A Simple Life: Chapter 58 (Patreon)

I clear the table and do the dishes before grabbing a beer and heading back up into the wheelhouse to make my call.  The phone had barely begun to ring before I hear a cheery.

“Hey!”

“Hi.”

There’s a funny moment of silence as each of us waited for the other to say something.  And then, as things always go, we both try to speak at once.  We laugh and then both say “Go ahead” at the same time which gets us laughing more.

“Shush!  My turn.”  Winona chuckles.

“Yes’m.”

“How ya doin?  How’s your night going?”  She asks.  “How was work?  How’s Grandpa?”

“Which one do you want me to answer first?”

“Sprout!”

“He he he.  I’m doing great.”   Staring out I watch the moon’s wavering reflection on the water.  “I wish you could be here.  It is so nice out here.  So quiet.  We went to a little cove at the south end of the island.  It’s super pretty.”

“Aw, that sounds awesome.  You should show me someday.”

“I will.”  I smile.  “Grandpa would love to m-meet you.  And once I get my captain’s license I can take Bella out on my own.  G-Grandpa wouldn’t mind.  I’d just have to teach you a few things is all.”

“Ooo!  Captain!  Very impressive.”  She croons.  “And what would you teach me, Captain?”

I giggle.  “Just a couple things.  Bella’s a big ship to run solo.”

“I know you can handle a big gal.”

“Pff!”

“Would I have to say Aye Sir and No Sir?”

“He he he!  Oh yeah.  Totally.  You’d have to do everything I say.  No questions asked.”

“Oh really?”

“W-Well, discipline is very important aboard ship.”

“Discipline eh?”  She says.  “I’d like to see ya try.”

“Gulp!”

“He he he.  So how’s your Grandpa?”

“Oh good.  We had a real nice meal.  He showed me a bunch of pictures of him and my Grandma.  They used to dress up together!  They looked so cool.”  I chortle as I describe to her the Halloween costumes.  “You shoulda seen them.  Grandpa had abs!”

“Eh.  Abs are overrated.”

“Oh?”

“I like my belly’s soft.”  She says.  “Like yours.”  I actually blush.  “Ohhh Sprout.”  She sighs.  “I can’t wait to see you again.”

“Me too.”  I say through a smile.

“I can’t wait to touch you and kiss you again.”

“Me too.”

“Tell me what you’re seeing.  Let me imagine that I’m there.”

“Well, I’m sitting in the wheelhouse looking out over the cove.  I can see the m-moon in the water.  It’s really pretty.  The water’s really dark.  The stars are incredible and the moon has the island bathed in this really nice light.”  I say.  “I shoulda brought my camera.”

“That’s okay.”  She says.  “I can see it all.  Hmmm.  Very pretty.  It’s like I’m right there with you.”

“Yeah.”  I say I look to the empty space to my right.  “There’s a spot right here beside me.”

“If I were there I’d put you on my lap and hug you so hard.  I’m in a Mommy mood tonight.”

“Mmm.  I’d like that.”  I whisper, almost feeling her arms around me.  “What else would Mommy do?”

“She’d say, good boy.  Good boy.  You’re a good, good boy.”

“Ohhh.  I like that.”

“She’d hold you so close and snuggle so hard and make her special guy feel so good.”

“Ohhhhh.”  I curl up on the couch and lay my head against the back, imagining that it was her shoulder.

“I miss you little one.”

“I miss you too Mommy.”

We both let out a long and longing sigh.

“Damn it.  You’re gonna make me cry Avery.  Ahe-hem!”

“Cry!?”

“You’re just so…  You’re not the only one who cries ya know!  I’m allowed to cry, okay?”

“Okay.”  I was smiling so hard.

She clears her throat.  “Hold it in Winona.  Channel Daddy.”

“Pff!”  I giggle.  “What would Daddy do if she were here?”

“Nuh uh.  Daddy don’t play over the phone.”

“No?”  I coo in my baby girl voice.  “Please?”

“Ha!  Nice try Sprout.”  She lets out a hard breath.  “Okay, we gotta stop.  Whooo.”

