R. Allinson: The Long Road Home

Tom grimaced. “Yeah, but this is serious. Not a hockey game.”

Mike just shrugged and lay back on the bed with an irritated glance at his phone, through which Tom could still hear the on hold jingle.

“Maybe we should just go out there?” Tom sighed. “Get on the first plane heading east.”

“I don’t really fancy being stranded out at the airport though,” Mike said. “Not when I could be waiting here at this nice, fancy hotel with a stocked mini-bar and room service that I don’t have to pay for.”

“You have a point…” Tom conceded.

“But you’re right. If we don’t have any luck tonight, then we’ll head out there tomorrow and use our good looks and charm to get on a flight home.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Tom said with a hint of relief. He was getting impatient just sitting around the hotel room. Maybe he should use the time to go and check on his grandparents. They’d be worried. They didn’t know he was in Vancouver yet. He had been planning on going out there and surprising them after the conference finished. If things really went south, and the asteroid really did hit Earth, then this might be his last chance to see them. That was a very strange thought.

“Do you have any family in Vancouver?” Tom asked.

Mike shook his head. “Nah. Got a great-auntie up in Prince Rupert, but the rest of the family is in Ottawa. Well, apart from the cousin in China. Oh shit, I think my granny’s down in Florida. Yeah, she is. Mom told me the other day she got a post card from her.”

“Oh. My grandparents live on the North Shore. Deep Cove,” Tom said.

“Well what are you doing sitting around here for, buddy. Go out and see them before we leave.”

“Yeah, I was just thinking I would.”

Mike and Tom both jumped at the knock on the door. Looking a bit sheepish, Mike threw his phone at Tom and got up off the bed to answer the door. A young woman stood there. Tom recognised her from the Vancouver office. He couldn’t remember if she was Emily, Amelia or Emma though.

“Hi,” she said falteringly.

“Hi, Emma,” Mike said. “Pretty crazy day, huh.”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“What can we do for you?”

“Actually I was wondering if I could do anything for you. I know you guys aren’t from here, and don’t have cars or anything. I just wondered if you had anywhere you wanted to go, the airport maybe, or a relatives or something?”

“Oh, thank you. That’s very kind and thoughtful of you.”

“Well, it’s not just me. Emily and Amelia are offering as well.”

“Well then, it’s kind of all of you.”

“I just would hate the thought of being away from home at a time like this, is all,” Emma said.

“Thank you. I’m actually just on hold with the airline, we’re going to change our flights. I haven’t been able to get through yet though,” Mike said.

“Oh… I…”

“This might be too much of a hassle, so feel free to say no, but my grandparents live out in Deep Cove. Would it be possible to drop me out there?”

“Yeah! Of course! That’s no problem. I actually live out that way myself. Sort of.”

“Excellent. You’re the best, Emma.” Tom smiled at her. Emma blushed.

“It’s nothing, really. When do you want to go?”

Tom glanced at Mike who just nodded.

“As soon as possible?”

“Okay, no problem. I’ll just check with the others and see if anyone else needs a ride out that way. I’ll come back in a few minutes,” Emma smiled weakly and shut the door.

“That sure is thoughtful of them,” Mike said.

“Yeah. Was she the one you liked?” Tom asked, thinking back to that morning.

“Oh. Yeah. Doesn’t seem so important right now…”

“Hang on, I should call my grandparents and let them know I’m coming,” Tom said. He reached for his phone and tried to dial his grandparents, but there was no answer. “Well, I guess it will have to be a surprise. I hope they’re home.”

“Get Emma to wait in case they’re not. You don’t want to be stranded out there with no way to get back.”

“Yeah, good point.”

Tom jumped when his phone rang in his hand. Claire. Finally. He answered quickly.

“Claire, baby! Are you okay? Are the boys okay?” He forgot for a moment that his boys were at Lisa’s.

“Hi, yeah, they’re fine. They’re at Lisa’s. I’m on my way there now. Are you okay?” She sounded calmer than he had expected.

“This is crazy,” Tom said.

“I know. I don’t know what to think, Tom.” Okay, Tom thought. Maybe not so calm.

“Me either, baby.” He tried to think of something to comfort her but came up blank.

“Asteroid? Is this some big practical joke that’s got out of hand?”

“That would be nice, but I don’t think so. The president… and the Prime Minister’s put out a statement as well. I’ve been trying to call you, I was getting worried.”

“I’m sorry, I had no idea what was going on. I was trying to get that piece for the Nicholson’s finished. Lisa offered to look after the boys for the afternoon and I shut everything off.” He heard her take a deep breath.

“Please don’t do that again,” Tom said. He hated the thought of not being able to contact her, not now.

“No, of course I won’t. I’m sorry.”

“I wish I was home,” Tom sighed.

“Me too, when can you get back?” Tom looked over at Mike who was still glaring at his phone.

“I’m not sure. Mike’s been on hold with the airline for ages already. Regardless, we’ll go to the airport first thing in the morning.”

“Why not now?” Claire asked. She sounded impatient.

“I want to check on Grandma and Pa before I go,” he said. “I’m about to go out there now, actually.”

“Oh, right. Of course. Give them my love.”

“I will. Give the boys a hug and kiss from me, and tell them I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

“Okay. Be careful, Tom. Call me back as soon as you know what’s going on.”

“I will. I’ll see you soon.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

He hung up and stared at his phone for a moment longer, wishing he could just teleport through the phone lines or something and be back home with Claire and their sons.

There was another knock on the door. Tom got up from the chair and answered it. It was Emma again.

“Are you ready to go?”

“Yep,” Tom said. He waved goodbye to Mike. “I’ll call you — I’ll be back later.” He followed Emma out into the corridor. “Do you need to get your coat or something?” Emma looked him up and down. “I know it’s colder in Ontario, but it’s still pretty chilly out there.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking… my room’s just up here.” They walked up and Tom unlocked his door and grabbed his coat and scarf from the chair where he’d dumped them last night.

They took the elevator down to the basement in silence and Emma led him over to her car; a small two-door silver hatchback.

“Thanks again for doing this,” Tom said as he squeezed into the passenger seat. The car wasn’t made for people who were six foot three.

“It’s fine, we were just thinking about how horrible it would be to be stuck in another city or like, another country or something, and we wanted to help. It was Amelia’s idea, actually. She’s Australian, you know. She’s freaking out that she might not be able to see her family again…”

“Oh, shit. Yeah. My wife’s Australian too. Her parents and sister are back there still…” Tom’s stomach dropped. Bill, Liz and Lucy hadn’t even crossed his mind. What if… no, surely something will happen, someone will figure something out. It will turn out all right in the end.