a harden heart

Uncle Rowy didn't leave Connor standing still in the livingroom. He invited him back to the kitchen for some stew.

He'd missed Connor. He truly wished Bree could get this Rosco out of her system. He knew, if he reacted to quickly, she was sure to sink in good with that awful kid.

Rowdy hadn't liked him from the get go. He knew he was the one tipping trash cans and being a real pest.

Then the Shan situation had gotten the best of Ming. Rowdy didn't see there was much they could do about it. Shan and Fish got married. He let Fish move in.

She was furious with him and gave him the cold shoulder. But he went on and made supper every night. He cleaned up after himself. He didn't ask her for a thing. No one asked him how he felt about anything.

But he'd cut down the Christmas tree and put it up. Now he'd undecorated it and put it to the street. It was a new year even if it was the same old thing.

"You're back." He slapped Connor on the shoulder. "Good to see you." He got out the cornbread from the oven. It was warm.

Connor took a bite into the yellow cake before he pushed it into the stew of carrots and green beans with chunks of beef. Connor smiled with satisfaction.

"How was your Christmas?" Rowdy wanted to know.

"OK, I guess." Connor sat at the kitchen table eating the stew.

Rowdy wasn't sure to sit or not. He reached in the fridge to pull out a rootbeer for the both of them.

"I dunno what she sees in him." Rowdy said as he popped the canned drink.

"Huh?" Connor looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"You know.... Rosco." Rowdy gave an indifferent shrug.

Connor nodded and took another bite and ate a few more spoonfuls, as if he was thinking. Probably too hard, at the problem in the livingroom.

"Did you have a lot of girlfriends?" Connor wanted to know. "When..when you were young?"

Rowdy's eyes lit up, wondering what that had to do with anything. "A few." He finally admitted, but he'd never been married so maybe he wasn't all that great with relationships.

"How..how can I get her back?" His voice cracked.

"Why..you go right in there, sit your butt on the couch and say all the sweet things ..you been meaning to say." Rowdy pointed to the livingroom with a nod. For a fact, he knew once he'd been irresistible too. He wished he'd thought of it more of blessing now.

No telling where he might be if he'd paid attention. Or paid attention to a certain someone.