Alan sat down at the family table, sitting across from his Father, a tall thin man with sandy blond hair, like Alans. His Mother finished setting out the food. She was much shorter than her husband, and had dark mousy features, brown hair, and what his father called ‘pleasantly plump.’ To his right was his sister Alice. She was thin like dad, but was far shorter. She’d mom’s dark hair, and small features. She seemed preoccupied with scrolling through her phone as Alan had come in.

From the moment he pulled up to the house, till he’d sat down, a pleasant daze seemed to come over him. This was the home of his childhood, the warmth he’d felt over a decade ago. What surprised him the most was how they’d all changed, or hadn’t, depending on his perspective. His dad has less gray hair, and his sister, well she still had a look of youthful innocence. His mom had thinned out after the food shortages in space and had regretted giving up her preferred plump figure. Capturing it all seemed like a distant dream.

His sister looked up sharply. “Bro, I just got a text from Amy Sullivan, is it true that you broke up with Denise?” She asked. Alan stared at her incredulously. He guessed It shouldn’t have surprised him how quickly it spread. Alice seemed to have a network of friends that stretched into Alan’s own circle. She had just started her freshman year, but she’d always had a knack for making friends.

“Is that true Alan?” His mother inquired, slightly surprised, but jumping right into the conversation. Both looked at him expectantly.

He’d hoped to delay breaking the new, but at this he didn’t see the point in hiding it. “Yeah, I broke up with her right before coming over here”

“Oh my, she must be heartbroken.” His mom quickly added, “I hope you are ok dear?”

“Yeah Mom, I’m great.”

“Did you tell her in person?”

Before Alan could answer the question Alice chimed in spilling the beans “Oh I heard he told her in person all right. Right on her dorm’s front step, in front of everyone! I heard she was furious.” She gave a teasing smile to Alan.

“Alan, you did that right in front of everyone?” His mother looked scornfully “We raised you better than that.”

“Mom…” Alan was about to defend himself, when his sister jumped in once again. “Oh yeah, and basically didn’t give her time to explain telling her she wasn’t good enough for him.”

Alan's dream of being home with his family was starting to shatter. “He even blocked her number when she tried to call him to find out why.” He was stunned, he looked at his sister trying to reconcile his feelings of anger, and joy at seeing her there. The warmth was quickly fading.

“Alan I can’t believe you, you dated that poor girl for the last 2 years. The least you could do was give her an explanation. ” His mother's anger was starting to rise, a look of anger building, only made worse by the kitchen knife she wielded in her hand. Making her all the more menacing.

Alan was besides himself, he couldn't just sit there and take it. He was about to speak up when his sister cut him off once again. “Oh, don’t be too harsh mom, word is she’s been cheating on Alan for a long time.” With that little phrase, his mother went from a wrathful goddess, intent on making her son pay, to a vengeful angel. “That little slut! I knew that girl was never good enough for my boy!” The kitchen knife plunged into the wooden cutting board. The change was so sudden, it left Alan feeling staggered.

She immediately let go of the knife and ran to Alan wrapping him up in a big hug.

“Mom, she was totally not good enough for my brother anyway.” Alice gave a wicked little smile, knowing fully what she’d just put Alan through.

Alan, pulling himself out of his mom’s hug said, “Yeah mom. It’s fine, she wasn’t good for me, and I figure better to do it now than later.”

“Oh dear, I should have known that girl was no good for you. What can I get for you? It must have been so hard to hear she’d been cheating on you.” She continued on that way for a few minutes, berating his ex all the while singing his praises. His sister added her own comments to the mix, in full support of her brother.

Alan’s Dad was the only one who didn’t comment. He’d been silent during the whole affair, as if he’d been able to predict the outcome from the beginning. From Alice's exaggerated narrative to his wife’s reactions. He only spoke up when his Mom had pointedly asked if he’d also thought that Denise was no good. He gave a slight nod and harumph in an agreement.

The warmth had returned. Alan had left his dream, but the reality was better. His mother was typically very emotionally centered, with a sharp brain for business. The only exception was when it came to matters of her family. His sister had always liked to tease him, typically never let the ‘joke’ go too far. To Alan, it had only been just under a month since he’d last seen his parents. Except then they had looked haggard and worn from work and space life. Something, he vowed, would not happen again.

