Blackwater Flower

Things seemed a bit awkward between Forrest and I after that- or maybe it was just in my head that it was as awkward as I was thinking.

It felt like he was avoiding me, or maybe I was the one who was avoiding him. I had thrown myself into the worl that I did around the station; while Forrest had barely left the back office. When I made his food, he had me leave it on the counter, and he would end up coming to get it the one moment that I wasn't looking.

Jack, Bertha, and the baby were currently visiting and even then Forrest wouldn't come out of the office. Jack was out checking whatever stills they had left, while Bertha was sitting at one of the tables rocking the baby softly. I tended to our other patrons, before walking over and standing next to the table where Bertha was sitting.

"So, are you liking life here at Blackwater?" Bertha asked with a small smile playing on her lips. The small baby boy in her arms made small gurgling noises escaping between his lips.

"It's pretty nice, a bit awkward but nice none the less." I smiled, pushing a strand of my hair back away from my face. In the process, I realized just how hot out it was today by the layer of sweat that had taken up residence on my forehead. I used the towel that was thrown over my shoulder to wipe the sweat away from my skin.

A thought suddenly popped into my head. "I'll be right back, Bertha." I excused myself before walking through the room, refilling people's coffee cups.Once that was done, I snuck into the back office where Forrest was still hard at work. I refilled his coffee cup, and took the empty plate that was sitting off to the side. "Is there anything I can get for you?" I made sure to ask before leaving him alone once more. "No. Thank-you BeccaMae." His words were mumbled and he didn't even bother looking up from his work.

So, instead of saying anything else, I walked out of the room and went back behind the counter. I put the dirty plate in the sink to be washed, before making my way back over to Bertha and the baby.

This time, I sat down at the table and my hands rested in my lap. "You seem kind of frustrated?" Bertha questioned, adjusting the small boy in her arms as she sat there. "There's just a lot on my mind. Forrest said something that's stuck in my head the past few days." I sighed. "Oh? What did he say to you?" She was quick to question me again.

"Well, he's been calling me BeccaMae. I swear when I was little someone always used to call me that; but for the absolute life of me, I cannot remember who." I explained with a sigh and an ever so slight shrug of my shoulders. "Well, wasn't it Forrest?" She asked as it was so obvious. "What makes you think that?" I was taken by surprise.

"Jack told me about when they were all growing up. How your parents and his were pretty close, which is why your dad didn't hesitate to do business with Forrest. Jack said that when your father re-married, that she didn't like him bringing you around here- made him stop. So what if it was Forrest who always called you that name, but you just don't remember because it's been so long since you actually heard him calling you that when you were kids." Bertha shrugged her shoulders as her small speech concluded.

Once more my mind began racing with questions.

This was definitely something that I was going to have to ask Forrest about- but wait, I couldn't just walk back there and start asking questions. That would make things even move awkward than they already are now; and I don't think I could handle things being even more awkward than they are now.

Was Bertha telling the truth? Did I really grow up around these men? If so, why did my step-mother make my father not let me see them anymore? What could possibly be so bad about them to warrant that?

The rest of the day, as I worked around the station, my mind flooded over with questions for Forrest; but I still couldn't bring myself to actually ask.

My work at the station mostly consisted of making and serving food, selling items from our rather small inventory, and taking payments for gas that people got from the pump outside. It was all pretty simple work, but it gave me something to do- and besides, I loved being here. Something about this place makes me smile. I feel comfortable. It feels like home.

Jack came back after not too much longer. Upon walking into the station, he immediately walked over to his wife and son, and gave them both a small kiss. "You're done already?" I heard Bertha ask him as he took the baby from her arms. I'm guessing it usually took him longer to tend to their stills. "Of course." Jack nodded, paying more attention to the small boy in his arms. Not wanting to listen in on their conversation, I made myself busy by starting dinner for the lot of us.

Other than the two of them, and Forrest in the back, there was no one else here for the time being. Everyone else had made their leave a bit earlier in the day.

"Has Forrest heard from Howard?" Bertha hummed, taking a sip from the glass of water sitting in front of her. "Not yet, no. Tempted to write him myself, make certain he's alright." Jack turned to look at me, "Mae, we brought some more feed for the hogs and chickens out back. Thought it'd save you a trip to town."

I couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness, and at the sound of my name coming from his lips. It reminded me of my father so. I had always preferred to be called Mae rather than Rebeccah.

My mother had chosen the name Rebeccah, where as my father had chosen the name Mae for me. I always liked the name Mae rather than the name Rebeccah. "Thank-you Jack. Do you and Bertha plan on staying for supper?" I questioned, just before I started cooking just so I could make sure. I didn't want the food to go to waste.

"Oh, that would be wonderful! That is as long as we're not intruding on anything!" Bertha was quick to answer with a smile.

"Of course you wouldn't be intruding on anything. I cook dinner for multiple people every day; so it's not a problem to do it for family today." I gave them both a loving smile. "We'd love to stick around for a little while." Jack nodded his head. "Great, maybe you can even get Forrest to come out of the office for once." I chuckled lightly, placing my hands on my hips.

"He's locked himself away in the office, huh? That's not surprising, it tends to happen a lot. I'll go talk to him." Jack said simply, before walking away with the baby still on his hip.

"I have a feeling he's no just in there because he's so focused on going over the books." I sighed, moving to tend to the food. Definitely didn't want to burn dinner. "Why do you sat that?" Bertha asked, moving to sit at the bar while I was cooking. "Well, I may have lost my temper with Forrest, and threw a jar of moonshine in his face. He's been kind of distant since then." I kept my voice down so that Jack and Forrest wouldn't over hear our conversation.

Bertha immediately started laughing, and brought her hand up to rest on her chest. "It's not funny!" I groaned. She continued to laugh at me, "Oh, but it is. You've managed to shock the one and only Forrest Bondurant. I thought I'd never see the day that this happened."

Before I could say anything else, I could hear two pairs of heavy footsteps coming our way. "Look who I got out of his lair!!" Jack beamed proudly.

Forrest was behind him, his hat on top of his head and his hands were stuffed down into the pockets of his cardigan. In any normal scenario, I would have stopped and stared in awe of the man; but this time was different. Turning around, I loaded four plates up high with food. I then took three over to the table, before resuming my place behind the counter with my own food.

"BeccaMae, what on Earth are you doing?" Forrest asked, watching me with an intense gaze. "Uh, eating dinner Forrest, what are you doing?" I spoke, leaning against the counter.

"All the way over there?" He hummed in my direction. "Just like I've done every day that I've been here. Is that a problem?" My eyebrow raised up as I moved to cross my arms over my chest. "Um...Yeah. Come sit over here with the rest of us. You said yourself that we're family, so it's time to start acting like it." He ordered.

Standing up, the large man stalked over towards the bar. His fingers grabbed my plate, and he carried it back over to the table where Bertha and Jack watched in silence.

I briefly hesitated before joining them.