It’s cute as fuck. I set her down. “Why don’t we take your friends for a walk by the water? Maybe we’ll find some ice cream on the way back.”
Harley and Colt cheer at the same time. They’re cute. Aubrey just looks at them. “Let’s clean up so we can go!” Harley says all excited. She gets ice cream all the time but you’d think it’s a Christmas present. I just smile at them. They put the blocks they were playing with in a box while I make a to-go cup of coffee. Ally tells me she’ll stay and help with the room.
They’re waiting for me at the door when I come around the corner. It stops me in my tracks. A week ago I never would have pictured this scene. Today the most important thing to me is showing Aubrey the water, getting her ice cream and taking her to the play area. I shake my head and smile at them. “Let’s go troop,” I tell them as Aubrey holds my hand.
Colton takes her hand from me. “We’re big now. We hold each other’s hand so moms and dads can hold hands.”
Whoa! I look at him as he turns and walks in front of me to Harley. She grabs Aubrey’s other hand and they start walking. I follow wondering if she thinks I’m her dad, and then I want to kill her dad. Where the fuck is he that he’s not protecting his family? Marty didn’t write about a man in her life. I put it on the list to ask her.
I walk behind them and watch her limp along. She tries to run and falls twice. I lift her up laughing. She thinks this is the shit. I can’t wait until she gets ice cream. I hold their shoes so they can get their feet in the water then just sit happy to watch them do nothing. Aubrey is laughing and yelling for me to watch like I’m doing something else right now. Kids are easily entertained. We walk the beach to the Cone. Everyone cracks up when Aubrey asks if you can eat it. Harley has her touch it so she can see it’s just plastic. When I hand her the cone she tips it sideways and it falls. I laugh, but she’s got tears in her eyes. Fuckin’ tears. “It’s just ice cream. We can get you another one.”
She looks at me as if I’m lying and I want to yell at her. Jesus, when the fuck have I lied to her. I bring her to the window and get another signing for it telling the kid to take Aubrey and Marty’s name so they can sign on my account. “If you come here with your mom tell her to sign Geek and you can get whatever you want.” She nods watching the cone. I show her how to hold it and we walk to the table to sit with Harley and Colt.
They talk about their favorite, but she doesn’t get it. By the look that crosses her face I can tell she has no idea what some things are. She knows banana and apple but everything else is unknown. I wonder how she talks so well when she couldn’t leave the bed. Maybe she watched TV. She stops talking to Harley and looks at me. “What’s TV?”
Fuckin’ parallel universe shit again. “Like the boards in my office where you watch shows.” Harley starts talking about her favorite shows and movies. She has no idea again. On our way to the gate Harley asks if they can go to the play area. “I need to get Aubrey home and see if Kate sent over the supplies we need. After dinner I am taking her so her mom can see where it is. I can come and get you if you want to come with us.”
She looks at Colt. “We can only stay for a little while. We have Little Brothers and Sisters tonight and Little Ben said it’s important,” he tells her like he’s twelve.
“If you can play before Patches comes for us we can,” Harley tells me like I didn’t hear Colt. Kids are funny.
I nod and guide them against the side street so she doesn’t see the play area and start with the tears again. There are trucks and trailers all over the street. It’s a good thing no one else lives on it. Fuckin’ Brothers are taking care of me when I lost my shit earlier and left them with the mess. Love the fuckin’ Brotherhood.
Aubrey turns and climbs up my leg. I lift
Harley and Colt cheer at the same time. They’re cute. Aubrey just looks at them. “Let’s clean up so we can go!” Harley says all excited. She gets ice cream all the time but you’d think it’s a Christmas present. I just smile at them. They put the blocks they were playing with in a box while I make a to-go cup of coffee. Ally tells me she’ll stay and help with the room.
They’re waiting for me at the door when I come around the corner. It stops me in my tracks. A week ago I never would have pictured this scene. Today the most important thing to me is showing Aubrey the water, getting her ice cream and taking her to the play area. I shake my head and smile at them. “Let’s go troop,” I tell them as Aubrey holds my hand.
Colton takes her hand from me. “We’re big now. We hold each other’s hand so moms and dads can hold hands.”
Whoa! I look at him as he turns and walks in front of me to Harley. She grabs Aubrey’s other hand and they start walking. I follow wondering if she thinks I’m her dad, and then I want to kill her dad. Where the fuck is he that he’s not protecting his family? Marty didn’t write about a man in her life. I put it on the list to ask her.
I walk behind them and watch her limp along. She tries to run and falls twice. I lift her up laughing. She thinks this is the shit. I can’t wait until she gets ice cream. I hold their shoes so they can get their feet in the water then just sit happy to watch them do nothing. Aubrey is laughing and yelling for me to watch like I’m doing something else right now. Kids are easily entertained. We walk the beach to the Cone. Everyone cracks up when Aubrey asks if you can eat it. Harley has her touch it so she can see it’s just plastic. When I hand her the cone she tips it sideways and it falls. I laugh, but she’s got tears in her eyes. Fuckin’ tears. “It’s just ice cream. We can get you another one.”
She looks at me as if I’m lying and I want to yell at her. Jesus, when the fuck have I lied to her. I bring her to the window and get another signing for it telling the kid to take Aubrey and Marty’s name so they can sign on my account. “If you come here with your mom tell her to sign Geek and you can get whatever you want.” She nods watching the cone. I show her how to hold it and we walk to the table to sit with Harley and Colt.
They talk about their favorite, but she doesn’t get it. By the look that crosses her face I can tell she has no idea what some things are. She knows banana and apple but everything else is unknown. I wonder how she talks so well when she couldn’t leave the bed. Maybe she watched TV. She stops talking to Harley and looks at me. “What’s TV?”
Fuckin’ parallel universe shit again. “Like the boards in my office where you watch shows.” Harley starts talking about her favorite shows and movies. She has no idea again. On our way to the gate Harley asks if they can go to the play area. “I need to get Aubrey home and see if Kate sent over the supplies we need. After dinner I am taking her so her mom can see where it is. I can come and get you if you want to come with us.”
She looks at Colt. “We can only stay for a little while. We have Little Brothers and Sisters tonight and Little Ben said it’s important,” he tells her like he’s twelve.
“If you can play before Patches comes for us we can,” Harley tells me like I didn’t hear Colt. Kids are funny.
I nod and guide them against the side street so she doesn’t see the play area and start with the tears again. There are trucks and trailers all over the street. It’s a good thing no one else lives on it. Fuckin’ Brothers are taking care of me when I lost my shit earlier and left them with the mess. Love the fuckin’ Brotherhood.
Aubrey turns and climbs up my leg. I lift
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