A Grateful Heart (ONC 2023; manxman)✅

Chapter 15

As snow fell, I crouched in front of Teddy, shaking his shoulders until he opened his eyes. "I think I took too much medication," he said.

"I think you did, too," I said, helping him to his feet. He wobbled slightly. I brought my arm around his waist and walked him across the street to my house. He needed a break from the cats. Besides, I kind of liked him.

On the walkway, he stopped, hesitant to go with me. His eyes drifted to the rainbow flag hanging above the front door.

Uh-oh, is he some kind of homophobe?

"Don't worry. I won't make you gay," I said. "If you're freaked out, don't come in. Go home and suffer with the cats."

"Freaked out?"

"Yeah... upset... scared."

He didn't understand 'freaked out?' Where was this guy from? I had second thoughts about inviting him inside, but he looked so sick, yet cute and harmless.

"I'm neither of those things. The flag reminded me of something." He resumed walking, following me into the house. "I don't mean to impose," he said, standing in my doorway.

"You're not imposing. It's a snow day, anyway. You could always help me shovel later. It's gonna be difficult for me with my broken arm and everything. I know you said you want a drink. How 'bout a cup of coffee instead?"

"Coffee would be great," he said, sitting at the kitchen table.

As I popped a coffee pod in the keurig machine, Teddy stood up and approached me at the kitchen counter, mesmerized with the keurig machine as if he'd never seen one before.

"Nana doesn't have one of these," Teddy said.

"Don't you have one back home?"

"No. I was never much of a coffee drinker."

"I can get you something else."

"No, coffee is okay," he said. "Wow... it's ready in seconds." Fascinated, he removed the mug of steaming hot coffee. "It smells great."

"There's cream and sugar if you want it."

He shook his head, returning to the table with his mug. He shuddered, shivering from his wet clothes. "Let's go to the living room," I said. "It's warmer there."

With his coffee, he sat on the edge of the couch, staring blankly at my TV. He was the weirdest man I'd ever met. "Would you like to watch TV? I've been binge watching this show on Apple TV. It's called Severance. Have you seen it?"

"No."

"Well, what do you like?"

"I dunno," he said.

"What's the last movie you saw?"

"Mrs. Miniver," he said.

"Hmm... I'd never heard of it. Was it in the theaters?"

He nodded, staring straight ahead. He flinched as I turned on the TV. I'd left it on CNN. The topic again was the war in Ukraine.

"Are we at war with Russia?" Teddy asked. "Aren't they our allies?"

I paused before responding. How could he not know about the war in Ukraine? "Russia invaded Ukraine last year. Russia hasn't been our ally since World War II. Western countries are supplying weapons to Ukraine and have sanctioned Russia. Where are you from? Are you a runaway from the Amish country or something?"

"No... no... I'm Irish," he said.

I chuckled uneasily.

"Didn't the US supply weapons to England before they entered the war?" he asked.