A Simple Life: Chapter 144 (Patreon)

“You did the right thing, Buttercup.” Grandpa squeezes my shoulder on his way by to sit on the chair beside me. Opening a can of beer he passes it to me. I take it, though I really wasn’t in the mood for one, then he opens one for himself and settles in. As we look out over the calm harbor he takes a long drink. “I am so proud of you, Avery.”

“I d-don’t feel like I r-really did anything.”

“You did a lot. More than many would.” He says. “It took real courage to do what you did today.”

“I j-just d-don’t want him to h-hurt anyone anymore.”

“Jack.” He sighs, shaking his head. “We all thought that he’d outgrown that stuff. That he’d put it behind him. I wonder what set him off.”

I swallow hard and set my beer down untouched. “I-I think it was the pregnancy. I w-was reading that a lot of d-d-domestic abuse happens for the f-first time during pregnancy.”

“Dear God. That’s terrible.”

“Yeah.” I grip my hands together to keep them from shaking. “I d-don’t understand how…a m-man could do that. How…” My voice trails off.

“Me neither.” Reaching across Grandpa rubs my back. “A real man wouldn’t.”

“Yeah.” Leaning forward I stare down into the water. “What d-do we d-do about Lauren?”

“We let her know we care.” He says grimly. “She wouldn’t talk much when I called, but she knows there’s a room here for her if she needs it.”

“W-W-Winona’s g-got lots of space up there.” I say. “Sh-She m-might be able to take P-Pepper for a l-little if I asked.”

“One step at a time, Avery.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “That officer c-called me Avie.”

“Like your brothers do.”

I shake my head. “Not J-Joshua. N-Not anymore.” My heart brightens, just a little. “Josh and I, um, we’ve turned a n-new page.”

“You don’t say?”

I look over at him. “That therapy has r-really done a lot for him. It meant a lot. He really appreciates it. He l-l-loves you, Grandpa. He j-just has t-trouble saying it.”

“I know that.” He pats my shoulder and sits back. “That hard shell of his. He’s a tough nut to crack. Always was.”

I consider sharing the bombshell that Joshua had shared with me, but not for long. That was not my secret to tell and I would not betray my brother’s trust, not now that we’d started over on the right foot.

Taking another sip of beer and clears his throat a few times as he stifles a cough. “Even if that policeman does know Jack, he’s still got a job to do. The cops and I have never been on great terms, the hippy in me ya know, but I’ve found most of ’em to be pretty decent folks behind that badge. Trust in that.”

“I g-guess I’ll have to.”

“You scared, Avery?”

“Not f-f-for myself.” I say softly. “I j-just don’t want him hurting L-Lauren or…Winona.”

“Winona?”

“She w-wants to fight Jack.” I say. “She w-w-wants to protect me.” My head bows. “I w-would n-never f-f-forgive myself if he ever hurt her, Grandpa.”

“Hey.” He scooches closer and pats my knee. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“I hope so.” I whisper.

“A bully’s weakness is someone who can stand up to them. She’ll be fine.” He says. “Besides, Jack’s a coward and Winnie’s dad is the biggest dude on the island. He won’t want any part of Amos.”

I let out an almost laugh. “I h-hadn’t thought of that.” I take a deep breath then look up at the twinkling stars above. “What a n-night.”

“Mmm.” He leans back and stretches out to gaze up at the sky. “Cleared up nicely. Hope it stays this way for our trip.”

“Yeah.”

Just then Grandpa starts coughing. He tries to push it back with another slug of beer but this time it wasn’t enough. Rocking forward his body heaves in its futile attempts to expel the cancer from out of the lungs. I am at his side, rubbing and patting his back, as he hacks through his worst coughing fit yet.

Red faced and gasping he slumps back when it is finally over. “Whooo.” He slaps his chest. “This cool air is gettin to me I think.”

“Then l-let’s get you where it’s w-warm.” He doesn’t put up a fuss as I help him to his feet. I get in under his arm and put my arm around his body. With my free hand I grab his half drunk beer. “Come on, G-Grandpa.” He lets me take some of his weight as I guide him into the Anna Bella. His breathing is labored but steady. I take him straight to the salon which acted as the living room and get him into his favorite old rocking chair.

“I’m okay.” He wheezes as relaxes back into the soft cushiony chair. “Hahhh.”

To focused to be scared I set the beer down on the table beside him and grab the blanket he kept over the back of his sofa to drape over his legs. I rush back to close the outside hatch then turn the heat up five degrees before I am right back at his side.

“D-Do you n-need anything Grandpa?” I ask, trying hard to keep my emotions to check. “I’m gonna make you a tea, okay?” I rub his arms, clueless on what to do but needing to do something. “A nice hot tea. L-Like you used to m-make me?”

He looks up at me and smiles, his blue sparkling. “My boy.”

“C-C-Can I get you t-tea Grandpa?”

He nods and pats my cheek. “I’d like that.”

“Okay, okay.” I say. “I’ll b-be quick.”

“Take your time, Buttercup.” He lets out a long, rattly breath. “I’m okay.”

With a task to focus on I brew us up a pot of black tea as quick as I could. I make us each a mug then head back into the salon to find him waiting for me, his hands folded across his lap. “Mmm.” He smiles as he takes his mug and sniffs the fresh made tea. “Perfect.”

“It’s h-hot.” I say as I sit as close to him as I could on the sofa. “C-Careful.”

“No worries.” He winks. “I’ve drank a cup or two in my time. I think I got it.”

“I d-didn’t mean…sorry.”

He chuckles and pats my knee. “So talk to me.”

“Talk?”

“Yeah. We barely got to chat with all this…ungroovy business.” He says. “Tell me about your day.”

“It’s n-n-not important. M-Maybe we should…”

“Avery.” He says, his voice low and calm. “It’s important to me.”

“Um. Ok-kay.”

With my thoughts on him and his condition my account begins haltingly but once I got going I remember the things and I was off and running. I tell him about the morning and Amos setting me up as his ‘marketing guy’. I tell him about Sandra, whom I was not surprised to learn he knew, and how I would be designing her new pamphlet. He was as excited about it all as I was. I then tell him about work and my awesome meeting with Joshua afterward. It did his heart good to hear that Josh and I were building a bond saying ‘it was never too late’. The Lauren stuff he already knew about so I quickly rewind to tell him an edited version of the night before with Winona’s jealous worries about Briar and our making up afterward.

“Ha ha ha!” He slaps his knees. “You’ve had your first fight and come out the other side Yep, you’re stuck with her now.”

“He he he!” I giggle. “Yeah.”

With a knowing grin he quips just before another sip. “Nothing quite like makin up, mmm?”

I giggle again as I remember Winona and I’s magical night together. “No Sir, n-nothing like making up.”

“Ha ha!”

“And t-tomorrow night w-we’re going shopping.” I say excited. “Just the girls! Just me and her and B-Briar and Kayla.” I laugh. “It’s g-gonna be so fun! We’re g-gonna go sh-shopping for costumes at the s-second hand shop. T-To dress up as our characters for F-Friday night’s game.”

“Just the girls?”

“Oh, um….I mean…” I rub my hands. “I m-mean…m-my character is a g-girl.”

With a warm smile he says. “Okay. That does sound fun.”

“I think it will be.” I say softly. “I’m r-really looking f-forward to it.”

“I can see that.” He says. “Tell me about your character.”

“M-My character?”

“What’s her name again?”

“Um…” I glance up into his eyes then back down again. “Althea. Her n-name is…Althea.”

“That's right. Althea. Pretty name.” He says. “Tell me about Althea, Avery.”

Chapter 145