Bandages

by S. L. Kassidy

  “Yeah, I felt like there had to be a monster in me because he was a monster and he was my father. And I felt weak because I couldn’t stop this man from hurting my mama.”

  Dane nodded. She knew that feeling all too well. Sometimes, she’d wish she’d just die instead of feeling so helpless and weak. She wanted to tell him, this man who might understand, but she couldn’t. It’d be revealing too much of herself, like standing before him in the nude. Only Nicole could see her like that.

  “I promised myself I wouldn’t be like him ever. I don’t even speak Spanish because of him,” Benito said, which earned a raised eyebrow. “He’d scream at her in Spanish. Sometimes, when I was much younger, hearing it would give me flashbacks.”

  She nodded. She used to get flashbacks, too. The nightmares were worse, but she didn’t have them as frequently anymore. “So, what happened?”

  “We grew up, moved out. She stayed and he kept beating her. We told her to leave. Hell, we—my siblings and I—we offered our homes to her, but she refused.”

  “This story doesn’t end with someone killing someone else, right?” she asked because that damn sure wouldn’t make her feel any better.

  Chuckling, he shook his head. “Thankfully, God saw fit to take care of that bastard young, so my mama still had some life left to live.”

  “Did that monster in you ever come out?”

  “No. Nothing beyond just being angry, which was mostly directed at him anyway. I never laid my hands on anyone. Before realizing I was my own person that had nothing to do with him, I vowed I wouldn’t be like him. When I met Alicia, I knew I couldn’t be like him. I could never raise my hand to her in anger. I love her way too much and when Kate was born, I knew I could never touch her in anger, either. I cherish the family I made with Alicia. This family is everything to me, which is why I flipped out on you.”

  Dane nodded. “You want to protect this wonderful family you made, which makes sense to me. I know family is important to you because that’s passed on to Nick. I want to be better for her. Before, I knew there was a monster in me, and I tried to drown it in alcohol, drugs, and shit like that. I wanted to forget it was there or suppress it, but not anymore. I don’t need those things anymore, and I don’t do them anymore thanks to Nick. When I’m with her, I don’t even feel like there’s a monster there, and all I want to do is make her happy.”

  He smiled. “That’s good. It’s great you got off of drugs, too. My brother used those to cope and it almost killed him before he went into rehab.”

  Dane nodded again; pleased he was not upset with the fact that she used to be on drugs. She knew everything was all right when he turned on the television. Football appeared on the screen and Benito’s sons-in-law seemed to come out of nowhere. They all greeted Dane in friendly ways with smiles and handshakes. They, thankfully, didn’t ask about her family, and they all just enjoyed the game.

  ***

  Dinner was served earlier than Dane expected. Apparently Kimber’s family and Katrina’s family had to go to their husbands’ families. They sat at the dining room table as they had during the Easter dinner. Dane thought that was a little funny; it was like a television show.

  Things got even funnier to her, but not like a joke funny. It was just weird to Dane. They went around the table and everybody stated what they were thankful for. She supposed she could get used to such closeness, but it’d take some time. Eventually, all eyes went to her.

  “Danny, do you want to say something?” Nicole took Danny’s hand and squeezed. Dane smiled.

  “Um…sure. I mean, I’m thankful for tons of stuff. I’m thankful just to be alive and to be here with the woman I love and share my first Thanksgiving with her wonderful family. I haven’t had a normal Thanksgiving in almost twenty years. So, thank you for this.”

  The family clapped for her and her smile turned into a grin. They said grace, which Dane expected. They ate a grand Thanksgiving dinner. Dane enjoyed it, smiling through the whole meal. Nicole smiled, too, as conversation flowed and happiness seemed almost tangible.

  “You okay?” Nicole asked her lover in a low tone.

  “Yeah, love this, though. Your family’s great.”

  Nicole smiled, beaming at the compliment. The expression, of course, made Dane happy. It was a good day, but it was a little overwhelming. Dane just wasn’t used to all of the friendly chatter and sincere questions, especially from multiple people. Dane sat out much of the conversation.

