The Restoration of All Things (Part 46)

It wasn't long after our baptism night that an afternoon rolled around to take me by surprise.

I was busy feeding the turtles and watching enraptured as they paddled about in their water world of hope and wonder, when there was a sudden knock on the door. Thinking it was Joseph accidentally locked out, I hopped on over to answer it.

It wasn't Joseph. It was Eddie.

Um... it was Eddie, and I was the only one home. I looked around for some sort of rescue, but alas. We were alone with our awkward attempts at conversation. I asked him about Maggie. I wanted to know what she was like.

He said that she was in town with him and he thought maybe later he could bring her over to meet the Hanwells. I told him I was sure everyone would love to meet her.

Before he left, he promised he would be back with her in a few hours.

I was relieved when everyone was finally home and made aware that Eddie had stopped by already and was returning later on with Maggie.

When Joseph came through the door, he dumped out an exciting new set of acrylic paints and brushes on the floor in the shared living room, and we busied ourselves with them until we were interrupted by Eddie's reappearance with Maggie.

As I stumbled into the the main living room to join the fray, I couldn't help feeling a little self conscious about the tear in my skirt and the flecks of paint I had been too involved to notice had taken up temporary residence on my clothing and skin. Probably even on my face, now that I thought of it. Bother, there was no way to check without being obvious.

Joseph sat next to me on the couch across the room from the sofa Eddie and Maggie were on. If it weren't for the Hanwells, the pointed glances rocketing around the room would have perhaps been even more overt.

Maggie seemed a bit reserved. Though, who could blame her in a setting where she was the only one who didn't know everyone else in the room? She was a beautiful girl. Glossy straight brunette hair and deep brown eyes. I wished she would say more things, but I understood how she might not feel so inclined.

It was somewhat apparent to me by the time we all said our farewells that I had some things regarding Eddie left un-dealt with. Due to the fact that I had no idea how to deal with those things, what exactly they even were, or even if it was possible for it to be remotely appropriate for me to have things, I opted to stuff it down as far as I could possibly manage and resolved not to think of it again. Ever.

I would find all manner of other things to occupy my brain space with. I knew I was fully capable. A friend of mine and I used to joke that A.D.D. is a blessing. It means you never have to listen to anyone when they're boring.

In this case, I would use my A.D.D. powers for daydreaming in ways that took me back in directions I felt were more acceptable to go.

And I was quite successful at it.

(Continued here)