The ride back to Delia's house was... pleasant. Randi's car was nicer than her mom's. At least... nicer than the one her mom had before all of this craziness. Now her parents drove better cars but Randi's was still a contender for being better. And she was only 18. Delia wondered if there was the chance that her parents could buy her a car now...
Randi had loaded up her playlist, and it had more pop-y music than she had expected the former jock to put on. Though, it made perfect sense that Randi was listening to it. Delia could remember plenty of times traveling in this very car, listening to many of the same songs. Songs Derek wouldn't have listened to either. But now, both girls sang along to the songs that were blasting out of the speakers. Delia could even remember trips over the precious summer to see some of these bands in concert.
It was all so different from her life as Derek. One where he had felt so responsible for her mother's misery, where he had been so alone...
Randi pulled up to the curb in front of Delia's house and stopped the car. "Here we are," she said, just barely stifling a yawn. She wasn't a morning person, and apparently morning for her counted as the two hours after she woke up, regardless of when that was. She grabbed her phone and checked it. "Looks like Sarah will be ready at 2. Want me to swing by and grab you? It's on my way to her place."
Delia grabbed her bag, hesitating. It was a casual offer, one Randi had made so many times. One Randy never would have. Not to Derek, at least. Maybe to Delia. "If you don't mind, it'd save me the walk."
"Nah, it's no problem," Randi said around another yawn. "Might need to get a coffee on my way home."
"I don't know how you're tired. We got plenty of sleep."
"On Jade's couch, though. Which... it's better than the floor but it's not a bed, you know? Anyway, I gotta go and deal with my mom before she freaks and decides to ground me or something. I want to be there for these answers Sarah's gonna give us."
If she can... Delia thought. "I'll see you in a bit, then?"
Randi nodded and sped off, leaving Delia alone in front of her house. She looked to the cars in the driveway. Her mother and father's. She had been so okay with staying at Jade's last night, avoiding more interactions with her dad. Not that she didn't love him, but... she didn't know him. Or she hadn't? Derek hadn't, and that had bled over into this new life. He had left, abandoned Derek and his mother. What was it about Delia that had made him stay?
She tried to remember, to force whatever memories of Delia's she could tap and bring them to the surface. Had there been a conversation that the young Delia had? Asked her parents what would have happened if she had been a boy and her father had said he wouldn't have stuck around? Had they told some story about something she had done as a young child that she wouldn't have done as Derek? Something that would have sparked the need to stay in her father? The willingness?
Nothing came to mind. When she thought of her mother and father she could recall holidays, special events. All of them were happy. There had been no sign of her father not wanting to be there.
There was movement inside, her mother walking through the house. She glanced out the window and saw Delia, waving. She waved back and started toward the front door. No reason to push it off any longer, and it would only be for two hours. Long enough to get ready, gather what she needed. She could maybe hide in her room for most of the time.
Her mother beat her to the door, opening it and hugging her as she approached. "We missed you last night," she said.
"Missed you too."
"It's a good thing Jade is so responsible," her father said, rounding the corner from the kitchen and leaning against the wall. He looked a lot like she had as Derek. His hair was more salt and pepper and lacked the dye that he had taken to using. That she still used, though the brand was probably different now. He wasn't a particularly tall man, and he wasn't well built. Average in many ways. She wished she had something to compare his appearance now to. In Derek's reality, all of the pictures had been gone long before he had been able to start asking questions. "We might have spent all night worrying."
"We were about half an hour out from calling Trinity's father, and the other parents after that. Would have been quite a big deal..." her mother added.
"Yeah, sorry. We decided to watch a movie and Randi and I fell asleep. It wasn't planned..." Delia said. She squeezed passed her mother, hoping to make her way to her room.
"It's fine, we trust you," her father said, pulling her toward him and kissing the top of her head. It was normal for Delia but felt so foreign. "You have plans for the rest of the day?"
"I was going to head to Sarah's in a while..." Delia said. "Do some swimming, talk about the... the team stuff."
Her father sighed, shaking his head. "You're at that age where you don't have time for us, huh? Any chance we can bribe you home at a reasonable hour with ice cream? We'd like to see our daughter at some point this weekend."
Delia bit her lip and nodded. "I can get home by... 8?"
"A little late, but that's fine," her mom said. "Do you need a ride to Sarah's?"
"Randi's gonna pick me up. I should probably get ready soon..."
"Okay kiddo, get to it," her dad said. Delia nodded and dashed to her room, closing the door once she was inside. She leaned against the door and let out a slow breath.
"So weird..." she whispered. She had her family, her mom was happier than she had seen her in a long time, and... she had friends. It had cost her herself. Derek was gone, but... it was becoming harder and harder to not see that as a price worth paying. "Sarah, please have some good answers for us."
