The Long Weekend

Chapter Two - Quiet Time

As the dinner was being served, Stacy came up to the food table and told them that she was having a headache and wanted some painkillers. Nobody thought to bring any kind of medicine so they all went to search for a medical kit in the hut and found what looked like pain killer pills. Fred warned her not to take the pills but she ignored him and took them anyway. Everyone went back to have dinner including Stacy. After dinner Stacy said that the pills worked and she was feeling better. Then she suggested that they go outside and make a camp fire. Ned and Ruth seemed like they wanted to sit with them but they wouldn’t let them because it was getting late and they had to go to bed.

    Steve did not bother to put Ruth to bed and he went straight to help build the campfire. Stacy and Adda went to tuck in Ned and Ruth. Stacy loves her son so much and she usually kisses him until he gets kind of annoyed. Ned noticed that not Ruth’s father nor her mother was going to tuck her in or give her a kiss before she goes to sleep, but he could not do anything about it so he just pretended to go to sleep as soon as his mother put him to bed so she would not kiss him in front of Ruth.

    Adda likes Ruth so much and she lost her parents at a young age so she knew what it felt like to live without parents, even though Ruth was not told that she was adopted. Adda hugged Ruth so tight and kissed her forehead and told her that her father loves her and the only reason he did not come to put her to sleep is because he is not good at it. Ruth felt a happiness that she never felt before and told Adda that she likes her and thinks of her as a mother. Adda smiled and tried to take Ruth’s jacket off her before she tucked her in. Ruth insisted that she sleeps with the jacket on. Adda did not want to upset her so let her sleep with it on her. Adda tucked Ruth in then she left with Stacy. Stacy looked annoyed from what she had witnessed but she did not say anything. She turned off the lights and peeked at Ned before she closed the door.

    Meanwhile, the men were gathering wood and gas to light up the fire. Heath is not one to toy around with safety and regulations. He wanted to make sure they were not breaking any rules by starting a fire.

    ’Are we even allowed to light up a fire in here?’ Heath asked.

    ‘We’re not allowed to, but look around.’ Steve replied. ‘We’re miles away from civilization and no one will even see the smoke. We’re so far from anything else that there isn’t even phone signal in here.’

    Heath did not like the idea of starting a fire in the middle of the woods without having a phone signal in case something goes wrong and he tried to stop them from gathering wood. Fred and Steve dismissed his concerns and urged him to help building the fire until he gave in and started helping them.

    After the fire was lit, Stacy and Adda grabbed chairs and joined the men. Fred asked Steve about Ruth and what was her knowledge about her being adopted. Steve looked disturbed by the question and could not make a proper sentence.

    ’She does not know.’ Stacy answered in his stead.

    ‘Yeah.’ Steve added. ‘She does not know that she was adopted and I do not think I might tell her.’

    ‘You need to show her more love, Steve.’ Adda said while wearing a sad face. ‘I know Judith does. There is no good going to come from you telling her the truth about her parents abandoning her in a cold night and you picking her up from your doorsteps. I know she wouldn’t want to know, even if she suspects it.’

    Steve had a look not of sadness but what seemed like shame. He could not say anything to what Adda had just told him.

    ‘You need to not let her feel unwanted or not loved.’ Adda kept saying. ‘It hurts, Steve. It hurts.’