My Little Shadow

Chapter Twenty-One: Road-Trip

It was an hour's drive to the beach, but Archer's over-kill singing voice made it fly by. Mostly because it kept everyone laughing and a smile on their face. It kept us so distracted that we didn't even notice that it had started sprinkling against the windshield of my truck.

The small droplets just growing heavy enough to slide down the glass when May mentions it. "This is going to be the best beach trip ever."

"What part of it raining, makes a good beach trip?" Archer asked eyeing May in question.

"She loves the rain," I answer for her, proud of myself for knowing this. I wanted to know everything about her which is what prompted my next line of questioning. "Why do you love the rain May?"

Her pale cheeks redden slightly just as I make a left turn, the palm trees coming into view. The air coming in from Archer's cracked window grew salty, a key sign we were almost there.

"When I was little my mother used to have this thing about taking me and her young sister out into the rain. She would stare up at the sky, letting the rain soak into her eyes, into her mouth, and her hair. It freed her and I just like to honor her safe haven whenever I get the chance to. She would either yell or whisper out all of her problems, letting the storm overhead deal with them. Those few moments were the only ones that I like to remember of my mama." She stared ahead of us and I could tell by her empty eyes that she was somewhere other than in this truck and that just wouldn't do.

Thankfully her attention was stolen back when Archer shrieked out a particularly high note in a song, butchering it so bad I wince.

"I could have been the next big thing, huh, May?" Archer says bumping his shoulder with hers, in turn making her other shoulder hit mine.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that bud," I reply playfully.

He didn't pay my jab any attention when a fast-food restaurant came into view, he turned to me with big puppy dog eyes. "No," I say quickly. "We packed food."

"Buuutttt, Bubba!" He draws out using his childhood nickname for me thinking that that will get him what he wants.

I sigh defeated, before turning to the restaurant and getting in line behind the other cars.

"You hungry?" I ask May. She shakes her head slightly before looking down at her hands nervously. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"N- Nothing. I'm just not hungry." Her red cheeks being her giveaway, I swung us into the parking lot instead, we would just go in and eat.

"Bullshit," I say leaning down so I can peer into her eyes. "What's bothering you?"

"It's just. I don't have any money. I can't live off of you forever." She says shyly, hurt underlining every single one of her words and I want to rip into my dad again for him ever making her feel this way.

"May, you aren't a problem," I say, When she tries to look away I grab ahold of her chin and lift her face towards me, making her blue eyes meet my brown ones.

I tried to convey to her just how much she meant to me with one look into my eyes because I didn't think I could say it out loud. I don't think I can verbally get out what I need to get out, at least not at this exact moment.

I let my fingers slide up from her chin and rested it on her cheek, my rough thumb brushing her soft skin. "I like taking care of you," I whisper softly. "But if it will make you feel better, I'll pay you to take care of the farmhouse. Just clean and give it a women's touch when we move, and decorate the whole thing in paper mache. If you want a job, you can get one. I don't want you to think I'm keeping you from doing anything."