Little Do You Know

Chapter 26

1993

Eddie sat in his van, staring out the windshield, exhaustion sapping every ounce of strength in his body. He'd just finished his sixth shift of the week, ten hours of monotonous, back-breaking work. He hadn't wanted to. Him and Dani had planned on taking the kids to the beach today but when his boss asked, Eddie couldn't say no because they needed money urgently.

Back in March, as everything started to thaw and melt, the roof started leaking. They'd had to pay to get it repaired. The guy informed them they needed a new roof but they couldn't afford it. Hopper and Uncle Wayne assured them they could all do it themselves for half the cost but they didn't even have half the money. They were trying to set aside enough to get it done before summer was over and fall returned with its wet, rainy days.

He leaned his head against the headrest, closing his eyes, just needing ten minutes of peace and quiet before he headed to the chaos that was his home, to a one year old and a six year old who wanted all his attention, to a wife who would be exhausted herself from having spent all day dealing with them alone. If he was being honest, he really didn't even want to go home right now. He wanted to put this car in drive and just keep going, away from all of this shit, away from all the weight of the responsibility that was threatening to crush him beneath it.

A hand slammed against his window and he jumped, turning to see Ray, one of his co-workers on the other side. What in the hell did he want? Eddie wanted nothing to do with this place now that his shift was over. They better not be asking him to work more. He cranked the window down and Ray ducked his head inside.

"Hey man, if you're just gonna be hanging around, you want to go with a few of us over to the bar?" he asked.

No had been on Eddie's lips. It had been right there. He knew he shouldn't. Dani had been home alone with the kids all day. He should go home to his family, spend time with them. But the very thought of it drained any semblance of energy he had left. Would it be so bad to head over to the bar and have a couple beers? It would relax him, put him in a calmer place so he didn't go home and be a complete dick to his wife and kids.

He'd done that far too much over the last year and a half since he started this job. He'd seen the hurt in Dani's eyes, the broken promise that he wouldn't resent her. It was just so hard. Eddie would come home after working six days straight, ten to twelve hour shifts, and he would be so tired and then someone would say something and his hackles would go up. He'd snap at his wife. He'd snap at Lyric. Two weeks ago, he thought his heart was going to crack in his chest when his little girl's eyes filled with tears and she told him he was mean before stomping upstairs. She'd been bugging him, asking him over and over to play a game with her, and she wouldn't take no for an answer. He'd lost his patience and yelled and he wasn't proud of it.

"You know what? Yeah," Eddie answered with a nod. "I suppose I could grab a beer or two with you guys. I'll meet you over there."

Lighting up a cigarette, Eddie drove away from the plant. The little voice in the back of his head was whispering that this might not be a good idea but he told that annoying bitch to shut up. He needed this.

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"Hey, thanks man..." Eddie slurred as Ray pulled up in front of his house. A couple beers had quickly turned into half a dozen and Eddie knew he couldn't drive.

He'd only meant to go for an hour or so but he lost track of time. They shot some pool, bullshitted about work, bitched about their plant manager, and listened to the band that was playing. Eddie had not been impressed. Those amateurs couldn't touch Corroded Coffin with a ten foot pole. The drummer was way off beat and the singer sounded like a dying cat as he shrieked into the microphone. Eddie had been relieved when they finally thanked the crowd and exited.