Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Damien
It’s been a few weeks since we returned from our vacation at the waterpark. Emerie is knee-deep in orientation activities, and I’m now staying at Miriam and Dale’s and helping him with chores on the farm. The best part of my time spent with them is that it’s brought me closer to Levinia, as well as Emerie’s extended family.
Right now, she’s on her forty-eight-hour shift, so Vinnie’s staying at the farm. As I finish getting dressed, there’s a knock on my bedroom door and I hear her sweet voice yelling, “Mr. Damien! You have to come see! Some of the hens had babies! They’re so fuzzy and cute. Memaw said we’re going to put them in a special box and bring them into the kitchen.”
After slipping on my boots, I open the door and grin down at her. She’s such a bubbly little girl, and while I’ve seen her throw the occasional tantrum, overall, she’s well-behaved and listens. “Then let’s go see these babies,” I reply, holding my hand out for her to take.
She giggles as we make our way through the house then out the back door onto the porch, where I see a bushel full of beans that I suspect Miriam will be culling in order to can them. “Come on! They’re over here,” she giddily says as she practically drags me over to the chicken coop where I see Miriam bent over a wooden box.
“Here, let me help,” I offer my service to the older woman when she tries to lift it without tilting it. Daily swimming as well as the hot tub has further strengthened my leg, so I’m not worried that I’ll drop it. “Oh, look at them,” I murmur, staring down at the chirping chicks. “How many in all?” I ask Miriam.
“We’ve got fifteen so far, but a few more are close to hatching,” she replies. “I’ll keep some, of course, because a few of my girls are getting too old to lay eggs now. As for the rest, I’ve got some friends who need to do the same, so I’ll offer them a few.”
I carefully lift the box and Levinia skips along beside me as I walk up the steps to the back porch. “Can you open the door for me?” I ask Vinnie, who nods then reaches up and manages to give me enough room to slip through, Miriam following behind me.
“Let’s set them over here,” Miriam says, walking to a corner of the kitchen that’s out of the way. I see the warming lamps already waiting and once I set the box down, she quickly attaches the lamps to the box, then slides a thermometer closer to the chicks. At my questioning look, she says, “We have to keep the temperature of their habitation between ninety-two and ninety-five degrees. This will ensure that’s what’s happening.”
“What do they eat?” I question, now curious as hell because I’ve never been around baby chicks.
“Pretty much anything we put down,” she admits. “But I have chick starter feed, as well as some fruit. Vinnie, can you get the bowl that’s on the counter? I cut up some of the fruit that was starting to go bad and added some bread I pulled apart as well as a few vegetable scraps.”
“Here, Memaw,” Vinnie says as she carefully walks across the floor with a small mixing bowl filled to the brim with the detritus things Miriam said she cut up.
Miriam takes the bowl from her before she loses her grip on it and then puts it into something that looks like a cake tin. It’s flatter so the chicks can get to it, and there’s a second one that has a small layer of water. “We don’t put a lot of water in it, so they don’t drown,” Miriam admits. “They’re not the brightest bulbs, if you catch my drift.”
I start chuckling when I see the chicks scrambling toward the food. A few get knocked down but manage to straighten themselves out and continue on their quest.
“Memaw says Pappy will get some worms for them when he goes to the bait shop. We’re going fishing tonight!” Vinnie states, clapping her hands. “Can you come too, Mr. Damien?”
“I’ve never gone fishing,” I reply. “But it sounds like a lot of fun, so sure, I’ll come with you.”
* * *
Em: How’s it going at the farm? Have you called your folks yet?
Me: Let’s see, I went fishing with your grandfather and Vinnie, helped Miriam with the new baby chicks that your daughter is in love with, and helped with the canning. I’m getting the true homestead experience. How’s your shift going?
I already know not to ask if it’s been quiet. Apparently, first responders are a suspicious lot, and they feel if the ‘Q’ word is spoken all hell will break loose.
Em: Pretty good so far. I learned how to intubate someone in the field today! I was so scared, but Shane was right there telling me how to do it and we got the patient to the hospital alive. That’s always my goal.
Me: It’s a good goal to have, that’s for sure.
I remember how hard the medics worked on me in the field in unsterile conditions. They were tireless in their efforts to keep me alive since I was losing so much blood and my body was going into shock. I credit them with saving my life, and the doctors at the hospital for keeping me from losing my leg. It was touch and go for a week or so, but one of the doctors had just come back from a medical conference where new wound techniques were discussed. He advocated to try some of them on me, which thankfully worked since I still have my leg. I’m scarred, of course, but I can live with that.
Em: How’s Vinnie?
I have to take a minute to compose my thoughts. I came here to drop off stuff that Levi had for his family, as well as for Emerie. I never expected to meet his daughter, one he died not knowing she was coming, or the woman who has captivated me, heart and soul. I love them . The thought should scare the hell out of me, because I’m in love with my best friend’s woman, but it doesn’t.
