NaNoWriMo: Day 25

School began and Stella began her job teaching kindergarten and much to her surprise she didn’t hate it. Teaching in practice was a lot different from teaching in theory and the children made her job extremely worthwhile. It wasn’t long before she found that she really did have a passion for the field despite the stupidity of what she had learned in college. As long as she was left to her own devices to teach in her classroom she felt like she was making a real difference in the lives of her students. It wasn’t long before some of them were exhibiting pre-reading skills.

            Rhodes and Selena’s wedding loomed on the horizon and Stella was excited about the prospect of moving into the apartment in town. It was smaller than Buckley’s trailer, but it was also closer to the school and cozier. She brought the subject up to Buckley one evening as they laid in bed together.

            “Why would you want to do that?”

            “It’s closer to both of my jobs – I thought it would be easier on you since you have to chauffer me everywhere.”

            Buckley thought about it for a moment. On the one hand it was nice living so close to his own job, but on the other hand she did have a point about being closer to her jobs. Then again, maybe he could just buy her a car.

            “Can we go look at it?”

            “Sure! I think you’re going to love it!”

            Buckley wasn’t so sure. He had never considered himself the type of man who would be happy living in an apartment. But it seemed like it would make Stella happy and he was in the business of making her happy these days.

            A few days before the wedding, Selena loaned Stella the keys to the apartment and she and Buckley went over there to look at the place.

            When he walked in, he was first taken in by how small the space was.

            “Don’t you think it’s a little small?”

            “I think it’s cozy. Anyway, the rent is cheaper than at your place. And look, there’s this claw foot bathtub!”

            Stella was totally taken in by the place. It was certainly the sort of place that would have been perfect if she was going to be living there by herself, but for the two of them?

            “Stella – I don’t think it would work for both of us.”

            “What do you mean?”
            “I think you should rent it on your own.”

            “Are you breaking up with me.”
            He kissed her forehead. “No. I just think that if you want this apartment, I can’t live here. Anyway, I think that I might have to be making more trips back down south and you’re right – it’s going to be better if you’re in town.”

            “If you go back down south how am I going to get by without a car?”

            Buckley smiled. “You’re a working woman now. We’ll just have to see about getting you a car.”

            And they did. By that afternoon, Stella was the proud owner of a used Monte Carlo.

            The day after Rhodes and Selena’s wedding, Buckley helped Stella move into the apartment in town. It was a bittersweet day – she had grown used to being with him every day, but they both knew that she needed to learn how to take care of herself before. She had only ever lived on her own in the dorms at school and that wasn’t really living on her own. Furthermore, it had occurred to Buckley that she might be losing herself in him a little bit. She hadn’t made any friends since coming to Putnam County and she had even lost touch with the one friend, Lottie, that she had had when she got here. He hoped that by allowing her to live on her own that she might reclaim some of herself before she lost all of it entirely. He was also trying to shield her from the insanity that was sure to ensue from what he was about to transpire with his mother..

            He had recently been contacted by the sheriff’s office in the county where his mother lived. The wanted to let him know that his mother’s house was a hair’s breadth away from being condemned entirely due to the hoarding situation. He had decided that he had no other choice than to try to bring her up to Putnam County to live with him, but to do that, Stella would have to live somewhere else. And that broke his heart.

            The night before Thanksgiving, Stella invited Buckley over to her apartment for a pre-Thanksgiving feast. The next morning, they were both heading down south in separate cars for the holiday, but she wanted to cook for him and celebrate with him before they left. She cooked a small turkey, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, potato salad, deviled eggs, stuffing, pumpkin pie, gravy, cranberry sauce and cornbread from scratch – working all day to prepare their feast.

            Buckley arrived with a smile on his face and while he was grateful he had to tease her a little:
            “You know that this holiday is offensive to my people, don’t you?”

            She smiled and kissed him full on the mouth. “Shut up and eat.”

            “Yes ma’am.”

            Stella loved cooking for Buckley. She loved taking care of him in these small domestic ways.

            After they ate, they lay in her bed together and watched the candles she had lit flicker on the ceiling.

            “What are you Thankful for, Buckley?” she asked.

            “That’s a silly question.” He said.

            “Why is it silly? She asked.

            “You should already know everything I’m thankful for.”

            “Am I supposed to guess?”

            “Why not?”

            “Alright.” She said lacing her fingers in his. “You’re thankful for your job. For your house. For your health. That the gators didn’t kill you. And for this?” she said kissing him.

            He leaned into her kiss and kissed her back with gusto. “Yes.”

            “I’m thankful for this too.”

            And they were thankful for one another, body and spirit. It serendipitous that they had been reunited and they had in a roundabout way the gators to thank for it. But they were not thinking about gators at this moment. They were thinking about lips and hands and all the things about each other that they were thankful for and all the things they wanted to give thanks for before they had to leave the bed in the morning.

            When the morning came they left for their families with Stella arriving just in time to watch her father cut the turkey. She found the whole meal rather strained as she wished that Buckley were there instead of with his mother informing her that she would be relocating to Putnam County with him. But of course she knew that he would never be welcome at the table with her family – a fact that was beginning to wear on her. She loved him unequivocally and there would come a day when she would make a choice between these people and him and she would choose him. But for now she smiled and ate her turkey in silence. The turkey, by the by, wasn’t even that good.

           

            That night when everyone else in the house was asleep, Stella heard a gentle tapping at her window and she knew what it was immediately and opened the latch to let Buckley in.

            “What are you doing here?” she hissed.

            “I had to see you – I couldn’t stay at mama’s house. It’s a disaster. A pipe burst in there or something. There’s water damage in the ceiling and of course no one can get in there to fix it. I’m going to have to bring her up to live with me.”

            Stella cradled his head in her lap and stroked his head. “It will be okay, Buckley.”

            “Will it? She doesn’t seem to see a problem with any of this. The roof was caving in, Stella. And the room I cleaned out for her? It looked like I’d never touched it.”

            Stella didn’t know what to do or how to help him. In this matter she was clueless and completely helpless. Buckley was much the same.

            “Do you think there’s any way to get someone to help her? Professionally?”

            “I don’t know. What would I tell them? Help. My mother is messy?”

            “Surely there’s got to be something.”

            “I’ve just got to get her to where I can keep an eye on her.”

            Buckley sat up and kissed Stella on the cheek.

            “Listen,” he said, “would it be alright if I slept here for a few hours? I’m really tired.”

            “I guess so.”

            It wasn’t long before he was asleep in her arms. She stayed awake watching him sleep in order to insure he was out of the house before her family awoke. At around 4 AM, she woke him with a kiss.

            “Buckley, sweetheart. Wake up. You have to get out of here. My parents will be awake before long.”

            Buckley opened his eyes and looked up at her. He smiled.
            “I know. Being shot would almost be worth it to stay here a little longer though.”

            “Not funny,” she whispered. “Now go. Will I see you again before I leave to go back to Putnam County?”
            “Probably.” He said as he slipped out the window. “It’s too cold to sleep in the truck.”

           

            Buckley caught a few hours of sleep in Stella’s arms on Friday and Saturday night as well. It was on Saturday night that Stella talked Buckley into going to church the next day.

            “Why on earth would I want to do that? So your racist parents can scowl at me?”
            “Well, no. I thought you might want to see your daughter for yourself.”

            Buckley had all but forgotten about his daughter.

            “Oh,” he said softly.
            “Oh.”

            Buckley was still not a believer, but he still wanted to believe. Other than Stella’s family being there, he didn’t think that church would be so bad. And if he got a glimpse of his daughter, it would all be worth it.