Page 21 of Where the River Meets the Skye

“Hey, what’s up, man?” Nick asked, bringing Skye in for a side hug and ruffling his hair. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”

Skye pushed his friend away and smirked as he fixed his blond waves. “Dude, it’s been a week.”

Nick frowned. “Yeah, but that’s like seven weeks in bro weeks.”

Skye couldn’t help laughing as they took seats at the bar and ordered beers. He was not going to get drunk no matter how much he wanted to, because then he wouldn’t be able to take care of River, and how selfish would that be? But one or two beers wouldn’t hurt.

“Where’s Jenna?” he asked, looking around. He let out a very undignified shriek seconds later when he felt something wet on his ear, and nearly jumped out of his seat. When he turned, Jenna was behind him, doubled over in laughter. Nick’s laughter joined hers, his big body shaking so hard Skye was surprised he didn't fall off of his stool.

“Very funny.” Skye grabbed a napkin and wiped his ear where Jenna had licked it, then turned his attention to the beer he’d spilled on his button down shirt. “You guys are hilarious.”

“We know,” Jenna said, finally pulling herself together. She wiped at her eyes, before giving Nick a high five.

“Why don’t we get a booth?” Skye suggested. The two hyenas agreed, and after ordering some burgers they headed over to the booth in the corner. The bar had an upbeat, relaxed atmosphere. Warm LED lanterns sat at all of the tables. The floors were a rich, dark wood, and the music was lively. Skye didn’t miss how close Nick and Jenna sat next to each other as they took their seats.

Their meals came relatively quickly and they dug in.

“So, how is River?” Jenna asked, then took a sip of her coke, her red lipstick leaving a mark on the straw when she pulled away.

“He’s okay. In a lot of pain still, but the meds and ice packs are helping. I think mostly he’s pissed and bored. And it’s only the first week, you know? He’s got several more to go before he can get back to work. It’s gonna drive him crazy. He’s introverted but he still likes to be up doing things, feeling useful. Not being able to go to work sucks.”

“That does suck,” Nick said, taking a bite of his burger. “We should come over, if you think he’s up for it. Maybe tomorrow afternoon?”

“Yeah, I think he would be. He can’t visit for long periods of time because it hurts to talk, but I’m sure he’d love to see you guys for a short visit. Maybe do something that doesn’t require a lot of talking.”

They both raised their eyebrows at Skye and he rolled his eyes. “You guys are messed up. You know what I mean. Like watch a movie or something.”

They chuckled and Nick spoke, his mouth half full of food and his cheek puffed out, making him look like a chipmunk. “I can kick his butt in Super Smash Bros.”

“How are you doing?” Jenna asked, nibbling on a fry now.

Skye looked up from his own plate and met her warm gaze. Jenna could be very playful and tease a lot, but she was also very sincere and heartfelt when she needed to be.

He swallowed. “I’m okay. Just tired, I think.” But Jenna wasn’t fooled. She never was. He could tell by the way she looked at him that she knew there was something more going on. Still, she didn’t press him.

As they ate, and talked, and laughed, Skye found himself being very grateful that River had forced him out of the house. Sometimes he didn’t realize what he needed until he was getting it.

He'd been in a rut for the past several days and being out was reminding him just how blessed he was.

Good food, good music, good friends.

He had a lot to be thankful for.

River

“Hi, Skye,” River heard his aunt Jodi say from his permanent spot on the sofa. It was Monday evening and she’d just arrived from Cincinnati. Skye had gone to greet her at the door since River was immobilized.

Aunt Jodi loved Skye like a son, too. She’d always been fond of him, and he of her. She was a special person. Feisty, fun, incredibly thoughtful, full of laughter, and she radiated kindness. It was rare to see her not smiling. Given that she was a cop, River always found it even more compelling that she managed to maintain such a positive disposition with all the crap she’d had to deal with, but she’d always told him that life was what you made of it, and she had learned early on that when things got tough, there was no shame in asking for help.

She’d seen some ugly stuff but she’d had some great therapists and awesome friends to help her deal, too. And she knew all too well that if you didn’t find a way to handle your demons, you ended up taking out your grief and anger on the people you loved, and that wasn’t fair to them, so she’d always advocated for counseling and mental health awareness. In her words, “Only the strongest people ask for help.” She’d been River’s anchor ever since he’d lost his parents, and when he’d been assaulted she was his strength and support, and probably the main reason for him being able to cope with and overcome his trauma. When he’d chosen not to report his assault she hadn’t pressured him. He had felt so much shame and embarrassment, so much humiliation and grief, and he just couldn’t stomach the thought of reliving the incident over and over, or standing up in court and trying to prove that he had been assaulted with his perpetrators right there in the room. The thing he had wanted most was to never see them again.

It had been after Jodi had received a phone call about River not being in school that she’d finally talked with him about his strange behavior and how concerned she was for him, and he’d broken down and sobbed in her arms as he told her his story. He had switched schools and started seeing his therapist, and Jodi had been there through all of his tears and heartache in the months and years that followed. He didn’t know what he would do without her.

He heard her voice echoing from the other room. “My nephew didn’t give you too bad of a time this past week, did he?”

“He was as charming as always,” Skye replied, his voice a mixture of sarcasm and fondness that sort of made River’s chest ache.

“Oh, gosh, I’m sorry,” she said, and they laughed.

---