Patty blushed only slightly before replying. “Yes, I think I’d like that.” She looked at her computer and began clicking and typing. Stephen’s phone made a pinging sound. “There. I scheduled us for Wednesday, if that’s alright. I sent you an invite.”
“Vincent’s efficient?” Stephen laughed. “Great, next Wednesday it is.”
Stephen heard the two men talking and looked down the hallway to see them standing at Vincent’s door. The two men gave each other a hug before turning down the hallway. Vincent looked uncomfortable.
Waltz joined Patty and Stephen in front of her office.
“Patty, it’s always a pleasure speaking with you. I’m sorry it’s been so long. Tell Vincent I’ll call him next week, and we can have lunch.” Waltz gave her a hug too.
“Yes, sir. I’ll put it on his schedule.”
Stephen gave a half wave to Patty. “I guess I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“Absolutely!”
“Wednesday?” Waltz asked.
“A lunch date,” Stephen answered.
The two men walked back out the way they’d come in. Stephen glanced back at Patty. That whole experience had been a little awkward to him. Except for Patty. She was pleasant, comfortable, like he already knew her. Only, he didn’t.
Chapter 5
The clouds passed overhead, occasionally offering shade from the warmer rays of the sun as Stephen and Patty walked along the walkways and paths. People talked and kids giggled in the background. The running water from the nearby waterfall and scent of flowers and bushes in full bloom made it a beautiful day to be at the zoo. The smell of smoked BBQ still lingered on their clothes as the couple strolled past a cotton candy vendor and up to the elephant’s habitat.
“Man, I’m stuffed. I hope I wasn’t too messy.” Patty rubbed her belly.
“Not at all.” Stephen chuckled. “I’m glad you dug right in. I wasn’t sure how I was going to eat ribs with a fork.” He smiled at her. “Pappy’s BBQ wasn’t there before I left. I wish it had been. I might have stayed.”
“I know it’s not really my business, but why did you leave and not tell anyone? Waltz seems like a good man and talked about you all the time.”
“What all do you know about Waltz and me?” Stephen asked her.
“I know he’s a good man. He raised you, kind of. But he’s not your dad. Right?”
“Yeah.” Stephen paused before continuing. “Are your parents still alive, Patty?”
“Mom is. Dad passed away last year—a heart attack. Mom’s just now getting a handle on things.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s alright,” Patty said. “I’m healed for the most part. But what about you and Waltz?”
“I’m sure you’ve had a moment or two when you wished your dad was here to help with something, or answer a question, or maybe even to talk about whatever.”
Patty’s face turned solemn for a moment before she managed a smile and a nod.
“Well, just about my whole life has been like that. Mom died when I was eight, I think. I have no clue who my dad was or is. I mean, is he alive? Does he know about me? Would he care? Just knowing those answers would mean the world to me.”
Patty interjected. “Did you go looking for him?”
“My dad? Nah. I wouldn’t know where to begin. I think that knowing your parents helps give you a sense of who you are, where you come from, where you belong. You know?”
They stopped in front of the elephant exhibit where the waterfall flowed into a pool. A mother elephant was there with her young, both getting water.
“See that baby elephant? If it was born and raised by something other than an elephant, I think it might have issues learning things, at least at first. For example, did you know that a baby elephant doesn’t use its trunk to get water?”
Patty shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yeah, it’ll dip its head into the water to drink.”
“Really?”
“Well, that’s what a Facebook meme said.” Stephen grinned. Patty softly punched him on the arm. “Ha-ha. Hey now.” Stephen continued. “My point is, you are who you are largely because of your parents. They say fifty percent nature, fifty percent nurture. Well, sometimes I feel like I’m missing the ‘fifty percent nature’ part. Waltz nurtured me, sure. But, I left to try to figure out who I am—that is, who I want to be. I can’t help but feel that who my parents were is an important part of making that decision. There was a part of me that I worried Waltz wouldn’t understand. I wanted to talk to him, but I was afraid, I guess.”
