mart just as important. It forced them to talk about things they didn’t have the time to talk about before. Or rather make the time. It was worth it. The trip wasn’t only a break from work and school. It was personal therapy for everyone.
For Hal, it changed him. Changed his outlook. No more excuses for working so much that he didn’t have time for his family, using it as a justification to provide for them. They had more than enough. They had what they needed and what they needed before his job was each other.
Midweek came sooner than expected. The day was a brisk seventy degrees. Veronica walked into the living area and observed. Hal was reading a book he had bought years ago—a pastime that all but disappeared since his promotion. Sean was lying on his stomach with his chin resting on his fists set atop one another. He was reading another one of his comics on the floor at Hal's feet. Veronica sighed. It was his coping mechanism. Sean loved his father, but it was rare that they spent time together. Hal's work schedule had affected him over the years. So he retreated into comic books where his father figures were always available.
“It's time for you to leave.”
Hal and Sean looked up from their reading.
“What?”
“Huh?”
Veronica placed her hands on her hips. “I said it's time for both of you to leave.”
She took the comic and magazine from them and placed them on the end table. They both looked at her like puppies who had just gotten their bones taken away.
“They'll be here when you get back. Me and Donna want the house to ourselves so we can have some quality girl time together. That means the both of you have got to go.”
It wasn't untrue. Just sudden. She'd decided right there on the spot.
Hal looked at Sean.
“Well. I guess that's the end of that.”
Ten minutes later, the two of them were walking through the wood trails, armed with a machete, shotgun, and comfortable hiking boots. Sean stayed close to his father as they made their way towards the river.
“Do you think we'll see a bear?”
“Maybe. That's what this is for,” he said, raising the shotgun in his hand.
“Will they try to eat us if we see one?”
Hal could hear genuine concern in Sean's voice who was practically walking on his heels.
“You know, bears don't like to hang around humans. If they smell us, they'll go in the opposite direction. The best thing we can do is don't run, stay calm, and walk away.”
Hal looked at Sean who was scanning either side of the trail with intense vigilance.
“From what I hear, this river is full of fish. We might see a few if we can find some rocks to walk on.”
He was trying his best to take Sean's mind off of wandering bears though he was keeping watch of that himself.
“Oh,” he said, reaching inside his coat pocket, pulling out his smartphone. “We may as well take pictures while we're out here. Why don't you carry this and take pictures of all the stuff you think is interesting? You can show your friends when we get back home.”
Hal noticed Sean's countenance fell.
“What's the matter?”
Sean looked at the ground.
“I don't have many friends.”
Hal's heart fell into his stomach and all the air left him. He was standing in front of a little boy he didn't know. At that moment, he saw time slip away and Sean as a young man, fractured in areas of his life because of a lack of guidance.
Hal had grown up with a father who loved to spend money which is why his family never had any. He was fun to be around. Everyone loved his company. But he was irresponsible and Hal, his mom, and his sisters were the ones who paid for it. He determined early on to be the opposite of his father. Hal got a job in his teens to help support the family. Now with his own family, they wanted for nothing. Veronica didn't have to work, they lived in a nice neighborhood, and was never late on any bills. His determination had achieved its goal. He was the opposite of his father. The cost of being on the other end of the spectrum was in relationships. Where his dad flourished, he floundered.
He bent down in front of Sean and looked into his freckled face.
“I'm sorry Sean. I really am. Work… being responsible for you guys… I get a one track mind. It's no excuse. I know I haven't been around
