A Simple Life: Chapter 79 (Patreon)

This was beautiful.  This was wonderful.  There was such a warm and wholesome feeling surrounding this incredible moment and I felt so very blessed to have witnessed it.  But this moment was theirs.  I keep my distance and pet Brutus’ soft head to let them have it without distraction.

After their hug they approach the letters and start talking about how they’re going to set them in place.  I wait for a pause.  It comes when Amos opens up one of the bays then heads into the shop to grab a power wrench for the sign’s bolts.  I take the opportunity to sidle up beside to Winona and say.  “I’m going to go t-take my walk now.  Unless you guys n-need some help.”

“Ah.  We got it covered Sprout.”  She puts an arm around me and gives me a squeeze.  “Can you believe this?  I almost feel guilty making him pay for breakfast.”  After a second.  “But not really.”

I giggle.  “He’s a good dad.”

“The very best.”  She says as proud as a daughter could be.  With a hard kiss to my head she pats my shoulder.  “When should I start to worry?”

“Worry?”

“How long are you going to be?”

“Oh.”  I say.  “C-Couple hours?  I should be b-back by lunch.”

“That long?”

“Sometimes it’s a c-couple days.”

“Good to know.”  She kisses me again.  “I’ll miss you.”

I smile.  “I love you.”

She smiles too.  “Say it again.”

“I love you.”

“Say it loud.”

“I love you!”

“In French!”

“Uhhh…la louuve de vouuu.  Oui oui.”

“Ha ha ha!  You make my heart happy Sprout.”  Closing her eyes she holds me close, her face buried in my hair, then whispers.  “Tecihila.”  I had never heard that Sioux word before yet I understood the meaning just by the way she said it.

I sigh happily and say one last time with feeling.  “I love you.”

“Mmmm.”  She pats my bottom.  “Now get outta her before you have to see me blubber again.”

With another giggle I give Brutus a nuzzle then set him down and watch him bound off toward the sounds of Amos’ rummaging.  Adorable.  After thanking Amos again for breakfast and grabbing my jacket from Winona’s truck I walk around back.  I had intended on feeding Mama and the other kitties but I see that someone had beaten me to it.  This brightens my already happy mood.  They were in good hands.  I walk briskly for the row of old cars that lined the back of the property to stop by for a quick visit with my feline friends before I headed out.

I find the young ones at play behind a rusted Buick as their watchful mother lounged at the edge of the long grass.  The kittens mew and rub against my legs as I kneel to pet Mama.  She stops me, her nose sniffing like mad as she smelled my hands.

“You’re smelling Brutus.”  I say softly.  “He’s okay Mama.  Your little boy is okay.  Amos is going to look after him now.  He’s such a good d-dad.  The b-best ever.”  I giggle.  “His name is Brutus now.  Can you b-believe that?  Brutus!”  She rises and arches her back for a pet.  I stroke her from head to tail.  “I…I think I’m g-gonna be okay too Mama.  Winona is…um…she’s…how can I even…?  I love her Mama.”  I pet the old feline as she passes back and forth in front of me to receive them.  “I really love her.  It’s just like G-Grandpa said it would be.  She m-makes me feel…whole.  Real.  Brave.  She makes me feel like…me.  I c-can’t really describe it.  I love her and w-want to be with her.”  Leaning closer I lower my voice to share a secret.  “I think…I think I’m going to ask her m-marry me.”  Mama meows.  “I know!  I know.  It’s too soon.  It’s way too soon.”  I sigh.  “It won’t happen for awhile.  I know.  I’ve got so much to do before I deserve her.”  My voice begins to tremble.  “B-But, you see, I…really…want…G-Grandpa to b-b-be there.  I want…him…to be there.”  I gasp.  “He’s s-s-sick M-Mama.  Real bad.  Real, real bad.  As b-bad as it g-gets.”  I sniffle and wipe the tears from my eyes.  “Hahhh.  Sorry.”

I take some deep breaths as I pet her sleek coat and recollect my emotions.  Having had so little sleep last night my feelings were sitting right at the surface.

“Hohhh.  Grandpa’s got can…c-c-c-cancer Mama.”  Another deep breath.  “Lung c-c-cancer.”  I struggle with another breathe as my chest tightens.  “And I w-w-want him…us…to sing at…the wedding…s-s-so it’s g-gotta be soon.  I can’t w-w-wait t-t-too long because…because…”  Tears roll down my cheeks too fast to wipe away.  “Sorry.  Sorry.  I’m t-tryin to be strong but…it just hurts.” I thump my chest with my fist.  “It hurts real bad Mama.”  I cry for a little bit before pulling myself back together again.  “I’ve never been so happy and sad all at once.  There’s so much happening.”  I wipe my nose.  “And I didn’t even t-tell you that I’m gonna be an uncle.  If it’s a g-girl they’re going to make her middle name Avery.  Is that c-cool or what?  I think it’s cool.  I’m g-gonna be the b-best uncle I can be.”

Mama stops and sits.  Looking up at me she tilts her head.

“This?”  I touch my cheek below my eye.  “J-Jack.  Yeah.  It was J-Jack.  He b-beat me up ag-gain.  He was j-just mad because he th-thought I did s-something bad.”  As I fall silent for a few minutes to pet her and scratch behind her ears my tears dry.  “Th-That’s one of things I have to do f-first.”  I whisper.  “I’m…I’m g-gonna stand up to J-Jack.  I’m g-gonna tell him that he c-can’t hit me anymore.  For real.”  I swallow and wipe my nose.  “This stupid, stupid, stupid bruise.  It made Grandpa upset.  It almost ruined our whole game.  We were having such fun!  You shoulda s-seen me Mama.  I really played an elf!  And I w-was good!  Everyone w-was happy with me.  Until…”  I sigh and lightly rub the bruise.  “It made Kayla sad.  It made everyone l-look and s-say things and f-feel bad for me.  It made Amos think I w-was a fighter.  It m-made Winona so mad!  She was so angry!  It made us h-h-have our f-first argument.”  I take another deep breath.  “Never again.  It will n-never happen again.  It c-can’t happen again.  If I d-don’t do something…Winona might get hurt.  I’m g-gonna make him stop now Mama.”  Mama rubs her face against my knee and arches her back against my stroking hand.  “Yeah. I’m s-scared too.  But it’s gonna be okay.  It’s gonna be okay Mama.”  Leaning down I hug my feline confidante and share some of the pets around to the rambunctious kittens around us.  “I gotta go, okay?  I love you.  I love you all.”

I stand and take one last big, deep breath then smooth out my jacket.  I stare at the steep slope and towering conifers before me, calling to me, and already I can feel some of stress inside of me start to seep away.  Leaving the world of people and buildings and streets and garages behind me I strike forward through the expanse of tall grass to the green oasis that beckoned.

Chapter 80