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A Ship in Harbor is Safe
forty-four
“I think you’re one of the only people that I know, other than my father, that reads the newspaper.”
Sidney glances up from the paper, “huh?”
Athena smiles as she turns back to the stove. “Nothing, dear.”
“No, what’d you say?” He chuckles, flipping the page.
“You’re the only person, other than my dad, that I know who reads the paper.”
He shrugs, “I’ve always read the paper.”
“Why?”
“I dunno. Maybe because I delivered them when I was a kid? I’m not sure.”
Athena shakes her head, removing the top to the crockpot and dumping the cutting board of chopped potatoes in.
“What are you making?”
“Pot roast.”
Sidney smiles, “it smells good.”
“It’s not cooked yet, so you can’t have any.”
His smile falls.
“Would you like me to make you something else?” She asks, replacing the crockpot’s top. “It’s gonna be a while until that’s done.”
“Athena, you and I both know I’ll starve before that pot roast is done.”
She scoffs, “you’re not gonna starve, trust me.”
“Yes dear,” Sidney smirks, obviously being facetious.
Athena shakes her head. “So, what do you want for lunch?”
“I was thinking maybe we could go to Mario’s.”
“You just wanna show up and expect them to feed us? C’mon, Sid.”
He shakes his head, “they won’t mind. Trust me. Plus, you haven’t met Mario or Nathalie yet.”
“Where do you work?”
Athena smiles, “I work at a little boutique downtown. It’s called Lilac.”
Nathalie turns around with a smile on her face, “I love that place! They sell the best jeans. The owner’s really nice, too. What’s her name?”
“Cheryl. And she’s a nice lady.”
“So, Sidney,” Nathalie sits down after putting their used dishes in the dishwasher. “Why haven’t you brought Athena by before?”
Sidney smiles, “we’ve been pretty busy.”
“Hm. Have you been looking for a house?”
“I’ve looked at a few properties, nothing too interesting yet.”
Nathalie nods.
“Hey,” a voice says, entering the kitchen.
All three heads look up.
“Who’s your friend, Sid?”
“Mario, this is Athena.”
“The Athena?” he smiles. “It’s nice to meet you, Athena. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
Athena smiles, taking a second to glance over at Sidney, “all good things, I hope.”
“Of course,” Mario smiles, “all great things.”
Nathalie nods, “Athena, how long are you going to be in Pittsburgh?”
“Um,” she smiles, “the rest of the season?”
Sidney nods, “yeah, the rest of the season.”
“You should join the Wives Association. I think it’d be a great way for you to get involved, and probably get Sid out of your hair for a little bit,” Nathalie smiles.
Athena laughs, covering her mouth and looking at Sidney out of the corner of her eye.
“Plus, I think you’d get along with the other wives and girlfriends awesomely.”
She smiles, folding her hands in her lap. “Well, I could definitely use some new friends.”
“Here, let me get a piece of paper and you can write down your email address for me and I’ll get you the information about the next meeting.”
Mario watches his wife leave the table, shaking his head and turning back to Sidney and Athena. “Have either of you heard from Jordan lately? How is his hand?”
Athena nods slowly, “he’s recovering well. It’s been a few days since I’ve talked to him, but he hasn’t complained about any pain or anything.”
Mario nods, “that’s good.”
Nathalie comes back and gives Athena the paper and pen.
Athena writes down her email address, listening to the conversation carrying on between Sidney and Mario.
“I’ll email you the details of the next meeting as soon as I get them.”
“Alright,” Athena smiles, returning the pen and paper.
“You do realize that we’ve done nothing productive today, right?”
Athena scoffs, “speak for yourself, Sid. I made a kickass pot roast.”
Sidney shrugs, “okay, fine. I did nothing productive today.”
“You kept me company while I made the kickass pot roast,” Athena smiles, gently kissing him. “Plus, days like this are good for you. Taking time to just hang out and relax.”
He nods, “today was definitely a good day. It makes me wanna do this more often.”
She smiles, “good. It gets pretty lonely when you’re not here.”
Sidney smiles as he leans across the bed, gently kissing Athena.
Sidney glances up from the paper, “huh?”
