A Car Ride Home

W O K E

Previously...

"Lilly, I'll be fine. Go to sleep." Al said, noticing her food was finished, as well as, her drink.

"We'll talk in the morning," she said firmly, before getting up. "Goodnight, Al."

"Goodnight, Lilly."

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L i l l y   w o k e   w i t h  a start, before realizing it's Saturday and there is no work today. With a smile she snuggled back into the warmth of her bed, tucking her cold toes under Brody. The second time she woke, however, she heard something happening on the roof. 

Al woke early as he usually did. He had learned the hard way if you weren't up at the crack of dawn you got robbed, or beat. Gangs love picking on the homeless because no one really cares about them. Homeless don't like trouble, and people rarely listen to them, so who could ask for a better victim. Luckily for Al, he had training and could take on the men, who came his way. Others weren't so lucky.

Al walked down the hall, only to see Lilly's door slightly open, so Al peeked inside. He found a snoring Lilly. Her blonde curls tucked away into a high messy bun on the top of her heart shaped head. One of her hands acting as a barrier for her pillow. She still had the deep shadows under her eyes, but other than that she appeared well rested. Her dog was in the same state as her, laying on its back on the end of her bed. Al smiled at the scene before him, before leaving them to get to work on the roof, as he had promised her the night before. 

About an hour later he had found the necessary tools to patch up a few of the minor holes in her roof, but there was one that would require a little more than scrapes to repair. Al, climbed up the latter and got to work on what he could. 

Lilly groaned, slipping out of her bed. Brody gave her a look, saying "I'm not getting up," and slowly let his eyes fall back to sleep. What a great guard? Lilly thought, giggling at her sweet dog. She left her room, for the living room. Only to find an empty, couch. The blankets flooded nicely in a pile of the pillows laying on top. Her front door was open with the screen in place. Lilly followed the noise to the front of her house, where a latter was leaning against her garage. The ladder was in no way tall enough to get a person on the roof without a little climbing. Did Al do that with tools in his hand?

Lilly made her way up the ladder, she grabbed the lining of the roof, and heaved her way up. Once up, she found Al. His back was to her and he was working away. He was still in the gray sweats and shirtless. His tan skin spread across his toned muscles. The sight was not what Lilly was expecting to find.

Al was just about finished with the minor spots around the roof. It looked as though it hadn't had a proper fixing in a long time. He was nailing the final shingle when his hand slipped and he got his hand instead. "Fuck," he muttered, shaking his hand roughly. Frustrated at the single nail.

"You okay," he heard the worried voice of Lilly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he scoffed, annoyed that she saw him mess up. He felt as though he couldn't do anything right by her. 

"Okay. Um, thank you for fixing the roof. You really didn't have too," she began. Al pounded in the final nail and stood to look at her. 

She was in short pajama bottoms and a shirt that read, "I'm off to Club Bed featuring DJ Pillow and MC Blanky." Al couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. "I like your shirt," he smiled. He watched a light red spread across her cheeks as she realized what she as wearing. "And, as I told you last night, I want to."

"Well, thank you," she looked down at her feet, seeming a bit nervous. "Did you sleep well?"

Al scratched the back of his neck, "It was the best night sleep, I have had in a long time," he answered honestly.

Lilly was saddened by his answer, thinking of her lumpy couch, but gave him a smile in return. Then, her stomach growled lowly. "Breakfast time," she announced happily. 

Al nodded, grabbing the tools he walked with Lilly over to where he knew the ladder was. "Are you comfortable going down by yourself," he asked, remember the difficulty of her short ladder. He waited to see her nod, and he looped the bag of tools around his chest, before lightly falling on to the waiting ladder foot. He went down two steps but decided to wait for her. 

Lilly got on her stomach and began descending off the roof. Her legs dangling. She knew she had to let go in order to find the step but suddenly became nervous with the thought of letting go. Her breathing began to increase and her palms were growing clammy. 

Al watched has Lilly moved her legs down. She was about two feet away from the first step but stopped. Al looked up to she had extended her whole self. So he simply waited, for Lilly to take the little fall, but she still didn't. "Lilly?"

"Uh-huh," she muttered.

"I'm going to help you down. Are you okay with that?" Al saw her nod stiffly before he placed his hands on her small waist. "I have you. Let go," he stated softly.

"I-I can't." Lilly stuttered. She heard his soft voice, but couldn't get herself to obey it. All of the sudden she was a little girl again. 

"Lilly," Garrett, called upon seeing his shaking daughter on the monkey bars. He held on to her tiny waist. "I have you, baby girl. Let go," he called gently. Seeing her fear sinking deeply beneath his daughter's bones. Lilly had always had a deep fear of heights, but she looked determined. Garrett watched with amazement has his smallest child bounced up the stair and jumped on to the first bar. She swung her small arms to the next bar and the next, but the determination on her face was fading, the fear was creeping up on her. 

"Daddy," she suddenly called. He ran to her, quickly. 

"It's alright baby girl. Let go. I have you," but she didn't. Her tiny hands turning red, and her knuckles white. She had a layer of sweat washing over her face. Garrett kept holding on to his little girl, talking to her, but she wouldn't respond. He held on until he felt her slipping. She screamed loudly when her hands slipped, but she didn't fall. Garrett had her.

Lilly turned to face her father. "I have you, baby girl. I told you. I would always have you. All you have to do is let go."

Lilly breathed deeply has the memory faded and she felt strong hands holding on to her.

She let go.

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To be continued...