Chapter 7

                                    

                                          
Trisha turned off the stove. She walked towards Tord dusting off her apron, and cracking her knuckles. Tord's eyes widened and he shuffled quickly to the far side of the couch. 
                          
Trisha sat on the other end of the couch and let out a sigh. She slowly patted the spot next to her. Tord shook his head frantically and leaned further away. 
                          
"Tord, love, before we go on, know that I accept you. You're my son and I would do anything for you." 
                          
Trisha spoke softly as if speaking to a frightened cat. Tord eased and scooted closer to his mother laying his head in her lap. 
                          
"Mama, are you sure you're not mad?" 
                          
"Why would I be love?" As she said this she ran her hand softly through his hair. 
                          
"I dunno. I was scared you would hate me, that I would be a disappointment or something...."
                          
"Tord, I've lost my entire 30's and a future. I'm not going to lose you too."
                          
Tord sat up and embraced his mother in a warm hug, small tears rolling down his cheeks. 
                          
Trisha rubbed his back with one hand and wiped away his tears with another. 
                          
"Now darling, could you set the table for dinner?" 
                          
"Yes mama."
                          
After dinner Trisha and Tord sat on the couch and turned on the TV. Neither was paying attention to what was on. They were each focused on their work, Trisha having a stack of paperwork and Tord an unorganized pile of miscellaneous worksheets and pamphlets. 
                          
After fishing the tedious work within a few hours, Trisha stood up and spoke a line that struck pure fear into Tord's heart. 
                          
"That bastard of a father wants you back on base for the weekend."
                          
"No mama, please don't make me go! I hate it there, he only trains and mocks me. His own son!"
                          
Trisha looked down and pulled her worried son into another hug. 
                          
"Tord you and I both know he won't stop until he gets what he wants...." 
                          
In bed Tord tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He needed to get all the fear out of his system. And he only knew one way to do that. He pulled his phone out of the charger and opened up a message with someone he almost never texted in singularity.
                          
Tord: wanna go shoot stuff in the old range?
                          
Tom is typing...