Athena smiles as she turns back to the stove. “Nothing, dear.”
“No, what’d you say?” He chuckles, flipping the page.
“You’re the only person, other than my dad, that I know who reads the paper.”
He shrugs, “I’ve always read the paper.”
“Why?”
“I dunno. Maybe because I delivered them when I was a kid? I’m not sure.”
Athena shakes her head, removing the top to the crockpot and dumping the cutting board of chopped potatoes in.
“What are you making?”
“Pot roast.”
Sidney smiles, “it smells good.”
“It’s not cooked yet, so you can’t have any.”
His smile falls.
“Would you like me to make you something else?” She asks, replacing the crockpot’s top. “It’s gonna be a while until that’s done.”
“Athena, you and I both know I’ll starve before that pot roast is done.”
She scoffs, “you’re not gonna starve, trust me.”
“Yes dear,” Sidney smirks, obviously being facetious.
Athena shakes her head. “So, what do you want for lunch?”
“I was thinking maybe we could go to Mario’s.”
“You just wanna show up and expect them to feed us? C’mon, Sid.”
He shakes his head, “they won’t mind. Trust me. Plus, you haven’t met Mario or Nathalie yet.”
“Where do you work?”
Athena smiles, “I work at a little boutique downtown. It’s called Lilac.”
Nathalie turns around with a smile on her face, “I love that place! They sell the best jeans. The owner’s really nice, too. What’s her name?”
“Cheryl. And she’s a nice lady.”
“So, Sidney,” Nathalie sits down after putting their used dishes in the dishwasher. “Why haven’t you brought Athena by before?”
Sidney smiles, “we’ve been pretty busy.”
“Hm. Have you been looking for a house?”
“I’ve looked at a few properties, nothing too interesting yet.”
Nathalie nods.
“Hey,” a voice says, entering the kitchen.
All three heads look up.
“Who’s your friend, Sid?”
“Mario, this is Athena.”
“The Athena?” he smiles. “It’s nice to meet you, Athena. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
Athena smiles, taking a second to glance over at Sidney, “all good things, I hope.”
“Of course,” Mario smiles, “all great things.”
Nathalie nods, “Athena, how long are you going to be in Pittsburgh?”
“Um,” she smiles, “the rest of the season?”
Sidney nods, “yeah, the rest of the season.”
“You should join the Wives Association. I think it’d be a great way for you to get involved, and probably get Sid out of your hair for a little bit,” Nathalie smiles.
Athena laughs, covering her mouth and looking at Sidney out of the corner of her eye.
“Plus, I think you’d get along with the other wives and girlfriends awesomely.”
She smiles, folding her hands in her lap. “Well, I could definitely use some new friends.”
“Here, let me get a piece of paper and you can write down your email address for me and I’ll get you the information about the next meeting.”
Mario watches his wife leave the table, shaking his head and turning back to Sidney and Athena. “Have either of you heard from Jordan lately? How is his hand?”
Athena nods slowly, “he’s recovering well. It’s been a few days since I’ve talked to him, but he hasn’t complained about any pain or anything.”
Mario nods, “that’s good.”
Nathalie comes back and gives Athena the paper and pen.
Athena writes down her email address, listening to the conversation carrying on between Sidney and Mario.
“I’ll email you the details of the next meeting as soon as I get them.”
“Alright,” Athena smiles, returning the pen and paper.
“You do realize that we’ve done nothing productive today, right?”
Athena scoffs, “speak for yourself, Sid. I made a kickass pot roast.”
Sidney shrugs, “okay, fine. I did nothing productive today.”
“You kept me company while I made the kickass pot roast,” Athena smiles, gently kissing him. “Plus, days like this are good for you. Taking time to just hang out and relax.”
He nods, “today was definitely a good day. It makes me wanna do this more often.”
She smiles, “good. It gets pretty lonely when you’re not here.”
Sidney smiles as he leans across the bed, gently kissing Athena.
♠ ♠ ♠
As sad as it makes me to say this, the way I originally wrote this story out, there are only two chapters left. I don't see that changing, but you never know.Anyway, I appreciate any and all feedback.
xoxo