U is for Unexpected

 Scenes from an American Diner: A Story in 26 Parts
All of us have had our lives touched in some way by the disease of addiction.  Be it a loved one, friend, family member or even ourselves no one is immune to the impact of this devastating illness.  This story is dedicated to all of those people, especially the ones who have found recovery through the 12 step fellowship.

On the outside, it seemed like any other piece of mail- folded paper with smudged ink.  The lettering was the familiar tilt he'd seen on the last post.  He felt the shape of it in his hands, running his fingers along the edge trying to detect the presence of something other than paper.  He hadn't sent any more pictures, but part of his mind was paranoid and had developed a whole list of worse things he might find inside.

He debated calling Stew again, or just leaving it for a time when he would have more strength.  But neither of those options seemed reasonable after the night he'd had.

They all made their way to the meeting and found enough solace there to be able to move on with their days.  Jared, young and clearly workaholic had simply gone into his job.  Jim had stayed behind, reassuring them that he just needed to keep to the clubhouse until he went home and slept.  Stew had consigned himself to bed, promising to call later and relay info about visiting hours and other relevant details.  And Ted himself had come home to find the missive mixed in with his regular mail, almost hiding amoung the more ordinary bills and circulars.

 He didn't feel serene, or zen or even courageous.  He just felt tired.  Not only physically but mentally as well.  Scott's tumble back into the darkness that was always waiting to swallow them all made him think that life really was too damned short and there really were too many important things to say not to use time for that purpose.  So he took a breath, and opened it.

He read the few brief sentences in a state of disbelief- his eyes reading the words without really comprehending them.  It took him three tries before his brain finally accepted what he read as reality: Cole was coming to visit.