Reconciling Reality

By Emily Stalder Johnson

Blaine Sullivan's world has turned upside down. Torn away from his hidden sanctuary--the alluring woods behind his house--the sixteen-year-old's frazzled, abused mother takes him away from his unstable father who struggles with his anger and alcoholism.

Now in an unpleasant change of scenery that is his mom's older brother's house, hours away from home, Blaine realizes his summer will be anything but fun. Blaine endures his uncle's sour attitude and harsh insults--until Brandon begins to come around. Blaine is shocked, but he welcomes Uncle Brandon's kinder approach toward him. His father's abusive outbursts during and after binge-drinking are as unbearable as Blaine's awareness that his father lives in a constant state of denial. But things soon start looking up for Blaine. He befriends the boy living next door to Uncle Brandon, and in spite of a few rocky spells here and there, Blaine and Brandon begin to form a strong bond.

Then, out of nowhere, his world comes crashing down harder than ever right after a concerning diagnosis and his mother's disappearance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887314044

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

About the Author

cover.jpg

Reconciling Reality

Emily Stalder Johnson

Copyright © 2023 Emily Stalder Johnson

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2023

ISBN 979-8-88731-403-7 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88731-404-4 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

To my ever-supportive, loving husband, Mark

Honey, thank you for being you. Every day I'm amazed by how much our love has grown and stayed strong through so much. I am unable to express how amazed I am that you are so supportive of my writing and for wanting to help me succeed with it. I am glad you believe in me and my dreams and that we have each other—always.

And thank you for helping me with my title to this book. I struggled way too much with this one, and you were able to come up with the perfect one for the theme I wanted to convey through this book's title. And thanks for listening to me fumble my way through my long and out-of-order summary of this story just so I could validate my conclusion to it. I'm glad you listened and gave me the go-ahead. I hope you love this story because you helped me more than you realize. And now it's done! Thanks, in part, to you! I love you, sweetie.

Chapter 1

On a partly sunny Sunday morning right at the tail end of August—barely past dawn and already sticky outside—sixteen-year-old Blaine Sullivan crouched at the water's edge. The creek beside him, a smooth-flowing constant on his parents' property ever since he could remember, twisted and turned in a serpentine manner all over and throughout the woods that he'd always known as his backyard—even extending far beyond.

Grasping a small twig and dragging it absentmindedly through the deep, dampened sediment and dirt alongside the narrow but lengthy creek, Blaine observed the beauty he'd always found both amazing and calming especially when his parents were in the middle of a full-fledged, heated fight. They liked to call them spats or arguments or whatever to try and downplay the severity, but Blaine knew them for what they really were. Or what they felt like to him. It didn't matter what he thought or felt though. His mom and dad rarely seemed to emerge from their heightened fury against each other long enough to notice how their inability to coexist—much less love each other—hurt their only son.

His mother and father respectively showed him some genuine attention here and there, but the problem with that was it wasn't enough. They weren't ever mean toward him, but they were usually too busy squabbling with each other to pay him sufficient attention.

And now that Blaine was nearly grown, he felt more alone and lost in the world than ever before. He was in trouble with the school system for skipping classes way too frequently so much that he was going to be repeating his sophomore year in high school. By the time September would roll around and classes would begin, Blaine would be seventeen and still in the tenth grade. It wasn't something he was proud of, but he kept shrugging it off since there wasn't anything that could be done about it now.

Sighing, his mood brightened upon spotting a strikingly beautiful red eft as it crawled super slowly across a fallen branch that lay just across on the other side of the approximately four-feet-wide creek. The pretty newt was a neat shade of red-orange, complete with yellow spots along its back encircled with black. It was a fairly good-sized specimen, and while Blaine longed to pick it up and admire it more closely, he decided to leave it be in its natural habitat. A half-smile crossed his lips as he watched the creature, his smile quickly evolving into a wide grin once he spotted a large doe and her two spotted fawns entering the scene.

Hi there, Mrs. Deer, he said softly. He figured he may never grow old of spending time outdoors. His favorite places in the world existed right outside his back doors to the structure he reluctantly called home. He considered himself fortunate in that respect—that he had access to unlimited beauty and wonder for him to enjoy for free anytime.

Don't worry, sweetie. You and your babies are safe here.

