Velvet Crowbar
two.
Paddy Conlon peered into the living room to see his future daughter-in-law on his couch, her eyes full of tears. The old man poured two cups of coffee and hobbled back into the cramped seating area of his home. His extended the cup and took a seat in the worn arm chair across from her, the springs groaning under the weight of the war veteran. He watched for a moment, studying the way her sobs ran down her spine causing her whole body to shake.
“You know,” He mused taking a sip of coffee, “maybe the wedding getting pushed back is a good thing.”
Emma pulled her head out of her hands and stared at the man with a dumbfounded look on her face, “How is it a good thing, Paddy? This is the second time we’ve had to post-pone, no thanks to you of course!”
Paddy didn’t speak for a moment.
“Tommy, I think we should push back the wedding for a little while.” Emma stated nervously as she crawled under the covers.
The fighter pulled his tank top over his head and looked at his fiancé with a look of bewilderment, “Are you shitting me?” He watched as the woman in his bed shook her head back and forth. Tommy ran a hand over his tired face and leaned back against the dresser, “Then what the hell you getting at?”
“I just... I may have,” she paused for a moment, preparing herself for the verbal lashing she was about to receive, “I gave the catering deposit money to your pop. He needed some money for his therapy sessions.”
For a moment, Tommy didn’t move- not even a twitch on his face. As the information started to process, his eyes became a burning red. He smashed fist on the top of the dresser causing the wood to splinter, “Jesus fucking christ, Emma. Why the fuck did you that? Why’d you go behind my fucking back and give him $500.”
“I’m sorry, Tommy.” Her voice was soft, “It’s just, don’t you want him there? The old man is making an effort to make things right; he deserves some credit for that, doesn’t he?” Emma tried to reason with the fuming fighter before her.
“Un-fucking-believeable.” Tommy shook his head angrily, “He doesn’t deserve credit for shit! All this forgiveness and redemption bullshit is about twenty years too late.”
“It damn near ended a twelve year relationship too. Don’t you remember?” Emma wiped the tears from her eyes and stared at the old man.
“Of course I fucking remember.” Paddy responded, not able to lift his eyes away cup of coffee in his hands.
The brunette shook her head and wiped away the last of her angry tears and stood up, bringing her empty cup into the kitchen. She muttered a quick thank you before leaving Paddy’s old home, their shoulders brushing against each other as she walked out. As Emma sat in the car, pausing for a red light, she shook her head in shame. If Tommy knew his fiancé was went to Paddy Conlon’s house after an argument, she would be in deep shit.
She made a quick stop at the diner just down the street from Colt’s before returning to the skeleton of an apartment that was left. Tommy was fast asleep on the couch, soft snores quietly drifting from his large frame. As she tip-toed around the broken glass, Tommy stirred in his sleep waking himself. His burly body moved closer to the back of the couch making room for the brunette who was retrieving a blanket from what use to be their bedroom.
“Where you head off to?” Tommy muttered into the crook of her neck as she lay beside him, his large arm wrapped around her tightly.
Emma relaxed into her fiancé's grip, “Went down to that diner Colt and Fenroy always talk about. They had a hiring sign in the window.” Her words started to slur as she felt slumber slowly consume her. “I’m waiting tables tomorrow morning, come visit.”
Like a well oiled machine, Tommy woke up with the birds and went out for a run. Upon returning, the stray shards of glass were swept up and the familiar aroma of bacon and eggs wafted under his nose. Leaning against the counter, balanced on one leg, Emma stood at the stove with her back to the door. With a spatula in hand, she moved around the cooking frying in the pan.
A strong pair of hands made their way to her hips as a pair of lips brushed against the crook of her neck. Tommy rested his chin on her shoulder, “I love you.”
She turned and gave him a small smile, “I know.” She glanced down at the ring on her ring and felt a tiny bit of faith being restored to her. The brunette knew Tommy’s mother was watching over them and for the first time since their apartment got destroyed, she said, “We’ll be okay.”
Tommy nodded in agreement before pulling away. He too felt the presence of his departed mother and needed a moment to himself. The fighter retreated into what used to be their bedroom and stared out the window down onto the street. He thought back to when life was much simpler.
Emma plated the food and left it on the card table Brendan had brought over the day prior. She peaked her head into their old bedroom and saw Tommy staring intently out the window and decided it was best to just leave him be. The brunette slipped in quietly behind him and grabbed a pair of jeans and a fresh white t-shirt. She changed quickly in the bathroom and left for the diner without so much as another word.
The diner was slow when she arrived for her first shift. There were a few of Tommy’s fans that recognized her from Sparta as she stood beside PaddyEmma chatted animatedly with a customer sitting at the counter near the end of her shift when Colt walked in with J.J Riley. She excused herself from the conversation and walked over to the newly occupied table with a smile.
“Emma, good to see you. How’s Tommy doing?” Colt asked as he looked over the menu.
The brunette shrugged, “Just itching to get back is all.”
Colt nodded before making a formal introduction, “JJ, this is Tommy Riordan’s fiancé- Emma.”
Emma smiled and shook the man’s extended hand, “Mr. Riley, it’s a pleasure to meet you. It was a great event you put together.”
