Page 57 of Decoded
“Uncle Keaton!” Charlie flings herself into my arms the second my feet touch the porch of the old farmhouse. I give her a big squeeze and then put her back down.
“Hey, Pipsqueak. Where’s Grammy?”
Charlie wrinkles up her nose. “She’s inside watching one of her old shows. She says there’s only so much My Little Pony she can take in one day.” My petite niece gives me a once over like she’s a private detective. “You have a bellyache or something? You don’t look so good. You’re not gonna blow chunks or anything, are you? I don’t think I can handle that. If you’re cantankerous you need to go back home.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “The word is contagious, Pip. And I’m not sick. I just need to talk to Grammy about something real quick.”
“Well good luck. When she starts watching those old shows of hers, you can’t tell her nothing.” Charlie runs back into the house, headed straight for her room to play with one of the hundreds of toys she’s been blessed with over the years. I follow her inside and find Mama sitting on the couch.
She isn’t dolled up today like she was the last time we were here, but she looks a lot better than I’ve seen her in the past.There’s color in her cheeks and she’s wearing pajamas, but at least they match and aren’t threadbare.
“Hey, Mama.” I sit down beside her and it gains her attention.
“Well, hey yourself. What are you doing here, Keat? Where’s that pretty wife of yours?”
I let out a deep sigh and she instantly understands the reason for my visit.
“Ah. Her demons have come out, haven’t they?”
I nod, but stay silent.
“I don’t know what kind of secrets she has, but I know that you’re a strong man who can handle them.”
Shaking my head, I confess my fear. “I don’t know that I can, Mama. I know the things he’s done and that she is legitimately afraid of him, but what if he gave her something I can’t? What if she finds someone who gives her more than I can give?”
“Keaton, you have so much to give. You’re a good man. A good son. A good brother. Charlie adores you and so do your employees. I met Anna. She adores you, too.” Her face lights up with a smile I haven’t seen in years. “And don’t think for one second the two of you were quiet when you were outside by the firepit. It sure sounded like you were giving her a whole lot.”
“Mama,” I groan.
“Where are these insecurities coming from? They seem unlike you.”
She isn’t wrong. I can’t remember the last time I felt like I wasn’t worthy of the things I wanted and worked hard for. I’ve always been confident and sure of who I am and then that carried over to the company I built.
“We were drunk when we got married, Mama. We didn’t even know each other a full twenty-four hours. I knew she was the one the moment she held my hand on that plane. But what if it wasn’t as quick for her? What if she doesn’t care the way I do? What if she doesn’t love me as much as I love her?”
“Well then, I’d say she’s a fool. But I’ve met the girl, and I believe her to be far from that.” She sighs heavily and squeezes my arm. “Sounds like you need to have a talk with your wife.”
I match her sigh with my own and run my hand through my hair. “I know. You aren’t the first to tell me that. She deserves to tell me about her side of things, and I owe it to her to listen. But that’s an uncomfortable conversation I just really don’t know that I want to hear.”
“Keaton, I would have a lifetime of uncomfortable conversations if it meant I got to speak to your father just one last time.”
I look over at her and for the first time in over a decade I see the strength inside my mother that used to be there all those years before my dad passed away. I see the woman who raised me and is still doing the job even when facing her own battles. “I know you miss him, Mama. We miss him, too. But we’ve missed you more.”
Tears well in her eyes. “You’re a good man, Keaton. And a good husband. You’ll do what’s right. Take the time you need, but don’t wait too long. The ones you love won’t be around forever.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
After talking with Mama, I’ve been playing Barbies with Charlie in her room to take my mind off things for a bit. Absentmindedly, I run a brush through pink hair with shimmers for what is probably the thousandth time when Lincoln walks in the room.
“Am I not allowed to come over and see my niece?”
He snorts. “You can come take my place and play Barbies any time you want. But you’re deflecting. What’s going on? Is this about Anna?”
Charlie’s head pops up. “Anna? I like her! Is she coming back? Did you make her mad, Uncle Keaton? My friend Tucker says that his dad made his mom mad and so his mom cut holes in every single one of his shirts so that now when he puts them on you can see his boobies. But I guess they're not really boobies because he’s a boy. Can boys have boobies? What do boys have?”
“Charlie,” Lincoln groans out.
“Sorry, Daddy. I know I’m not supposed to talk about boobies, so that’s why I’m just trying to get the facts. What are boy boobies called?”
