Then There's Wilbur

Chapter 22

Wilbur

I admire a person who just doesn't know when to quit. Then again, after having lived this long, it really depends on who that person is and what they're doing. Looking at the papers on the counter, I massaged my temple like it would somehow change the contents of what I'm reading. Tory's father decided that he was finally ready to play sweet ol' papá and got a bunch of lawyers to bombard me with all this legal BS. Google won't suffice if I wanted answers.

"What's that?" came a groggy voice from the living room. Tory walked in the kitchen and sat down for breakfast.

"Homework," I replied. I moved some tendrils of hair away from her face before putting a plate of eggs in front of her.

She frowned, "I hate homework."

I casually put the papers back in the envelope it came from and resisted the urge to just chuck it in the bin. "Tell me about it."

Tory ate quietly, occasionally glancing at the envelope on the counter. She used to make a mess whenever she ate. Visiting her and her mom used to be a weekly thing for me. My sister was good to Tory and tried to be, even on bad days. It was difficult the first few weeks with Tory. She never said a word and would make this face like she was about to cry. I, for one, did not know how to raise a child, much less comfort one.She was supposed to stay with my parents. She cried a lot. She told me recently that she was scared her mom might come home and not find her there.

I tried talking to her the way people talked to wounded animals. That proved to be ineffective as I found out later on why she hated it. It was the same tone the adults used around her right after her mom went to rehab. So I talked to her the same way I would've wanted to be spoken to when I was her age. Of course that backfired since she always had one smart remark. I scolded her when I needed to and talked to her about her day. For a while now, it was just the two of us.

"Is Diana coming over today?" she asked, wiping bits of her breakfast from her face.

"She will. You need to finish your homework before she gets here though," I grinned. She mumbled something about hating homework before getting off her chair.

Diana comes over at least once a week these days. Most of the time I opened the door to her smiling. Tired, but smiling. The urge to hug her for at least five seconds more was strong. That was until I finally listened to the devil on my shoulder and did just that. She didn't seem to mind. I should probably ask her if she knew any good lawyers.

I haven't told anyone about it, even my parents. I certainly wasn't going to let my sister find out that her ex-boyfriend was planning to take one of the few things keeping her sane.

I went on with my day like usual. I was somehow assigned to drive for the woman Diana hated or rather, hated Diana. I heard her name come up while she was on a phone call with her friends. It was mostly just her friends reassuring her that she was prettier and her husband was lucky to have her. Then again, the amount of times she and her said husband argued was concerning. I never told Diana any of it. Why should I? She didn't need it.

We were fine eating out from time to time and getting a beer or two when movies couldn't do the trick after a bad day. I wasn't in a hurry, she wasn't either. It was nice to find a person that I can be comfortable with with our clothes still on.

Diana came knocking at around dinner. I opened the door to her looking like she came straight from a cocktail of sorts. She dyed her hair a darker color and it usually catches me off guard even though I was the one who helped her dye it. The blue hair was growing on me.

"I feel underdressed," rubbing my stomach, I somehow felt conscious that I was wearing a uni shirt.

She gave me an amused look before walking past me. "What? You didn't get the memo?"

I grinned, looking at her as she breathed a sigh of relief after taking off her heels.

"We don't need this many events," she said, massaging her feet. It took Diana a while to feel comfortable around the apartment. She placed her shoes neatly by the couch and looked at me.

"How was your day?" she asked.

Oh you know, the woman you work with complained about you scolding her for talking back to a manager. After all, it was only her third time making the same mistake.

"Same old. How was yours?" I stood by the television, hand in my pocket. It was all I could do not to reach out and touch her.

"Oh you know, someone got promoted yada yada. It was actually supposed to be Benedict but the execs changed their minds." She shrugged. I waited until she talked some more.

"Maybe they didn't like it that he wasn't good at committing to one thing. I heard that's one thing those kinds of people look for." I said nonchalantly. I pretended not to notice her gasp, the corners of her lips forming a smile.

She chuckled. "Right. Those are the same executives that go golfing with their secretaries for business."

Tory peeked from her bedroom and her face lit up seeing Diana.

"Did you go dancing?" she asked excitedly. She looked at me and defensively said, "I finished my homework."

I gestured for her to come out and she sat next to Diana, asking her a bunch of questions. When she tired herself out, she made Diana promise to sleepover.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to be sleeping here?" she asked me after I tucked Tory in bed.

I smiled. "Any friend of Tory is a friend of mine. Now is this friend interested in having a Sloppy joe for dinner?"

She nodded and watched as I made her one. "Yes, please. I'm going to sue whoever decided that they serve a spoonful of food as a main dish during these events."

I took a sharp breath and turned to her. "Hey so, do you know any good family lawyers?"

She looked confused but nodded. "I think I do. Is there a problem?"

I was on the other side of the kitchen aisle and had to lean towards her. "I think I need one."

She took out her phone and started typing. I waited patiently as she focused on whatever that was on her screen. She wasn't asking me any questions like I hoped she would. When she finally looked up, I knew she was itching to ask what was wrong.

"I'll tell you once I get everything sorted out. It's a long story, prologue, backstories and flashbacks included."

She tried laughing at what I said but I had a feeling she knew what was going on. I definitely feel some sort of guilt. It's like my sister was living in a completely different genre from me. Like one of the stories the girls in my high school were crazy about. Only my sister didn't ride off on a motorcycle to the sunset afterwards.

I looked at Diana and absent-mindedly touched her cheek. She placed a hand over mine and gave it a light squeeze.

"Thanks for being here."