Perfect Imperfections

Eleven

"You ready, Smarty?" I asked as we sat in the truck, damn near all the cops here in Bear Valley standing outside the house to protect AJ from her family.

"Yeah." AJ said then I got out and went around, helping AJ out as Jess handed Adalyn her crutches. When my mom and dad came over, I saw AJ's shoulders sag and she grinned at them.

"John, Katie!" She smiled and mom gave her a loving smile.

"We're right here for you, Adalyn." She said then the five of us went inside the house. Immediately, I noticed the four people on the couch who were glaring at AJ.

"Which way, Smarty?" I asked and set a hand on her back, making AJ look at me.

"Over the garage, to your left." She said and I nodded as some cops came into the house, standing between her family and AJ. As we got to the garage, I picked her up and carried her up the stairs with my family right behind me.

"There you go." I smiled and set her down in her room, which I finally looked at. She had a twin sized bed in the corner of the room with no bed frame, an old desk against the far right wall tucked into the corner where the bay met the rest of the room, a three legged chair at the desk and a lamp with no shade on the desk, her walls were empty of any decorations, and there wasn't a single wardrobe or dresser or anything. Her clothes were neatly folded against the wall with her shoes lined up next to them. As I went towards the clothes, I counted a single stack of shirts, a half stack of jeans, a half stack of shorts, a single skirt, three pairs of panties, two bras, and one single pair of socks here, so two pairs in total.

"What the actual fuck?" Mom whispered and I looked at her to see my family was horrified.

"This won't take long." AJ said and hobbled to her desk, but I caught her arm and she looked at me.

"We've got it, Smarty, you just- here, sit." I said and pushed the chair against the wall, forcing her to sit down.

"Jake-"

"We've got this." I smiled and she nodded. As I stood, I noticed my family already gathering her few belongings then I went to the desk, poking it and realizing it was going to collapse at any second. I sighed and grabbed AJ's old school bag, the one that ripped, and began putting her things from the desk into it. When I got to the notebook she'd left in my truck, I smiled and thumbed it. All of this because of a book.

"Oh, Jake, be careful! I've got glass in one of those drawers." I looked at AJ and nodded, pulling open the next drawer to see glass figurines of teddy bears, dolphins, horses, any animal really.

"You collect these?" I asked and she nodded. I smiled then grabbed a box, carefully placing the glass into the box. I was so happy I had cleared the desk when I did, because right as I moved away from it, the middle cracked and I jumped when it completely fell to the floor.

"Jesus!" Dad whispered as I looked at AJ, who looked as if she expected that.

"Do you have anything else here that's yours?" I asked and AJ nodded.

"In the living room, on the mantle." She said and I nodded as dad took the bag and box from me, freeing my hands so I could carry her downstairs.

"Anything else, Miss Costanza?" A cop asked and she nodded.

"Jake, that urn and the collar in front of it." She said and I looked at the fireplace.

"You're not taking that!" Her mom yelled, even as I walked over and grabbed the urn and collar. When I saw the plaque on the urn, I smiled softly.

Della, beloved dog and best friend

I grabbed the collar first, seeing it still had Della's name tag on it, then I grabbed the urn and held both carefully.

"You can't take that!" Bella Rae growled, but AJ seemed to have had enough.

"Della was my fucking dog, you cock sucking bitch!" Adalyn snapped and I felt my eyes widen as AJ's face went red and she looked away, hobbling out on her crutches.

"Well, alrighty then!" Dad laughed and we went out to my truck. I waited as my family put her things in the back seat then I set the urn into the box with the glass objects, setting the collar next to it and grabbing the roll of random ass tape I had in here, taping the urn shut. When I looked at AJ, I saw dad helping her into the truck.

"She seems to have snapped." Dad smirked, which made me laugh.

"Thanks, dad." I said then he hugged me and sighed.

"We will be by in a few days to check on you guys." I nodded then smiled as I hugged mom.

"Love you, mom." I said then she let go and sighed.

"Take care of her." She said and I nodded, going around the truck and hopping in as Jess buckled in the back seat.

"Ready?" I asked and AJ nodded.

"I am." She smiled and we left her neighborhood, heading for my house.

"You never mentioned a dog." I said and she sighed.

"Della died five months ago, she got hit by a car and the guy left her there. Della was technically in my mom's name, but I'm the one who took care of her." She said and I nodded.

"I'm sorry, AJ." Jess said, but Adalyn shrugged.

"What kind of dog was she?" I asked and AJ looked at me.

"Della was a mastiff, I can't remember exactly what kind. I think it was a English Mastiff?" She questioned herself, holding her chin as she thought, and I smiled as I reached over and grabbed her hand.

"She was a best friend, Smarty." I said and AJ grinned.

"Yeah, she was." She whispered and silence fell as we drove to my house.