Long silence.
Lily grasped his hand and said, “You have no idea how much today meant to me. No one has ever done anything like this for me ever. You are awesome, Jimmy Dean.”
Then she kissed his cheek, jumped out of the car and ran to her front door.
You are awesome too, Miss Lily.
Twelve
The weather got warmer, Payton switched from bulky sweatshirts to bulky tees. When you have to buy at ‘Big-n-Tall’ to compensate for your lanky height, everything was baggy. The trees sprouted with life and the concert plans were well underway.
On May 2, the day of his birthday, he had a few of the orchestral scores recorded on his MP3 player and was listening to them so he could help conduct the band and orchestra. He’d chosen a good compilation of classical, jazz and ‘fun time’ music so everyone in the audience would have a great time.
He sat on a desk, leaning against the wall, his newly-shaved crew cut scraping against the wall as he conducted his mock musicians. Suddenly, a tug on his sleeve broke his blissful musical spell.
It was Anna, one of the sopranos. “Sorry to bug you,” she said meekly. “I know you’re going crazy here but I thought you’d want to know…”
Payton pulled out his ear buds, and shifted his legs around to face her. “Go ahead.”
Anna folded her arms behind her. “Yeah…um…it’s about Lily. Look, she’s really great and all and, boy, do I wish I had even half of her talent but…um…well…she’s been acting weird lately.”
Payton sighed deeply. It was the seventh complaint he’d had that week. He hoped that their experiences and…closeness…would have changed things. He’d still try. Regardless, he had a show to put on so things needed to be done. But he still had to have Anna’s input before taking action.
“What’s been going on?”
“Yeah…well…she’s just been really hyper lately. She can’t seem to make any solid decisions, she keeps changing her mind about song selections, which is really messing us up. And she’s been showing up late and stuff. I don’t know. It may be nothing, but we need a bit more…consistency, you know?”
Payton sighed again, smiling. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll take care of it, okay?”
Anna nodded, then scurried out of the room.
He sat on the desk, rubbing his thighs.
Please, he thought. Please not now. Not after everything going on…
He jumped off the desk, and walked to the door. Just as he stepped into the hallway, he smacked right into Lily.
He gripped her shoulders, pushing her back to an arm’s length. “This is getting really old, not to mention painful. You need a cowbell or something.”
“Are you calling me fat?” she asked, wriggling free from his hands.
He smiled. Lily looked pale…tired. She kept one hand in her back pocket and wiped her mouth on the back of her other hand. She rocked from side to side. Her eyes darted around the hallway.
“So, anything you wanna talk about?” he asked, leaning against a locker.
“No. Why?” she asked, wiping her mouth again, then running her hand through the length of her hair.
He shoved his hands into his front jean pockets. “’Cuz I hear you’ve been struggling a bit. Coming in late…not giving proper direction. What’s up?”
Lily rolled her eyes, releasing a sharp breath. “Look, I know what you’re thinking. I’m fine, really. Just really nervous. This is a lot to deal with you know? I’m not sleeping. Just tired. I told you a few times I’d be like this. It’s just…me.”
He bowed his head, looking at her over the rims of his glasses.
“What?” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Seriously, I’m okay. If I get into trouble, I’ll tell you. I promise.”
He shook his head. “No you won’t. You come to me before…when it starts. During, or after, is too late. Deal?”
She hugged herself, chewing the inside of her cheek. “Deal. Gotta go, ‘kay?”
He watched her walk away. He’d never get tired of that. “Still coming to my birthday party tonight?”
She turned around to face him, walking backwards. “Of course! Five, right?”
“Yeah, but feel free to relieve me of my abuse earlier if you want to.”
She laughed, waving, then she disappeared around the corner.
His smile disappeared.
You’d better not be lying to me, girl.
* * *
“You have to wear this,” Katie said, slapping a Beatle wig on Payton’s head. “It’s your b-day theme and everyone must participate. No exceptions.”
Payton’s expressionless face didn’t seem to deter his step-mother’s enthusiasm. Liam walked into the room with a Ringo wig he’d purposely positioned sideways.
The two men stared at each other, then Liam said, “Nice. John?”
“Of course!” Katie chimed in. “Isn’t he your favorite, Payton?”
He nodded. Dahlia chased River past the kitchen, apparently trying to squash a wig on his head too.
The room looked like a Beatles fan club gone obsessive. There were posters up, Beatles balloons, a cake with their signature drum logo and English Fish and Chips and other goodies for supper.
Payton felt stupid at first, but realized the hard work Katie must have put in to create the party. He decided to play along.
“Uh, so, who’s that little old man?” he said, pointing to Liam.
He hoped his father got the line from the Beatles’ movie, A Hard Day’s Night.
“Not nearly old enough to be a grandfather and I’d better not be for a very long time,” he retorted in his best Liverpudlian accent. Then he pretended to puff up his Beatle coif, and sauntered out of the room Ringo-style.
Hilarious.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Payton, forgetting his wig, rushed to the door. But was beaten there by his younger siblings.
“Guys, move out of the way so I can open the door, okay?”
The two tots fought over who was in whose way.
The doorbell rang again.
“Move!” he yelled.
