Happiness is a Myth

Chapter 4

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Link first went grocery shopping then went to Rhett's house. He watched his friend load half of the stuff he bought into his fridge before preparing a light meal, putting it in Tupperware and marking it with Rhett's kids' names before putting it on the counter.

Rhett didn't understand what Link was doing.

Rhett's mother has been staying with them for the past seven months, taking care of the house and the kids. That's why Rhett felt comfortable staying in the rental house for this long. He trusted his mother to take care of things while he figured his shit out.

He felt like a weirdo, spying on his friend and peeping through the windows of his own house.

Link didn't stop. He cleaned the surfaces, gathered the kid's dirty clothes in trash bags and even left them money on the table. He grabbed Rhett's mail on the way out which made the bigger man frown. That was a little overboard.

Link took another Uber and headed towards his house. Rhett followed with his car and watched him enter the house before using his spare key to go in through the back. He half expected Jade to call him out but the dog never came. Link didn't shout her name like he normally does when he returned home either.

Rhett found himself with more questions than answers as he watched Link do the same thing he did in his house in his own home. The kids were at school, but where is Christy's sister?

Link leaned heavily on the bar in his kitchen as he looked tiredly at his phone. He has so many things left to do and he was getting worried. Rhett hasn't answered his text. Was he mad? Link honestly didn't have time to over think this and instead decided to wash up before the kids returned and smelled the dried blood still covering his chest under the clothes.

Rhett heard the shower running and took the opportunity to snoop around. The guest room was empty. The sister-in-law was definitely gone. Link was telling the truth after all.

What worried him the most was the lack of dog stuff that used to cover the house. If Rhett didn't know how much Link loved Jade, he would've guessed that this house never had a dog. What is going on?

Rhett found himself overwhelmed. He hastily left and for the first time in a while, decided to go home.

He was at a loss.

Nothing his friend did made any sense.

He zoned out until the door burst open and his sons came in. Locke saw him first and froze: "Dad!"

Shepherd stepped around his brother and said: "Hey dad." as he made his way to the kitchen.

Rhett watched his sons eat the food Link left on the counter top like it was a practiced routine. He sat with them at the table: "Where is your grandmother?"

Locke and Shepherd shared a look before the oldest spoke up: "Um.. she left, like three months ago."

Rhett frowns: "What do you mean left?"

Shepherd chugged his food and hastily fled the kitchen while Locke scratched his head, trying to figure out what to say. He knew that his dad had been grieving. His Uncle Link told them to be patient with him and not to say anything that will upset him.

Locke whispers: "I don't know what to say, dad. I don't want you to get upset."

Rhett smiles at his son: "Just tell me the truth."

Locke looks down: "Grandma got sick one day and Uncle Link saw how tired she was and told her to go home. He bought her a ticket and drove her to the airport. He told us not to tell you so you don't get upset.."