Trigger: Day 5

Word Count: 30,004

Summary of Events:

Unfortunately, a tabloid news photographer had happened to be downtown at the same time Spencer had been and got pictures of him that were plastered all over the news and prompted his parents to be quite upset and try to get him to promise not to endanger himself. He told them to stop trying to control him and then didn't end up seeing either one of them for several hours even though he didn't leave the house for all that long . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

A knock sounded on the door. He turned and waited as the door opened, admitting Garland into the room.

It was somewhat surprising to him to see how weary Garland looked. If it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t have any grey hair he would’ve looked old too.

“You surprise me sometimes Spencer,” Garland said at last. “Just, some of the incredibly wise things that come out of your mouth. Most of the time it doesn’t seem like you care, about us or anything, but then you do something like this morning and . . . you just blow me out of the water.”

He nodded, not really sure how to respond.

“I, I kind of wish I could argue with you,” Garland said. “But you used some really good logic that I can’t really contend against. You made good points that I can’t really deny.”

Garland sighed and looked at him. He returned the gaze with a touch of wariness, not really all that sure what else Garland meant to say or if Garland was expecting him to respond or what.

“I’m sorry for trying to make you promise something you don’t need to,” Garland said. “You are an adult, and, try as we might, Evangeline and I can’t keep you from dying no matter how much we might want to. We couldn’t the first time either. We can only be grateful that you haven’t died yet.”

He nodded.

“But, even still, as your parents, we would ask that you not try and give us any grey hairs,” Garland said. “Please don’t go putting yourself in situations that are inherently dangerous, or, if you do, don’t tell us about them. We would like you to stay around as long as possible, even if we can’t control how long that is as much as we might wish we could.”
Again he nodded. He hoped the media wouldn’t go publishing his daredevil driving manoeuvres from this afternoon trying to get away from them.

“It was really touching,” Garland said. “That you would care about us like you certainly at least suggested this morning. Please, can you show that you care as much as you said you do by your arguments and concerns for us this morning?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Come here,” Garland said.

Although he didn’t really want to, he got to his feet and stepped toward Garland. He fought against the urge to immediately squirm out of the embrace Garland wrapped him into. He wasn’t much for embraces, but he wasn’t going to go and turn the cold shoulder to Garland after all that.

“It’s at times like this that I know you’re my son,” Garland said quietly before releasing the embrace.

He nodded, not letting himself entertain the doubts he had about that being fact to focus on Garland.

“I really appreciate your concern for us,” Garland said, settling his hands on his shoulders. “It’s really nice, really relieving, even, to know that the concern is mutual between us. Are you going to come down to supper?”

“I guess so,” he replied.