Page 68 of Rootbound
“Can’t we juststartwith him, and then have out the rest after?” she whines, letting her arms fall to her sides.
“Ava, no. And not another word until I get some coffee, please,” I say, but I feel my lips pull up more as I head to the kitchen.
Properly armed with caffeine, I head back out to the couch and sit. After a deep breath, I ask her to go first.
“I’d been wanting to talk to you for a long time about it, but I kept chickening out whenever it came up in conversation and I just didn’t know how to approach it. You always seemed to understand Mom a little more than I did, and while I’ve long since forgiven her, I just don’t see why we weren’t more encouraged to have a relationship with our father as kids, Tait. Since having Jack, that feeling has only intensified. I don’t think there’s anything Casey could do to me for me to not let him have a relationship with Jack. It’d be different if he did something tohim,I guess, but Dad never did anything to me, Tait, to either of us. And we have a whole family here. I have my family and Casey’s parents, but… Well, I guess that’s why I didn’t tell you. I felt greedy with wanting more. You’d lost your whole family when everything happened with Cole, and you just… caved in on yourself. So then when I started having a relationship with everyone, I didn’t want you to feel like the one who was left out. I just started connecting to some of them through social media. It was really just Grady. Well, I guess LeighAnn also. And Lucy. And yeah, I wrote back to Dad’s letters, but you knew that already, Tait.” She finally looksup at me with watery eyes. “I’m so sorry I hurt you, though.”
“It’s okay. I think… I think you were right in wanting to get to know them. They’re all pretty great. This place is pretty great.” I sigh. “And I’m sorry I left you hanging for so long. I think I wanted to punish you, but I took it too far. I hope you didn’t have to take time off of work, Ava.”
“I did, but it’s well worth it, and it’s only a week. I’m here to celebrate your birthday, too.”
“Oh, shit. I have to help Lucy set up. She’s invited all the cast and crew from the show and they’ve got a huge tent and everything,” I say, and move to get up in a panic.
“They hired people, Tait, it’s fine. Please, sit with me. Tell me everything.”
I hug her, then, because I have missed her. I let a few tears fall and so does she, but since we pride ourselves on not being overly mushy (we absolutely are) I sit back in a flourish, moving my coffee farther onto the table and away from the danger of my flying hands as I launch into it all.…
“I’m just… I’m really glad I came,” I finish.
“… Oh my god,” Ava says, and she starts to cry.
“Ave, what the hell? What’s wrong?” But then I see her laughing as she cries.
“You just… you sound, and look, likeyouagain.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.” I laugh back.
“No, Tait, really. I just have been so worried that the opposite would happen, you know? That all this would make you want to shut down and shut out more. But you’re out here living life like a Tim McGraw song!”
I roll my eyes. “Stop.”
“I mean, it literally sounded like that. You were all ‘I went four-wheeling, I went Rocky Mountain hiking, I went—2.7 seconds—in a pond with Cowboy Thor,’” she sing-songs, badly.
“I’m truly impressed that you made that up actually. I can’t even be mad.”
“Tait, I’m really happy that you’re scoring with hot Henry over there, but I do have one piece of advice for you…,” she says, ominously, and I nod for her to proceed.
“Always stay humble and kind.” We explode, laughing so hard that tears are streaming down both our faces, until I hear the gravel crunching under tires outside.
“Oh my god,” I say, “I have a good idea. Stay right there and follow my lead!”
I hop over to the kitchen and grab what I need, schooling my face into an appropriate expression. I hear boots hurry up the steps, and I can tell it’s Henry by their heaviness alone. When I hear that he’s close, I scream, “HOW DARE YOU!! GET THE FUCK OUT!!”
“NO, TAIT, NO!!! DON’T!!!!” Ava screams back.
Henry bursts through the door, pale and terrified when he sees me wielding the knife at Ava. He instantly hurls himself at me, but I drop it on the counter and snort out a laugh, followed by Ava. “We totally got you!” I laugh, pointing. But his expression remains. My laughter dies in the ether between us.
“It’s your grandma. She’s in the hospital.”
Thirty-Three
Tait
“She fell,” Charlie says when he sees me in the waiting area. “Knocked herself out on the way down, lost a lot of blood, but she’s already spitting mad and trying to leave, so I’m sure she’ll be just fine.” I hug him, then, because he’s as white as a ghost himself, and because despite his levity, he’s clearly worried.
“I’m just glad she was at our house when it happened. You need to talk to her about moving in soon, Charlie,” Grace says, and it’s firmer and more irritated than I’d have guessed coming from her.
Emergencies bring out those differences in people, I suppose. Some thrive in chaos—their focus and calm sharpen; and some crumble—that panic ricochets out onto whoever’s closest.