The Bateman Residence, Main House, Grand Dr., Conyers County, District Of Colombia...
Charley got out of the shower more determined than ever to get as far away from this place as possible, he had gotten his rocks off with Holly and Jen but he wasn't too keen on sticking around even with those added benefits. Too many memories had plagued him since he arrived not all of them bad but most of the good ones had done little to endear him to the place. His hair had been dripping wet even as he got dressed and headed downstairs in a fresh pair of jeans, a muscle t-shirt, and a couple of mud-layered brown work boots. He sighed as he slicked back his hair in the mirror and rushed out the door with a black backpack draped across one of his shoulders.
It wasn't that big of a deal for him to say goodbye, he'd been separated from them for the past five years beforehand given his imprisonment so it was just a formality at this point despite a few in the family wishing he'd stay behind. Charley made his way downstairs knowing all too well that Miss Edna would be in the kitchen getting breakfast started. He figured now had been as good a time as any to pack up and head out while waiting for Diane to get his check cut.
Charley sighed as he reached the end of the stairs knowing all too well the reason both Holly and Jen decided to sleep in. He smirked at the thought of having had sex with both Bateman sisters in a few hours before he turned his attention toward venturing toward the kitchen.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
The Kitchen, The Bateman Residence, Main House, Grand Dr., Conyers County, District Of Colombia...
Charley made his way down to the kitchen and true to form, he'd been greeted by none other than Miss Edna Bateman who had been in fact cooking breakfast for the family. He had not had much of an appetite but he was partial to a hot cup of coffee given what he had gone through with her daughter a few hours prior, a few cat naps in the shed had not been ideal when he did get time to himself. He had been looking forward to getting on the road once he cashed his check and caught a bus out of D.C. He had plans to make it to the east coast which had been as far from the Batemans as possible. Of course, they had not been the only people he'd been trying desperately to get away from.
"Mornin' Charley," said Edna with a pleasant smile despite the morning hour.
"Good Mornin' Mama," replied Charley in a casual tone.
He sat his backpack beside one of the chairs and plopped down on it knowing she'd been aiming at getting him to eat while he waited for her husband Carter and news of Diane being back in the office to cut his check.
Edna seemed to be busily moving about the kitchen as she looked over at him. It was her infamous "I know something you don't know" look that had gotten Charley's attention and she'd always liked when Tiffany came over.
"Have you spoken to her?" she asked breaking the silence and catching Charley off guard.
"Spoken to who?" asked Charley unsure what she'd been getting at.
"Tiffany," replied Edna watching his reaction closely.
"Nope," replied Charley evenly turning his attention back to his cup of coffee. "Ain't got much to say, she moved on married, and had a kid, no point in grudging up the past."
Unbeknownst to Charley, his former girlfriend Tiffany had been back in the neighborhood and visiting her parents with her new son. Edna had wondered about how Charley and Tiffany had ended up separated when they'd been so close in the years before his arrest and what he'd say or do if he ever ran into her again.
Charley simply enjoyed his hot coffee, preferring to take it black as he sat in the rather cozy and neatly decorated kitchen. The Bateman residence had always been the nicest of places in his recent memories, as his trailer had always been a mess and nowhere near as neatly kept. Of course tripping over empty bottles of booze, old needles, and dirty clothes made any place look horrible in a normal person's eyes and not having to worry about those things was quite a significant improvement.
Charley had soon finished his coffee waiting for Carter and grew restless during the wait. He bid Edna goodbye for the time being and decided to pass the time looking about the place before he took off, he had not seen the house nor the surrounding neighborhood in five long years after all and there were bound to be some changes that he'd not been privy to.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Open Street, Conyers County, District Of Colombia...
It was a rather blissful walk amid the cool breeze of the morning air and a few hustling cars moving about the street to get to their respective professions. Charley had decided to indulge a few whims passing by a familiar bakery shop and a convenience store as he got a sense of the old neighborhood. It had been more or less the same with a few new shops and stores in place of the old tire shop and an apartment complex that he'd been familiar with.