I giggle again.  “You’re fun Winona.”

“You too cutie.”  She says.  “Hey…uh, I guess I better warn ya.”

“Warn me?”

“Yeeeah.”  I could hear the cringe in her voice.  “Remember how I said that I wasn’t gonna tell my folks about you for a bit, to spare ya from their…erm, attention?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I kinda let it slip.”

“Oh?”

“I guess I kept talking about you or something.  I dunno.  But they kinda figured it out somehow.  Not for sure, I denied everything, but they’re definitely onto us.”

I grin.  “You were talking about me?”

“I mean I think I mentioned you once or twice.”  She says.  “In relation to the game and stuff.  Ya know?  Just, be ready.  I wanted to tell ya so they didn’t blindside you.”

“Is it cool they know?”

“Oh yeah.  You know how parents are though.  Expect a man-to-man from Pops in your near future.”

“Eep!”

“Hey!  Speaking of the game, we still cool to use your place?”

“Oh!  Uh…”

“You said we could game there.”

“Yeah.  Yeah!  Sure.”  I say, already worrying about Brayden.  “Kayla didn’t want to host?”

“And have ‘Babe’ listening to our every word?  No way dude.  It’s creepy!”  She says.  “Alright then.  It’s a go.  7 still cool?”

“Cool.”

“Briar’s got everyone super pumped to roll up some characters and get going.  Even Riley.”  She says.  “She was wondering if she could get your number.”

“Briar?”

“Yeah.  I guess Kayla won’t give it out.”

“Yeah.”  I say.  “She knows I get u-u-uncomfortable when people call me unexpectedly.  It’s okay if Briar has it though.”

“You sure Sprout?”

“I’m sure.”  I say.  “I can’t wait.  This is gonna be fun!”

“I know!  But I’m so nervous.”  She says.  “My first real group as the Fable Master.  It’s a lot of pressure.  And it’s happening so fast!  I thought I’d have more planning time.”

“You’ll be amazing.  I know you will.”

“Thanks Sprout.”  She says warmly.

We talk for a long time meandering from one topic to the next, just happy to hear the other’s voice.  She tells me that she thinks they got their paperwork sorted but they won’t know for sure until Monday.  I tell her the big news about becoming an uncle and she is really pumped about the fact that if it was a girl she’d have my name as her middle name.  She tells me about the hijinks of the latest episode of The Bailey Bunch.  I tell her about Brayden trying for the ‘Help Wanted’ sign we saw at the shoe store.  She tells me about how much Brutus was being fawned over by her Dad and how much her Mom thought it ridiculous.  I tell her more about Grandpa.  The conversation was about nothing in particular yet it meant everything.  Outside of Grandpa who was the last person I could just hold a regular, relaxed conversation like this?  Kayla maybe but even with her I never felt this at ease.  And as we talk I occasionally look up at Grandma’s photo with pride of place above the wheel among the various knick-knacks.  Had I found my Anna?  It sure felt like it.

After who knows how long she sighs.  “I should go.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow though.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Can I roll up early just to get set up?”

“Totally.  If I’m not home yet Brayden will probably be around.  If you think you can deal with him.”

“Ha!  I can handle Brayden alright.  Can he handle me?”

“He he he.  I’ll give him some warning.  If he’s not in just swing by work and I’ll give ya my keys.”

“Cool, cool.”  She says.  “Huh?  What’s that?”  I cock my head curiously, wondering who she was talking to.  “I’ll tell him.  Daddy says you better not fap tonight.”

“Pah!  Ha ha ha!  What!?”

“That’s what she said.”

I bring my knees up and hug them to my body.  “Wh-Why’s that?”

“I dunno.  Who can tell with her.  I’m just the messenger here.”

“You’re so silly!”  I giggle.  “Tell Daddy I won’t.  Tell her that I’ll be good.”

Her voice softens and warms.  “Good boy.”

“Mmm.”  I hum all full of warm, fuzzy feelings.

“Good night Avery.”

“Good night Winona.”

Chapter 59