Hello October

 

It had been a lot of work, but hopefully it was worth it. Boone's adoptive mother assured Tammy. Yes, they all got together and moved everything from Boone and Maddie's apartment to the house they could now call home.

"I don't know, he might be furious," Tammy practically wailed.

"Well, we can't move it back now," Joe chuckled with a smile.

"It'll be fine," Janine (Boone's adopted mom) said.

Suddenly, Tammy felt she would be the one that everyone was mad at. Of course, Joe brought her a glass of red wine.

Boone's father did a little of the light lifting but left early. He was his reserved self. Tammy didn't ask Janine about that. It was his usual manner. Tammy was glad the boys didn't take after him, after all.

Oh, how her mind could wander and still be in all the wonder of it all. 

"If you say so," she sighed. 

Janine finished filling the pantry and the fridge with food she'd brought. And she'd even brought a rotisserie chicken with all the trimmings. 

Joe reported that the bed had been put up and the bedding taken care of. Tammy looked around. It certainly looked like a home for the two of them to come home to.

They had done their best not to look at anything personal. Naoki and Tyra had been there earlier to help move stuff around. It hadn't been much, but enough to fill a U-Haul truck.  Now they could sit down to a meal. Although Janine was going to make sure they didn't make a mess.

"If I weren't here, you know who might be here," Tammy said after a forkful of mashed potatoes.

Janine shook with laughter. "He does have a name, you know?"

"Who are we talking about?" Joe had practically cleaned his plate and was going for seconds on the chicken breast and the other drumstick.

Tammy winced as if Joe was supposed to shut up and just eat.

"Al has stopped drinking," Janine told them.

Tammy sighed. She didn't know. But then he acted as if she wasn't there, anyway.

"He's very reserved," Janine went on to say. 

"Yes, he's very reserved." Tammy nodded. Thinking of him going off in another room when he didn't want to be around anyone. It had been hard to accept.

"How? How do you do it?" Tammy's eyes grew large as she stared at Janine.

"He's good to me. We are friends. And we do have some good days. But not every day. And having the past come back to haunt him has left him...We'll, he likes some time alone. And we all need our space." Janine told her.

Tammy did her best to smile. She took a sip of wine. There was no need to lose her appetite over Al. She tore a piece of chicken and ate it with her mashed potatoes along with a few green beans.

Recalling good memories

 "Are you ever going to speak to me again?" Crystal was tired of getting the silent treatment from CW. She didn't think he'd be this moody. 

She tried that trick to continue talking, but he was still in a pout. He wouldn't even look at her. It was driving her crazy. OK, not that crazy. Just a little crazy. She knew she needed to be calm around him, or it would make things worse. They worked together. He was her neighbor.

"I'm sorry I upset you." She didn't mean to snap. She knew she should have said it with feeling, but she knew he wouldn't buy it. He could be so cold sometimes. "I'm sorry if I made you mad. I was just trying to make you see. We all have a hard job. Sometimes." 

Naturally, he swelled a frown. He was terribly stoic. 

They'd peered into the hallway in the building where the coffee shop was. It was closed at the moment, but the food pantry was full of baked goods and much, much more for the taking. Of course, neither picked up any of the bread or sweets. But CW kept looking as if he'd decide on something to take. At least the chocolate chip cookies.

"I could teach you,  you know, what I've learned in the kitchen, if that would help." She shrugged as she went to the canned goods to look for soup. 

He kept sulking as if he would never give in. Finally, after the silence grew to the point that Crystal was ready to go upstairs to her studio, CW said. "Teach me."

"Really?" She was shocked.

"Well, you have lots of good skills, you know?" She told him she'd been watching fry cooks just about all her life. "My granny was a teacher, but she worked as a fry cook on the side back in Oklahoma. It's kind of sad, most folks never remembered her teaching, they just remembered her fried chicken."

"My grandmother was a good cook too," CW let slip.

Crystal asked what he missed the most from her comfort food, and he said macaroni and cheese. 

"Do you remember what she put in it?" 

"I don't know."

"Well, come on up, I'll make you some." She smiled.