  When the main meal was done, the family left the table. Dane found a corner to be alone in, sitting by the stairs near the front door. She curled up by the wall and closed her eyes for a moment. The peace was fleeting as she felt a presence. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of a chubby, smiling face.

  “Hey, Wayne.” She gave the baby her own bright smile.

  Wayne’s deep, umber eyes shined with delight. He wasted no time climbing on her since she was on his level. Danny didn’t have much interaction with Wayne, because he was usually napping while she played with his siblings. According to Nicole, Wayne was a nighttime baby, who liked to hang out late and then sleep all day. Danny had been around him enough to know he liked her hair, so she watched his hands.

  “Hi.” The baby hit her in the shoulder. She wondered if he normally greeted people in such a manner.

  “So, Wayne, do you talk?”.

  Wayne didn’t respond as his eyes went straight to her hair. He put his hand up and petted where she knew her blond streaks were the thickest. Seconds later, he tugged her hair.

  “Ow, dude! Your grubby little mitts. Gimme that,” Dane said, pulling his hands away.

  Something about holding his tiny hand in her much larger paw made her feel warm on the inside. She rolled his fingers around on her own before she even realized what she was doing. Her eyes drifted to his hand as he giggled.

  “You have long fingers, little man. That could be good for you when you get older. Grow up and play piano. Girls love it. They love musicians really. Doesn’t matter what you play. But, you have to play it well. If you play like crap, they’ll treat you like that every chance they get.” Wayne giggled more and then grabbed Dane’s nose with his free hand. “You won’t be getting me, boyo. I don’t swing that way, but I can totally help you. I’m not too smooth when it comes to talking, but if you play music, you don’t have to talk. And if you sing, it’s even better.”

  Wayne laughed and let go of her nose. He caressed her cheek gently and she hummed. Suddenly, he grinned and curled into her chest. She hummed again and he snuggled closer.

  “I get it. You like singing, too, huh? Well, for girls, it’ll be different. Some might like you singing in a metal style, which I do very well. Others might like soul. I can do that, too. But, a lot of them like when you sing real soft, only for their ears. Like this.” Dane cleared her throat. She began singing in a tender, soothing tone. “You start out really low, so she has to sit closer. Cradle her so she knows you really chose her. Look deep in her eyes and tell her no lies and that she makes your soul stir.”

  Wayne yawned and his eyes drifted shut. Dane glanced down at him when he settled and smiled. She continued singing.

  ***

  “Uh-oh, look who’s holding the baby.” Katrina grinned as she glanced over by the stairs. Her mother, sisters, and most importantly, her niece turned to see what she was talking about.

  “Danny,” Nicole squeaked.

  “She looks pretty comfortable with a baby, too,” Kimber said, while Kathleen frowned.

  “And Wayne fell asleep on her. Too freaking cute.” Katrina snapped a picture of the moment on her phone. Danny must’ve spotted the movement because she looked up just in time to see the flash.

  “Wha?” Danny blinked a few times, blinded by the bright light. Suddenly, her eyes were wide and she seemed to panic. Rushing to her feet, she held onto Wayne. “I didn’t do anything. He just crawled on me and fell asleep.”

  Katrina smiled softly. “Calm down, Danny. It�
�s fine.”

  “You sure? I really didn’t do anything,” Danny insisted, practically shoving the child into his mother’s arms. Katrina’s brow furrowed as she accepted her son.

  Nicole rushed over and went to Danny, wrapping her arms around Danny. “Baby, calm down. Aunt Katrina isn’t Sharon. She doesn’t think you would do anything to harm Wayne. She doesn’t think you hurt him.”

  “Sharon?” Katrina echoed and then shook the name away. “Doesn’t matter. Danny, I definitely don’t think you’d hurt Wayne. Hold him and entertain him whenever you want.”

  “Really?” Danny sounded incredulous with heartbreaking wide eyes.

