Dial Drunk - Post Malone

55

Austin checks himself in the mirror, smoothing down his shirt and running his fingers through his beard. It's Grassy's funeral today and he is taking him home, where he belongs. It's a heavy day but Austin feels lighter than he has in days. Not as light as he was when Grassy was around and it still feels like there is a gaping hole in his chest. His emotions go up and down like a roller-coaster, one second he is fine, he is functional and can manage then the next second he crumbles and the tears fall, he can not manage.

Grief is a shit show of emotions and just trying not to scare yourself with the reality of never seeing that person again. Never hearing their voice again. Never hugging them. But, he has everyone else - Levi is his main source of comfort, but they all hold him up, they support him and there is not a dam bottle of in sight. Not because they have to hold him back or hide the whisky. No. It's simply because he no longer turns to it. He doesn't want it. He doesn't need it.

He looks up at the ceiling and scowls. "Grassy, I swear, if this is one of your parables, one of your fucking tests to see if I will pick up the bottle, I am going to be so fucking pissed off by the time I get up there - I will punch you in your face," he signs. He feels someone tap his leg so he turns and smiles at Max who has attached himself to Austin for the last two days.

"Who are you talking to?" Max signs. "Grassy," Austin signs and points up. Max frowns and looks up then looks back at Austin.

"We can just talk to him whenever we want?"

"Yes."

"He will hear us?"

"Yes."

"Oh..." Max signs then looks up again. "Mom gave me peas last night for dinner. You were not around to eat them for me so I had to eat them myself. They are gross," he signs and then looks at Austin. "He said you should eat them for me," he signs. Austin chuckles and looks up, "All alright, buddy, I will take one for the team," he signs and looks back at Max who is grinning even though Austin can see his cheeks are tear-stained. Like Austin, Max is riding an emotional rollercoaster.

"We are gonna head out. See you on the jet," Dre signs walking into the bathroom. "Nice suit, Max," he adds. Max grins and smooths out his shirt. "Uncle Austin and I made them together. We match," Max signs. Dre smiles at him and takes his hand, flicking Austin a smile too before they step out of the bathroom.

He grabs his phone and then walks down the passage to the kitchen peeping his head in and smiling when he sees Levi sorting through flowers. She wanted bright orange roses, but they only came in big mixed bunches so she bought twenty bunches and is now dismantling them and pulling out the orange roses, her face frowning in concentration. He opens his music app on his phone that is set to the house music system and puts on a song. In this house, everything is designed to suit Levi's world so he watches her carefully as the floor beneath their feet begins to vibrate.

She stills for a second then steps away from the kitchen island and looks down at the floor then snaps her head up and looks at Austin as he moves and stands in the kitchen arch. "What's this?" she signs. "Our sound system, it's that soundboard from our first dance. I had them lay it under the floors throughout the entire house," he signs. "Every room, even the shower and out there on the patio. You can listen to music wherever you are in the house," he signs. She looks at him and then cocks her head.

"There is no sound in your house."

"No, there is no sound in our house."

"Everyone signs, they don't talk."

"Talking is overrated."

"The doorbell does not ring..."

"It's attached to the lights, they flicker when someone is at the door. The fire alarms are set with a blue strobe light and the security alarms are set with a red strobe light. All the lights outside are motion detection, you will know if someone is outside when a light snaps on," he signs.