Fine lines

Chapter 15

Tate

"Oh my days! Look at you!" Grandma swings my arms out to get a good look at me which brings happiness straight into my cheeks. "Hi Grandma!" I shriek
She brings me into her embrace, as I fall into her arms I see Grandpa standing behind her with a grin on his face "Hello my little star" he hugs me longer but Grandma hugged me tighter. I missed them.
They bring me straight inside to the living room, I sit down on the suede couch by the fireplace, the subtle smell of smoke and the birchwood crackling brought back nostalgia from when I was a little girl. On all my breaks from school, instead of staying home by myself I spent the time with my grandparents, Mom would work during the day and Dad always worked late. Mum always picked me up on time, Dad wouldn't know where I spent half my time if it came down to an emergency. But I always got the special treatment being the only child, not that I think I'm a spoiled brat but they always did spoil me. Especially whenever I was around, from baking to shopping and even being taught how to drive. Sometimes I feel as if I don't appreciate them enough.
"The pot is freshly hot so don't burn the tip of your tongue" Grandma poured a blackcurrant black tea in my cup. My favourite.
"How have you been little star?" Grandpa has always for as long as I can remember called me 'little star' he picked my Mother's name and then passed the name to me. Grandpa used to be an astronomer, he taught in schools and studied the science of space. Sometimes he still attends lectures and seminars as a guest speaker for what he knows, teaching younger college kids, some really get into it which makes him happy.
"I'm, good" I'm not lying, but I'm hesitating. I suddenly flashback to last night and the events that occurred, I didn't take it in at the time the effect it had on me and then I remembered the clandestine conversation Kylo and I had briefly in the kitchen.

No one's in here and I can feel myself getting a little tipsier, Kylo stumbles in the middle of me making myself a drink.
"Tateyyyy" My eyes roll to his direction "You're going to have find a better nickname than that my friend"
He chuckles and rests his drunken disorderly body against the bench. I hold up a bottle of water and he shakes his head at me impersonating a foul look at the bottle. He watches me make my drink and then flicks an inebriated gaze on me. What is he doing? Is he really that drunk? I pretend I don't notice and screw the lid back on the spirit bottles. He withdrawals a heavy sigh and bows his head down.
"He likes you, you know?" Kylo's words stop me mid way screwing the last lid on the vodka bottle.
"Uh, no" I falter. He looks up at me shaking his head. I try to reassure his presumption "No no really, we're just friends. He's been a great fri-"
"You don't see the way he looks at you Tate." I pause mid way lifting my cup to mouth "You don't see the way he looks at you when he thinks no ones looking"
I place my cup down as he gives me a look of truth and honesty, it's the most sober he's looked in his entire drunken state tonight. My breaths fall shaky, is there something I'm not seeing?
"Look Tate, I'm not going to say anything to him and he'll kill me if I said anything at all. But I know him, and I know when he's happy." I'd be lying to myself if I didn't say I felt something in the car that night. I'd be lying even further if I didn't admit I felt it more nights we spent on the phone. But anything more than that? I couldn't do it.
I'm a flight risk with broken wings and a broken heart to match.
No one could ever love me or stick around long enough.
"I won't say anything, but I don't see it"
"That's the point, you don't."

"-I don't think I've seen him around since." I snap out of my flashback and back to my grandmothers sour words about Dad. My Mothers parents aren't fond of him and his actions since she passed in the slightest. His absence for the funeral preparation is a normal reaction anyone would have, but he barely had anything to do with it. It was all up to us. Probably better that way. After the funeral, he went back to work the next day. He barely ever mentioned Mom after that and I think his way of dealing with it and grief is a normal reaction but he hasn't asked me once since she died if I'm doing okay.
My eyes blinked rapidly as I tried to think of something to respond with but I just slyly smile at her comment.
"Nothing's changed if I'm being honest" I don't beat around the bush with them, I've never lied to them. "Doesn't surprise me, why don't you stay with us while you're here?"
"I have thought about it, I don't see him" The thought had been crossing my mind lately, especially since Dad practically prompted me to stay with them.
"Well, take this and come stay, move in or live here whenever you please" She hands me a golden spare key for the house, their kindness is so touching and it makes me think a little harder about coming to stay here, I don't know what makes me not want to leave home, but I think it's the possibility that he might turn around and be a decent parent.
"Give me a day to think about it, he's away again too so I'll come around more this week"
They share a smile with me as I sip my tea, staring at the fireplace taking in the warmth on my face. "You look happy Tate is everything okay?" Grandma asks.
"If I look happy wouldn't I be okay?" I questioned with a suspicious look.
"You just look very, glowy and I just want to make sure you're happy and healthy"
I give her a warm smile, I think my decision to stay here became a lot easier.
"I am actually, I've made some new friends here actually and they've been good company"
They raise their eyebrows at me with a look of awe. "Would we know them?"
"They're from the hockey team, but I sort of bumped into one somewhere else and then I met the rest when I started taking pictures at the rink"
"Some of those boys are just the best, they're charming and I know most of their grandmothers" I shake my head, but it's no surprise when she attends every dance class for ladies over 60. "Which ones do you know?" She asks.
Surely she doesn't know them that well.
"Uhh, Kylo, Heath, Elliot, August, Derek and Wyatt"
"Ohh Wyatt, his family is lovely, his grandparents own that house up on Cornelia Street but they've been travelling and working for a touring company for the last year" The realisation hits me that the house the boys live in is actually his grandparents. I guess that explains why it's always clean, incase they ever came back home early. But, maybe that's what the guest room is? I have so many questions. It's not like it's a problem but the more it hits me I know nothing about him, at least not as much as I thought. It has only been a few weeks but still I think the not knowing will always terrify me.
"They're good kids, I go watch the games sometimes with the grandmothers. But I'll come more often now that you're there" it warms my heart how truly supportive they are and I don't have to fight for their attention. That will always be my favourite part, it's like my Mom never left.