Page 19 of Brother to Brother

She made me coffee, she served my food and I was glad I’d remembered the syrup. Of course, when I said I would do something I did it. I was a man of my word. Maybe that was why she’d been so adamant about whatever the fuck it was that put a wild hair up her ass the minute before.

“Wanna tell me what that was all about?” I asked, shoveling some pancake drowned in syrup in my mouth. My curiosity winning out more than my desire to let it lie.

“No,” she murmured.

“Suit yourself,” I said with a shrug. I let it go, I didn’t want to pursue it that fuckin’ bad. Females, who the fuck knew why they did half the shit they did?

I ate, and she watched me, sitting at the opposite end of the table from me, her hands wrapped around a fresh, steaming mug of coffee, huddled in on herself like she was cold or something. She had on this thin cotton bathrobe with the wide sleeves, like something outta China or something. It looked good on her. Suited her color, or whatever, but I’d be fucked if I’d tell her so. I didn’t need her going back to primping and fucking with makeup in a mirror forever like she had when she’d been nailing my brother. I needed her to take care of her boy, and maybe get a job if that’s what she wanted.

“Get any of them applications in?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said with a worried frown.

“What’s that look for?”

“With as much as you work, I don’t know how I’m going to…”

“What do you mean?” she gave me an exasperated look and it pissed me off some so I told her, “Quit lookin’ at me like I’m stupid or some shit and spit it out.”

“Who’s going to watch Noah?” I asked.

“Mm, I’ll figure it out.” She stared at me wide eyed, her mouth very nearly hanging open. “What?” I demanded.

“Nothing, I… I just…” I pinned her with a look, what, didn’t she fuckin’ trust me? Jesus Christ, I took her and the kid’s ass in, didn’t that earn me a little bit of trust? She was saved from answering me, and I was stopped from saying anything else because right then was when the boy chose to stir, pushing himself into a sit and rubbing his eyes.

“Good morning!” Melody said, and her worried expression was just gone – poof, just like that; like it hadn’t been carved into every line of her face just a second before.

“I gotta get to work,” I grumbled, and took my ass into the bedroom. I grabbed like a five minute shower, a cold one to wake up that really had absolutely nothing to do with Mel and that little robe of hers. I redressed quick in a fresh shirt, fresh pair of boxers and the same pair of jeans from the day before. I grabbed a fresh pair of socks and sat on the end of the bed to put them on.

Mel was talking to Noah and I watched her for a minute as she interacted with her boy. She was different than the girl we’d all left behind in Arizona. More mature, more grown up.I think the word you’re looking for isresponsible, you dick.I thought to myself and it sounded suspiciously like Grinder’s voice in my head.

I knew it was all me, though. I didn’t believe in ghosts or any kind of afterlife. You died and that was it. It was like turning off a television set. The picture went out, the screen went dark and that was that. I also believed that you only got this one life. That there weren’t any do overs. There weren’t no such thing as heaven and if there was a hell? Well we very surely was livin’ in it.

“You okay?” Mel asked and I snapped out of it, shaking my head a bit, to clear it.

Blinking a few times, I answered her, “Yeah, just deep thinkin’ I guess.”

“You’re going to be late,” she murmured.

“Don’t nag me, woman,” I said and I meant it in jest but all it did was make her blanch.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way… I’ll keep my mouth shut,” she uttered and I frowned.

“Yeah, okay.” I got up and went over to the couch pulling my boots on. “See you, same bat time, same bat channel, you be good for your mom, Kiddo,” I told Noah.

“Unca Atcha, bye-bye,” Noah said and opened and closed his little hand in a wave. I felt myself smile in spite of myself and waved back at him.

“See you later, Squirt,” and with that, I opened up the front door. “Lock up after me,” I ordered Mel and she nodded, rising gracefully from her seat in that way that only women could.

“See you tonight,” she said and I gave a nod, shutting the door tight so I wouldn’t have to look at her and the worry that was carving ruts into her face and the dark circles that were taking up residence under her blue eyes.

***

“You rang?” Dragon asked, making lazy strides in my direction a few hours later at the garage.

“Yeah, I need your help with somethin’ P.”

Dragon arched a salt and pepper eyebrow and said, “Oh yeah? You got my interest, what might that be?”

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