Chapter 35

I felt funny about leaving George there by himself after what he'd just told us, but I watched the girls get into Kay's car, and followed them out of the coffee shop lot. We had no other stops to make, so she took the direct route back to our place. I could see that they weren't chatting and laughing as usual; both were staring straight ahead, apparently lost in their own thoughts. For that matter, I was, too, trying to wrap my head around what George had just told us. The boat was one thing, but even that paled in comparison to the rest of what he'd hit us with. He was one of the good guys, one of those people who seemed almost indestructible, yet he'd just told us that he had inoperable cancer. Where was the justice in that?

Kay stopped for a red light, and I saw her look over to Laurel, and reach over the console to touch her. She was shaking her head and saying something, and just held onto Laurel's hand as the light changed, and she drove through the intersection.

Kay, again

Laurel is devastated! She really thinks a lot of George, calls him the grandpa she never knew. And now this. But I know how she feels; I felt the same way when my Bompa Sanderson died, and Mom held me and talked to me to get me to stop crying. She told me then that it was normal, sometimes, to be mad at God, and that He understands when we are. But that we should never forget that He really does love us, and that sometime He lets us go through things like this so that someday we can help other folks get through their own hurts. I guess I can understand that, a little, but it still hurts. Anyway, Mom will help Laurel, too, I just know she will.

Last night after supper I'd had to reassure her again that she's more than welcome to go up and stay with them for as long as she'd like. She's still not quite convinced that anyone can really care about her. Jake seems to be helping in that department, but she's still unsure of herself. I don't blame her, I guess, I'd probably be the same way if I had gone through what she's had to live through. Then I had to convince them all that the last thing we want them to do is take pity on her and feel sorry for her! Had to convince them too, that it's still okay for them to stay up there for a week or so after the wedding. Mom and Dad are expecting them, and they'll be real disappointed if they back out now.

We had fun telling them about Julius and Caesar. I'll have to remember to tell Mom what Rob said about Cerberus – she'll like that.

Then I remembered what a shock it had been to Rob, to find out that Mom is blind, so after supper, after he went back in to his office, I sat down with everyone and told them about her, and how she lost her eyesight before I was born. Should have told them that to begin with, because then I had to convince them all over again, that Mom and Dad really wanted them to come up and spend some time with them, and she didn't let her blindness bother her at all.

Richelle was really struck by that, "No, no, I ain't hearing this right. You mean your own mama has never seen your face?"

I just smiled and said "Nope, she keeps saying she'll see me some day. She's always telling me about this old Baptist hymn writer, Fannie Crosby, I think her name was. Anyway, she went blind when she was a baby, but a lot of her hymns are about how when she gets to Heaven she'll be able to see again. Mom's like that, but right now she has a picture of me and Krista in her mind, and she's okay with that. My dad dug out a couple of our old photo albums a couple of years ago, and found a picture of my gramma's younger sister at about the same age I was then, and told Mom that's who I looked like. She laughed and said that if I took after her Aunt Mattie, then I was gonna be a handful!"

Richelle just snorted, "Unreal! She must be on heavy medication, girl! Nobody could be like – laughin' 'cause she can't see her own kid? How can she do that? I can't listen no more. Creeps me out, big time." She got up and headed for their room, "Gotta be up early in the morning, babe, y'comin'?"

"Be right in, girl, hang on," said Suzy, then she turned to me and said, "she'll come around, just watch. She's just mixed up a little, still got a feelin' something's not right with all this."

"All what, Suzy?"

"This whole thing with Todd and his old man. We haven't seen Leland in a week now, since even before Todd got canceled. Even longer since we've seen his wife. They used to be out and about a couple times a week, but not for over a month. She always acted like some kind of zombie, but she was always with him. And now she's not. It's part of what's got Richelle spooked. Whatever it is, I hope we get a break soon, or we're both gonna be nut cases. I can't stand to see her this way."

Laurel spoke up, "I used to wish that somebody'd care about me like that. Now I got a whole family that do. I just wish we could get it through to Richelle that everything's gonna be all right. Don't know how, but I feel like somebody's watching out for all of us now."

