If At First

Part 11 - Chapter 10

"Fabric softener." There was no way he could hear himself speaking right now. "Did you clean the lint out of the dryer vent? You have to do that."

"What? No. -So anyway, we talked for hours that afternoon, and I've seen her every day since. But..." he paused, and I knew this would be the reason for the call.

"But what?"

"Well, she - She's kind of married."

"Married? Andy, how old is she?!" He was only eighteen – eighteen going on twelve- "And how can someone be 'kind of married'?

"Well, that's the thing. She said she knows you because you guys went to Las Vegas together for Danni's bachelorette party. It's her cousin Sara. You know, Thumper? She said she met some guy there and married him on an impulse." He paused again, waiting for my reaction.

Yeah, an impulse named Captain Morgan.

"You?" I was shocked. "And Thumper?" I know they met a few times when we were kids, but...Andy is kind and lean and muscle-y and Thumper is short, and stout, and...cranky. My mind just couldn't put that picture together. "Andy, you can't date someone who's married. Even if she's only 'kind of married'."

"I know it's not normal. But we clicked, you know? Think about it Tab, how often have I ever said anything like this? I'm for-real."

"Wait, tell me why she was in Madison again?"

"Her family was pretty pissed at her for doing something so stupid, and they kicked her out. She's staying with Danni's parents until school starts. They figured they had a vacant room now that Danni's gone. But she felt guilty doing her laundry there, so that's why she was at the Laundromat. She had to walk there too, because she didn't have her car and she didn't want to ask to borrow one, so I gave her a ride home after..." He rambled on, waiting for me to say something.

"But where's the mime-guy? Does she plan to stay married?" I knew he wanted answers but my head was swirling with questions.

"Yeah, that's the thing. She figures she'll just get an annulment, but the guy, - Dirk is his name, - actually wants to try to work it out. I guess it's against his beliefs or something. So he's kind of holding things up, but he still lives in Nevada." He sounded so sad and so desperate. "Tabby-Kat, ya gotta help me."

"Andy" I said, completely powerless, "What on earth do you want me to do? I've never been married or annulled, and I've never wanted to date someone who was. Does Thumper have any actual feelings for Dirk? Or does she feel the way you do?"

"Well, she says she does –have feelings for me, I mean. And that she definitely wants to have the marriage annulled."

"Okay, so maybe she needs some space. You know, think clearly. I'll talk to Nana, and see if maybe you could come here for a few weeks or something."

"I can't just leave her, Tabby."

"Fine. But maybe for now, you should keep this to yourself. Who else have you told?"

"Just you. And Nick and Sammy. Oh, and my buddy Jackson that I play basketball with at the Y. And everyone who's seen us together for the past two weeks."

"You didn't want to put an ad in the paper?"

"What's the big deal?"

"It sort of is a big deal. So maybe have a talk with Thumper --"

"She prefers 'Sara'." He interrupted.

"-Okay, well, maybe talk with Sara. I think she needs to work this out on her own before you get involved."