Jan. 10 at 12:28 am
So, I did got back and read, and Hale was in the same room as Sarah when she answered the phone. I just need your reply to this:
The phone started ringing and Sarah reluctantly got up to go answer it. "Hello?" She paled when she heard who it was.
Jan. 10 at 12:39 am
Hale frowns, glancing over. "You alright?" he asks, honest concern in his voice.
Jan. 10 at 12:40 am
"Just a second." Sarah put her hand over the phone. "It's my mom..."
Jan. 10 at 12:54 am
Hale bites his lip. "Oh. Is that bad?"
Jan. 10 at 1:00 am
"Before I met you, I made sure to call her every single night. All of a sudden I stopped calling because of all this stuff. She's worried sick, Hale." Sarah uncovered the phone and spoke to her mother again. "I'm sorry, I meant to call. I've just been really busy and working late. And quite honestly things have gotten so hectic I've completely forgotten about calling for a while there."
Jan. 10 at 1:08 am
Hale winces, running a hand through his hair. "Oh jeez..."
Jan. 10 at 1:11 am
Sarah winced as her mother raised her voice on the other end. "Yes mom, I know...No! Of course not!...Well," She glanced at Hale. "Yes, I did meet someone but- Mom!" She sighed, holding the phone away from her ear for a moment as her mother ranted on.
Jan. 10 at 1:14 am
Hale sighs, getting to his feet. "Would it make it any better if I talked to her?"
Jan. 10 at 1:17 am
"Unless she asks to speak with you, it's probably better you not come into this." Sarah told him, grimacing with an apologetic look. "I have no idea what I'm really going to tell her. I can't make up many excuses she'll take."
Jan. 10 at 1:21 am
Hale sighs but sits back down, nodding. "Alright."
Jan. 10 at 1:28 am
Sarah spent at least fifteen minutes after that answering her mother's questions with the simplest answers she could. "Yes...no...no...I'm fine..." Finally, the cycle ended and the words she didn't want to hear came up.
"Is he there now?"
Sarah winced. "Yes, he is."
"Is he making you say this?"
"No mom, I promise he isn't. Trust me, he's a kind man. If I asked him to leave, he would."
"Let me speak to him."
Sarah sighed and held the phone out to Hale, defeated.
Jan. 10 at 1:33 am
Hale gets to his feet, taking the phone. "Hello," he says, keeping his voice even. He didn't want to cause any tension between Sarah and her mother and would do anything in his power to prevent that.
Jan. 10 at 1:34 am
"Hello, I'm Aggy, Sarah's mother. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you, Mr...?"
Jan. 10 at 1:39 am
"Hale, please," he says, chuckling. "I prefer not to be called by my last name."
Jan. 10 at 1:44 am
"Isn't it Dirk?" Sarah asked quietly, recalling Rokkel calling him that.
"Of course, Hale. Sadly, among the many problems of having a daughter who lives on the other side of the country is I don't get to properly meet the men she takes into her life. I do hope you understand that if your relationship with her reaches a certain point, we should like to meet you in person and get to know you."
Jan. 10 at 9:47 am
Hale puts his hand over the mouthpiece for a moment, glancing at Sarah. "I doubt I have a real last name. Most of us use the name of out 'best' weapon as our last names."
He takes his hand from over the mouthpiece. "Of course I understand."
Jan. 10 at 12:47 pm
"Good. Take good care of her, Hale. Now if you'll kindly let me speak to my daughter again...?"
Jan. 10 at 7:19 pm
Hale holds the phone out toward Sarah, smiling faintly and mouthing, "See? No problems at all."
Jan. 10 at 7:30 pm
Sarah gave a weak smile and nodded, taking the phone. She spoke to her mom a few minutes, mostly just listening. She promised to call he mom back soon before hanging up and sighng.
Jan. 10 at 7:45 pm
Hale sighs, chewing on his lip. "So... That was different..."
Teen Ink
Wed May 15, 2013 1:13pm Reply Retweet Favorite