The bald, slender man gave a small smile, “Likewise. You’re fiancé is an excellent fighter; I hope to see him back in the cage soon.”
She nodded in return and began heading for the door when Colt called out for her, “Tommy told me about what happened at your place.”
“You know,” He mused taking a sip of coffee, “maybe the wedding getting pushed back is a good thing.”
Emma pulled her head out of her hands and stared at the man with a dumbfounded look on her face, “How is it a good thing, Paddy? This is the second time we’ve had to post-pone, no thanks to you of course!”
Paddy didn’t speak for a moment.
“Tommy, I think we should push back the wedding for a little while.” Emma stated nervously as she crawled under the covers.
The fighter pulled his tank top over his head and looked at his fiancé with a look of bewilderment, “Are you shitting me?” He watched as the woman in his bed shook her head back and forth. Tommy ran a hand over his tired face and leaned back against the dresser, “Then what the hell you getting at?”
“I just... I may have,” she paused for a moment, preparing herself for the verbal lashing she was about to receive, “I gave the catering deposit money to your pop. He needed some money for his therapy sessions.”
For a moment, Tommy didn’t move- not even a twitch on his face. As the information started to process, his eyes became a burning red. He smashed fist on the top of the dresser causing the wood to splinter, “Jesus fucking christ, Emma. Why the fuck did you that? Why’d you go behind my fucking back and give him $500.”
“I’m sorry, Tommy.” Her voice was soft, “It’s just, don’t you want him there? The old man is making an effort to make things right; he deserves some credit for that, doesn’t he?” Emma tried to reason with the fuming fighter before her.
“Un-fucking-believeable.” Tommy shook his head angrily, “He doesn’t deserve credit for shit! All this forgiveness and redemption bullshit is about twenty years too late.”
“It damn near ended a twelve year relationship too. Don’t you remember?” Emma wiped the tears from her eyes and stared at the old man.
“Of course I fucking remember.” Paddy responded, not able to lift his eyes away cup of coffee in his hands.
The brunette shook her head and wiped away the last of her angry tears and stood up, bringing her empty cup into the kitchen. She muttered a quick thank you before leaving Paddy’s old home, their shoulders brushing against each other as she walked out. As Emma sat in the car, pausing for a red light, she shook her head in shame. If Tommy knew his fiancé was went to Paddy Conlon’s house after an argument, she would be in deep shit.
She made a quick stop at the diner just down the street from Colt’s before returning to the skeleton of an apartment that was left. Tommy was fast asleep on the couch, soft snores quietly drifting from his large frame. As she tip-toed around the broken glass, Tommy stirred in his sleep waking himself. His burly body moved closer to the back of the couch making room for the brunette who was retrieving a blanket from what use to be their bedroom.
“Where you head off to?” Tommy muttered into the crook of her neck as she lay beside him, his large arm wrapped around her tightly.
Emma relaxed into her fiancé's grip, “Went down to that diner Colt and Fenroy always talk about. They had a hiring sign in the window.” Her words started to slur as she felt slumber slowly consume her. “I’m waiting tables tomorrow morning, come visit.”
Like a well oiled machine, Tommy woke up with the birds and went out for a run. Upon returning, the stray shards of glass were swept up and the familiar aroma of bacon and eggs wafted under his nose. Leaning against the counter, balanced on one leg, Emma stood at the stove with her back to the door. With a spatula in hand, she moved around the cooking frying in the pan.
A strong pair of hands made their way to her hips as a pair of lips brushed against the crook of her neck. Tommy rested his chin on her shoulder, “I love you.”
She turned and gave him a small smile, “I know.” She glanced down at the ring on her ring and felt a tiny bit of faith being restored to her. The brunette knew Tommy’s mother was watching over them and for the first time since their apartment got destroyed, she said, “We’ll be okay.”
Tommy nodded in agreement before pulling away. He too felt the presence of his departed mother and needed a moment to himself. The fighter retreated into what used to be their bedroom and stared out the window down onto the street. He thought back to when life was much simpler.
Emma plated the food and left it on the card table Brendan had brought over the day prior. She peaked her head into their old bedroom and saw Tommy staring intently out the window and decided it was best to just leave him be. The brunette slipped in quietly behind him and grabbed a pair of jeans and a fresh white t-shirt. She changed quickly in the bathroom and left for the diner without so much as another word.
The diner was slow when she arrived for her first shift. There were a few of Tommy’s fans that recognized her from Sparta as she stood beside PaddyEmma chatted animatedly with a customer sitting at the counter near the end of her shift when Colt walked in with J.J Riley. She excused herself from the conversation and walked over to the newly occupied table with a smile.
“Emma, good to see you. How’s Tommy doing?” Colt asked as he looked over the menu.
The brunette shrugged, “Just itching to get back is all.”
Colt nodded before making a formal introduction, “JJ, this is Tommy Riordan’s fiancé- Emma.”
Emma smiled and shook the man’s extended hand, “Mr. Riley, it’s a pleasure to meet you. It was a great event you put together.”
The bald, slender man gave a small smile, “Likewise. You’re fiancé is an excellent fighter; I hope to see him back in the cage soon.”
She nodded in return and began heading for the door when Colt called out for her, “Tommy told me about what happened at your place.”