"Here we are, Palmer. Home-sweet-home."
I know 'home-sweet-home' isn't supposed to be a derogatory phrase but that doesn't stop the negative feelings that come with it...
This is the first time Tim has been home since what happened in Afghanistan and he barely remembers anything about his home. He barely remembers his own life and now he is coming back to it. Tim gets out of the car and gets his belongings from the trunk.
"Thank you for the lift sir. I don't know how to repay you." The Sergeant calls back from the driver seat.
"Hey-don't mention it. I couldn't just watch you try to deal with everything on your own like that when I could just drive you." Now that he mentioned it, Tim thinks about how much trouble that may have been.
"Yeah, I see what you mean..."
The man simply calls back, "Just try to relax for now; work on that whole job situation, I'd say. Alright, take it easy." Tim raises his hand in a simple farewell gesture as the car starts and begins to pull away. "Yeah. You too, sir," he says as he watches the car leave and turn at the far end of the street, leaving him to fend for himself when coming back to a life he knows nothing of.
The man simply sighs and turns around to confront the obstacle. It is how he did it before everything that happened. He can do it now. Tim walks up the path around the unfamiliar garage to the barely familiar front door but pauses...Once again with a sigh...and then pulls the courage to knock. A soft, broken knock. He almost feels homesick coming up in his throat but it is not suppressed by the mat he stands on. Nothing can remove this feeling, not even his supposed home.
Finally, a shade melts from the wall, behind the windows surrounding the door, and walks to the door. Time stops. What happens next? How will things go; this homecoming? Is this all even worth it?...
The door opens. "...Timothy..!" The disheartened boy lifts his chin and looks back at the middle-aged woman.
"Mum..." No going back now.
It seems as if all the air in the woman's lungs have escaped, leaving her to deflate and float to the floor, like a mere sheet of paper, but she seems to stay standing...An eternity passes in the blink of an eye...and then tears. Two little droplets form in the mother's orb-like eyes and a smile slowly forms on her lips just before her composure completely breaks and she embraces her boy. "I-...I've missed you so much! W-when I got the call you-..You don't know how worried I was that I might not have been able to see you again!"
All Tim can do is hold the woman while she lets it out. "Everything's fine...I'm here now, mum.." It would be a lie if he were to say he was not glad to see his mother, even if it is in these circumstances.
The woman brings him inside and sits him down, immediately bringing out a cake she had baked for today and cutting him a piece. The cake is delicious. But then, with a, "Hang on, I'll be right back. I need to take care of something", the woman disappears around a corner on the other side of the living room.
Immediately after she is out of sight, the woman makes her way to her bedroom, opens her cellphone, and dials a number she has not had to call in a long time.
Still with tears in her eyes, she speaks the familiar name, "Carter?"

"Yes yes i know. But it's not just another project. This film has to be more than impressive for them or else they will question their choice of me..... I know.... We can work on editing this weekend." Carter paced back and forth in his apartment as he spoke with another student. Another time consuming project was due in no time and he barely had any of it done. He had worked with his partner who just wouldn't see his way of thinking. Everything they said to each other, they disagreed on. This was going no where. "Alright im going to take a break. Ill get back to you later." Carter said before hanging up and sighing deeply.

It wasn't easy being in college. Carter was a very intelligent man who loved to learn. But when it came to working with others on projects, he just didn't have the patience. He sighed and sat back in his chair. He paused as he heard his phone ringing. He sighed. "Please don't be him. I said i was taking a break." He then paused seeing a familiar number. It looked... familiar. He picked it up and answered. "Yes that's me."

The woman answers back, "It's Caitlin. Ms. Palmer?" She sits down on the edge of her bed. The covers wrinkle under the weight of the small woman as she lets herself sit, though not even close to relaxed. "He's home.-Timothy, he-...he's here." She can feel herself choking up a little but makes sure to keep strong enough to hold it back. Trying to calm herself back down, she brushes the bangs from her face and sniffles air up through her, now red, nose.

Carter folded his arms slightly as he now put the name and the voice together. Of course it was Ms. Palmer. "Oh Ms. Palmer. It's been awhile hasn't it?" He said with a slight smile. He then paused as he heard her words. "Oh wow. It's been so long. How is he? Can i perhaps talk to him or?..." He hadn't spoken to the male in quite awhile. Well, for a long time actually. It was good to hear he was back though.

"Uh, I suppose.." Cait looks back at the door and silently debates telling Timothy about the call. "No," she thinks, "Best not spoil the surprise. He'll be so happy to see his best friend!"
The woman doubles back and raises the phone back up to her lips. "Actually, I feel like it would be best if you just come by when you get the chance. I want to make it a surprise for him. That should definitely brighten his day." Ms. Palmer gets more and more excited as she speaks, forming an odd concoction of relieved tears and joyful smiles.