Chapter 7 Minnow
Baby, You’re Home . . .
The love of my life lived in Plasters, Georgia, a town that I’d never heard of.
I would never have guessed that in my lifetime.
The way that he handled me was breathtaking because he didn’t handle me.
Vic didn’t feel the need to be overprotective in a sense that made me feel that I couldn’t protect myself.
He had my back with the knowledge that I had my front.
He, as well as his family, proved that he had my back at the movie night. Did I overreact in the situation? Absolutely not! Had I shot him, that would have been an overreaction.
Since I’d been at Rosebuds, those little fuckas had been obnoxious as hell.
Beverly’s business at the bed-and-breakfast was already slim, and her sons didn’t help.
I found out a couple of weeks after I started my stay that they stayed onsite.
I assumed she had a house somewhere else on the property.
Apparently, this was her house, and over the years, it was expanded to create the bed-and-breakfast.
Since the movie night, I had steered clear of the diner and the bed-and-breakfast. Her sons learned nothing from what I heard.
The few times that I’d seen them since, they didn’t speak to me, but their eyes spoke volumes.
The tall one was mad and embarrassed. I should learn his name.
It was clear that he had turned into the butt of jokes among the teens of the town.
He didn’t like that, and I saw that every time he looked at me.
I was kinda bummed that I couldn’t go into the diner, because the food was great. Luckily, my man would bring me carryout. My man. A part of me was surprised that he saw me in that way because of our age gap. I surmised that my life experiences gave me a maturity beyond my age.
The widest age gap that had ever been between myself and a person I dealt with was maybe two years.
I wasn’t sure if the ten years was the reason that Vic’s dick game was so stupefying.
There was a very gentle way that he made love to me that was great and I needed at times.
Then there were those times that he just fucked the unsolicited gall out of me.
The first time we had sex in our hideaway, it felt like the stars were our comforter.
I was the happiest that I ever remembered myself being. I’d had less nightmares since being here in Plasters and with Vic. They still happened, but not as frequent or as intense. There was something about his body next to me at night that brought me peace.
With that being said, I was confused why tonight felt different. Something was wrong. Both of us were light sleepers by nature, so when I felt Vic’s body tense under me, it put me on high alert. I lifted my head slightly to look at the clock on the bedside table: 0403.
His body was still, his breathing was controlled, too controlled. I saw his hand move under the sheet, the hand that was furthest from me. I watched it to make sense of his action. When he reached out and gripped for something that wasn’t there, I knew. I knew all too well.
I lifted my head to finally see his face. His eyes were wide open, but it was clear that he was not in the room with me. He reached and gripped again. A rifle. That reach and grip was what you did when you needed a rifle that was out of reach.
My hand was already on his chest and had not moved. “Dawson.” I made sure my tone was low and even.
I needed to ground him, so I spoke with a firmer tone. Not louder, but firmer. “Hey, baby. Look at me.”
His chest rose and fell. “Move squad two. Break contact right.”
My palm pressed down on his chest in an attempt to anchor him. I spoke to him the entire time. “Look at me, baby.”
His gaze shifted all around the bedroom before it found me. He double blinked.
“I’m going to straddle you, Vic. It’s me, Minnow,” I said softly.
I moved slowly as I straddled him. Once I was on top of him, I held onto him tightly and allowed my body to be dead weight on top of him.
“Where are you?” I asked him softly in a calm voice.
With a shallow voice, he responded. “Plasters, Georgia.” His response sounded robotic.
“Okay. What year is it?” I asked.
His breathing had calmed. He blinked a few times. “Twenty twenty-six.”
I removed my arms from under his arms to slowly place my hands on both sides of his face. I paused after I cupped his face. His eyes found mine. “Who am I?”
He took a deep breath. “The woman I love. Minnow Winters.”
I smiled before I kissed his lips softly. “Baby, you’re home with me. No squad, just me and you.”
The tension in his body slowly released, and his shoulders loosened. When his arms wrapped around me, it felt like the first time that I took a breath. I didn’t care what his flashback was about. We never had to talk about it.
His eyes softened the longer he looked at me. He lifted his hand and rubbed it down his face. “Fuck, baby. I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “Don’t do that. I got you just like you got me.”
