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"Uh, are we going to eat, or what?” Tiffany asked, looking at the others uncertainly.

"Eat!" Mike said with a laugh. George was glad for the distraction and followed him and the others into the kitchen. Sarah and Erica sat on the couch since there were too few chairs at the table. George glanced at them surreptitiously as he ate.

They fit together so well. he thought, Better than Mary and I ever did. I'm going to miss her. He ate slowly, thinking over almost everything that had been said and trying not to think about the rest. The others were rather quiet, which he correctly guessed was because of him.

After dinner Sarah opened a portal so Tiffany could retrieve his clothes. A few minutes later she came back through and handed them to him. He took them into the bathroom and changed gratefully into his own clothes.

Sarah, and then Erica, glanced oddly at him when he came out, but he hardly noticed. “Would you like me to drive you back to your house?” Tiffany asked him. He nodded and she said goodbye before leading him out to her car.

Neither of them seemed up to making small talk and he ended up falling asleep on the way there. When they arrived Tiffany woke George up and asked, "Will you need a ride again?"

He shook his head, "No, Mary and I have our own cars, so I'll take mine. Thanks for the ride, and letting me stay at your apartment."

"No problem." Tiffany said with a small smile. "Good luck." With that, she drove away.

Now the fun part... he thought as he walked up to the door. It was already dark, but the porch light was on. He assumed she knew he was coming, since Sarah could apparently talk to her mentally now. When did the world get so strange? he wondered.

He felt like an invader in his own home, so he pushed the button for the doorbell instead of letting himself in. Mary came to the door a moment later and let him in. She wasn't so much angry as cautious. Which made George feel even worse. I deserve it, though. I can't believe I hit her!

Mary watched him carefully as he gathered up his clothes and put them in cardboard boxes. He gathered up a few other things, including his computer, and packed them in his car. Once he was done with that he turned to Mary, who was still watching him from the open garage door, "For what it's worth, I really am sorry Mary. For everything." There was so much more he wanted to say, but he couldn't find the words. And Mary didn't look like she was in the mood to hear them, anyway.

"Goodbye George." Mary said. She turned and walked into the house, closing the door firmly behind her. With that simple gesture he realized he had burned all his bridges. His wife was never going to take him back, and his son was gone forever. The stranger he found in his place was totally unknown to him.

But then, maybe I never really did know Sean. I was too busy trying to make him into what I thought he should be. he thought as he climbed into his car. A short drive later and he was checking into a small motel for the night. He was too tired to do anything but climb into bed. He was asleep almost instantly, and it wasn't a peaceful sleep.

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George awoke with a start, a child's screaming seemed to echo in the small room. Phew, just a dream! he thought, and then corrected himself, No, not a dream. A memory. Sean's. A deep sadness settled over him like a heavy cloak, but he shook it off with an angry growl.

He needed to be at work in an hour, so he took a quick shower, got dressed, and checked out. He got a lot of questions at work as to why he'd disappeared for a couple of days but he brushed them off.

By lunchtime everyone was giving him a wide birth. He was vaguely aware of it, but too lost in his own thoughts and self-recriminations to worry about it. He had trouble concentrating on his work and had trouble entering some information into the computer. "What's wrong with this blasted thing?!" he growled.

His temper continued to fray, which led to more mistakes, until he was pounding the keyboard in frustration. "George, why don't you take off early today?" his boss said in a way that made it more of an order than a suggestion.

George grumbled, but complied. He drove around aimlessly for a while before he could cool off enough to make plans. I still need to find someplace to live. he thought. The rest of the day was spent apartment hunting until he finally gave up and found a better motel to stay in.

As he lay awake in bed he thought over his day and grimaced. What was that all about? I know I've got a temper, but it's never been that bad before! Then he thought about Sean, and Mary. Or maybe I've just kept it contained to my family? What a wonderful thought.

Rolling over onto his other side he tried to put those thoughts aside and get some sleep, with little effect. The more he tried to stop thinking about things, the more his mind kept going in directions he didn't want to go.

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To Be Continued…

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« Venus Cursed! - Chapter 99 »