Going Full Throttle

Chapter 46

September 5th

I blinked my eyes open as the alarm beeped next to me. I turned it off quickly then looked on the other side of the bed. Finn and Petey were tangled together under the comforter, completely unbothered by the intrusive noise.

As I stretched, Petey snuffled his nose in his sleep until he found Finn's shirt, then he relaxed. When I had first found out that Tyler left his dog in my four-year-old's care, I was sure it was vindictive. How could it not be? It's not like Finn would actually be able to take care of the dog. Not to mention, Petey was big enough to eat us out of house and home.

A week after Tyler left though, Scotty handled that issue when he sneakily managed to get several thousand dollars put into my bank account. I'd tried to object, but he'd refused to take it back. When he casually suggested that I use the money for Petey, I realized it had been Tyler.

Watching Petey and Finn together is what made me realize that it hadn't been vindictive, at least not completely. Tyler leaving was a hard hit on our perfect summer. The remaining weeks of August slumped by without any real joy. Neither the Thompsons nor Finn and I could ever really take pleasure in the sunny days the way we had before.

It only added to my guilt and self-loathing that the Thompson's last weeks in O'Hara had been dampened. I was sure that a week ago when it was their turn to leave, they were probably relieved. It had been a tearful goodbye after the summer we'd all had. I couldn't express how much Twyla, Beau, and Scotty had helped me and Finn. Without them, I would have been so lost.

Their exit had also marked my parent's return. Seeing my parents again only succeeded in driving home how special Twyla and Beau were. They knew me in ways now that my parents didn't. They had taken the time to love and support both me and Finn through all of our ups and downs. My parents, on the other hand, were practically strangers to my child.

Finn still talked about Tyler every single day. Sometimes he would come to me for a cuddle or a little cry, and we'd talk about Tyler until Finn felt better. It never made me feel better though. Every time I said his name it felt like a thousand tiny knives slicing at my skin. I did it for Finn, though.

The only saving grace had been Petey. More than a few times, I'd caught Finn talking to Petey; whispering to him about Tyler. It broke my heart to hear, but Finn seemed to find comfort in talking to Petey. Not to mention, this ridiculous dog was the only thing we'd laughed at in weeks. Every once in a while, I'd hear Finn up in his room belly-laughing while Petey barked excitedly. For those few seconds, I was actually able to smile.

I got out of bed and showered quickly. Today was a big day and I wanted it to be perfect. After I was dressed, I went to the kitchen and set to work on breakfast. In a flash, I had eggs, bacon, and Eggos on Finn's Batman plate as I walked back into the bedroom.

"Wakey, wakey," I whispered excitedly as I sat on the edge of the bed. Rubbing Finn's shoulder, I slowly roused him awake. His bright eyes, slightly puffy from sleep, landed on the plate in my hand and he sat up.

"Bacon?" He grinned.

"It is a special occasion after all," I said as I pushed Petey's nose away from Finn's breakfast. Not that it mattered. In my peripherals, as I turned to stand, I caught Finn slipping the dog a piece of bacon.

"What do you want to wear?" I asked as I walked to the dresser that now held most of his clothes. Since Tyler left, Finn's room had only been used for playing. I wasn't sure if it was the right move or not, but it was working for us. Especially for me. My bed had turned into a bit of a hamster cage will all three of us piled together, but we all slept better.