Train Wreck

thirty one

Alice POV

"Tsssss," Daisy mimicked the sizzle of cornbread batter into a pan of 370 degree oil while I was lulled into a meditative state, allowing my mind to wander to moments I hoped would now happen.

We get a break now, right?

This is the point where I get to actually relax and things can fall into a nice routine?

You did the right thing, dear girl... you always try your best, and I am so proud of how you led Benji through this....

I felt Clara's words in my heart as Doc stepped behind me, grasping my shoulders and inhaling the smell of fried dough. "Mmmm, I love that. When we get a couple batches done we can add jalapeno and some aleppo pepper to the last bit for some spicy hush puppies."

Daisy gasped, "That's so smart, Mom!  Cornbread is amazing with butter and honey but spicy cornbread with butter and honey??"  She rolled her eyes into the back of her head and licked her lips, "Wow, I'm excited."

I leaned back into Doc's embrace and let the silence fall over us. Quiet is okay, especially after such a big day.

It's been done.

Benji knows the truth.

I scooped the final plain batch into a basket and set aside the rest of the batter so we could begin eating. The fried chicken was keeping warm in the oven and Jesse grabbed a casserole container of mashed potatoes while Remington stepped forward with an expectant look on his face.

"How can I help?"

Those four words made me shiver.

Remington's presence made me uneasy.

Not in a bad way, necessarily, but when he was nearby I felt my heart race and nerves go raw so easily.  I knew it was because of our emotional closeness, especially now that the truth was out.  I also knew that our newfound physical intimacy was going to be an interesting piece to explore in our relationship.

Everything was new, but nothing with Remi scared me... did it?

"Here," I shook my head to get rid of my muddled thoughts and handed him a basket of hush puppies along with a bowl of steamed string beans, "I'll grab the butter and ... well, and more butter."

Daisy laughed at my lame joke, giving me a quick glance that showed her relief.

I know she feels the tension around me.

This blindsided her just as much as it shocked Benji.

Naturally the impact on her life is far less noticeable than Benji's, but this has still been a big day for her. Our cooking time was a nice break from the emotional strain, especially since it gave Daisy a distraction and Doc and me the chance to make sure she was okay.

Daisy has a tender heart and wanted to be there by Benji's side but instead stuck by us.  We helped by making sure the guys had drinks and snacks while they talked at the table, sharing stories and photographs.

Benji asked a million questions, but also answered everything Greg wanted to know.

So did I.

Any time Benji was unsure, he would look to me or call my name.  I would come and help out, answering patiently and making sure he saw I was genuinely going to be there through each step of this process.  None of this was easy, especially on Greg.

He found a new reason to live when his body was close to death.

You could see glimmers of pain laced in his questions, the way his eyes would flick to Remington with a look that just said, "I don't know what to do."