A Ship in Harbor is Safe

“Why is it,” Athena mumbles to herself as she drops her purse into the child seat in the shopping cart, “that I’m the one sent out of town with the shopping list?”

An employee sitting at one of the few registers looks up from his magazine curiously, “Lookin’ for anything specific today?”

The young woman stops walking and looks around, seeing who else the sales associate may be speaking to, “uh, yeah. I am, actually.”

“Do you need any help?” The way the young man says it is not exactly inviting, as if he wishes Athena would just turn around and drive to the next hardware supply store she can find.

She shakes her head, “no, thank you.”

He is looking at his magazine again before Athena starts walking away toward the plethora of aisles that seem almost a story tall and wide enough for two forklifts to down, side-by-side.

“This,” Athena sifts through her open bag for her father’s handwritten list of work supplies, “is exactly why I don’t go to hardware stores.”

She removes her buzzing phone, glancing at the lit up screen and allowing herself to smile. She and Sidney have not spoken on the phone for nearly a week, but he is the first person to send her a text message every morning.

You’ll never guess who I talked to this morning.

Her fingers dance across the key pad, you’re right, I probably won’t. Who?

Athena tucks some hair behind her ear as she turns down an aisle, leaning heavily onto the cart.

Some guy that says he wants your number. I haven’t given it to him yet. Thought I’d ask you first.

Halting in the aisle, Athena’s eyes narrow as she types her response. Who are you talking about, Sid?

His response is speedy, don’t act like you don’t know :)

“I don’t,” Athena mumbles, staring at the phone with furrowed eyebrows. She sends the same response.

Max

Smiling, Athena shakes her head. You had me really scared there for a sec, Sid. Of course you can give Max my number – as long as he promises not to harass me ;)

Athena stands on her tiptoes and grabs a box of screws that are on the top of the list. She drops them into the cart and crosses the item off the list.

If he tries to, you can just tell me and I’ll handle it ;)

She bites her lip as she continues down the aisle, trying to ignore the heat rising in her face while thinking of a response. She sends the best that she can come up with, I appreciate that.

Sidney doesn’t text back, so Athena concentrates on getting this shopping trip over with.

For almost twenty minutes, she has been standing in front of the same section of black tubing, unsure of which ones are ¼ and ½ inch sizes, or how to even tell the difference. She holds about five in each hand, attempting to spin them and read the fine, white stamped print on them.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” a set of hands quickly grab her hips, “you need some help?”

The tubes in her hands go flying like confetti and Athena nearly screams, “what the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Holy shit,” the tall, redheaded man is now at least a foot away from the young woman, doubled over with his hands clutching his stomach, “you got so scared. Did you see yourself?”

Athena’s jaw works and she leans down, picking up a few pieces of tubing. Angrily, she chucks the tubes at the young man, one at a time. When she runs out of tubing, she starts hitting his biceps with the sides of her balled up fists, “I. Ought. To. Beat. Your. Ass.”

“It was funny, Athena.” He laughs, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to get her to stop hitting him. “Just laugh with me.”

“You didn’t even know if it was me,” the young blonde mumbles as the man’s beefy arms squeeze her smaller frame.

He chuckles, “how wouldn’t I know it was you?”

She smiles at him as she wrestles herself out of his arms, “while you’re here, you can help me.”

“Help you with what?”

Athena gathers the tubing from the floor. “I need three ¼ inch tubes and four ½ inch tubes. I have no idea what I’m looking for.”

The redheaded man takes the tubes from her hands and examines them. After picking out seven, he puts the rest back into a box on the shelf.

“You sure these are the right ones?”

“What, you don’t trust me?”

Blinking, Athena drops them into a baggie and drops it into the cart. “Is one of your brothers here to babysit you?”

“Jordan’s somewhere around here…” Jared trails off, following Athena out of the aisle.

She smirks over her shoulder, “good, he can check your work.”

“You act like he’s so much smarter than me.” Jared crosses his arms.

Athena shakes her head, “he’s older, Jared. Don’t take it so personally.”

“Age is just a number,” he whispers, walking right up behind her.

Crossing her arms, Athena faces the youngest Staal.

Someone clearing their throat makes both Athena and Jared turn around. Jordan is standing with a cart, looking rather confused. “Something going on?”

“You’ve really gotta keep a better eye on him, Jord. That’s all I’m gonna say about that,” Athena jumps away with a smirk on her face when Jared goes to pinch her. She points her finger at him, “don’t you touch me, Jared.”

He reaches for her again, but she moves away too quickly.

“I can’t take you two anywhere,” Jordan mutters, shaking his head.

Athena begins backing away quickly, “Jordan, make him stop!”

“That’s cheating,” Jared says, stopping abruptly.

The petite blonde shrugs. “Made you stop.”

Jordan shoos his brother, “go look at patio furniture or something.”

“Why can’t I ever be involved in anything?” Jared asks, in an almost childlike fashion.

Jordan’s face looks rather uncomfortable as he scolds his brother quietly, “when you can go five seconds without trying to put your hands on Athena. Now go!”

Jared throws his hands up and makes a face that makes Athena giggle as he walks away, indeed toward the patio furniture department.

“I can’t believe he’s still doing that,” Jordan mutters, shaking his head.

Athena smiles, “it’s okay, Jordan. It doesn’t bother me anymore. You don’t have to send him away like he’s in trouble, or something.”

“It’s fine,” Jordan smirks, “we wouldn’t have been able to talk with him here anyway.”

The young blondes lean against their carts, staying at the end of the plywood aisle.

“So, how’s Thunder Bay been treatin’ ya?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Athena sighs, “it’s been boring as hell. I’ve been working and babysitting my dad’s dog.”

“That thing isn’t a dog, Athena. I told you that,” Jordan smiles.

She smiles, “what is it, then?”

“A horse?” Jordan laughs, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s an ogre or something.”

“Hey now,” Athena points at Jordan, chuckling at his joke, “don’t call Tyson an ogre.”

“Oh, you like the dog?!” Jordan stands up straight, taken aback. “That thing’s a monster. How can you like it?”

“He is a sweetheart,” Athena defends the dog’s honor, leaning on her cart casually. “You don’t even know him.”

Jordan crosses his arms, “that thing’s bigger than you are, Athena.”

“He is not.”

“Is so,” Jordan argues teasingly.

Clearing her throat, Athena stands up and digs her list out of her purse. Every item is crossed out. “Oh, wow.”

“What?”

“I got everything,” she smiles, flashing him the list.

Jordan laughs, “why are you even here?”

“Picking up some stuff for the shop. What about you and Jared?”

The tall blonde glances over his shoulder to see his brother, across the store, lounging on some display patio furniture. “We’re picking up some stuff for my dad and Eric. They’re building Parker this playhouse over at Eric’s tomorrow.”

“Oh, that sounds fun.” Athena nods.

Jordan nods, “we’re having a cook out and everything. It’ll pretty much just be the family. You should come over.”

Athena nods and smiles, “yeah, text me the address and I'll see if I can make it.”