Words couldn't explain how I felt.
It was a normal day. I woke up to go to the kitchen like usual at the crack of dawn, making sure not to wake Tyler up since he got cranky when I was too loud in the mornings. I desperately needed a shower, so I made my way towards the showers with Manny the security officer close behind.
Later that evening, I was working in the workshop with some other guys that I had never even spoken to, when one of the more stern security guards came in. He spoke my name and I looked up, and our overseer ushered me out. Things moved so fast and it sounded like the guard was speaking at a dozen words per second and I tried to keep up but he was walking and talking and his words overwhelmed me that I had to stop.
"What?" I asked, and he smiled.
"You're out, Hood. Your clothes are on your bed, as well as a bag for you to put your stuff in. Pack your shit and go see your resource officer, and he'll tell you what to do."
My emotions got the best of me as my vision clouded. I wanted to fucking hug this guy. I nodded frantically, not shuffling my feet and pressing my lips together to hold in the absolutely ecstatic shout I wanted to make. In my cell, Tyler was reading a book, and I grabbed my clothes. He stood up to tug me into an embrace, and I hugged back so tightly I thought he'd burst. I stripped out of the uniform they made us where and changed back into my beloved tee that I'd had since high school, originally belonging to Luke but I stole it for the sake of wanting it. And then my skinny jeans - oh, my skinny jeans!
I piled whatever I'd collected, including the picture of Amelie with zero smudges on it into the bag and carried it over to Casey Benjamin's office. He raised his eyebrows upon seeing me and I smiled giddily.
"Today's the day, lucky boy," he cheered with a condescending tone, and even his sarcasm couldn't rain on my parade. "Fill out this paperwork for me, and get ready for a mouthful because you have half a million regulations for being released. Do you have a solid place to stay that can and will be under a constant surveil?"
I nodded. "Yeah, with my fiancé, and if not then my best mate Luke."
"抖阴社区 both addresses down if you know them and when you're escorted there, you'll be asked which one is correct," Casey said and I nodded, and began filling out the paperwork. "The parole board discussed your case rather thoroughly, and it concerns me that there was so much conflict upon the outcome. In the end, they decided that you may be released today and granted parole, which leads me to introducing you to your new best friend."
He rifled through his desk drawer for a second before pulling out something that made me squeeze the pen in my hand.
"Your new ankle bracelet. Keeps you in the government's control while looking absolutely fabulous," Casey Benjamin said and I actually let out a laugh, because at the time, that was the most beautiful tracking device I'd ever seen. It was also the only tracking device I'd ever seen. "Are you done? I've gotta' tell you all your fun rules."
I finished up filling out the last of the papers in my possession before sitting back in my chair and clasping my fingers together. My full attention was on the man who'd helped me a lot throughout my sentence as I awaited my inevitable chokehold of a framework. He opened up a book and licked his finger before he found a certain page and began naming off the rules.
"It's pretty self explanatory. Obey all the laws, if you perform even a misdemeanor you could be subject to a return. You'll often have to report to your parole officer, who I haven't met and I don't even know the name of, where you're going if you decide to go somewhere. If you decide you wanna' go across the continent for whatever reason, you must obtain permission and it'd probably be a super complicated process, so I wouldn't recommend any road trips 'til your parole is over. You are going to be searched and seized randomly, without probable cause. Don't go drinking heavily and for Pete's sake, don't get high. I'm sure the tolerance on alcohol will be much stronger than any kind of drug. Don't step one foot near that Daniel guy, Hood. Not within fifty yards. Don't go near him or his family or his house. If you see him on the street, turn around."
He read through some bullets that I guessed weren't in use. "Is that it?"
"Oh, no. Here's the zinger: You're due to attend some anger management courses and see a government paid psychiatrist," he said. "And I know how much you loved talking to me. Don't give this one too much trouble. Remember, they could send you back here, and I honestly never want to see your little chubby face again, you hear me?"
I let out a deep breath. "I hear you," I said and he skimmed the rest of what I assumed he was supposed to read for me, but he probably gave about as many shits as I did.
The rest was a blur as he finished talking to me, shook my hand, wished me luck, gave me a candy bar, and sent me off. I was met with a security guard who sifted through my things and then pushed me to another guard. She then lead me to the metal detectors that I hadn't walked through since I first came here, and then I was outside. Even though I was still inside those fences, I was freed.
I was shoved into a van and I clutched my box of belongings to my chest as the female security guard read off Bexley's address.
Deep down, I know I was going to get there and things weren't going to be the same. But this scene played out like a reeling movie and I just pictured her answering the door with her big green eyes shining like the morning light, and finally I'd have her in my arms again. Then a little baby girl would run up to my legs because she'd know who I was. I always imagined Bex showing Amelie pictures of me so she'd know who her father was. Though I felt like I should wipe the scene away from my mind like discarded crumbs, I couldn't.
