Short Story Sunday 233: Package

“A package came for you.” Ryder said dully. He flipped through the mail in his hands, his gaze focused on the letters and bills.

Marvin looked up from his handheld video game. He placed it down on the couch beside him and sat himself up. He stretched his neck to see though Ryder was standing right in front of him. He didn’t see a package anywhere.

“I did?” he asked.

“Hm,” Ryder replied absentmindedly. He dropped some of the letters onto the coffee table holding onto one. He sat down on the armchair across from the couch and moved his thumb across the inside flap of the envelope slicing it open.

“Where is it?” Marvin asked pushing himself up from the couch. “Did you bring it in?”

“No, it’s on the stoop.”

Marvin rolled his eyes. Well, at least Ryder was nice enough to tell him it was there. It was supposed to rain later and he didn’t want it to get wet. Whatever it was.

He walked across the living room making it over to the front door which was still left open by Ryder. “Why didn’t you bring it in?” he called as he opened the storm door.

He thought he heard Ryder reply, but he couldn’t make out what he said. He bent down, picked up the package, which was surprisingly light, and brought it back inside the house. He held it in one arm and closed the front door locking it with the other hand.

“Why didn’t you bring it in?” Marvin asked again once he entered the living room.

Ryder shrugged his shoulders. He rested his elbow one the arm of the chair and cradled his head in his hand while holding onto the open letter in the other hand. “I was carrying the mail, I didn’t have enough hands.”

Marvin remained silent. He certainly could have said something more to Ryder, but he wasn’t going to bother with an argument. If Marvin was the one to get the mail, he would have just put the letters on top of the box and carried the box in. It was certainly light enough to do.

He put the box down on the coffee table. A pen was resting on the table as well along with a notepad that had incoherent scribbles on it. Marvin was going to use the pen to slice open the box, but he turned his attention to Ryder instead.

“What is that, anyway?” he said motioning with a nod of his head to the letter in Ryder’s hand.

“Oh, just a letter from my mom.” Ryder replied with a sigh.

Marvin straightened up putting the pen down on top of the box. “Is everything okay?” he asked with a cautious tone.

Ever since Marvin and Ryder had come out and decided to move in together, both sets of parents were a little weirded out and shy around them. Marvin didn’t understand how parents could be shy around their own offspring, but apparently it was possible. His parents mostly understood though. They were supportive and asked about Ryder often, but they didn’t get it. It was a hard concept for them to grasp but they tried.

Ryder’s parents, on the other hand… They needed a lot of convincing. In fact, Marvin couldn’t remember the last time Ryder had even spoken to his parents. Marvin wasn’t even sure that his parents knew their address. Yet, Ryder’s mother sent a letter to the house.

“Yeah, everything is okay.” Ryder said his eyes growing a bit in shock. “I mean, I haven’t heard from her in a while so I was expecting a letter telling me Grandma had died or something.”

Marvin walked over to the chair and stood above Ryder putting his hands in his pockets. “What does the letter say instead?”

“She invited us both over to dinner. She misses us.” Ryder said sending a smirk Marvin’s way. Marvin couldn’t tell if that smirk was out of excitement or disbelief. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

“Both of us? Or just you?” Marvin asked. He rubbed the back of his neck. He knew it was a rude question, but he felt it was valid all the same.

“Both,” Ryder answered handing Marvin the letter.

Marvin couldn’t help but smile. “Hey, maybe your parents are coming around. That’s great.”

“We have to go tonight.” Ryder bluntly stated.

Marvin narrowed his eyes at the letter. “Oh, yeah… The date of this letter was a month ago. How come it took so long…?”

Ryder held up the envelope. “It’s post-marked last week. It still took a little while for it to get to us, but my guess is that my mother wrote that letter a while ago and just had a hard time sending it.”

Marvin smiled handing the letter back to Ryder. “She’s trying.”

Ryder chuckled. “Oh, definitely. This letter is going on the fridge.”

Marvin laughed patting Ryder on the shoulder. “Well, your parents live about 30 minutes away and we should pick up something to bring to their house. Come on,”

He grabbed his jacket, then Ryder’s, tossing it to him. Ryder caught it and put the letter down on top of the coffee table. He put one arm into his jacket. “What are we going to bring.”

Marvin raised his shoulders to get his jacket on all the way. “Wine?”

“Wine…?”

“Do your parents prefer beer?”

Ryder shook his head. “How about we bring a dessert?”

Marvin thought for a moment. He had only met Ryder’s parents once and it was certainly an interesting meeting. He nodded his head. “Fair enough.”

He walked over to the front door, opening it and stepping aside to let Ryder go first. Ryder grabbed his car keys from the hook beside the door and smirked at Marvin.

“Are you driving?” he walked out onto the front porch.

“Are you kidding?” Marvin deadpanned. He hated driving and Ryder knew that.

He followed Ryder out the door, closing and locking it behind him. Together they walked to the car, Ryder getting in the driver’s seat and Marvin in the passenger seat. They backed out of the driveway, arguing over what kind of dessert to get.

Both of them too occupied to realize they had forgotten about the package.