“You got me, huh? I love that you got me.” He kissed my lips. “I love you.”
This was the first time that he officially told me that he loved me. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. That was a feeling that I wasn’t used to. It feels good. “I love you too.
I shifted my body to lay next to him, but he tightened his hold on me. “Don’t move. I need you right here.”
Then right here was where I would stay. Right here was where we both felt peace and love. Yeah, I had no problem with right here.
A Short Time Later
VA Visit . . .
Mrs. Pressley had left one too many messages about my missed appointments. Yeah, I missed a couple in the past months, but I mean, it didn’t stop my direct deposits. I guess I did need to give my change of address.
I had to fight Vic to not go with me this morning.
Well, more fuck than fight. The butcher shop had a huge order that came from a company a town over that had a big company cookout planned.
They needed enough beef to feed 250 people.
He didn’t need to tag along with me. It was all hands on deck today. I was annoyed that I had to come.
My appointment time was at nine this morning, but of course that was just a suggested time to be there.
It was 10:45, and I was still in the waiting room with colored pencils and a coloring book.
My coloring book was a gift from Ma Vicky.
Vic’s mother told me to call her that at the first family dinner at Dawson Manor.
I was hesitant at first because I never had anyone to call Ma.
The foster parents that I had weren’t all bad, but they weren’t good. They made it clear that I was a check for them. That was cool as long as they left me alone, which, for the most part, they did. I got in fights at school because bitches talked too much, but such was life.
I was almost finished my coloring page when I was called to the back to see my social worker. When I walked into Mrs. Pressley’s office, she was in her seat behind her desk. She looked up from the notepad that she wrote on when she heard me.
Her smile was bright. “Miss Winters! It is so nice to see you. It’s been such a long time.”
I sat in the seat across from her desk. “Ha, you’re so funny. I’ve been kind of busy at my new job. It’s very demanding.”
Her face lit up, and her back straightened. “Oh, a new job. Please tell me more.”
I tried to hide my smile, but it was impossible. It was like trying to hide the giggling angels. “I work at Dawson Premium Butcher Shop & Farm.”
She bounced around in her seat a little. “Oh, you did go to Plasters. I’m so happy that you were able to find a place at the butcher shop. How do you like Plasters?”
I held my head down to stifle my chuckle. “I like it there. Um, I decided to make it a permanent move.” I dug into my fanny pack and pulled out what I needed. “Here is my new address to update the file.”
She reached her hand out for the slip of paper. After I handed it to her, she looked at the address. Her right brow rose. “This is your new address?” She didn’t look up at me until I confirmed that it was. “You live at Dawson Manor with Victor?”
My back straightened in my seat. With pride, I said, “I do.”
She nodded with a smile. “Good for you. I’m happy that you found some peace down there. I’ll make sure I update your address.” She tapped on her keyboard for a moment before she addressed me again. “How are we feeling about revisiting the discussion about support groups?”
Here she goes! “I’m not sure how we feel about it. I feel like it’s a waste of time. I’m not going to go.”
“Did you know that Vic attends a PTSD support group? I’m not sure how long you’ve been down there.” Oh, this slick bitch.
I smirked. “He mentioned it once or twice. He also has not tried to force me to attend with him like you do.” My words were snippy.
She smirked right back at me. “I’m not forcing you. I just think it would really benefit you to do so. I wouldn’t expect Vic to do so because that’s not the kind of person that he is. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s never been a forceful person.”
For a split second, I forgot that she told me that she was born and raised in Plasters. “Did you and Vic go to school together?”
“Well, there’s only ever been one school in the town, but yes,” she said with a giggle. “I’m older than him though. My age is more aligned to Anthony’s age.”
Vic’s older brother. “Oh, okay. He doesn’t talk about his brother too much. I know that he died in service.”
“Yeah, he did. That was a hard time for the family. It was a time for the entire town. The Dawson family really is a staple there,” Mrs. Pressley said somberly.
She stared off for a moment before she focused on me again. “I hope at some point that you realize that you need support outside of yourself. Perhaps Vic can get you to realize that.”
I stood and then shrugged my shoulders. “Maybe he can, maybe he can’t. Time will tell. Are we done here?”