  “Really. Danny, my niece trusts you with her heart, and you’re obviously taking good care of her. I don’t think you’d hurt my son based on how you treat my niece. Not to mention my other kids adore you,” Katrina said.

  “Uh…” Danny wasn’t sure what to say.

  “You’re good with kids. And you look good with a baby in your arms,” Katrina smiled.

  Danny blushed a little, and Nicole pulled her a little closer. Katrina got ready to leave. Kimber and her family did the same. Danny and Nicole hung out for a little while longer, but when Haydn started whining, they both were all too aware that it was time to go.

  “Bye, Grandma.” Nicole hugged Alicia. She turned to Benito. “Bye, Papa. Thank you for being big enough to admit your mistake.”

  “It’s no problem. I shouldn’t have jumped all over Danny like that.” Benito hugged Nicole and then shook Danny’s hand. “Keep taking care of my granddaughter.”

  “Doing my best, sir.”

  ***

  The day ended well and the couple cuddled together in bed. Nicole felt closer to Danny and she knew it was because Danny cared enough about her to reveal parts of herself to her family. She planted a gentle kiss to Danny’s jaw.

  “What was that for? Not that I’m complaining.” Danny pressed Nicole into her side.

  “It was for being you. Thank you for not freaking out on my grandfather.”

  Danny shrugged. “It was no big deal. I know he’s just protective of you. Besides, it worked out.”

  “Which is great. And you know you did look good holding Wayne. Were you singing to him?”

  “Yeah. He liked it.”

  “You think…you think you want children to sing to?” Nicole asked in a low voice.

  Danny shrugged. “Still haven’t thought about kids, Nick. Maybe I could handle one, though. But, I’m not sure since all the kids I interact with go home at the end of the day.”

  “Don’t think too much about it, sweetheart. Thank you for today, though.”

  “No, thank you for today. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good Thanksgiving. Not since the Briarmoors.”

  “You had Thanksgiving with them?”

  “Only once. It was good, even though I don’t remember a lot of it. I was really little, but it doesn’t matter. I liked today.”

  “Well, I hope there are many more good Thanksgivings in our future, as well as other holidays.”

  “I like the sound of that, too.”

  Aloe

  “WHERE ARE WE GOING again?” Dane asked, as they jumped into Nicole’s car. Haydn was already asleep, so he was locked up in his crate until they returned.

  “Blank Slate,” Nicole answered for probably the tenth time. It was amazing she had not sighed yet.

  “I still have no clue what that is. Sounds like a date rape drink or something.” Dane chuckled.

  “I told you, it’s like an arcade, but more mature.”

  “How can an arcade be mature?”

  An auburn eyebrow arched. “Asks the woman who practically bit my head off when I suggested that video games were for teenagers?”

  Dane didn’t have a retort, so she pouted instead. The expression earned her a sweet kiss on the cheek, which turned the pout into a smile. Dane decided to just wait and see what this mature arcade was like.

  “Mina and Clara are meeting us there?” Dane asked.

  “Yes, they’ll meet us there.”

  “With their partners?” Not that Clara seemed to have a steady person in her life or that Mina was likely to take her husband out with the group.

  Nicole scoffed. “You know you’re the only partner allowed to hang out with us. It’s a girls’ night.”

  “I guess it’s good they think of me as a girl for these things. Your grandfather thinks of me as one of the boys.”

  “That’s just how Papa is. I’m glad he’s so accepting, but his mind still separates couples into male and female. I’ve been his baby girl all my life, so I’m obviously the female. That leaves you to be the male. Does it bother you?”

  Dane shook her head. “Doesn’t bother me at all. Glad he still likes me and accepts me. I like your family. I like your friends, too. I mean, how cool are they to take you out because school’s over?”

  Nicole smiled brightly. “They are good people, aren’t they? They’ve always been supportive, especially Mina.”

  “Even when she accidentally takes advantage of you?”

  “She doesn’t do it much anymore and before she did it because she respects my intelligence and opinion. She’s not bad.”

