There

Deeper?

When things really get deep, and you start to notice the bits of dirt, the stains in their life, will you be so overwhelmed, so challenged, so caught off guard, that you have to take some space?

The slow drizzle had become a full blown monsoon, and though we could see frowns and crumpling smiles all around us, Watson and I just cheerily continued on until we found the doughnut place we came for.

"So..." I quietly mumbled as we stood in front of the cashier contemplating on what exactly to get. The store was quite deserted and I think only Watson and I were inside it at that moment. I always had difficulty in deciding what to get at fast food joints or even restaurants, being here today was no different. 

"Coffee and doughnuts Parker, but there are so many doughnuts to choose from." Watson said wide eyed as we ogled over the display across us. And yes, the choices were too much for a couple of groggy twenty-somethings, who had still a lot of sleep in their eyes.

"Go random, let's just wing it Watson." Looking around shiftily, I suggested this to Watson as I thought that any doughnut would really do, as I was only here for the coffee anyway, yep, certified caffeine addict here. So, we did, and Watson asked the kind cashier to give us any doughnut of her recommendation along with our coffee. What a surprise it was when I got the strawberry filled one and Watson got a dark chocolate one. 

"She's got a gift." Watson whispered as she stared at the doughnuts.

"Probably prophetic." I replied as I started to sip my hot coffee. Watson laughed again, and it seemed like, through the rain, a small glimmer of brightness came into that doughnut shop. Well, either that or I started to find her laugh immensely amusing. Probably both of those things in this case though.

"Oh Parker, you never really mentioned a lot of details on your family." A sudden statement from Watson as she was taking a small bite from her doughnut caught me off guard. I deliberately didn't spill any deep details on my family as the story was definitely convoluted, complicated, and dramatic, to say the least about it.

"Well, in time Watson, those things are probably too deep, but do you want to hear them? Well, hypothetically." I lazily said, as I tried to mask my apparent anxiousness to her question.

"It's not really what I want, I suppose, I just want to listen Parker, and yes, I will." Once again, Watson gives another surprise statement, and I notice my mouth ajar.

"Oh, well... Thanks Watson." I sheepishly say as she smiled back widely, honesty seen clearly in the brown of her eyes.

"Parker..." Expectation wrapped around the tone of her voice as I shook my head slightly and sighed.

"Okay okay, you do know some of it yeah?" I looked at her as she started to recite from memory what she knew about my family.

"Mom, sister from step father and mom, cousins, one, two, and three, uncle not home, and you...." She quickly says as she kept her eyes on mine, still calm, unwavering, and very sure of each word.

"Me, the ever supportive, eldest son." I finish her sentence for her as she nodded, agreeing. She then tilted her head slightly to the right as she opened both her hands as a gesture that I continue.

"So, yeah, my stepdad left us, well, initially he went to Dubai for work, and he never came back."I watched Watson listen intently as she tried difficultly to hide the smallest of expressions her face was making in reaction to my story. "I took odd jobs as a student, that started after my high school graduation, well into my college days." I started to tap my fingers on the table unconsciously, trying to diffuse tension. "And, yeah, I graduated, got blessed with a job right away, and I'm putting three, I mean four kids through school. It's tough but, that's what has to be done." 

I finally take a deep breath and sigh as I see Watson's crumpled eyebrows at the corner of my eye. She just looked at me so intensely, and I could definitely notice that she wanted to say something but was still in the middle of composing the said statement. 

"How has your mom been taking all that, and still has enough to face everyday?" Watson suddenly slumped in her seat as she rested her head on her folded arms, placed firmly on the table. "That's just a lot Parker."

"If there was one word I could say to describe my mom, it's RESILIENCE." I quickly say cheerily, as I tried to lift the mood of our conversation, or at least change it's direction.

"She's got a gift she does." She looked up and smiled at me, although a bit sadly this time as I do my best to smile back.

"Yeah, she does. I'm hoping that I get even a bit of that gift." I sigh again as I hear a small giggle from Watson.

"Oh Parker, if anything, I'd say you have just as much a she does." She extended her arm and started to tussle my slicked back hair, and I dumbfounded, let her. "Oops, sorry, always wanted to do that with your hair Parker." Quickly pulling back her arm she covered her mouth and stifled another laugh as I shook my head smiling at her.

"Nah, you deserve one try Watson. I guess deep things shouldn't be heaped all at once." Still worried I frown a little, as Watson noticed this, she slowly pinched the sleeve of my jacket, smiled and looked at me with such focus that I could tell how many hues of brown colored her eyes.

"Parker, we'll take each step, deeper. Okay?" Assurance echoing through each word, she had calmed me very quickly and I gestured a small toast with my coffee cup. Our brunch barely ending with a silent clink.