Welcome to Stonebrook

Four

~Clay~

"Daddy!" Libby wrapped her arms around my legs before I'd even managed to get all the way into my mom's house. All the stress from the day melts away when she does this. Coming home to her giant smile and huge blue eyes. 

"Hey baby," I settled my hand on her back, pulling my bag off my shoulder and dropping it to the floor as I bent to pull her up. "How was school?" 

"Good." Good. It hasn't been 'good' for a long time. I looked over at my mom who shrugged. 

"She was talking to her new teacher in the gym when I got there." 

"New teac-" My mom raised her eyebrow at me and I have a gut feeling this has already been mentioned to me. I carried Libby into the kitchen, keeping her on my hip with her arms wrapped around my neck. 

"Miss Turner." 

"Right. Yeah. Miss Turner." 

"We played Olympics and then she talked to me about Koda and butterflies and she said you were right! That they turn to caterpillar soup!" She giggled when I grimaced at the thought, wriggling under my hold until I slid her down to her feet. "Can I stay at Auntie Tate's tonight? She said she got new paints for me." 

"Uh- is she here?" 

"No." 

"You can run next door and ask her but use the back gate." And she was gone. In less than a heartbeat. Bolting out the backdoor, leaving it open behind her.  

"Long day?" 

"You have no idea mom." I exhaled, pushing the door closed and sitting down with my phone in front of me. If Tate got Libby more paints she won't come back to say goodbye, she'll be demanding Tate set up an entire thing immediately and Tate won't even think about refusing. 

"You need to hire another area manager Clay. You can't keep travelling for hours every day. It's exhausting you and she's picking up on it." I rubbed my forehead. "I mean how far out did you have to go today?" 

"Mom. It's fine. It's gotta be done." 

"Hm. You know, you're seeing less of her the last few-" 

"For god's sake mom. I know I'm seeing less of her. I know I'm missing more pick ups than I'm making. I know work is taking over everything but what do you want me to do? I am finally making a big enough profit margin for me to be putting more than needed into Lib's college fund. I am trying to hire someone new but the interviews are disastrous. I'm trying." My mom swung the towel over her shoulder, sliding down onto the bench opposite me where she sat in silence. Tate text to say she'd have Olivia but she was hyping her up on sugar and honestly, she was gonna anyway. At least this time she can deal with the burst of energy and the crash. 

"She's got a parent teacher conference on Friday next week. 3pm. Apparently Miss Turner wanted to wait a little to get settled in and everything into order before officially meeting all the parents." 

"What happened to what's his face?" 

"Mr Stevenson? He was making meth in his cellar apparently." Wow. Seriously? And he was just going to work, teaching my daughter? Wonderful. "Apparently Miss Turner is from New York. No one knows too much other than she's friends with Tessa Larson." 

"So she's not even from around here?" 

"No." 

"Great. Just what Libby needs. Some out of towner who doesn't have a clue." I stood up, grabbing my phone and shoving it back into my pocket. 

"Breakfast tomorrow." 

"Yeah, yeah." I waved my mom off as I left, Koda following hot on my heels because he knew too damn well by now.

I spent the night in an empty house, flicking through TV channels with it on mute. 

You never really get used to the silence after having a house full of singing and humming and dancing. It's night like tonight when Lib's elsewhere that it really hits home just how empty the house feels without either of my girls here. I refuse to let Olivia not know who her mom is. Her pictures are dotted everywhere and I've never shied away from the conversation of who the woman was or where her mom was. As much as Olivia will never know her mom, I did. 2 years of marriage, 3 years of dating. I knew Rose inside out and as much as I wish we'd had longer, we didn't. 

There's times when I forget about her. But I come home to what is practically a shrine for my long dead wife and it hurts just as much as it did the day she passed. Tate and my parents have both said I should take them down. Not all of them and not get rid of them. Just replace them with photos of me and Lib. I know I should but it feels like a disservice. The only reason Rose isn't here is because she held onto Olivia. She passed on getting treatment so it didn't effect Olivia and by the time Lib was here, the cancer was too far spread to treat. She had all of 4 weeks with Olivia. 4 weeks that I will hold tight in my hands forever. She gave her life so Olivia would be here and I'll be damned if I let Libby forget that. 

The sun starts to rise on yet another restless night and I give up on trying, climb out of bed and take Koda for a long walk around town to waste time.  Everyone talks about the immediate effects of loosing someone but you never see it years later, when it still feels fresh to you but the world has moved on. I still feel stuck in that day from years ago and every flash of change around here is proof at just how deep in the mud I am. 

Koda barks and it snaps me from my depressing thoughts, just not quick enough to grab him before he's hurtling across someone's lawn. 

"Koda!" I whisper shout at him but it's too late. He's at the porch steps, sitting down with a huge ass smile. 

"Oh aren't you just the cutest." The woman pats him on the head, scratching behind his ear and he's all too happy to just sit there having this woman's attention. 

"Sorry. Ran off before I could get him back on lead." The brunette is sat on her front porch in tracksuit bottoms and a gray oversized hoodie, wool blanket over her shoulders with a steaming cup of coffee on the deck beside her. She looks up for just a second and I can tell without needing more than that, that she's been crying. Her eyes are red, pale skin is a little blotchy and it's now that I notice her damp sleeves as she pets my dog. 

"Oh, don't worry, it's fine." Koda pants and lets his tongue drop out the side of his mouth. 

"Are you okay?" She looks up again and it's like a flash. The way her face changes. "I mean. You're out here pretty early." 

"Oh. Yeah. Just moved in. Busy making lists of everything I need to do." I nod slowly. "I'll let you get on with your walk." 

"Thanks. Come on mutt, let's go find Lib." Koda instantly turns to look at me. "Where's Libby?" Koda stands on his feet, no longer interested in the stranger and much more in where his girl is. "You're gonna catch a death out here." 

"Thanks for your concern stranger but I'm fine." 

"Hmm. You sure seem it." I look her up and down slowly. "See yah around." She presses her lips together and raises her eyebrows, before I turn away and start walking off. 

"You're wearing mismatched shoes." I look down without turning my head and instantly turn my head back to see her raising her mug in the air, slowly bringing it to her lips. She thinks she's funny. Trying to make me look stupid. How polite.