We sat and talked while we enjoyed the cold beverages and watched the kids playing. Amanda spoke up, “Well it’s time I round up my three rug rats and get home. Ava it was a pleasure meeting you and I wish you the best,” giving me a hug, “you wait and see things will work out like they are supposed to.”
LEE
I had just finished showering when my phone rang. I hurried over to get it hoping it was Ava, or at least Lisa calling to tell me Ava was okay. Instead it was my father.
“Son I just needed to let you know your Uncle George passed away today around noon. I just came home to clean up and wanted to call you. The funeral will be Thursday morning at 11 a.m.” he said in a choked voice.
“Dad I’m so sorry. He was a good man. Do you think I need to cancel Ava’s SAT test, so we can come home?”
“God no, I don’t expect that, I just wanted to let you know. Your Mom and I are so happy you got her turned around and she is going to get an education. I know my brother would feel the same way. So you and her stay there and I’ll explain to the family.”
“Dad at least let me know how I can help, I’m sure after the services there will be a reception. Tell you what, I’m going to call ‘Rooster’s’ and tell him to cater the reception and bill me, you just let them know the details.”
“That’s fine son, I know they will appreciate that. I’ll get a large wreath from all of us, with yours and Ava’s names on it. Is Ava where I can speak to her?”
“Not right now Dad, she’s out with my best friend Richard’s wife. They have become close and they act like sisters,” I chuckled.
“That makes me feel good knowing she is making new friends. Son thanks for saving our little girl, and tell her we love her and are proud of her,” he sobbed.
Yeah Dad I thought, I’ve done a great job. If you only knew you would disown me, if not kill me. “I will Dad, I will. Give my love to the family and I’ll tell Ava to give you a call when she comes home. Bye.”
AVA
“Well are you mad at me for arranging Amanda to talk to you,” Lisa asked in a soft voice as we drove away.
“No I understand why you did it. Amanda’s situation was closer to mine than the one you described about Richard and his sister. Plus I was getting the female view. I promised Amanda I wouldn’t tell anyone about her speaking with me,” I replied my voice calm now and feeling better about the future.
“Like I told you the other day, I don’t know what the future holds, except you can count on Lee always being there for you. Believe me, he’s having a hard time dealing with this also. (Pause..silence).
“My advice for what it’s worth, you have told me you and him profess your love for one another. That’s fine, but I would stop using the word love when your engaged in sex. I think all men and women use the word ‘love’ to much when having sex, when it’s more about sexual pleasure and enjoying each others bodies.”
“I think I understand what you mean,” I giggled softly, “believe me I enjoy his body. I never knew sex could be so good until Lee.”
“I have no doubt you love him, and he loves you. Hell fuck each others brains out, just use the ‘love’ word when you are simply enjoying each others company. Don’t confuse sex and love as the same thing,” she replied as she reached over and patted my leg.
LEE
Ava came in a little while after I got off the phone with Rooster’s in Deer Creek. I told them to bill me for the cost and let people know it was from me and Ava. At least she didn’t have puff red eyes, and had a small smile on her face. She looked beautiful as usual.
I told her about the call from Dad and Uncle George passing. She shed a tear or two but didn’t break down crying. She had never been as close to Uncle George as I had, and his kids were much older than her. I explained we were sticking to our schedule of going to Tuscaloosa and to call Mom and Dad.
She went off to her room to do that in private, while I drove myself crazy wondering what her and Lisa discussed. When she came back downstairs I waited her out to see if she wanted to talk about this morning and last night.
Talking as if everything was fine she told me about the call with Mom and Dad. She smiled more as she told how they went on about how much they loved her and were proud of her. That seemed to mean a lot to her, knowing they loved her and didn’t hold the past against her.
She paused for a minute then continued, “I still want to make my home here, I’m not going back to Iowa,” she murmured, as she used her thumb nail to scratch the label off her bottle of water, “except to visit Mom and Dad.”
I wasn’t going to bring up the elephant in the room until she did. She appeared as nervous as a cat in a room full of rockers, sitting there on the couch destroying the label on the water bottle.
“In that case we really need to get that Iowa driver’s license changed to Alabama,” I chuckled softly. I saw a small smile appear on her face as she continued to pick at the label.
Finally she looked at me. “About this morning, I would like to put that behind us and chalk it up as letting my emotions get the best of me. I talked with Lisa and I feel better about everything. You and I discussing it won’t help,…..unless you’re upset with me and have something you want to say.”
“I’m not upset with you Ava. I made a promise I would always be here for you and I will. Whatever you need from me you only have to ask, and if it’s something I can do I will gladly,” I smiled to let her know we were fine.
That got me a real smile from her. “In that case take me somewhere and show me how to eat crawfish,” she giggled softly. “If I’m going to make this home I might as well learn how to eat like the rest of these rednecks.”
I chuckled loudly, “That I can do, I’ll take you to the ‘Angry Crab Shack’ but you might want to get out of that pretty dress, it can get messy.”
Later….
Our order came out and I watched her grin and look around the restaurant at others eating crawfish. I showed her how to hold the crawfish and pull the tail out and bite the tasty treat and pull it out, then suck out the juices in the head. She hesitated looking at the head at the yellow stuff and made a face, then proceeded to suck the head. Her face lit up and she smiled and ate the tail.
“Wow that’s spicy,” she giggled. Then picked up another one and dug in and ate several before she stopped and took a drink of water. “Once you get past the idea of them crawling around in muddy water, they actually taste good.”
“Try the potatoes and corn,” I chuckled, “just make sure you don’t pig out and eat more than your share.”
I took my phone out and snapped several shots of her eating crawfish, then she posed for the camera grinning and sucked the head of a crawfish. When we finished she was giggling and sucking her fingers clean.
“Does that make me a redneck now,” she giggled. Wiping her mouth she smiled, “Rednecks just need to remember, as good as that corn was it probably came from Iowa.”
Before we left I bought her a souvenir, an Angry Crab Shack coffee mug with the picture of an angry crab snarling with big eyes with bushy eyebrows to add to her mug collection. She got a kick out of that.
When we got home she was in a good mood and thanked me for taking her out. She kissed my cheek and said she was going to bed. She started to walk away, then turned back to me.
“Can you do one more favor for me,” she asked with a small smile and sucked in her bottom lip.
“Sure, what do you need?” I asked with a puzzled look on my face.
“Would you take your t-shirt off and let me have it to sleep in?” she smiled.
Pulling my red t-shirt off I held it out to her, “Sure, get a goodnight’s sleep.” I smiled at her as she took it.
“Thanks, goodnight,” she said softly and walked away.
Scratching my head I wasn’t sure what to think. It thrilled me that she wanted my shirt to sleep in, but I wasn’t fully sure where we stood with each other. I was just glad she seemed happy and was at peace with what happened. That was the main thing. Still I wished I knew what Lisa said to her.
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