Charley took a deep breath and tried his best to suppress the memories of what had been and the desire to reflect on what could have been had he and Tiffany stayed together. He did not doubt that she'd have had his child and that he'd have been with her in college or at the very least lived in the apartment with her while she attended. He'd have done anything for her in those days never thinking anything of it, like a true love-sick puppy, before she walked away from him. He had not known what hurt worse, the fact that she genuinely believed he'd do anything to hurt the Batemans or that she moved on rather quickly after leaving him behind and married another man.
Charley tried his best to push down the hurt from the painful question of whether or not she truly loved him or if she was just looking for an excuse to leave him behind. He shoved his hands into his pockets and moved toward the familiar convenience store feeling the creeping sensation of thirst, he felt he could at least get a beer with the ten dollars he found in his jeans pocket after changing clothes.
It seemed a harmless enough goal, before heading back toward The Bateman residence until he entered the door only to be nearly pushed aside by a small boy who couldn't have been no more than six years old with messy brown hair and equally brown eyes. He was wearing a typical shirt white shirt with blue dinosaurs on the front and a pair of blue jeans with white tennis shoes. He had looked oddly familiar from the brief glance he had of him.
Before he could even utter a word in reaction to the kid bolting past him and into the store, the long blond streaks of a rather beautiful and familiar woman came past him reaching for the boy and reigning him back in.
"Derrick we do not bombard people to get into a store, exercise manners and tell this nice man you are sorry for acting like a wild animal," she said chiding her son as he looked down at his feet realizing that he'd disappointed his mother after being much too excited to have his favorite ice cream.
"Sorry, Mom." said the boy with a sorrowful face. "Sorry, Mister."
Charley held up a hand and made a show of no harm being done as he smiled a bit sadly in the boy's direction.
"It's fine, you've apologized we're good," he said in reply.
Upon hearing his voice the blonde turned to see him and her eyes widened in a combination of shock and horror. Charley's sad blue eyes had been something she would never forget as much as the day she last saw them before walking out of the prison interview room determined never to have to lay eyes on them again.
"C-Charley?" she said stunned by how much he'd changed and the fact that she hardly even recognized him.
Charley nodded rather sadly but tried his best to act as if he'd been fine with the way things had turned out, and supportive at least.
"Nice to see you too, Tiff," he said in a casual tone despite it still hurting to see her with a ring on her finger and a kid at her feet.
"Um when did you..." she began unsure if she had the right to know or even if she wanted to know when he'd gotten out.
"I got out yesterday," replied Charley with a rather odd expression. "Judge found out the truth due to Mr. Bateman, Julian confessed to setting me up before he was carted off to rehab."
The words and the truth hit Tiffany like a ton of bricks.
"I'm a free man again," he said evenly trying to hide his bitterness.
"Listen, Charley about..." she began.
"Don't worry about it, our lives simply took off in different directions," he replied concealing how much she'd actually hurt him. "Well, I gotta be going, long trip ahead of me and whatnot."
Tiffany seemed surprised to hear this.
"Y-You're leaving so soon, you just got here." she began.
"Yeah well I got places to go and people to see," replied Charley with a sad smile. "That's a nice kid you got there Tiff, looks just like you."
Tiffany seemed to have been caught off guard that Charley knew about her son, she hadn't spoken to him in so long.
"Y-Yeah," she said a bit sadly recalling how she'd made the choice to leave him behind, believing the worst of him due to Julian's lies.
Charley turned and attempted to walk out of the store.
"Take care of yourself, Charley," said Tiffany sadly after he'd taken the first step out the door.
"Yeah," he replied giving her a sad smile in turn. "You too."
He took off after that not wishing to linger any longer or have her find out the true reason he elected to skip town.
Charley Bayler sighed as he headed back toward The Bateman residence to get his check, he did indeed have places to be. Namely, the nearest bus out of D.C. and the strong notion to never look back.