Me: Enchanting as always. I think she let me win our race today. It was ten lengths of the pool.
Em: What did the winner get?
Me: I got an ice cream sundae from Poppy’s Sundaes. But she got one too.
Em: She has you snookered, Damien. That’s her favorite place to go and you let her get a sundae even though she didn’t win.
Me: My girl deserves to have ice cream, Em. If you were home, you’d have gotten one too.
It’s time to turn up the heat, so to speak. Yes, we’re dating, but our time is limited with her schedule. I still need to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life as well. While I don’t have limitless resources, I have enough saved to live comfortably for a very long time. But that’s not the person I am, so with Dale’s help, I’ve been putting in applications at the various businesses in town. I’ve even put a few in over in Maggie Valley. Ideally, I’ll find something to do remotely so when Em’s off, we can be together, even if I’m working.
Em: Well, maybe that’s where we need to go the next day I’m off then.
Me: Sounds like a great idea. And as for calling my folks, I did and I’m planning to go see them next week.
Em: Good. I know your folks and your little sister have probably missed you.
Me: They have and while I plan to live here, I still need to see them.
Em: Gotta go, the tones just dropped.
Me: Be safe.
I set my phone on the portable charger because I’ll read later on, then head back downstairs so I can see what needs to be done. In addition to helping Dale, I’ve been doing small repairs around the house that Miriam has on her honey-do list. Some of the stuff is minor, like changing the lightbulb in the root cellar because she can’t reach it, while some of it is more labor intensive, like repainting the trim in the living room.
While both of them are in good shape considering their ages, they’ve got arthritis and when I found out that Dale had had both knees replaced, I told them I’d do it. It’s still difficult for me to get down so low, but I’m pleased at how well it’s going. Next will be using a steam cleaner on the furniture. It too is older, but has been taken care of, and apparently, Miriam cleans and shampoos the upholstery twice a year to keep it that way.
“How are the chicks?” I ask Vinnie, who is sitting next to the box staring inside.
“They’re good, see?” she replies, pointing inside. I peer down to see the chicks going to town on the worms we gathered while fishing. I shudder inside because they’re eating live bait, but I know from the searches I did that this is a treat for them.
“What’s next on our agenda?” I ask.
“Now I have to collect eggs with Memaw,” she says, getting up so effortlessly that I wish I was still that young. “Then, I’m going to help her cook dinner. Do you like meatloaf?”
“I love it,” I confess. “I guess I’ll go see what your pappy is doing so I can help him.”
“He’s in the barn, tinkering on something,” she replies. At my amazed look, she grins and continues. “That’s what he said he was going to do. What’s tinkering?”
I chuckle then say, “It means he’s trying to fix something. I’ll go see what it is and whether or not I can help.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later, Mr. Damien!”
* * *
Dale is indeed tinkering with something. It’s one of his tractors that needs some parts replaced. As we work together, he says, “You’re good for them, Damien. Levi would be happy knowing that Emerie has someone he trusts to take care of his girls, even though he didn’t know about Levinia.”
I swallow past the lump that’s suddenly in my throat. “I’ve grown to love them both, but the last thing I want to do is cause any problems.”
“How would it cause problems?” he asks.
“Well, I mean, wouldn’t there be talk in town if she and I went further with our relationship?” I inquire, not wanting to be an additional thorn in their side where the busy bodies are concerned.
He shrugs as he reaches for a wrench. “I didn’t take you as someone who cared what others thought,” he replies.
“I don’t, but Em might, and I refuse to allow others to bash Emerie any further,” I retort. “Seems some of the people in town hold her to a higher standard.”
“Trust me, she’s got the support of me and Miriam, as well as her parents. As to why she’s held to a higher standard, I honestly can’t answer that one. Maybe it’s because Levi was killed and she wound up pregnant, another high school statistic, who knows? Miriam and I, along with Mark and Barbara, do what we can to squash shit. But the best thing Em has done is stay right here and not allow their malicious behavior to run her out of town. She’s proven herself time and again, and if nothing else, she can hold her head up high. A lot of girls who were in her position might’ve taken another route when they found out they were expecting on the same day they found out the father was dead. She didn’t. She faced her critics, had Vinnie, and finished school as well as college. Many others in her class ended up dropping out, a few have overdosed and are dead, and there are a few who are now single mothers as well. We’re proud of our girl and we’d be equally proud if you and she wound up permanently together.”
I catch what he’s throwing at me, a smile gracing my face. I told my mom when I came to visit, I wanted my grandmother’s antique wedding set, because I plan to marry her and if she’s willing, adopt Levinia.
“That’s my plan, just need to make sure she’s totally onboard,” I tell him.