‹ Prequel: Warmness on the Soul
The Way You Look Tonight
The Funniest Part
Sitting next to Papa Gates, Suzy and McKenna, Grace smiled as she watched the playful banter going on around her. She enjoyed people watching, as creepy as that sounded.
Going around the circle of people who were huddled around the little camp fire she smiled, Matt Val and Dylan were directly opposite her, Dylan passed out on his mommy’s knee, head on her chest and arm across her middle. Matt and Val would occasionally glance down at their young son and look back at each other smiling.
And then she looked at Brian, and Michelle. It was Michelle who had gotten her attention in the first place, her eyes firmly locked on Grace. Grace smiled towards her, tentatively, there really was no point in fighting.
“Don’t smirk at me.” Michelle said, jaws tight and fists clenched together.
Grace looked at her, “What the hell?”
“You heard me.”
“I’m sorry I don’t understand bullshit.” Grace retorted standing up, but glanced down once Papa Gates made a noise with his throat, “Sorry Papa, McKenna.” Grace smiled.
Michelle stood up also, “What gives you the right to call him Papa?” the others had stopped their conversations and were watching the pair. The flames from the fire flickering across their faces, and the fire burning in their eyes. “You don’t even belong here.” Michelle continued, “Right, Brian?”
“Don’t put me in that position, Michelle.”
“Why not Brian, huh? Afraid you might say something you’ll regret?” Grace smirked over at him.
“What would you regret saying, Brian?” Michelle asked him, not as confident as before.
“Nothing babe, I have nothing to hide.”
Leana and Val snorted as Grace continued, “No, nothing to hide. Nothing. At. All.” Grace took a step towards both Brian and Michelle. Papa Gates not knowing what to do kind of hovered between standing and sitting.
Grace continued, all her anger, along with the beers she’d consumed were spurring her on. “Didn’t you ever wonder where Brian would disappear to, Michelle? You know, up in Big Bear, when you slept all alone at night, I was having sex with your boyfriend!” Grace laughed, almost manically, taking a swig from her beer, she moved her wait onto her other leg. “Didn’t he tell you about our child?” she looked at Michelle, laughing slightly.
“You’re, wha-”
“Oh, right, yeah, of course he didn’t. Don’t worry though, ’Chelle, you won’t have to baby-sit anytime soon. She didn’t make it. Funny isn‘t it?”
Brian raised his head, “She?”
“Oh yeah, Brian, she was a girl, but you were there, how did you not know that? Mind elsewhere?” she spat. “So, yeah, Michelle, the cards are on the table, everything laid bare-”
“That’s enough, Grace.” it was Papa Gates.
“You kno-”
“Grace, I said that’s enough.”
She spun around, “I haven’t even gotten to the funniest bit yet. You know what the funniest bit is, Michelle?” Michelle stared blankly, “Oh, you don’t?”
“Don’t do it, Grace.” Brian Sr. said from behind her. She glanced across at Brian, his eyes were cast to the ground, and he was playing with his hands.
“Right were was I? Oh yeah, the funniest part in this entire tale. He asked me to marry him Michelle-”
“When?” she asked, as gasps from most of the others were heard.
Grace laughed again, “Last night. On his knees, begging me to marry him. A rock the size of the moon and three words on his lips. Know what those were?”
Michelle shook her head, more in disbelief than her not knowing.
“Those words were ‘I love you’. Michelle, he said it was me, always was and always will be.”
“You lie.”
“Do you ever fucking give up?!” Grace asked incredulously, and then Michelle flew.
Going around the circle of people who were huddled around the little camp fire she smiled, Matt Val and Dylan were directly opposite her, Dylan passed out on his mommy’s knee, head on her chest and arm across her middle. Matt and Val would occasionally glance down at their young son and look back at each other smiling.
And then she looked at Brian, and Michelle. It was Michelle who had gotten her attention in the first place, her eyes firmly locked on Grace. Grace smiled towards her, tentatively, there really was no point in fighting.
“Don’t smirk at me.” Michelle said, jaws tight and fists clenched together.
Grace looked at her, “What the hell?”
“You heard me.”
“I’m sorry I don’t understand bullshit.” Grace retorted standing up, but glanced down once Papa Gates made a noise with his throat, “Sorry Papa, McKenna.” Grace smiled.
Michelle stood up also, “What gives you the right to call him Papa?” the others had stopped their conversations and were watching the pair. The flames from the fire flickering across their faces, and the fire burning in their eyes. “You don’t even belong here.” Michelle continued, “Right, Brian?”
“Don’t put me in that position, Michelle.”
“Why not Brian, huh? Afraid you might say something you’ll regret?” Grace smirked over at him.
“What would you regret saying, Brian?” Michelle asked him, not as confident as before.
“Nothing babe, I have nothing to hide.”
Leana and Val snorted as Grace continued, “No, nothing to hide. Nothing. At. All.” Grace took a step towards both Brian and Michelle. Papa Gates not knowing what to do kind of hovered between standing and sitting.
Grace continued, all her anger, along with the beers she’d consumed were spurring her on. “Didn’t you ever wonder where Brian would disappear to, Michelle? You know, up in Big Bear, when you slept all alone at night, I was having sex with your boyfriend!” Grace laughed, almost manically, taking a swig from her beer, she moved her wait onto her other leg. “Didn’t he tell you about our child?” she looked at Michelle, laughing slightly.
“You’re, wha-”
“Oh, right, yeah, of course he didn’t. Don’t worry though, ’Chelle, you won’t have to baby-sit anytime soon. She didn’t make it. Funny isn‘t it?”
Brian raised his head, “She?”
“Oh yeah, Brian, she was a girl, but you were there, how did you not know that? Mind elsewhere?” she spat. “So, yeah, Michelle, the cards are on the table, everything laid bare-”
“That’s enough, Grace.” it was Papa Gates.
“You kno-”
“Grace, I said that’s enough.”
She spun around, “I haven’t even gotten to the funniest bit yet. You know what the funniest bit is, Michelle?” Michelle stared blankly, “Oh, you don’t?”
“Don’t do it, Grace.” Brian Sr. said from behind her. She glanced across at Brian, his eyes were cast to the ground, and he was playing with his hands.
“Right were was I? Oh yeah, the funniest part in this entire tale. He asked me to marry him Michelle-”
“When?” she asked, as gasps from most of the others were heard.
Grace laughed again, “Last night. On his knees, begging me to marry him. A rock the size of the moon and three words on his lips. Know what those were?”
Michelle shook her head, more in disbelief than her not knowing.
“Those words were ‘I love you’. Michelle, he said it was me, always was and always will be.”
“You lie.”
“Do you ever fucking give up?!” Grace asked incredulously, and then Michelle flew.