Most Beautiful Words by Raine O'Tierney

Author:Raine O'Tierney [O'Tierney, Raine]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 19

AT TEN to three, Autumn dragged herself out of her own bed and climbed up into Mama’s. Her nightgown was a wrinkled, sweaty mess, but it was too much effort to go back to her wardrobe and find something else to wear. She was too old to be sleeping in Mama’s bed, but her mother welcomed her with open arms and let her snuggle up against her side while she watched television on a really low volume. It felt nice, and Mama’s bare leg was cool against Autumn’s burning skin.

She had the sense that Roy had followed her into the bedroom, but Mama didn’t say anything about it. Maybe she couldn’t see him? Autumn didn’t like Roy’s stories as much as Great-Pop’s. For one thing, he told them matter-of-factly, unadorned with the details that made her favorite stories so interesting. For another, his were sad. Not as sad as the one Great-Pop told her. Her least favorite story. But sad enough to weasel their way into her heart and sit there heavily. The only thing she appreciated about it was just how much Roy loved Great-Pop and how willing he was to defend him against his awful father. He hadn’t said specifics, but she hoped whatever he’d done to Great-Pop’s daddy, it hurt real bad.

“Mama?” Autumn moaned against her mother’s side. Her mouth was dry and her stomach ached.

“Hold on just a second,” Mama whispered, and Autumn realized she’d been talking on the phone. Had she dozed off again? “Yes, baby-doll?”

“I don’t want Great-Pop to….” As soon as she began to talk, she felt like it was too much effort, and she started fading again. Snuggling deeper against Mama’s leg, she pulled the covers up over her head. For a moment, there was silence as Mama waited for her to continue, but as Autumn’s breathing evened, she addressed her caller again.

“Sorry about that, she’s burning up, poor thing. It just came out of nowhere. Maybe stress. I shouldn’t have pulled her out of school.” She paused. “I know, I just didn’t think, and you were busy… I just couldn’t go there alone.” She let out a long, low sigh, “I’m a shit mother. No, I really, really am. She’s been an absolute wreck about all of this.” Another long pause in which Autumn almost fell asleep. “Yeah. Well. She just loves Granddad like nothing I’ve ever seen.” For a long time she just listened, and then Mama laughed. “Well, she’s always been a special heart. I don’t remember loving my Great-Gramps like that. But then I was a real brat. And he was weird, and he was old, and I just wasn’t very interested. You had a weird Grandpa, didn’t you?”

Mama’s words were coming to her through a thick haze of sleep, so they were slightly distorted, and not all of them made sense. She could be dreaming again. She shifted just a little.

“She’s talking about Virginia’s father.” Roy was sitting on the floor, his arm up on the mattress near where Autumn was lying.

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