Broken Wings

Part Twenty Two - Providence

"Want a beer?" He asked as they stopped outside a bar with tables spilling onto the pavement via the open patio doors that flanked the entrance. The area was basked in the sunshine of the early evening, and was beyond inviting.

"You bet."

They took a table, sat down, and before they were settled a petite woman wearing an apron came over to them smiling.

Aaron ordered them a local beer and sat back his hands behind his head, "what do you think?"

Looking around she smiled, "it's so relaxed here, I love it."

"My sentiments exactly. I usually sit here alone...have a few beers then go back to the hotel and do work. This is a treat for me."

Digesting that, she sat back whilst the pleasant waitress laid their beers on the table.

"So you come here often?" She burst into laughter as she processed what was usually construed as a poor chat up line. "I mean, you visit Kitty often?"

He sipped from the ice-cold, condensation covered mug, then sighed in pleasure, "Kitty moved here about three years ago. Since then I come up frequently, every few months, holiday. Chalford and Messing is more than an old people's home, it's billed as a retirement complex, it's meant to be the best money can buy...but they don't tolerate dogs for more than the odd day. When Kitty was well she could walk them, take them out a little more, plus she was involved in a lot more of the activities in the building. But now she's room bound, she doesn't so anything else, so they're more important to her. But she can't walk them; it's no fun for them to be stuck inside. The staff are understanding, but it's not their job to care for them, so I don't know how long this will go on."

"She's really sick?"

He sighed, "she's eighty nine, a good age generally, so she doesn't want to fight cancer. So she's having palliative care...it's a matter of time. Weeks...months, we don't know. As she gets sicker, then the dogs become more important to her. They love her, but get bored easily. You know what they're like."

Julia digested that for a long moment, even the cold hoppy taste of the beer didn't penetrate the sadness of the moment.

"That's really sad."

He nodded, "it is, especially as her family who live local and are too busy to see her. She wishes...and so do I, that she'd gone into a provision back in Brooklyn, at least then she'd have friends to visit...and the dogs. Families, hey?"

They were both silent for a moment, and it was Aaron who added; "I suppose that's why my parents are always complaining about me not visiting. I see Kitty more than my own grandparents..."

She shrugged, "but if your folks or grandparents moved to live close to you, then you wouldn't not visit them regularly. Distance is a reason, not an excuse."

He pondered that for a moment, "that working for you?"

She almost scowled at that, her family; her relationship was way off the agenda. Instead of snapping, she took a deep breath, "I've told you before that I don't get along with my family. We're not close."

Nodding he reached for his beer, "I know, and I'm not being insensitive, it just seemed like you spoke from experience."

Again she was silent for a long moment, then nodded, "it was a large part of why I needed to get out of London."

Aaron watched the emotions war on her face, she was such a complex person, there was so much happening that he had no idea about, but he wanted to whoop with relief that he'd managed to challenge her without her storming off. It was a step closer, another move in his plan to make her realise that becoming more than friends could be a good thing.