Mrs. Avery

Chapter 27

James became dead still and stared straight ahead for what seemed like years. And then he slowly started to nod his head.

Agnes bit her lip and turned her head down. Her hands were digging into her thighs again. He waited. His own eyes turned down and away from her. He was unsure what would come next.

She started nodding her head slightly. "She never told me." The sinking feeling somehow multiplied like it was lying in wait for this confirmation.

"I'm sure she just didn't want to worry you. If I had known you were still close with her, I would have tried to tell you."

"No, you wouldn't have." She said trying to smile. "You wouldn't have broken her confidence for a person you hadn't spoken to in years. The kid that called from the hospital felt no such confidence."

He looked away from her once more, knowing that she was right. In his mind, for years, he had been certain that Agnes wasn't the woman he thought she was, but the more time they spent together, the more he questioned it. She seemed just like the woman he had fallen in love with and he became just as confused as to why it ended all over again.

They sat in silence for a short time before Agnes broke it. "Were you with her when she died?"

"Yeah." He said quietly. "She wasn't alone. She just went to sleep."

Agnes's eyes shut tight and she nodded as a frown took over her face. He waited patiently, fighting his own tears.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

He looked at her and shook his head slightly confused.

"She needed someone." She nodded as she frowned. "I'm happy she had you." She tried to hold onto that instead of being hurt by the fact that Momma never told her. It was more important that she had someone at all. Then she realized he might know something else.

"Did she ever tell you why she named me Agnes?" She asked.

"No." He said, wishing he had something for her.

"Yeah, she never got to tell me either." Her eyes poured, but it was a silent cry as she let herself tilt onto his shoulder.

They sat for a few more moments in silence before Agnes stood up and put the alcohol away. James took the glasses to the sink and washed them before tucking them away as well. When he was done Agnes had a pillow and blankets for him.

"I'll get the bedroom down here cleaned out eventually and then you can have that. It's been hard to get myself to do it."

"I get it." He said. "And I don't need to stay here as often as I do, I know that's not fair to you."

"I really don't mind. I like how happy it makes the kids."

"I imagine it bothers Evan." He said with less tact than he meant to use. "I get quite an earful from Kelly on occasion." He added attempting to make it less awkward.

She shook her head and put on a small smile. "I can talk to Kelly, if you think that would at all help."

"Maybe." He said. "But, I'd rather not bother until I know if she's going to stick around. I'm not certain she's all that interested in being a step mom, which is of course a problem in the long run."

"Just let me know, okay?"

"I will."

She turned and started to head for the stairs.

"Goodnight." He added as she started up.

She paused and smiled. "Goodnight." She continued up to bed, but she didn't sleep well. She woke up 2 hours before her alarm and quietly snuck down stairs. She was going to make lunches and breakfast before school. She made one for James too. He obviously wasn't going to have time to go home before work in the morning. She was working on her second cup of coffee when his alarm went off.