The sun had long since retired from the sky, and it was clear in Grandpa’s voice that he was almost too partied out to stay up any longer. I offered him my bed for as long as he was going to be in town, seeing as though the guest room was overrun with four messy men, but he had already made reservations at an old bed and breakfast nearby before he decided to come and visit. After exchanging goodbye’s with his old friends, we went on a drive back to the park where he had left his car.
It was a rather silent trip, for the most part, with nothing but the radio singing quietly throughout the car. After all the non-stop talking and story-telling, I wasn’t expecting any more words to come out of his mouth. But as we pulled into the dirt parking lot, he unbuckled his seatbelt and gave me a strange look.
I pulled the keys out of the ignition and returned it. “You okay?”
Grandpa nodded, but continued to stare at me. He looked like he was having a bit of a debate inside that balding head of his, and then after a moment or two he spoke again. “Are you, uh…are you and Freddie going with each other?”
An involuntary chuckle left my lips. “You mean like, are we a couple?”
Grandpa nodded again.
Before I could think about whether I should be honest or not, my mouth was much faster. “No! Jesus, that’d be, y’know, silly.”
His eyes narrowed; he wasn’t buying it. “Well he certainly does seem to like you quite an awful lot, Mia, that’s why I asked. I know the guy; Freddie has a certain look, and he’s been givin’ it to you all night. I just want you to be smart. He and the other lads can’t stay here forever. It’ll be only a matter of time before they find their way home. I dunno how, but they will. And you’ll be left heartbroken if you two get involved with each other. Understand?”
And right then, all my fears came rushing back. I bit my lip and gave my grandpa a faux smile. “Perfectly.” I replied.
He sighed. “Good.”
We stepped out of my car and looked for his in the dirt parking lot. It was only a few spaces over, but I knew he wouldn’t have seen it until he went back around the other way. I gave him a warm hug before going our separate ways, making me remember how long it had been since I had actually gave Grandpa a genuine embrace. I couldn’t remember the last time he had even stopped by the house. It had to have been around Christmas two years ago, and that felt more like forever ago.
I watched him drive off before going home myself. It was almost one in the morning when I walked inside my house, and everyone was still up. Except Roger, who had strangely decided to turn in, according to Brian. Normally that’d be more of a Deacy thing. Since when did Roger shy away from any kind of party?
While the others were busy chatting and drinking (the tea had long since been replaced with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, it seemed) away, I tip-toed up the stairs and knocked on the door of the boy’s room. Roger opened the door a few moments later in only a pair of his boxers. Poor guy, he did look real tired, with his shaggy hair in an even messier disarray and droopy bags under his eyes.
“Can I help you?” he asked, although his tone was rather remiss.
“I’d like to talk to you about earlier this morning, if that’s alright.” I replied cautiously. I had learned he was an easy guy to set off and I was trying my hardest not to make him blow up on me.
Roger sighed and walked away from the door, which I took as a signal to enter. I walked in the room and shut it behind me. His back was towards me as he felt around the nightstand for something, keeping silent.
