Chapter 13 #2
Okay, so, when she put it like that, there wasn’t even a choice. I knew which I preferred, and she was right. I’d gotten lucky coming here and finding them the way I had. This was a blessing I didn’t intend to waste.
“Good, it’s sinking in. I hope it’ll continue to do so until you accept that this is where you were meant to be,” she said.
“So the next time you’re tempted not to report things, like unfair treatment at work and someone else’s gross ineptitude, or an encounter with someone who assaults you at a bar, you’ll think twice and then fill out the paperwork.
It’s not just about you; it’s about the ripples, because those can spread far wider and affect way more people than you could ever imagine. ”
“Yeah, I’m, uh, starting to see that.”
“Trust me when I say that I make that speech more times than I’d like,” she said.
“It’s almost become a stock answer when someone tells me that they didn’t want to ‘bother’ us by going to the authorities when we have far more serious crimes to deal with.
I hate that assumption, by the way. Little things have a way of growing into far more serious ones when left unchecked.
People get bolder each time they get away with something.
Your fake Uber driver was proof of that, as was Nuno. ”
“I, umm, that club fire everyone was talking about today, the name of the place sounded familiar to me.”
“It should; the company you formerly worked for did the renovations on that place and wrapped it up the week before they got started. I’m sure you can guess who the foreman was.”
“Yeah, I kind of figured.”
“Lots of things fell through the cracks leading up to that fire,” she said. “That no one died is a miracle, but there will be far more scrutiny on the company now, which isn’t a bad thing.”
“No, I guess not.”
“So, tomorrow, we will go pick out a new couch, one comfortable enough that you and your mates can stand to sit on it for long enough to have the tough conversations you need to have, because they will crop up more often than you expect at first, but that’s common in the beginning for all mates.
Trust me when I say that taking it to the bedroom won’t get you the resolution you need.
There is nothing worse than prolonging things when you already have different schedules.
The next thing you know, too much time has slipped past, and those small concerns have widened into cracks that aren’t so easy to fix. ”
“I can see where the bedroom could prove distracting.”
“Or lead to someone sleeping through half the conversation,” she replied. “I once had a whole discussion with Nyx’s father only to learn later that the only one I’d been making plans with was myself.”
“I can see how that happens, especially in a comfortable bed.”
“So, were you thinking of getting a sectional or a traditional sofa?”
“With three of us, a sectional seems like the best way to go, though it would be nice to find one with a built-in recliner and ottomans,” I replied.
“Ideally, I’d like to avoid having to order it from off-island, but I also love their aquatic theme, so I want whatever sofa we pick to fit that too.
I stashed a bunch of garland in the hall closet behind a suitcase, just in case we could somehow sneak the new couch in there without them knowing, but I haven’t worked out how to manage that part yet. ”
“You leave it to me,” she said. “I’ve got a spare key, so if we find one you like, I can arrange to be there when they make the delivery, and now that I know where the spare garland is, I can take care of that part too. Your job will be to make sure they are out of the house.”
“I’m sure I can think of something.”
“Good.”
“Except how to slip away from Nyx tomorrow,” I replied. “Shit, we were going to head to Tumon Bay at sunrise, then over to his cousin Cory’s to pick up some appliances he’d collected. I’m sorry, I forgot that part when I said I’d be free at ten.”
“Hmm.” She hummed as she refilled our glasses and pondered the issue, a slow smile spreading across her face as she lifted her glass to her lips.
“I think I might have a solution,” she said.
“Cory’s grandmother lives out that way, and she has an old Kirby that’s been giving her trouble.
You go ahead and go with him to the back; I’ll be waiting at Cory’s house with his grandmother when you get there.
I’ll make sure she has more than just that old Kirby for him to look at too.
That’ll keep him busy for a while. While he deals with things over there, you and I will slip off and pick out a couch. ”
“Perfect,” I said. “I can see why Nyx complains about never getting away with anything as a kid.”
“Or as an adult,” she replied, chuckling.
“I don’t know why he still tries, unless it’s to keep me on my toes and add to my colony of gray hairs.
I get enough of that from the people I deal with at the station.
Some days I wonder if there’s something in the breakfast cereal to make people get up and think, Hey, today is the day I’m going to be reckless, irresponsible, and a menace to people just trying to live their lives.
For as busy as weekends are, Monday mornings have the unique pleasure of bringing out the most hairbrained, hangover-infused nonsense I have ever seen in my life.
Forget wondering what the hell they were thinking; I just want to know why they thought it would be a good idea to leave their homes and take the rolling shitshow on the road with them.
If the morning is that bad, just call out sick for fuck’s sake; don’t rush into the nearest coffee shop and start a brawl because there’s a long-ass line and you can’t get your double-shot espresso caramel latte. ”
“That’s very specific,” I pointed out.
“Because that was Monday,” she replied, groaning as she sighed and took another drag off her vape.
I couldn’t help laughing, not only about the situation, but also because she sounded so much like Nyx that I could see where he’d gotten his sense of humor from.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever pictured myself sitting beneath an awning lit with golden fairy lights, drinking lemonade while baring my soul to a police officer while conjuring up a plan for how to sneak a couch into her son’s living room, but here I was.
As far as mothers-in-law went, it seemed like I’d been blessed with an amazing one.