Dialogue 500 Entry-Unexpected Homecoming

“Honey, hold on, I need to get the door. Yes, I know the movie will be starting but the door bell is also ringing. Coming...”

“Hello.”

…

“That surprised?”

…

“I...”

“Shall we start again? Hello. How have you been?”

“I...I thought you were dead.”

“Dead!”

“Well, frankly, it was just easier to think of you that way.”

“Oh. I see.”

“No. I don't think you do.”

“Okay.”

“Are we done here?”

“I thought we might talk.”

“Did you? You thought you would just show up on my porch and ask if we could talk? And you thought what? That I would just say sure, come on in. Coffee, tea? We'd get cozy on the couch and rehash the past, laugh about the good old times. Is that what you thought would happen here? I spent a long time getting over you and I have absolutely no need or want to go back there. I don't have anything to say to you.”

“Please don't close the door.”

“Again, I don't have anything to say to you. At all.”

“For a person with nothing to say, you've already said a lot.”

…

“There's a lot we should talk about. I was truly hoping we might be able to finally take the time to explore...”

“Explore! Explore what! You can be such a...”

“Come on. We don't need to resort to name calling.”

“Really? Somehow I think it might actually help me.”

“Yes, well, I was...I'm not sure exactly what I wanted by coming here but I at least thought you would be civilized and that maybe, just maybe, we would be able to talk like adults.”

“Like adults. Like adults! You decide one day that you no longer want to be a part of a family. You pack your bags and leave. You don't tell anyone where you're going or let anyone know where you are for over eight years. Do you know what we went through? We called the police. We talked to detectives and nothing. Nothing. You disappeared. I cried. I cried for years. I took a leave of absence to deal with your loss. I wondered if you were hurt, cold, hungry, sad, happy. I made myself sick worrying about you. Wondering what I did wrong. In the end, I had to let you die, at least in my mind, so I could move on. I want it to remain that way. I don't ever want to see you again.”

“Please. Please. Can I explain?”

“Will it make me feel better? Or will it make you feel better?”

“I would hope both.”

“I don't think anything you have to say will make me feel better. I moved on. I had to. Now you need to do the same.”

“But...”

“I'm done.”

Word count - 492