“Afraid of what? Waltz seems really nice.” Patty gently pulled at a nearby leaf, playing with it.
“What if he didn’t understand? What if the fifty percent that is nature was stuff he didn’t like? Besides, Waltz has been really good to me. He’s the only dad I ever had. The last thing I wanted was for him to think he wasn’t good enough. It was stupid, I know. We’ve talked about it since I’ve returned. I think we’re good.”
“What brought you back?”
“A lot of things really. I had been able to make it on my own. That wasn’t really what I was after. I really wanted answers, about me and stuff. Some I got; some I didn’t. After that, I realized I needed someone to understand me.”
“And Waltz understands you?”
“Yeah, more than I realized. I guess we’re kindred spirits of sorts.”
“Think you’ll ever find him?”
“Find who?” Stephen asked.
“Your dad,” Patty stated enthusiastically.
“Oh.” Stephen looked down at the ground. He hadn’t really thought about it much lately. But, he did still feel like something was missing. Just knowing might be enough to fill that small void. “I don’t know. I’d like to, even just to know who he was. Do I have siblings? That sort of thing. I used to get excited thinking about it. Now, I worry a bit that I wouldn’t like what I found. Besides, I’ve come to realize that what’s more important to me is not where I came from, but having a place to belong.”
“And you’ve found that?” Patty pushed a lock of hair back behind her ear.
“I’m still looking for it. I know I won’t find it by running away.”
A small whorl of leaves blew by. Stephen looked up at the sky. “We should probably get inside.”
The distant sound of rustling leaves preceded shrieks as people began running by. Before the two could run, they found themselves in the midst of a downpour. They sought shelter under a nearby tree, which allowed them to keep most of the water out of their eyes, as large drops continued to fall all around them.
They were drenched even though they’d made it under the tree in a few seconds. Hair dripped as well as clothes. Still, they laughed and smiled. Stephen couldn’t help but notice how Patty’s clothes clung to her form, which was very pleasant. Eyes up top, he told himself. He could see that Patty had noticed him too.
Wow! I wouldn’t mind putting my hands on that chest. And look at those arms!
Stephen smiled even more at hearing her thoughts. He could feel the chemistry, the emotion. He wanted her, and she wanted him. But it wasn’t fair. Patty didn’t have this advantage. For the first time, he felt wrong about violating someone’s thoughts—her privacy. From now on, she’s off limits!
“I wonder how long this will last.” Stephen nodded at the rain.
“I don’t know. But it’s a good thing Vincent let us take the afternoon off. I’d hate to have to go back to work like this. It’s cold enough as it is in the office. The air blows right on me!”
“Yeah, good thing.” Stephen thought about the problems that might present but dared not mention them. He had heard some of the guys’ thoughts concerning Patty. Many found her attractive. However, most lacked the confidence to approach her.
The rain began to die down. The puddles that had formed nearby shimmered from the combination of sunlight and ripples from the remaining sprinkles. People began coming out of their hidi
ng places.
“Hey, you wouldn’t wanna swing back by the shelter with me, would you?” Stephen desperately hoped she would.
“Yeah. I’d like to see you in your natural habitat.” Patty nudged Stephen with her shoulder. “But I’m soaked.” She drew her lips to one side, her eyes thoughtful.
“We can throw your clothes in the dryer. I have some you might be comfortable in,” Stephen suggested.
Patty smiled. “Sure, why not?”
Patty drove them back to the shelter in her beat-up little car. Once inside, Stephen grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from his room and headed down the hall to the bathroom.
“I threw something on the bed that I thought might be comfortable for you.”
“Thank you,” Patty replied as she ventured into Stephen’s room, closing the door behind her.
Once Stephen changed, he waited outside the door. He expected to hear some comment from her by now, but hadn’t. The longer she remained silent, the more he worried, and searching for her thoughts was off limits. He waited until he was too embarrassed to wait any longer.
“You okay in there?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m almost done.”
He heard her walking toward the door. The door opened.