  Dane smiled. “I know. I like Mina.” Mina was always there for Nicole, and for them, when they needed something. Dane knew that was more than most people could ask for.

  “And Mina likes you, which is another reason you’re always invited out when it’s just us girls. Mina likes hanging out with you. Clara, too. They like you.”

  Dane had nothing to add. She liked her lover’s friends, but found it a little odd they invited her out with them. They were a close trio and sometimes she felt like she was intruding, even though they invited her and were always friendly. She went along, though, because it made Nicole ridiculously happy.

  Nicole pulled into the large parking lot where bright lights proclaimed the dark building Blank Slate. When they got out, Nicole scanned the lot, searching for her friends or their vehicles. It was dark, so Dane wasn’t sure if Nicole saw anything or not. Nicole eventually took her hand and tugged her toward the entrance of the “mature arcade.”

  “We can wait inside if they’re not here at the door,” Nicole said.

  Dane nodded and allowed her girlfriend to lead her to the door. Dane was surprised they had to show identification to get in. Briefly, she wondered if she had photo ID.

  “Should have my driver’s license,” Dane muttered to herself as she opened her wallet.

  “Baby, I told you to make sure you had photo ID.” Nicole sighed.

  “Did you? Because you were saying a lot of things while wearing a towel. I will confess, I didn’t hear much beyond the sound of your breasts bouncing.” It didn’t help that Nicole slipped on a blouse that hugged her torso and complimented her cleavage to the point Dane almost drooled.

  Nicole laughed. “You’re awful.”

  Dane smiled, especially since she’d found her driver’s license. They flashed their IDs and, after close scrutiny of Dane’s license, they were allowed in. They found Mina and Clara waiting, as they descended the stairs.

  “Well, it’s about time.” Mina grinned.

  “I had to get Danny to put pants on.” Nicole, obviously, had not considered how that sounded.

  Mina smirked and her eyes sparkled with mischief, even in the dark. “Did we interrupt your own little, private ‘school’s out’ celebration?”

  Nicole blushed and Dane came to her girlfriend’s aid. “She meant that one literally, Mina. I was gonna wear some basketball shorts, but the clothing Nazi here wouldn’t let me.” Dane jabbed her thumb at the redhead.

  “What?” Clara said incredulously. “It’s in the teens out there. You could’ve gotten sick.”

  Dane shrugged, but Nicole appreciated the backup. “That’s what I said.”

  “And you were right.” Clara laughed. The others chuckled a little, too.

  ***

  “Dan
ny, I can’t believe how much you suck at pool.” Mina laughed, as she bent over the pool table they were all crowded around.

  Danny only shrugged and smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. Nicole moved closer to her lover and wrapped her arms around Danny. Moving her pool stick to one hand, she used her free hand to take Danny’s left hand. She gently stroked the scarred extremity with her thumb.

  “I used to be better at pool. Haven’t played in a while,” Danny said. Nicole waited until her friends were focused completely on the game before she brought up the topic with her lover.

  “Is your hand bothering you?” Nicole asked, in a low tone, as she continued to caress her lover’s hand.

  “Not really, but it’s limited, especially with stuff I don’t do regularly. It’s not bad, but I’m gonna keep sucking at pool for the night.” Danny’s slight smile showed she didn’t have a problem with reality.

  Nicole nodded and held on to her girlfriend until it was her turn to shoot. She made a little show of bending over for Danny, knowing grey eyes watched her intently, and wiggled a little before demonstrating her billiards skills. Danny whistled as Nicole pocketed a ball, but Nicole was sure the sound was directed at her ass and not her skills.

  “Nikki, don’t start being perfect now,” Mina groaned. “Give me a chance to win once.”

  Nicole smirked. “I don’t think so. I like winning and I need to show off to my hot girlfriend.” She earned some surprised looks from her friends as she knocked another ball into the side pocket.

  “Is my dear, sweet, angel a pool shark?” Danny put her hand on her chest as if she were scandalized.