They looked up at him with saucer-sized eyes.
He softened. “Sorry. Please, just move to the side, okay? Otherwise Lily will think we aren’t here, and she’ll leave.”
They sidled over, allowing Payton to open the door.
When he opened the door, she said, “Yeah, I don’t think there’d have been a prob with me thinking no one was home,” she laughed. “I could hear you guys crystal clear from out here. And nice hair, by the way.”
He touched the top of his head. “Shut up. You get one too.”
Lily waved to the car in the driveway, then stepped in.
“Was that your dad?” Payton asked shutting the door.
“No.”
“Who was it then?”
“Nobody. So where’s my wig?”
No answer.
Fine.
He’d find out eventually.
Katie rushed up. “Hi, Lily. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”
She gave Lily a hug, which Lily seemed unsure about at first, then wrapped her arms around Katie, and smiled.
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Well, come on in. Did you want anything to drink? We have some snacks set out too.”
“Um, water or juice would be great. I’m not fussy. Thank you.”
“Lemonade?”
“Sure. That’d be great.”
Katie disappeared into the kitchen, then Lily turned to Payton.
Katie brought Lily her lemonade, which she politely sipped, then put her glass on the coffee table. After wigs were distributed, and friendly conversation made, Katie told Payton to take Lily on a tour of the house while she did the final dinner preparations.
“Wow. She’s really…friendly.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Payton said, shoving her shoulder. “And nice wig, by the way.”
“Shut up,” Lily said, shoving him
back.
“You could at least put your hair under it, geez. Doesn’t have the same ambiance when your hair is hanging out from under it.”
“Now who’s using the big words?”
He gave a crooked smile, then said, “Some of us use them more than others.”
“You’re a jerk, Jimmy Dean.”
“You should expect nothing else, Miss Lily.”
They toured the upstairs, then went down to the basement. Dahlia and River joined them and they all did a pit stop in the playroom.
Dahlia loved to play and, for some reason, they warmed up to Lily instantly. They played hide-and-seek, dress up, eye spy, then Lily got tackle-hugged on the floor. Payton watched in awe.
For a girl who seems like she has no connection with anyone, kids sure love her.
“Okay guys,” Payton said, in an attempt to relieve Lily of her kid-attack. “Go up and see if Mom needs any help with getting ready for this b-day thing.”
“Okay!” they said in unison, each giving Lily a koala bear hug on their way out.
After they scrambled out and up the stairs, Payton said, “So. You’re pretty good with kids.”
Lily stood up, ran her fingers through her hair, then said, “Yeah, well…I seem to attract kids, dogs and older people. It’s a gift.”
“Well, you seem to have more than one, don’t ya?”
She gave him a smirk. “I guess. They’re really cute kids. You’re lucky. I’d have loved to have had younger siblings. Something to be inspired from, you know? Knowing someone is always watching what you do…keep you on the straight and narrow.”
“I guess. They are a little on the crazy side.”
Lily laughed. “All kids are.”
“I guess.”
“So, where’s your room?”
Payton felt weird taking her to his room, and knew Katie most likely heard the question. The woman had amazing hearing, considering the noise level in the house when the kids were up and running around. He led Lily to his room, leaving the door ajar to avoid any suspicion.
“Nice,” Lily said. “Kinda girly, though.”
Payton sat on the computer chair. “Yeah. I think it was supposed to have been for a nanny, but I came instead.”
Lily sat on the edge of the bed, taking off her wig. “Well, it could be worse. At least there are no flowers on the wall or anything. Then I’d wonder.”
“Hey, I am secure in my masculinity,” he said, sitting beside her. “And in tune with my feminine side.”
“Don’t set yourself up like that, seriously.”
“What? A guy can’t have a girly vibe in his room and not be okay with it?”
She laughed, then flopped back on the bed. “You are more doofish than I realized.”
He flopped beside her, both of them staring at the ceiling for a few seconds. He’d never been more relaxed with a girl before. He’d had a few dates, a couple of girlfriends, but nothing so powerful than what he had with Lily. It both intrigued and scared him.
“So, uh, should we go upstairs or something? Wouldn’t want your mom to think anything nasty was going on down here.”
“She probably already does.”
Lily pushed herself up on her elbow, and faced him. “You are a very lucky guy, Payton. I hope you realize that.”
“I dunno. In some ways, I guess. You kinda gotta learn from what you go through.”
“See? There’s that fortune cookie thing again.”
“Shut up!” He pushed her elbow out from under her, and she fell on her back.
She was so beautiful. Her gorgeous, thick, long hair cascading around her. He leaned down, uncertain what came over him, and pressed his lips to hers. For a moment, it seemed as though she’d pull away. But she moved her hand to the back of his head, pulling him in closer. When their tongues met, she sat up.
“Wow. Um, I think that it may not be a good idea to be caught this way. Not here…right now. Especially with your family stuff going on and, well, honestly, the girliness in this room is kinda a turn-off.”
He laughed. “You’re probably right. Besides, my stepmom not only knows how to shoot a bazooka, she has grenades in her closet.”
“Fantastic. And that’s supposed to make me feel better about her how…?”
