Take me home

Chapter Nine

With two paint tins in hand Paul left the hardware store, Sky following behind him with a shopping bag full of supplies pulled over her shoulder. The parking lot had a few extra cars in it now then when they had first arrived. One being a dual cab truck painted dark green parked three spaces past Paul's beat up blue truck. The truck was running and Paul didn't have to look in the cab to know who he would see. A truck that nice didn't belong in this town.

Addison sat behind the wheel talking, or more like yelling at someone on the phone. Over the truck engine Paul could make out words like, Time, Son, and Promised. Paul put the paint in the back of the truck and made sure Sky was buckled in as Addison's phone call abruptly ended with "I don't care anymore!"

Paul shut Sky in the truck and looked over at the green truck. Addison had her forehead rested agents the steering wheel. Paul hesitated for a few minutes before walking over to Addison truck. He tapped lightly on her window trying not to startle her but she still jumped at the noise. She looked up at him with fluttering eyes and rolled down her window.

"Hey umm, we're going to get breakfast at the dinner did you want to join us?" Paul offered.

"I... would love too," Addison smiled.

"Great, just follow me it's just up the road," Paul said patting the side of the truck.

"Okay great," Addison nodded. Paul smiled going back to his own truck.

...

Paul and Sky sat on one side of the both and Addison sat on the other. The dinner was quite with most people already at work or school.

"So what's good here?" Addison asked looking down at the menu.

"The breakfast burger is good, bacon, eggs, mince patty, cheese-"

"I'm actually a vegetarian," Addison laughed.

"Really?" Paul asked. He couldn't imagine a life without meat and didn't think he had ever met a vegetarian before. It must be a city person thing Paul though.

"Yeah really," Addison shrugged.

"What's vege-veget-on?" Sky asked stumbling on the large word.

"It means I don't eat meat," Addison smiled. "Pancakes look good though." Sky nodded agreeably.

"Okay easy, three servings of pancakes it is then," Paul said flagging over a waiter. "Do you drink coffee?" He asked Addison.

"Yes I definitely drink coffee," Addison nodded. Paul placed the order and the waiter brought their drinks over a few minutes latter along with a colouring place mat and pencils for Sky.

"So have you always lived in La Push?" Addison asked Paul before taking the first sip of her coffee.

"No I was actually born in Tacoma. I moved to La Push with my father when I was eight, after my parents got divorced," Paul said.

"Oh sorry to hear," Addison said with sympathy.

"Don't be, they never got along. How about you, where did you grow up?"

"Port Angeles. After my parents... separated," Addison said slowly as though she wasn't sure that was the correct word to use. "We moved there and my father married a nurse two years latter. Margret, lovely woman, best mother anyone could ask for."

"That's nice," Paul smiled. "You said you had kids?" He asked.

"I've got a daughter who's ten this year, her names Kara."

"Ten?" Paul said a little surprised.

"Yeah. My Dad and Margret raised her, I just showed up when I was needed," Addison said with a shrug.

"I know that feeling."

"Your doing a great job Paul," Addison smiled at Sky.

"I feel like I get everything wrong."

"I think that's just a part of parenting, as long as you try your best that's all that matters." Three plates of pancakes were placed on the table.

"Thanks. So how long are you in town this trip?" Paul asked.

"I actually just brought a house."

"Wow so you'll be sticking around for a while?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, I still have to go back to Port Angeles every few weeks but I'm hoping I'll be here full time once the house is finished. It's a bit of a fixer upper. You don't know any good builders in the area by chance?" Addison asked.

"I'm actually a builder, I have my own small business," Paul said eagerly. "If you wanted I would be happy to give you a quote."

"Yeah that would be amazing!"

"No problem. So what do you do for work?"

"I'm currently not working but I use to studied nursing." Paul noticed Addison face drop and her normal smile fade away.

"Why did you stop?"

"My dad got sick so I started looking after him instead," Addison said looking over at Sky who was happily eating her pancakes.

"Sorry to hear."

"People get sick all the time, nothing to feel sorry about."

They finished eating in silence and waiter came over with the bill. Addison handed her a large note and told the young girl to keep the change.

"You didn't have to do that I was going to pay," Paul said.

"No it's fine I don't mind. Would you be free this afternoon to come look over the house?" Addison said changing the topic.

"Ah yeah sure is after four okay?"

"Yeah that's great."

"What's the address?" Paul asked grabbing one of Sky's pencils and writing the address down on a napkin as Addison told him.

"I need to get moving but thanks again for the food and conversation. I guess I'll see you latter," Addison said standing up.

"No problem, anytime."

"Bye Sky," Addison said putting a smile back on her face.

"Bye," Sky said quality with a sad look on her face.

"Bye Paul," Addison said.

"Bye Addison," Paul said watching her leave. Once Addison was outside and out of sight he turned to Sky. "Don't worry kid we'll see her again." He looked at the picture Sky had been drawing. It was three stick figures one was drawn in blue with a big head and short hair Paul believed that was meant to be him. The smallest figures was drawn in red wearing rain boots and a big jacket must have been Sky. And the last figures was drawn in all the colours available wearing a rainbow dress and her face covered with a huge smile, that was Addison.

...

"Wow, it's so- yellow," Jared said looking into Sky's room. The smell of fresh paint filled the small room.

"Sky picked it," Paul said handing Jared a cold beer.

"Nice. She talking yet?" Jared asked quietly. Sky was in the kitchen with Kim helping make sandwiches.

"Yes, but not really to me," Paul said sipping his beer.

"Then who?" Jared asked confused.

"Addison,"Paul said.

"She's still in town? I though she left?"

"She's actually moving to town," Paul answered.

"You didn't imprint on her right?" Jared asked.

"No, no, definitely not. Sky seems to like her but that's it."

"So you two are just what- Friends?"

"Yeah I guess. Is there something wrong with that?" Paul asked as Jared smiled oddly.

"Paul for as long as I've know you, you have never once had a girl as a friend."

"What about Kim and Emily?"

"Doesn't count, you have to be nice to them," Jared said focusing on the 'have'.

"I don't have to do anything," Paul said walking back to the kitchen with Jared following.

"Sure, sure," Jared mocked.

"Hey Paul you have to buy more bread," Kim said with a cheeky grin as she sat a plat of sandwiches down on the table.

"Sure thing Kim," Paul said sitting down at the table.

"And you call me wiped," Jared laughed.

"What's wiped mean?" Sky asked. Kim broke out laughing and Paul glared at Jared.

"Yeah Jared, what's wiped mean?" Paul asked. Jared didn't have a good answer and took a long sip of his beer before changing the subject to the wether.

Fun fact: My family went to Brisbane QLD show last month and won champion Dairy goat of show beating the champion from the last two years.

Sad fact: The man who ran the Dairy goat section at the show for the last 50+ years passed away two days ago from a heart attack. Amazing person saw him less then a month ago, just goes to show how life can end suddenly.

Interesting fact: I've somehow gotten a job at a trucking company doing paperwork... interesting thing is people I went to school with (who got way better grades then me) are now doing my old pub job while I am moving up in the world. Teachers use to tell me I had to work hard to get anywhere in the real world and grades mattered. No what really matters is giving every opportunity your best go and going after what you want.