It took Alan everything in his body not to tell them everything. But, he thought, it was prudent to not reveal too much, too soon. It took him even more willpower not to eat the entire meal of roast beef, potatoes, vegetables and rolls his mom had prepared. Only the restraint he’d learn in space when rationing food gave him any kind of chance. He didn’t completely succeed, as his father made the comment. “Seems like you haven’t eaten in a month.” All Alan could do was smile and tell his mom how much he missed her food. And to that she stated eagerly, “Well I don’t know why you moved out in the first place. You’re always welcome back home to stay.” Alan’s father's second harumph happened at that point, which translated to “Don’t push it dear, let him be.”

“Thanks Mom. I’m ok. I promise.” Alan couldn't help but smile at how much he missed this.

“I’m glad he moved out, I finally got to have the bathroom all to myself.” Alice teased

Mom rolled her eyes and even Dad gave a grin.

Alan couldn’t remember such a happy meal with his family for a long time. The food and laughter seemed to help flush away the years of trouble. Time and again that evening he kept thinking he was going to wake up or find out he’d really died, or worse, still be in space.

After cleaning up, Alan found himself sitting next to his father in the small living room to watch some late night television. While his Mother and Alice sat in the kitchen to discuss his recent breakup.

“I was wondering when you were going to break up with her.” His father mentioned it during a commercial break. His father had always been like this. Mostly silent, content to let others speak. It was only in these one on one moments you really knew what he was thinking.

“You were?” Alan was a little surprised by the comment.

“Well I could tell she didn’t treat you right.” He grimaced

“I didn’t know you could tell” Alan didn’t know his Dad had any interest in his relationships. “I guess it took a while to figure it out, but I’m glad I broke it off.”

“That’s good son. I’m glad to see you’re taking care of yourself. You deserve better, like me and your mother.”

Alan paused. Enjoying the moment, the program had come on again, and his Dad seemed to have said all he was going to.

He'd come tonight not to only see his family, but also because he needed some support. He decided that there was no better time. Alan spoke up at the next break, “Dad. I’m not in trouble or anything, but I have an opportunity for something. I can’t say much about it, but I need $7,500.” He paused knowing the question was out there, seeing his Dad not reject it outright he continued. “I should be able to pay you back soon though, likely in less than a week.”

There was a long pause making him nervous. Alan began to wonder if he’d heard the question. He was about to speak again when his father spoke up.

“Son, before tonight I would have outright refused you.” He looked piercingly at Alan. “However, for some reason, you’ve changed since last I saw you. I can’t place it, but there is something about you I haven’t seen in a few years.” He slowly rose from his chair and went to a book on the shelf and pulled it down. Opening it slowly, he removed an envelope, handing it to Alan. “This $8,000 is something your mom and I save for emergencies. It sounds to me as though you have an important need for it.”

Alan reached up and took the envelope, hands slightly trembling, “Thanks Dad, I really appreciate it.”

His Father smiled and pulled Alan into a bear hug. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain to Mom that you needed it, she’ll be fine.”

The late night show ended, and Alan reluctantly decided to go home for the night. His apartment was closer to the Cosmos Hub, and he wanted to get an early rise the next day. Pulling up to his home he saw that the door to his studio had been written on with a permanent marker with some choice obscenities along with smattering of eggs. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to put 2 and 2 together. Denise had struck back. He’d forgotten how vindictive she was likely to become.

Recalling his freshman year, another student had reported her for cheating. She’d proudly told Alan one night when they’d been on a date that she had been anonymously posting fake gossip about the ‘snitch,’ slipping things into her locker, and other various cruelties just to ‘pay her back for not minding her own business’ all the while complaining how she’d been the victim.

Looking back, it had made Alan sick to think of how he just sat there, nodding in agreement when she’d told him. Alan took a minute to wipe down the eggs with some paper towels while wishing, with little hope, that Alice had gotten it out of her system.

He then promised to himself that he’d re-paint the door for Mrs. Dubai. He then tore off his shoes, set his alarm and had the best night sleep of his life in 15 years.