Still Waters Run Deep

Chapter 20: Broken

Chapter 20:

Broken

When Ali got home she heard noises coming from her kitchen. She put her things down and walked towards the clamors and clatters, thinking it was Emily preparing dinner. But when she walked in she saw the lower half of a large body sticking out from underneath her sink. Ali knew instantly that the legs didn't belong to her wife. Jett was lying on the floor, curious about what was happening in the depths of the cabinets. The person's boots were scuffing the linoleum.

"Um, hello?" she asked in irritation. She had half a mind to jam her heel into the interloper's shin.

The person wriggled out from underneath the sink. Seconds later her brother was staring up at her with a smile on his face.

"Hey," Jason said.

"Oh, hey," she replied. She hadn't expected her brother to be playing handyman. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing your garbage disposal." He grabbed the edge of the counter and pulled himself up. He glanced into the sink drain. "It's been broken for months." He reached in, his hand disappearing into the pipe.

"You don't have to do that." She walked over a few paces and opened a cabinet.

"I feel guilty." He admitted. He moved his hand around and let out a primitive manly grunt as he tugged on something.

"Why?" Ali scrunched her face in confusion and grabbed a glass from the cabinet.

"Because..." He kept pulling. "I'm the one who broke it."

"Shocking." Ali made a face, filling her glass up with water. "Let me know when you're done. I'll call a real repairman."

"I could deal without the attitude." He quipped back. "You're making this a hostile work environment and I just won't have that. Don't make me take you to HR."

"You don't work for me," Ali said, uncaring. She took a sip of her water. She watched him struggle with the sink. It was starting to make her nervous, because she was concerned that the idiot was going to hurt himself. "Seriously, Jason, it's not that big of a deal. Just forget it. We'll call someone who won't mangle his fingers to fix it, or at least someone I'll care less about if he loses body appendages."

"That won't be necessary." He yanked again and then pulled his hand out of the pipe. "Got it."

He looked at the object he'd pulled out of the garbage disposal. He reached over the sink and flipped the switch and a loud clattering noise filled the kitchen. He pumped his fist into the air in celebration. He turned the disposal off and then looked at the object he'd pulled out. It was a tiny vintage spoon and it was bent all out of proportion.

"I accidentally dropped it in there with a bunch of eggshells when Grace and I were making deviled eggs for the church bake sale a few months ago. Couldn't get it out then, so I just left it." He rolled the spoon around with his fingers.

"Of course you did..."

Ali walked over to him and took it from him. She gently bent it until the handle was straight again. It was a little battered, but still in good shape.

"Emily got these for the girls when they were born." She flipped the spoon around. "It was a family tradition she wanted to keep up for her dad. When Wayne was born his mother got him one. And when Emily was born he got one for her." She smiled softly. "I bet she'll be happy to see this." She looked around for her wife. "Where is she?"

"She went for a jog," he said.

"Alone?" Ali asked.

"Doesn't she normally go alone?" He turned the water on and started rinsing his hands.