Hidden Burdens (working title)

An Overwhelmed Yearning

Kimmy stood there, watching the scene play out as Ben's mom yelled at him while he just stood there, taking it. Though he tried to make her stop a few times. There was no use. The hurtful words kept coming like bullets, even at her at one point, until Ben hurried out of the workshop, without her or Samson.

Kimmy stared at the door. Was he coming back? Should she grab Samson and leave too? Ben mentioned they were leaving before things got heated. Was Ben gonna leave without them?

Thoughts raced through Kimmy's mind of what to do as she stood there, rooted to the cement floor.

"That was unnecessary and you know it," she heard Ben's dad say in that serious tone of his.

"He needed to hear the truth," Dinah replied, not seeming at all sorry for what she had said.

"Not like that he didn't. And you certainly didn't need to say all that in front of this child either," Herb motioned his head in Kimmy's direction. "Kid's probably been through enough as it is."

Herb grabbed both blowers off the workbench. He got Kimmy's attention, having to call her name twice before she fully snapped out of it and had Kimmy carry the spare battery and gas container. On the way out, Herb whistled for Samson to follow.

Kimmy hurried over to grab her tablet and headphones from the bench seat before hurrying after Herb, who was holding the door for her.

"Don't pay Dinah any mind," Herb told Kimmy on their way toward the RV gate. "She means well, she just doesn't understand. That's what's wrong with the world these days."

Kimmy watched the ground as she walked. Not for long, because Ben's dad was fast for an old guy and playfully hurried her along. So she had to walk fast to keep up.

Herb whistled once more when Samson said hello to the goats again. He held the gate open for them, setting one of the blowers on the ground, and used his foot to shut the gate behind him.

Samson ran ahead to where Ben was leaning on his truck. It looked like Ben was trying to push the thing over.

Herb walked over beside his son and placed each blower in the truck bed.

Ben finally lifted his head. "I was coming back." There was a familiar urgency in his tone Kimmy recognized whenever she reassured her mom she would do something.

Herb had Kimmy pass him the spare battery and gas container to put in the truck bed as well.

Ben sincerely apologized to his dad.

"Not me you should be apologizing to," he finally said, motioning to Kimmy. "It's her and your mother you owe an apology."

Hers and Ben's gaze met. She quickly looked away towards the ground. Out of a corner of her eye, Kimmy noticed Ben do the same.

"You can't keep running and hiding when things get tough, kiddo," Herb scolded Ben firmly. "Nobody will take you seriously if you do."

"I know, Dad."

Herb stepped towards Ben as if he would do something to him, but instead, Herb playfully slapped Ben on the upper arm, told him to return the blower whenever, and headed back up the driveway towards the house. When Herb passed her, Kimmy flinched as he gently touched the top of her head, affectionately.

Ben opened the truck and lifted Samson inside, having him move over before calling Kimmy's attention. Once she climbed in, he shut the door for her and made his way around to his side. He climbed in and started the truck before turning around to face Kimmy.