Page 12 of Roads Behind Us
All that remained was her quiet voice in my head. “Stop changin’ the channel. There’s a good show on.”
I felt hollow when she left, and just like every time she’d appeared to me, I wondered why she didn’t bring our son with her. Why wouldn’t she let me see him?
Athena’s shrieking voice ripped me right out of the fog. “Daddy! Stop that. You’re layin’ on the remote. It’s so loud!”
When I opened my eyes, squinting against the lights I hadn’t turned off last night, Athena stood in front of the couch in her koala pajamas with her hands pressed tightly over her ears. I’d passed out with the TV remote in my lap, which was now under my butt, and it seemed my ass cheeks couldn’t hear the bikers on TV so they turned the volume up as loud as it would go, except now the SAMCRO guys were in a shootout with the Mayans, and it sounded like it was taking place in my living room.
“Shit, sorry.”
I pulled the remote out from my under my ass and turned off the TV just as there was a knock on the kitchen door.
Athena rolled her eyes at me. “I’ll get it.”
“Thanks, Road Trip. Sorry about the noise. What time is it?”
Over her shoulder, she called, “It’s not even five yet.”
Groaning, I fell back into the permanent indentation my lazy bones had recently made on my couch, but when I heard Athena opening the door, I remembered that the person knocking would probably be Sweetie looking for coffee. I’d forgotten to set the machine on a timer. Not thinking, I tried to jump up, but I touched my foot to the floor, and pain shot up through my right leg like a flash of furious lightning. I yelped and fell back on my ass.
“Shit!”
The patter of Athena’s slippers and a set of boots filled my ears.
“Daddy,” Athena said, “what in the world?—”
Sweetie’s low chuckle made me open my eyes. “Put too much pressure on that leg?”
I nodded. Damn. I’d fallen asleep before I brushed my teeth last night, and it had been two days since my last self-inflicted sponge bath.
“Don’t get up,” Sweetie said to me. To Athena, she asked, “What time do you need to leave for school?”
“Seven.”
“Do you need a ride?”
“No, Aunt Abey’s pickin’ me up.”
“Cool. We’ve got time then. Go upstairs,” she told Athena. “Do whatcha gotta do, shower, finish homework or whatever. I’ll start some coffee and see what y’all have for breakfast.”
Surprise washed across Athena’s face. Probably mine too.
“I usually make breakfast,” Athena said.
“Well”—Sweetie shrugged—“today you get the day off.”
“No, no,” I interrupted, “you don’t have to do that. I can?—”
Both women turned my way and broke out in giggles.
“Yeah, right, Daddy.” Athena turned to Sweetie and held out her hand. “I’m Athena, by the way. We met on Uncle Brand’s computer last week.”
Sweetie shook my little girl’s hand. “I remember. I’m Bea. Nice to meet you IRL. And thanks for that fluffy blanket in my cabin. I love it. Now, go do what teenagers do. Text your friends, change your outfit fifteen times and throw all your clothes on the floor, and I’ll start breakfast for you.”
Athena smiled and reached out to surprise Sweetie with a hug. “Thank you.”
Sweetie stiffened. She didn’t say anything at first, but slowly, she brought her arms up and hugged Athena back. They were nearly the same height, so it was a perfect fit. “Welcome. Now git.”
Athena turned to do as she’d been told, but she stopped her forward motion and looked down at me still trying not to let out a string of really foul cuss words from the pain. “Need me to get your toothbrush or help you to the bathroom?”