The doe's huge ears moved forward and back as she crunched on some tall grass shoots. Her fawns imitated her, grazing safely nearby. Her tail twitched constantly, and Blaine determined she was both alert and curious and maybe even content.

And then, all in a single moment, Blaine's serene woodland experience was pierced—shattered all of a sudden by the sound of someone yelling. More specifically, somebody yelling at him.

Annoyed, Blaine turned toward the intruding offensive sound.

"What is it this time?" He couldn't help but snap at his mother who had not only scared the pretty deer family away but who'd also ruined his morning in solitude among the wildlife in a matter of a second or two. He glared at her as she approached him, not bothering to try to mask his frustration.

Blaine Matthew, please don't talk to me like that, his mother implored. Kelly Sullivan's eyes were reddened and puffy; the evidence was obvious to Blaine as he stared at her—that she'd been crying, probably hysterically, for a while.

Okay…I, uh…I'm sorry, Mom. So…what's going on? Where's Dad?

"Left. He's left. But that's not all…he said when he comes back that—that I'd better be long gone." Kelly sobbed, exasperated, shaking her head as though in complete disbelief.

He's said that before.

Yes, well…anyway, he's serious this time. He said if I don't leave, he's going to make me live to regret my decision. Whatever that means…honey, I don't want to find out. We've had our arguments before, but this time I'm…I'm scared of him. I've never seen that dark and furious of a look in your dad's eyes before. Nothing like just a few minutes ago.

Blaine processed what his mom had just unloaded onto him all at once. He slowly stood up from where he'd been crouching for an awfully long time. His long legs ached from staying in that position for as long as he had. But nothing ached as badly as his heart did. He already knew where this conversation was likely going.

"Blaine, I think it would be in our best interest to get going. We need to at least find somewhere to stay for a while while your dad cools off and hopefully comes to his senses. I'm thinking about driving us to my brother's house. You know—your Uncle Brandon's."

Yep. Figures. Only this time, we're going to Uncle Brandon's instead of my grandparents' or a hotel room. Boy, Mom sure has a hard time remembering how easily Dad gets so mad. She's mentioned more than once about the dark, scary look he gets in his eyes, but here she's talking about it like she's never noticed it before. She must be in denial or something.

Do we have to? Blaine asked, reluctant. He already felt down and disappointed that he'd be leaving his home he'd known since he could remember only to stay with his crabby Uncle Brandon who lived in the city.

"Unfortunately, yes. I think it's the safest route rather than staying here. Your dad…well we all know he has some awful anger issues, and well he's been under extra stress at work—and with his best friend there dying after having a heart attack at such a young age…so please, come with me, sweetie, and pack your things so we can get going before he gets back. I just can't deal with his attitude and temper a day longer. It's senseless! I know…I know I don't help. But, son, I realize I need to step up as a mother…and that I need to get you into a healthier and a more stable environment. I do hope you'll forgive me…for everything—all the many ways I've failed you."

Blaine thought about her plea for a few moments, then his heart softened. He nodded. Well, I-I can forgive you, Mom. Maybe this'll be a new start for the both of us. He lacked confidence behind his words, but he yearned for healing of some sort and a fresh start to take place.

Kelly nodded emphatically. I know, son. It'll happen in due time, I'm sure. But right now, let's get going. I've already called Brandon. He knows we'll be there as soon as we can get there.

Well…all right, Blaine managed, his voice strangled from difficult, unpleasant emotions, clogging it at the thought of leaving behind his woods. His one and only refuge—here at his home that felt nothing like a home.

Thanks, honey. Now come on, let's head back to the house. I have my stuff packed already.

Blaine could hardly think about what he might want to take with him on their flight to Uncle Brandon's to escape this supposedly newfound danger in the form of his father, Matt Sullivan.

It wasn't that he doubted his mom that his dad might be dangerous. The way they'd been screaming at each other, before Blaine had taken off outside, especially his dad to his mom had been—well there weren't words sufficient to describe the disdain and rage behind Matt's spouting off at his mom. Again Blaine couldn't help but wonder why it was so new to her. Dad's senseless rage and scary-but-almost-always empty threats should have been anything but new.

At sixteen, Blaine knew nothing other than the fact that he was part of a dysfunctional, unstable family where neither parent could get along—and where his father seemed to