Page 19 of Tank

“Drummit!”

She laughs, a great big belly laugh, her whole body shaking. She’s wonderful and warm and it makes me miss my Nana even more than usual. She’s the one that encouraged me when everyone else said that writing wasn’t a real career and maybe I should look at hospitality or retail. I tried those options, believe me, I tried. But it’s hard to make tips when you don’t have much of an inner monologue and are inherently nosey. Did I want to excel at being a server? Not as much as I wanted to know how you got that missing tooth.

After being let go from pretty much every restaurant in Rose Grove, my nana sat me down and told me I needed to say “to heck with it” and find my own path. With her encouragement, and my love of people and stories, I found my career. Taking the figments of my imagination and giving them backstories, loves and losses, trials and tribulations. I give them excitement and romance and all the things that the many people I’ve come across in my lifetime have, making my characters’ lives whole. Human. With a healthy dose of mystery and thrill, of course.

Looking around the room, I realize that since I’ve been here I’ve been more interested in getting the ideas out of my head than getting closer to the people that give this place its family vibe.

“Mama Debs? How the heck did you get from New Zealand, which, I’m not even entirely too sure where that is exactly, to this clubhouse half a world away from your home?” I turn my body fully, my knees touching hers.

“Well, you know my Ana works and is best friends with the Bratva, yeah?”

I nod, dunking a cookie into my tea, and then popping it in my mouth, the warm sweetness hitting my tastebuds. Heaven.

“Well, there was a littleraruraru, trouble, and her boss and bestie, Roman, had to head to Russia. This caused an issue with her visa, and she had 30 days to leave the country. So Chewy’s brother, August, swept in and suggested a marriage of convenience. I came to offer my support and of course meet my new son-in-law. It took me all of five seconds to realize that they were both hopelessly in love with each other. But, well, they are both stubborn and I’m sure Gus has anxiety or some issue, but that aside, it all worked out and now they have that very scrumptious fat baby of theirs.” She smiles huge at me and I love how joy seeps out of her pores.

“I love that. But wait, how did you end up at the MC?”

“Well, with Chewy part of the MC and Gus friends with Marx, we somehow all just landed here. Marx asked if I wanted a job feeding them, and if I’m honest, I would have done it for free. They’re good boys.” She shrugs.

“And you and Pops?”

Mama Debs smiles softly, eyes twinkling. “We both lost loves. But the universe decided to give us another go round, and, well, now I’m Sid’s Ol Lady and I have someone to share all the good and bad with. After years of doing it alone, it’s nice to have someone have my back again.” She tilts her head at me, much the way Chewy does. “What about you, dear? Who has your back?”

“No one. My nana died two years ago and it’s just been me since then. I mean, I have friends, they’re all writers too. We chat all the time online and some of them I video call. We all met up in Vegas over Christmas. But, I mean, they’re not here with me. If I got sick they wouldn’t call by with soup or cough syrup. Butthat’s alright, I have Mrs. Mac and I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t eat my face off if I died in my sleep. Although I guess she’s had a taste of human now, so maybe I shouldn’t discount her eating me. But other than that, I’m fine. It’s not as sad as it sounds,” I end with a laugh. It was meant to be light but to my own ears it sounds unhinged honk.

Mama Debs’ lips twitch and she pats my hand. “Well, you have a dozen people who have your back now,kotiro,” My brows pinch, not knowing what that word means. “It means ‘girl’,” Mama Debs smiles.

“Oohhh, that’s cool. It’s like ‘Yuss Gurl’,” I snap my fingers, “But more exotic.”

Mama Debs throws her head back and laughs, “If you say so,”

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Anything,kotiro,” she winks.

“Why is the Tombs family so good looking? Like, it’s not right.”

She bursts into laughter again, and I join her. We’re still laughing when Blanche, Lovely and Ana come to join us.

“What’s so funny?” Blanche asks. She’s the most abrupt of the women, except Chewy, but I’m guessing with the number of kids she has she probably doesn’t have time to mess around with words.

“Mira asked why the Tombs family are so good looking,” Mama Debs answers, still chuckling.

“God, I know right!?” Ana exclaims. “When you get them all together it’s like looking directly into the sun, that’s how hot they are.”

Blanche points at her and nods emphatically, Lovely joining in with the nodding.

“They obviously take after my man,” Mama Debs says, grinning.

“I think you’re right. But, that doesn’t explain why everyone else around here is so good looking,” Lovely says. She has such a sweet, gentle nature about her.

“That’s a good point. There isn’t a fugly in the whole bunch. Even your scary ass boss is hot,” Blanche says, nodding toward Ana.

“Roman is a sweetheart. He just comes across as a hardass. You should see him at home, facemask on watching 90 Day Fiance,” she laughs.

“Is that before or after he’s offed some poor bastard?” Blanche teases.

“Definitely after,” Ana says then presses her hands to her breasts. “Right, I gotta go. These girls are going to start leaking like a faucet soon, which means I gotta go feed.”

---