“What do you think?” Patty smiled from ear to ear and appeared to be begging for a response.
“I think my Superman pajamas have never looked better!” Stephen grinned mischievously. “Only, what took you so long? And where did the sweats I laid out for you go?”
Patty, still smiling slyly, replied, “I had to dry my hair and put it up. And the sweats are still on the bed where you put them. They aren’t as cute as these I found folded in the top of the basket. I hope you don’t mind.” Patty batted her eyelashes.
“Ha-ha. I don’t mind.”
“Uh-hum!”
The two turned toward the living room to see Waltz and Bernie staring at them with inquisitive looks.
“Wow, you two look really odd together,” Stephen laughed. “Waltz, Bernie, I believe you both know Patty.”
“Hello, Patty,” the two men said, nearly in unison.
“Hello, Mr. Stockton, Mr. Jackson. I hope you don’t mind, but we were at the zoo and got caught in the rain. Stephen invited me here to dry off and play some pool.”
“Now ya’ talkin’,” Bernie stated excitedly. “I’ll go rack ’em. Come on, Waltz!”
Stephen grabbed Patty’s wet clothes from his bedroom and took them down the hall to the dryer before heading downstairs.
Waltz and Bernie had already racked the balls and pulled out a couple of stools from the closet and were seated.
Bernie patted one of the seats between him and Waltz. “Come an’ have seat, little lady. We don’t often get ladies around here. Mostly men come stay with us.”
“Yeah, I’ve notice that over the past couple of years,” Patty stated as she sat.
Stephen walked up to the table. “I guess I’m breaking then?”
“Sure,” Waltz said.
Stephen sent the racked balls flying. However, not a single ball fell in. “Well, who’s up? We running teams? Me and Patty?”
“Yes and no.” Patty stood up. “I’m not sure I’m ready to be teamed up with you yet. I’ve played with these two. I’ll take Bernie here. You and Waltz can team up.”
Patty looked around, choosing her shot. The game was on.
“So, you’ve been around here some over the past few years?” Stephen directed the question toward Patty.
“Oh, yeah!” Waltz spoke up. “She’s been here a time or two, on official business. When she realized we had a pool table down here, well, she came over to play, especially in the summers.”
“I see. The guys clear out during the summer. But you guys still had someone to shoot pool with.” Stephen turned to Patty, who sat on her stool again. “So, how well did you get to know them?” He hoped she couldn’t hear the concern in his voice.
Patty smiled. “Well enough to get some good stories of their beloved Stephen.”
His concern, as it turned out, was well founded.
“Ah! Really? What stories did they tell you? You know this isn’t fair, right?” Stephen protested, knowing it was too late.
“Hey,” Bernie interjected. “We didn’t know you were coming back. It ain’t our fault.”
“Okay. Fair enough.” Stephen knew his cheeks were flushed. “Nothing too bad I hope?”
“A few cute stories.” Patty playfully nudged Stephen, who was watching Waltz make a run on the table. “But mostly about how special you were. You sounded like a really good kid, helping them with the homeless and stuff. I believe you also had plans of going to college and being in business?”
“Yeah, that seems like a lifetime ago now, though. I did go to college.”
“I know.” Patty winked at Stephen. “I’ve seen your file.”
“I can’t shake the feeling that you know too much about me.”
“Oh, I’m sure she does,” said Bernie.
“Like how you used to wet the bed,” Waltz interjected as he struck the cue ball.
“Really?” Stephen blushed from embarrassment. He was just trying to get to know Patty, and already she knew so much about him—more than he wanted her to.
“Yep,” she said calmly. “I know that you always wanted a real dog too. You had an imaginary one. I know you had several crushes, all older, by the way. Let’s see. Your favorite food was chicken teriyaki. You wanted to be a Ninja Turtle. Oh! And, you obviously love Superman!”
“Wow! I can feel the love, guys. Truly.” Stephen got back up to shoot. Bernie had missed his shot. “Well, I feel at a loss. I don’t really know much about you. I guess you’ll have to tell us something embarrassing about yourself. Eight ball, side pocket.” Stephen sank the shot and smiled at Patty.
