Love Tap(4)

“Well, I’m here now and plan to put a stop to that shit.” I’ll snatch every little prick trying to come near my sister and break it off if I have to. My eyes drift back to the blue and white bungalow sitting right next to my dad’s house. It’s like a magnet, I can’t help but look at it and see memories of everything that ever happened flash through my mind. I spent a lot of my childhood on the front stoop of that house.

My mind starts to drift back to memory lane, but I turn toward the back of my car to gather my things, refusing to let it.

“You sure it’s cool I stay with you for a couple nights?”

“Yeah, Mom won’t mind. You know she loves you like her own.” Chloe’s mom has always been cool with me. When Chloe and her mom moved here we clicked right away. It’s always been just Chloe and her mom though. Her mother refuses to date when she can go to the store and buy a vibrator. She said, “I’d rather put up with my vibrator than have to put up with a deadbeat man on a daily basis. You can’t replace a non-working man as easily as batteries, my dear.”

“It’s just until I can figure out what the hell I’m going to say to my dad. Maybe if I land a job before telling him he won’t get so freaked out.”

“It’s cool, I understand. But we both know that he’s still going to freak out, especially when he finds out you got into a fight.”

“Yeah,” I cringe. “I don’t plan on telling him that part.”

She giggles and grabs one of my gym bags and heads toward her front door. “Hey Ma! Tate is here!” she announces as she pulls the old screen door open with her foot. Her house looks like all the other bungalows on the block, the only difference is the awning over their front window, and the purple front door.

Grabbing the last bag out of the back of my car, my eyes sweep back to the two houses. Sounds of laughter and faint whispers of love echo in my head.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

Entering Chloe’s home Mrs. Avery throws a dishtowel over her shoulder and opens her arms wide. Her dark curls are pulled back into a blue bandana, her green eyes smiling as she embraces me into a big hug.

“Tate, it’s so good to see you, sugar.” She pats my back. She smells of spices and hairspray.

“Hi Mrs. Avery.”

Grabbing the dishtowel off her shoulder she snaps it at me. “Girl, hush. You’re practically family, you call me Fiona, or Momma.”

I smile, the warm welcome is just what I needed.

“Thank you for letting me crash here for a while.” Looking around the living room it looks just like I remember. A big floral couch with mismatched throw pillows. The corner of the room still has the desk and chair where Fiona stashes her nail polish collection. She works at a spa, and does the best nail art I’ve ever seen.

“Of course, I know how your daddy can be. One day, he’ll move on baby, until then you’re just gonna have to be strong for the both of you.” She brushes her hand on my cheek as her eyes size me up. “You hungry?”

“Starving.” The word fall from my mouth before I can even think about them. You can only eat so much fast food before it all starts to taste the same.

“Chloe, show her where to put her things, and help me set the table. I made lasagna, hope that’s okay?”

“Sounds delicious.” I smile.

Sitting at the table, Fiona serves everyone a heaping pile of noodles, melty cheese, and meat before sitting at the opposite side of the table.

Grabbing my fork, I dive in like a convict having their last meal. I barely come up to breathe as the gooey cheese scorches my taste buds.

This definitely beats Ramen noodles back in the dorm room.

“You eat as much as you want baby, you need a little meat on those bones,” Fiona chuckles to herself as she pushes her food around on her plate.

“Sorry.” I wipe my mouth with a napkin realizing how savage I must look. She throws a hand at me as if I’m being ridiculous.

“So, what are your plans now that you’re back in town?” Fiona questions with her mouth full. I nibble at my inner cheek as I think about how to reply.

“I’m looking for a good gym, with a professional trainer,” I shrug.

“Oh yeah, you still fighting and whatnot?”

Chloe and I freeze, Chloe’s silently telling me to choose my next words carefully. Fiona has a big mouth, if I tell her I got into a fight she’d probably be proud and tell the whole neighborhood… and then my dad would find out.

“I haven’t been practicing if that’s what you mean.” I avoid answering her directly. It’s not a lie per-se. I haven’t been to a mixed martial arts class, or even near a gym, in about seven years. It wasn’t until I got in a fight with Jacki that I realized I have been living a shell of a life for far too long. I felt alive, a rush if you will, when my suppressed anger and hurt surfaced. Some females were born to be good business women, or eye candy. I, on the other hand, I was made to kick ass. Glancing up, Fiona and Chloe both are staring at me, as if they want me to explain further. “I almost enrolled in a kick-boxing class once, but it was a group kind of thing where the instructor did a move and everyone would try to imitate it, it wasn’t one on one.”

I didn’t enroll because it made me think of what I used to have, and that hurt more than anything. Staying away from it all made being numb easier.