Fix My Feet When They're Stumblin'

Chapter 64

    Watching Olivia lug first her suitcases, then his own, to the Flowers' front door, Ronnie felt especially useless. He stood on their front stoop and waited as his wife made three trips between the car and the door, emptying their belongings and lining up the suitcases neatly along the wall.

    Despite lingering reservations about the wisdom of bringing Brandon home against his doctors' advice, he couldn't help his excitement, reveling in the butterflies that fluttered in his stomach as Olivia knocked on the dark wood.

    I get to live with my little brother! God...maybe I can properly help him now. He was startled from his musings by a bright-eyed little face peering from a crack in the door before Gunnar threw it wide open.

    A miniature copy of his father's smile spread across the boy's face, and a spasm of pain seized Ronnie's heart. Man, I miss Brandon's smile so much. It used to basically be his permanent state of being...and now he only smiles like that once in a blue moon. I've gotta try to make him happy again.

    "Uncle Ronnie!! Auntie Liv!!" Gunnar squealed, throwing his arms around Olivia's waist, then squeezing past her and hugging Ronnie. He grabbed two of their suitcases from the neat little line and turned, beckoning them inside with a quick jerk of his head.

    "Oh, we're so excited! Mom's making dinner, but come on, your room is this way! I'll come back for the rest of your stuff, okay?"

    Ronnie blinked in surprise, following Gunnar into the house. Something's...different, isn't it? A sudden realization hit him as he looked around, bewildered.

    "Hey, Gunny - where's the dog? He always greets me at the door, the fluffy little terror."

    Gunnar stopped abruptly, his face falling. His eyes dropped to the floor, examining the dark hardwood. "Um...last night, when we brought dad home...we forgot about Anni and he barked at the door, really loud, like he always does. He hurt dad - you know, his head, his ears?"

    He touched his own ear softly, tears sparkling in his eyes. "So - so we're trying to keep him outside for now, so he doesn't bother dad every time someone comes to the door. Mom says maybe we can just keep him locked up in a part of the house that dad doesn't really use, you know...but for now, he's just outside."

    Ahhhh. Ronnie sighed, carefully releasing one of his crutches, clamping it beneath his arm and reaching briefly out to brush Gunnar's shoulder.

    "That's rough, Gun. I'm sorry. We left our dog with the friend who's been watching him since the accident; we didn't want to bring him along for the same reason."

    Gunnar sniffed, rubbing his eyes and smiling up at Ronnie. "That's okay, Uncle Ronnie. I get it, I don't wanna hurt daddy, but Anni just - he doesn't like it. He's been crying at the back door asking us to let him in. Ammon and Henry are out in the backyard with him right now, trying to make him feel better."

    Ronnie grimaced. Ouch. Poor fella. He sighed, following along as Gunnar continued along the hallway, leading them to a guest room the drummer had never seen before, with a large green and blue striped blanket spread across the bed and a plush green rug beneath it.

    He smiled at the blanket, looking up at Gunnar. "Hey, I know that blanket - your mom made that, didn't she?"

    The boy grinned again, his tears forgotten. He trailed his hand across the neat rows of stitches and nodded. "Yeah! I'm just gonna go get the rest of your stuff, okay? Be right back."

    He was gone in a flash, leaving Ronnie to settle on the edge of the bed and prop his crutches against the wall while Olivia began unpacking her suitcase.