A Simple Life: Chapter 75 (Patreon)

Amos leans forward, elbows on the table and his mug engulfed by both his big hands, and sighs.  “Headstrong and hot-blooded, just like her Mom.”

“Um…”

“So what’s up with the mouse?”

“M-Mouse?”

“The shiner.”  He motions toward my eye.  “Get in a scrap or something?”

“Oh, um, s-sorta.”  I considered telling another lie but what was the point?  The truth was out there now.

“You a fighter Avery?”

“N-No S-Sir.”

“Did ya win?”

“Um, no.”

“You’ll lick’im next time.”  He leans back and takes a slurp of his coffee.  “I hope it wasn’t my daughter who put that on you.  She can get a bit rowdy I know.”

“N-No Sir.  It w-was…my b-brother.”

“Ah.”  He nods as if that explained everything.  “So ya work at the grocery store.”

“Mm hm.”  I nod.

“Been there awhile?”

“Yeah.”  I say.  “G-Going on six years n-now.”

“Work is work.  Good on ya.”

“Oh!  Um, thank you.”

“So you workin on this photography stuff on the side?”

“Um…yeah.”  Truth was I wasn’t ‘workin’ on anything on the side.  Photography was just a hobby, like camping and exploring, but I didn’t want to undermine Winona’s fib earlier.  “On the side.”

“Smart.”  He nods.  “Keepin one foot on the ground as you step with the other.  I respect it.  It’s how I started out.  Workin on buses and fleet vehicles during the day and runnin out of my garage at night.  Busted my ass but it got us here.”  He downs another slurp, emptying the mug, and sets the cup at the edge of the table to signal for a refill.  Amy spots it and heads this way with the pot.  “Keep at it Avery.  Good things’ll happen if you got the grit to see’em through.”

“Yeah.  I-I will Sir.”  He was being so…nice!

“Call me Amos.”  He says as he watches his mug get refilled.  He thanks Amy, stirs in some sugar, then takes another long look at me.  “I’m assumin you, erm, know about Winona.  About how she’s so special.”

“Yes Sir, we’ve…”

His hand snaps up to cut me off.  “I don’t want to hear about it.  But you do know?”

“Yeah.”

“You won’t say anything?”

“Of c-c-course not.”

“Even if things go South?”

“I’m n-not a g-gossip.”

“That’s a promise?”

I nod. “Th-That’s a promise.”

“Mmm.”  His eyes narrow, his gaze drilling into mine as he tries to peer into my very soul.  I try to think of something to say but all I end up doing is sitting there and squirming.  “Listen kid, ya seem like a sweet guy and I know it’s none of my business.”  He says at last.  “But that’s my little girl you’re dating.  You gotta understand with her that there’s no in between.  She’s all or nothin, all in or all out, and if she’s sayin that she loves ya…she means it.  She tells ya like it is, good or bad.  If you’re just messin around with her, if it’s just a bit of fun, I get it.  I was young once too.  I know what it’s like.  But she’s not the one Avery.  Just let her go now.  Before anybody gets hurt.”  The implied threat was impossible to miss.  Basically, you hurt her...I hurt you.

I swallow hard and sit up as tall as I can.  “R-Respectfully Amos, I d-do love your daughter.  I love Winona w-with all my heart.  I kn-know it’s only been a short time but…”  I take a deep breath.  “…but she’s the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“Avery…”

“Wait.”  I say.  “I-I don’t know why she loves me.  I-I certainly d-don’t deserve her.  B-But there’s nothing you or anybody else c-can say that will make me give her up.  And that’s that.”

“Oh yeah?”

I look him square in the eyes.  It was really, REALLY hard holding eye contact with him, but Winona was worth it.  “Yeah.”

As my little heart beats like a hummingbird’s wings we stare each other down for a long moment…before he slowly nods in resignation.  “Uh boy.  Another hopeless romantic.”  He says.  “Looks like we’re stuck with ya then.”

I giggle, mostly to blow off the tension.  “I’m afraid so, Sir.”

He chuckles at my giggle then smiles.  “Call me Amos.”

“Okay, Amos.”

Both of us relax, him sipping coffee and me tea, as our new understanding settles in.  All was peaceful…until Winona returns.

Still full of fire she slides into the booth beside me and takes my hand.  “I’m so sorry baby.  I just…can’t talk with that man sometimes.  He’s so infuriating.”

“I-It’s okay.”  I say.  “We actually…”

“I can’t imagine all the things he said to you.  I’m sorry I left.”  She turns to her dad.  “I bet you tried to scare him off, huh?  Ya big bully!  Ya big brute!  Ya big…gorilla!”

“Gorilla!”

“You leave him alone or you got me to deal with.  Got it?”

“Winona…”  He says, his hands up in a gesture of peace.

Just then Amy strolls up holding a platter with all of our orders.  The conversation stops as she lays out Amos’ one man breakfast buffet, Winona’s hearty breakfast, and my still steaming garlic clam noodles.  There are a few looks and chuckles from around the restaurant as Chub grumbles at the lunch item’s appearance.  “Enjoy.”  Amy winks and moves on.

“Noodles?”  Amos tilts his head.

“That’s right!”  Winona says boldly as she switches her plate and mine so that we had the correct orders.  “Avery likes noodles for breakfast.  You got a problem with that?”

“I was just…”

“I think it’s wonderful!”  She says, her tone argumentative even though nobody was arguing with her.  “It’s different and bold and not boring.  He doesn’t need to be like everyone else.  He’s strong enough to be his own man.  Aren’t you Sprout?”

“Uh…”

“That’s right!  He loves noodles and I’m gonna buy him noodles every morning if he wants them.  What do ya think of that, Dad?”

“Well…”

“It doesn’t matter what you think!”  Winona cuts him off before he even has a chance to answer.  “We’re gonna do whatever we want and you can’t do a thing to stop us.  Isn’t that right Sprout?”

“Um…”

“That’s right!”  She nods.  “We’re gonna have clam noodles breakfast, lunch and dinner if that’s what we want.  Don’t matter what noone says.”

Amos sits back trying his best to hide a grin.  Winona had no clue that he and I had already made peace and he was amused to no end watching his spark plug of a daughter go to war for me.  With a trouble making glint in his eye he says.  “It’s kinda weird don’t ya think?”

“Weird!”  Winona exclaims, offended on my behalf.

“Morning, noon, and night?”  He says, his chipper tone only infuriating her further.  “That’s a lotta damn noodles.”

“Winona…”  I whisper.

“Pbbrt!  Who are you to judge!?  Huh?”

“Winona…”

“One second Sprout.”  She says.  “Ya think it’s weird huh?  I’ll show ya weird.”  She takes up her fork and scoops up some noodles and jams them into her mouth and makes a show of eating them.  “Mmmm!”  She chews loudly as her angry eyes glare at her father.  “Damn that’sh good.”  She says with her mouthful.  “Noodlesh for breakfasht is the besht!”  She shovels in another forkful in.  “MMMM!”

Amos looks at me.  I look at him.  As one we burst out laughing.

“What?”  A confused Winona looks back and forth between us with full cheeks and glossy noodles dangling from her lips.  “What’sh sho funny!?”

Chapter 76