“She’s not that bad. Just don’t tick her off.”
“Great. That’s very reassuring.”
“You’ll be fine. She doesn’t know where you live.”
Lily glared at him. “Again? Very reassuring.”
“Alright. Let’s get upstairs and make an appearance or they’ll send the cavalry down here again.”
She got up, straightened her clothes, then went to the door. “Coming?”
“No, I’m sending you up to fend for yourself.”
“Get up, butthead.”
“What? Are you scared, Miss Lily?”
“I think you should know by now that I don’t scare easily.”
“Yeah. I ‘got’ that.”
After a few seconds of staring at each other, Lily held out her hand and helped him up, then they walked up the stairs. The smell of roast beef made his mouth water. He was hoping for more fish chowder, but being the meat-and-potatoes guy he was, he’d never turn down a chunk of meat.
“Well, hi there you two,” Katie said, her apron splattered with gravy. “As you can see, we had a little kitchen accident here when the little ones were trying to ‘help.’”
“They’re fun. Great kids,” Lily responded.
“Yes, they are. Full of energy, but a lot of good times. Did you want something else to drink, Lily?”
“You know, I’m still good with a pop, or even water. Thank you.”
“Pay, can you get your friend a bottled water from the fridge? Dinner is ready. I hope you’re hungry.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. The kids and I built up a big appetite. And I am a meat-and-potatoes girl. No worries here.”
Wow, he thought. Match made in Heaven.
He wondered where she stored all the food she ate, being that she was so thin.
“Excellent,” Katie said, slicing the last pieces of roast. “The table is all set so you guys can just go get yourselves comfy out there and the food will be there ASAP.”
The meal was phenomenal. Celtic music hummed in the background, laughter echoed around the room and there was no alcohol served, much to Payton’s surprise.
After supper, Payton got his Beatles cake with a really loud, and terribly off-key, rendition of ‘Happy Birthday.’ He loved it. Lily, who sat beside him, sang beautifully, as always.
It was perfect.
While Payton cut the cake, Katie pulled a couple of presents out from under the table wrapped up in, of course, Beatle wrapping paper.
“Where did you get this stuff?” he asked in astonishment.
Liam shook his head, putting his index finger to his lips. “Sh. You don’t want to know the filthy deals Katie had to make in order to get all of that for you.”
Katie put her hands on her hips. “Oh, you! No filthy deals. I used eBay when your father actually got off the computer and let me on long enough.”
Dahlia’s face scrunched up like she’d sucked on a lemon. “What the heck is a filthy deal?”
The adults all looked at one another, then laughed. Payton distracted his little sister with a huge piece of cake.
“Ooo! Angel cake! My favorite!”
“Open up the presents! Open them!” River said.
Payton smiled, grabbing the smaller one first. “Okay, okay. Take it easy. Let’s see. This one is from…River and Dahlia.”
He ripped the paper. It was a new cell phone. He really hated cell phones, and didn’t see himself ever getting one in general, but knew why they got him a new one. His was pretty old-school, with low data. The new one seemed to have more data and app options. Katie seemed to know he needed more room, considering he had to download music and stuff.
“Just in case of emergencies,” Katie
said. “You know, if we’re gonna be late picking you up or…whatever. Plus, the one you have now has a smashed screen, from what I noticed.”
Payton gave her a half-smile, then nodded. He grabbed another one that was obviously a book of some kind.
“Lemme guess. A car?”
“That’s not a car,” Dahlia said, clicking her tongue.
River thought the joke was pretty hilarious as he laughed and spit cake all over the table.
Payton ripped the paper, and his jaw went slack. It was a replacement Mozart book for the one the kids stomped all over.
“Oh wow…” he said. “I can’t accept this. It’s so expensive.”
Katie smiled. “You can, and you will. Done. Now open that last one.”
He side-glanced at Lily, who smiled, then he slid the book under his phone and picked up the small package. It was a picture of his grandparents with his mother when she was his age. They were all smiling, hugging one another. There were no hints of turmoil or mental illness or resentment. His eyes moistened.
“How did you…?”
“Your grandparents sent it and asked us to save it for your birthday. Grandpa said he’d call you next week once they’re totally settled in their new place.”
The frame was carved out of cherry wood, and he knew from the workmanship, that his grandfather had made it especially for him. He hugged the picture to his chest.
“Thank you for all of this, you guys,” he said. “I can honestly say this was the best birthday I’ve ever had.”
“Well, I’m glad to have helped make it happen,” Katie said, starting to clear the table.
Lily put her hand on his thigh. “And I am so happy to have been a part of it all. Thank you so much for having me.”
“Of course, honey. Any time.”
Katie gave Payton a smile, then disappeared into the kitchen with armfuls of plates and cutlery. Dad took the kids out to start bath time, after giving numerous hugs to Payton and Lily.
Then the two teens were alone.
Lily cleared her throat. “I really love your family. I had so much fun today.”
“I’m glad. They can be a bit weirdly overwhelming, but they are pretty decent.”
“They are beyond just ‘decent,’ Pay. And you need to accept it. It’s not a bad thing having people around you who give a crap and take care of you.”
Blackbird Flies Page 8