"But she put it in the oven," he sounded like it might be an all-day affair to make something like that.

"That does sound good," she said as they went on up the old stairwell. "But it's too hot for that. And I'd need time to study up on it, but in the meantime, I can make a pot of it. I got broccoli. You don't have anything against broccoli, do you?"

He snarled his nose up. She sighed with a laugh. He said he'd try it, anyway.

63. Knowing that you're loved.

 There was the thrill of the rides throughout the day that made Boone and Maddie laugh once more in the sunset of the beach. It was refreshing.

At first, Boone didn't think he knew how to relax. After all, he was always looking at the time, counting seconds even at the bakery, but this last week had been a blast, and he felt as if he was the one walking on sunshine. 

Naturally, Maddie was her shy, happy self. She even tried sushi, which was a shock. Usually, they would split a fat breaded sandwich for lunch and drink plenty of water. Needless to say, they both knew the prices of things were way out of their budget, but when it came nightfall, dinner was a special place even at Disneyworld. 

It was a bit overwhelming, but they got the hang of it from all the information they had at the hotel. Of course, it was his Dad and real Mom who were paying for this getaway. But he wasn't going to dwell on it. He was with Maddie, and it was fun watching her try new foods, and of course, he loved that they got to dance a few times on the dance floor while on their honeymoon.

Yes, it was good to just sleep in and to be with each other. 

"Just think, when we get back, we'll have to move," Maddie said when she looked up at Boone. They were still in bed and not really dressed, yet deep in the covers. He felt her laugh give way.

"Do you think it'll work, being that close to my mom?" He stretched his neck, and his chin touched the top of her head.

"Don't be so pessimistic," she said as she scooted out from under him.

"I'm not," he promised. 

"It'll be our home." She looked at him as if a new chapter was beginning.

"I know." Boone nodded. "We'll make it work."

She smiled and kissed him as if maybe they could stay in bed until lunch. They needed a chance to stay indoors.

I know, I know (I know, I know) Feelings can show

 "Hey, you made it to the library," said a friendly voice. CW just about jumped out of his skin. He'd been silent most of the day. It wasn't his best day.

He guessed he got what he asked for with Crystal during the lunch rush. He was getting perturbed with so many orders. Most were bacon burgers. It felt endless. CW found himself in a huff and told Crystal that she could do his job.

Naturally, she told him he could work the floor and handle the customers who were waiting. At that point, CW thought he might have a seizure. Damn if that girl could make a better burger than he could. She was a multitasker. It was crazy to watch her in action as a fry cook.

Of course, he was a bumbling idiot. He had no idea what to do. But she kept going until it was over and she even made him lunch. 

He hadn't said a word to her after that. Still, she managed to get him to go to the library, and here he was a little lost, smelling like fries.

CW did his best to smile. It was Darry.

"Yeah, thought I'd check out-" He was standing in front of the DVDs. Of course, CW didn't even have a DVD player. "You know, the DVDs." 

Of course, Darry reminded him he could get up to seven DVDs for a whole week, while he could check out twenty books for three weeks. CW nodded and gritted a smile. That's when Darry mentioned they were thinking of having Game Night at his place.

"You have your own place?" CW knew he shouldn't be surprised. He knew he was older than Darry, but he did have his act together.

"No, I'm still with my parents," Darry shrugged about the matter.

"Parents," CW pressed his lips nervously.

"Well, I hope I see you," Darry said as he pushed a cart of books onward toward the Young Adult area.

CW sighed. He decided to act interested in the old horror films. He picked one up as if he were reading the back. That's when he heard this guy say to someone. "You're still on your meds for bipolar, aren't you?"

CW winced. He couldn't help but want to listen more. He couldn't see who was talking, but he kept busily sliding in DVDs in and out as if he was working.

"Yes, I told you I was. Why wouldn't I?" a female voice said.

CW pondered. It was a familiar voice. He wanted to be sure, though. He peeked around the corner. It was Crystal, talking to some guy with dreds who was holding a baby. CW quickly turned and shot toward the YA section.