Saving Me

The Easy Way Out

Stormy's POV:

Sitting in the back desk sipping my coffee, I stared out over the lake and watched as the first morning ray glistened off the smooth surface. This had been my morning routine for the past two days: coming out here, drinking coffee, and just being one with nature while everyone else slept. But today, that routine was going to come to an end because no matter how much I wanted to stay here in this little hideaway and forget all the drama in my life, I knew I needed to get back to work and I knew that Matt did as well. Didn't mean I couldn't dream about sitting out here like this every morning though. The soft snick of the back door pulled me from my thoughts. I watched with a smile as Matt's mama stepped though the doorway and sat down beside in one of the Adirondack chairs on the deck.

"Good morning, Mrs. McGraw." I said, sipping from my mug as I pulled my legs up under me.

"Oh no, no, no dear. How many times to do I have to remind you that I would much rather be called Stella. Mrs. McGraw is my mother-in-law, God rest her soul."

"Sorry. It's a hard habit to break." I said, apologetically. All of my life, I had been raised to address my elders properly, so the fact that she wanted me to call her by her first name was going to take some getting used to.

"You'll get it dear." She smiled as she sat back in the chair. The two of us stayed quite for awhile and I was content with that. There was just something about sitting out here with her that was like a soothing balm to the soul. Just one more reason I was finding it hard to want to get back to reality.

"You know Stormy, Matt has been so different since you and him met. He has this glow about him that I was beginning to think had diminished for good. But you and that little angel of yours has brought so much joy to his life. And for that, I will be forever grateful." Said Stella, turning in her seat so that she was facing me. Her words had tears pooling in my eyes.

"Mrs.- umm, Stella, I think you have it all wrong. Its Matt that had brought so much joy into my life that most days, I have a hard time containing it. I want to spend every minute with him because when we are apart, I miss him so dag on much that it hurts sometimes. You raised an amazing man. A man who is kind, protective, brave, thoughtful, loving, and so much more. I wake up every morning wondering what I did you ever deserve him." I said as the tears pooled in my eyes and streamed down my cheeks. A soft hand handed on mine and made me look up. I was met with eyes the same color blue as Matt's.

"You don't have to blow smoke up my ass sweetie. I know he is a good man, but I can't take the credit for all of that. His daddy was his idol when he was growing up. I swear they were like two peas in pod, but you know how that goes. Child hits teenage years and rebels against dad. Dad loses his temper. Words get said that neither of them means. Those two peas in a pod kind of drift apart only to realize that as they get older, the stupid little arguments were pointless." Said Stella.

"I hope that I get to meet Mr. McGraw one day soon." I said softly. I'd be lying if that usual pang of jealousy that I always felt when someone still had their daddy in their life didn't hit me. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like it was when I was a kid and would watch my classmates dancing with their daddies at the father/daughter dances back in school, but it was bad still.

"Something tells me that you will be meeting him soon enough darlin. That is if I can ever drag him away from that dang steel mill. That place is stuck to him like a tick on a coon dogs' ass" she said with a chuckle before lifting her coffee mug to her lips and taking a sip. I watched as she settled the mug onto the table and reclined back in the chair before continuing. "I see the way that boy of mine looks at you and I see the way you look at him. You two have something that is special, something that not everyone gets the chance to experience. My advice is to hold on to that feeling, remember the way that you feel right now and do everything humanly possible to make sure that you have that same feeling for the rest of your life. I'm not saying that it will be easy. The things in life that are worth having never are. But believe me, every fight yall might have or every milestone y'all reach will be so worth it in the end. The two of you deserve a little happiness in your lives since you both have had your fair share of trials and tribulations."