Suzy gave us a tired smile, "I know, and thanks, sweetie, for caring. We'll get through it." And she headed down the hallway and went into their room.

And now I squeezed Laurel's hand and reminded her of what she'd told Suzy last night, about somebody watching out for all of us, "Including George."

Back to Rob

I figured that as long as I was down this way, I'd stop at the marina and check with Gary, to see if there was still space available. Called Kay to let her know, and to make sure they were gonna be okay. She said that she and Laurel had talked about things, and they were both doing all right, and had decided that we ought to go down to Jelly's for supper tonight. Laurel had called Jake, and he was good to go, as well. They had some errands to run, to pick up some things for the wedding – well, she didn't say it as matter-of-factly as that, more like, "OUR Wedding!"

I feel the same way, and told her so. She was getting into traffic, and Laurel had finished talking with Jake, so Kay said 'bye, and handed her phone to Laurel. "Hi, Rob! She says she still loves you. And so do I. What!? Oww! Rob, she swatted me! No, not the same way as you love him, but I just love him too! Giggle, I know, right!"

"I'd better pay attention to my own driving before you two get me into a wreck! Sounds like you're ok. Tell her I love her, too."

"Kay, he says he loves us both! 'Bye Rob, drive safely!" I could hear the kissy sound, and a giggle that got cut off as she shut the call down. Got a feeling I haven't heard the last of that. And to think that just a few short weeks ago I was just putting along in the bay, headed for a quiet, relaxing weekend on my boat. I think those days are over. And I love it!

I pulled into the package store lot, just as my phone rang again. I thought the number looked familiar, so I answered it – Mitch. "Hey Rob! Just touching base with you on our mutual friends. What's left of 'em, anyway. We haven't seen much of Leland, even less of his wife. Not surprised to not be seeing her during the day, 'cause she generally never goes out anywhere, except to the hairdresser. But Leland's usually out and about at least a couple days a week, and she goes with him then. Strange couple, though." Then he lowered his voice and said, "And have you seen George in the last couple of days? He hasn't been himself since your dust-up." (He calls two dead guys and lots of bullets flying around, a "dust-up"?)

"Yeah, Mitch, I saw him this morning. He's still a little stiff, I think. Wasn't moving too spry." Felt a little bad talking about my friend like that, but laid it on to maybe deflect Mitch, "But I guess he's doing better than most guys his age would be, after catching a couple of slugs in the brisket, even with body armor."

"You're right, I guess, but it's almost like he's been avoiding us. Not used to him not being right there. Hang on a sec..." I could hear somebody in his office talking to him, then he came back on the line, "Gotta run, Rob, Just got a line on that donut shop robbery over on South Shore Drive, ciao!"

I hung up, "Ciao"? A South Texas detective says "Ciao?" Oh well.

Went on in to the store and picked up another couple of cases of Shiner Bock. Used to be you could only get it in the spring time, but now it's year round, and I like it that way. Don't drink a lot of it, but when I want one on a hot day, or relaxing on Nocturne, this is what I want.

Nocturne. Nocturne Two. Or Nocturne Too? I still can't believe what George did there. Another boat, and so much bigger and nicer! But I'd trade all that, and I know Kay would too, for him to stick around for a bunch more years. It's like we both found an uncle we didn't know we had, and as soon as we find him we're gonna lose him again. Don't seem hardly fair. I'm glad he's been talking with Hector, though. Kay and I are gonna have to do that, I guess, and Laurel, too.

I didn't have to stop and pick up anything for supper, so I made my purchases and headed on over to the marina. Place looked the same, almost, except for that empty spot at the end of the number 12 dock, and the new deck boards. That was quick! Insurance must have settled with them right away. Good!

I went up to the office. Didn't expect to find him there at this time of day, but there was an intercom board there beside the door. I pushed the button labeled, "talk to the attendant", and Gary's voice came over the speaker. "Hi! I'm down on number eight. How can I help you?" That's another thing I had installed for him. Push the button on the home station, and it called whoever had the remote, and they were able to answer from wherever they happened to be. Saved 'em a lot of steps. Nothing fancy, just an application of off the shelf technology. Sometimes it's useful.