"Can I sleep? It's a long drive," I asked, and when they ignored me, I took matters into my own hands and closed my eyes.
-
"Wake up, Hood. You were due to meet your parole officer ten minutes ago but we got stuck in traffic."
I opened my eyes to see that we were in the parking lot of a police station. My fingers clutched my box tightly as I watched a figure step outside of the building and make their way to the van. The door on the other side of me swung open and the person revealed their self, only for my eyebrows to raise.
His name fell off my tongue slickly. "Eddie?"
"Edward," he smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, it was one that exposed how dangerous he was without a single word on the matter. "Pretty funny how things fell into place, i'nt it?"
I nodded, looking him in the eyes. "Hilarious. You're my parole officer?"
"No, but that'd be amazing. The guy's a hard ass, so I wouldn't fuck around with him. His name's Joe or something, never met him before I got this job. You got lucky, because I'm this close to getting my license to being a parole officer," Edward held up his fingers, expressing how close he was. "I just heard you were coming here and I had to see it to believe it. I'm pretty sure that very soon you're gonna' find yourself in some deep shit, so give me a call and I'll see if I can help you out."
He spoke so many words and little to none of them made any sense to me. "What are you talking about, Nichols?" I asked.
This pleased Edward, as the edges of his lips curved up in a condescending smirk and he hopped out from leaning into the van. "So you don't know yet? I'll be waiting for your call, Calum. I'm sure your little friend Luke has my number on speed dial. Welcome back to the real world, meat," he snarled. With that, he walked away, sending one final patronizing look my way and went away.
To avoid being sent back to prison, I ignored my natural born instinct to jump at the man and strangle him 'til his face turned purple by focusing on tapping my foot on the floor of the van.
After a minute or two of waiting, a large, brawny man walked up to the vehicle. He was dressed like I expected, equipped with his gun and cuffs and other pockets on the belt that I wasn't sure of. The back of his shirt said PAROLE and he looked like the type of guy that didn't play games. The lady up front spoke to me. "That's your probation officer, Joseph Corby, for the next year," the driver told me.
He squeezed into the seat next to me and I introduced myself. "Nice to meet you," he said. "I'm Joe. I don't expect too much trouble from you since you don't have many offenses besides this arrest."
I liked him already. He shook my hand and I settled back in my seat. I was craving a cigarette right now more than anything, since the stress and anxiety of what will happen next was eating me alive. At this moment, all I wanted was to hug my mum and Bexley, kiss my baby on her head. Don't get me wrong, I knew deep down that things were different. It was no secret that Bex had stopped coming to visit me, and didn't want me near the baby, but I couldn't help having hope.
That was okay, right?
We finally began driving again and they said we were on the way to the first address on the list, which was mine and Bexley's apartment. I wondered if she'd ever painted the walls like she said she wanted to. I wondered if the room that used to be our storage room was now Amelie's room. She was turning two in a couple days, and I'd hate to miss that.
I didn't really know at what age babies start doing anything. Luke told me he's babysat for her a few times and she's began to walk. She apparently can't speak too well, but she can make the 'b' noise very well to initiate that she wants a bottle. He told me he accidentally let her fall off the end of a slide but assured me she was okay. I mentally reminded myself to make Ashton the go-to sitter.
The drive wasn't long because most of the ride was to the police station, and soon enough we were parked in the lot of my old building. Waves of emotion filled my stomach and it churned and churned til I was sure I was about to throw up. Everything was right here. My life was back and who knows if I was even welcome.
There's a wall right next to the entrance of the building that I once slammed her up against and kissed her. Another time I punched that same wall after I'd stormed out and took a breathing after a fight. There's cigarette butts surrounding the area from when Michael and I would come out here and chain smoke to blow off steam after something crucial, like a fight or something. Joe Corby climbed out of the vehicle and I followed suit, wasting no time.
I didn't want them to think I was making a run for it so I impatiently waited for the go ahead. It felt like a dream that I was finally free, I was finally home.
"What apartment?" Corby asked, and I told him H.
He lead the way through the lobby. There was a lady I didn't recognize sitting behind the desk, though I hardly paid her any mind. Everything looked the same except the fact that I couldn't remember if they chairs in the middle were always blue fabric or not. It was moving so fast that I was still wondering when I realized I was in the elevator. My heart pounded in my chest.
The ding! scared the shit out of me, and the doors opened. I practically ran to the door.
My mind was telling me to knock but I froze. I couldn't explain it; I had waited for this for so long and now that I was here I couldn't do it. Corby didn't seem fazed by my loitering outside the door, as if this was normal for him. He leaned against the wall across from our door. I bit the inside of my cheek and raised my fist. Here it was, I was going to see the love of my life and be able to touch her and feel her skin and-
I knocked.