Patty got up and walked over toward Stephen. “If you want to know more about me, I guess you have to ask me out again.” She leaned in real close to him, placing her face inches from his. “Excuse me, but I need to rack.”
Stephen moved, but felt the romantic tension. There was something about Patty. She seemed familiar in a way, as if he should know her. After all, she did know a lot about him. And she wasn’t like any of the other women he’d ever known. He truly felt at ease around her.
They continued to play until the dryer sounded, signifying the clothes were dry. After Patty changed, Stephen walked her out to the porch.
“Stephen, I had a great time. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard a lot about you over the past couple of years or so. When you asked me to lunch, I already felt like I knew you. But you surprised me. I hope you figure out where you belong soon.”
Before Stephen could say a word, Patty leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “See ya, Stephen. Don’t wait too long to call me.”
“Bye.” Stephen had barely gotten the word out when Patty turned and walked down the stairs, across the yard, got in her car parked on the street, and left.
Stephen heard the screen door creak open behind him and turned to see Waltz.
“Hey, Waltz.”
“Oooh, boy! You’re in trouble!”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Stephen felt confused. His mind lingered on cloud nine.
“How many times did you read her tonight?” Waltz leaned against a post, arms crossed.
Stephen thought for moment. “None, I think.”
“Uh-huh. Your mind was preoccupied, with her.”
“And?”
“Well,” Waltz continued, “any guy that wasn’t already head over heels in love with a girl would have thought to see how she was feeling about him.”
“I didn’t need to check that. She was having a good time. We both were.”
“Yeah, but you’re in love, Stephen.”
“What? No way! I don’t even really know her yet.” Could I really be in love? She is amazing. I’ve never known a girl like her.
“Well, you may not know
her. But she already has you wrapped.”
“What if she does? Is that a bad thing? I’m getting better control of my gift. I’m able to keep my life separate from the memories. I’m settling in—you saw to that.” Stephen slapped Waltz on the back. “Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem yet.” Waltz turned to look at Stephen, who was still looking down the road as though he could see Patty’s car, which had gone out of sight. “Relationships are hard for us, Stephen.”
“You mean men?” Stephen asked, hoping that was what Waltz meant.
Waltz shook his head. “I mean us Mighty. You spend so much time building a relationship, while keeping a huge secret—one you know you eventually have to share. You hope she understands, that she’s the one. You’ll search for clues. But you never really know until you tell her.”
“And what happens when I tell her?” Stephen was beginning to understand.
“Yep. When you tell a girl who you are, what you can do, you have to face the fact that she may not accept it. Or worse, she may accept it and want you to give up being Mighty.”
“Which we can’t do—”
“Right. You have to be one or the other, Mighty or Fallen. It’s a destiny that will seek you out, even if you don’t want it.”
Stephen dropped his head, searching his own feelings before continuing. Up until now, this had been the greatest night he had ever remembered having.
“You’re forgetting something, Waltz.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“I still don’t believe in this stuff. Choosing sides, Mighty or Fallen. I’ll try to find my own way, if I have to. But I won’t let either take something or someone away from me, if it comes to that.”
“Stephen, all I’m saying is, don’t move too quickly. Okay? Be careful. Make sure you know her, the real her. Not your idea of her.”
“Yeah, I get it. I’ve seen some crazy stuff in women’s heads, and guys, when they’re in relationships. I understand, Waltz. If it goes south, I’ll have you to help me—you and Bernie.”
Waltz went back into the house after first putting his arm around Stephen and giving a squeeze. Stephen stood on the porch, looking up at the stars for a while before going in. Looking at the stars made him ponder even more his place in all this. What if Waltz was right? What if God did all this? Where was Stephen’s place? There were so many unknowns for him. Regardless, Stephen knew it was his life to live. And, the choices were his. He knew he needed to keep training. It helped him. He knew Waltz wanted the best for him. And he knew he enjoyed his time with Patty.
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