Status: Few shot...3-4 maybe...
Who Knew?
Two
The next morning I ran along the same path and went into the same diner in hopes of seeing Maddie again.
“Back again?” Carl chuckled, “How long you in town for?”
“Through the weekend,” I told him with a smile.
“Guess I’ll have to make sure Maddie’s here every morning then,” he nodded at her while she was
sitting with an old man, “Maddie, can you get Claude?”
She looked up with a confused look, but then smiled, “Sure thing Carl. I’ll be right back Grandpa.”
Her grandfather turned his head to me and shook it, “Giroux, what brings you to town?”
Her grandfather, Jack, and mine had grown up together, stood up at each other’s weddings, held our parents the day they were born…fucking small towns.
“Visiting Grandma and Grandpa,” I walked over to him and shook his hand, “How are you doing?”
“Better since my Madelyn is taking care of me. Sit,” he nodded at the chair Maddie had been in.
I sat and smiled at her, “Same thing as yesterday?”
I nodded, “Please.”
“Sure thing,” she walked away.
Jack watched her and leaned back in his chair, “So, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Maddie. Like her?”
“Oh,” I stumbled, “I just met her yesterday, i…I don’t have an opinion.”
He snorted, “All those stories we filled your heads with about falling in love at first sight, they do happen, you know? I fell for her grandmother the moment I saw her. your grandfather, he was the same way. now, what do you think?”
I looked down, “She’s a long way from home.”
“Being a good girl and taking care of her poor granddad.”
Maddie walked over, filled his coffee, and set down my orange juice and water. Jack winked at her,
“Don’t harass Claude too much Pops.”
He chuckled, “You know Claude and I go way back, right?”
“You mentioned that,” she smiled shyly again, “Strange we never met before,” she looked back at me.
“Oh, you two did,” he tapped his finger on the table, “You two were too young to remember, I think you were one or two, maybe. I’m positive your grandmother has a picture somewhere,” he looked at me, “I might too if I really looked hard.”
“Oh Lord,” she walked away, shaking her head and letting the braid in her hair rustle.
Jack smiled at me, “You should stick around, Giroux. Maybe longer than a few days.”
The thought wasn’t awful; I could stay with my grandparents, visit with them, and see Maddie. The only thing was, everyone would probably find out really fast that it was for a girl and then they would be up my ass to meet her and to make some kind of commitment.
Jack winked at me, “I wish she’d get more, she’s been nagging me constantly.”
Maddie walked back over with my food, “Wow, I’m terribly sorry my concern for your health is nagging.”
He took her hand and squeezed it, “I’m just saying that you should get out more.”
“And what do you suggest I do?”
He gave me a look out of the corner of his eye, “I’m sure Claude knows a few things around town.”
“I’m sure he does,” she walked away.
I looked down at my plate, “I wish I knew something to do around here.”
Jack chuckled, “I have a feeling you’ll figure something out before you leave.”
“Back again?” Carl chuckled, “How long you in town for?”
“Through the weekend,” I told him with a smile.
“Guess I’ll have to make sure Maddie’s here every morning then,” he nodded at her while she was
sitting with an old man, “Maddie, can you get Claude?”
She looked up with a confused look, but then smiled, “Sure thing Carl. I’ll be right back Grandpa.”
Her grandfather turned his head to me and shook it, “Giroux, what brings you to town?”
Her grandfather, Jack, and mine had grown up together, stood up at each other’s weddings, held our parents the day they were born…fucking small towns.
“Visiting Grandma and Grandpa,” I walked over to him and shook his hand, “How are you doing?”
“Better since my Madelyn is taking care of me. Sit,” he nodded at the chair Maddie had been in.
I sat and smiled at her, “Same thing as yesterday?”
I nodded, “Please.”
“Sure thing,” she walked away.
Jack watched her and leaned back in his chair, “So, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Maddie. Like her?”
“Oh,” I stumbled, “I just met her yesterday, i…I don’t have an opinion.”
He snorted, “All those stories we filled your heads with about falling in love at first sight, they do happen, you know? I fell for her grandmother the moment I saw her. your grandfather, he was the same way. now, what do you think?”
I looked down, “She’s a long way from home.”
“Being a good girl and taking care of her poor granddad.”
Maddie walked over, filled his coffee, and set down my orange juice and water. Jack winked at her,
“Don’t harass Claude too much Pops.”
He chuckled, “You know Claude and I go way back, right?”
“You mentioned that,” she smiled shyly again, “Strange we never met before,” she looked back at me.
“Oh, you two did,” he tapped his finger on the table, “You two were too young to remember, I think you were one or two, maybe. I’m positive your grandmother has a picture somewhere,” he looked at me, “I might too if I really looked hard.”
“Oh Lord,” she walked away, shaking her head and letting the braid in her hair rustle.
Jack smiled at me, “You should stick around, Giroux. Maybe longer than a few days.”
The thought wasn’t awful; I could stay with my grandparents, visit with them, and see Maddie. The only thing was, everyone would probably find out really fast that it was for a girl and then they would be up my ass to meet her and to make some kind of commitment.
Jack winked at me, “I wish she’d get more, she’s been nagging me constantly.”
Maddie walked back over with my food, “Wow, I’m terribly sorry my concern for your health is nagging.”
He took her hand and squeezed it, “I’m just saying that you should get out more.”
“And what do you suggest I do?”
He gave me a look out of the corner of his eye, “I’m sure Claude knows a few things around town.”
“I’m sure he does,” she walked away.
I looked down at my plate, “I wish I knew something to do around here.”
Jack chuckled, “I have a feeling you’ll figure something out before you leave.”
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Sorry, it's shorter lol.