Not-So-Alone Time

"Yes!" I exclaimed, jumping around my room. "I get to stay home alone for a whole week!"

I was so excited I didn't realize that my mom had entered the room.

"Honey, I just wanted to remind you about the rules. Your Dad and I have stocked the fridge full of food, so you won't run out. Try not to eat too many desserts. You can use the computer and the TV whenever you’d like. Try to read some books too, please. Remember, you are not allowed outside. Also, never answer the door. Now, go to bed. I love you.” She said.

“I love you too,” I replied. 

As I brushed my teeth and put on pajamas, I thought about what I was going to do during the week. The same train of thought was still rolling through my head as I slowly drifted into a deep sleep. When I awoke the next morning, I looked out the window to watch the sunrise. I am an early riser, and I enjoy watching the beautiful sunrise. As I pull my face away from the window, I see something out of the corner of my eye. It is my parent’s car. 

“Wait, why is Mom and Dad’s car still in the driveway? They were supposed to get to the airport at 6:00!” I think to myself. 

As I turn around, I glance at the clock. It’s 6:45. I start panicking. So many thoughts fly to my head. 

“I’m probably just dreaming,” I say out loud to calm myself, though in the back of my head I know it isn’t true. 

As I try to calm myself down, I hear a knock on my door. I jumped at the sound of a fist on wood. At first, I hesitated to answer the door.

“Wait, why am I afraid to answer the door when I know it’s just Mom or Dad.” I think to myself.

“Hey, bud? Are you awake?” Says a deep voice from behind the door.

I immediately recognized the voice. It is my Dad’s. All of my jittery nerves calmed down.

“Yeah, I’m awake. Come in.”

My dad looked stressed and tired. He had a smile on his face, but I could tell that it was forced. I already had a bad feeling in my stomach, like huge butterflies. 

“Son, our flight was canceled. The plane crashed on its way to the airport. Your Mom and I were up all night trying to get a different flight or a refund. We got no refund. All of the other flights to Hawaii were full. It looks like we’re stuck at home. Sorry, kiddo. I know you were excited about being home alone.”

I was shocked. I sat on the edge of my bed, unmoving. My thoughts swam. My Dad was right. I was looking forward to being home alone. My Dad must have seen the shock on my face because he started listing off the things that we could do together.

“We could go on a bike ride, we could kick the soccer ball around in the yard, we could watch the whole Harry Potter series, we could play video games together, and we could pull some pranks on your Mom!” He said, laughing at the last suggestion. 

“No, no, no! This was supposed to be my alone week! I want to be alone!” I snap. 

Then I realized how foolish that sounded, especially compared to my Dad's list. I took a deep breath and apologized to my Dad. 

“It’s okay. I’ll tell you what. Your Mom and I are going out tonight and you can stay home and do whatever you’d like. How’s that sound?” my Dad asked.

“Okay, that works,” I replied. 

The rest of the day passed by without any incidents. At 4:00, Mom and Dad walked out the door. I finished eating my early dinner and hurried to my room to go play some video games. Right when I booted up the PC, I heard a muffled explosion. I looked out my window into a cloud of smoke. I saw two figures stumble up the front porch and into the house. I hurry to the front door to see who it is. I almost ran into a soot-covered figure. 

“Dad?” I said, realizing what had happened.

“The engine started on fire and almost blew up.” My Dad explains.

My Mom went upstairs to get cleaned up and Dad started to follow her. Thirty minutes later, Mom and Dad were sitting at the table with some water. I think they noticed me standing there and staring. 

“Look, We are fine and the car can probably be fixed tomorrow or on Wednesday. Now, it’s 4:45. Go get ready for bed and you can stay up and watch Harry Potter if you want. I need to get some food for your father and me. I’m sorry things aren’t going the way you planned.” My Mom said.

I slowly walked to my room, and when I got there, I collapsed onto my bed. I went over the day in my head and wondered how everything could be working so perfectly and collapse in 12 hours. I got up from my bed and put on my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and settled down to watch Harry Potter. 

When I woke up, the TV was still on and it was dark outside. Groggily, I stumbled around my dark room and found the remote. I turned off the TV and looked at my alarm clock. 11:34. I made my way to bed and was out like a light. 

The next morning, I awoke to a familiar, yet rare aroma. It was the smell of fresh out of the oven cinnamon rolls.

“Cinnamon rolls? Doesn’t Mom only bake cinnamon rolls for special occasions? I thought.

Then it dawned on me. Mom and Dad were trying to make me feel better. I hated to admit it, but it was working a little. I walked out of my room and into the amazing-smelling kitchen. The cinnamon rolls were big and covered in frosting. My Mom and Dad were sitting at the table, looking at me and smiling. 

“Thank you guys so much!” I exclaimed.

I couldn’t help myself any longer. I rushed to the cinnamon rolls, grabbed a plate, and plopped three frosting-covered cinnamon rolls on it. As I sat down at the table, I realized how lucky I was.

“I am glad Mom and Dad stayed home.” I thought right before I dug into the cinnamon rolls.