The Fighter

Chapter 17

I spent an hour in the sunflower field just enjoying the nature.

Then finally Aiden dragged me to his uncles house so I could meet him.

His uncle is very nice and welcoming.

I can just tell by the communication between them that Aiden really looks up to his uncle. I mean he didn't really have a father figure in his life because his was a deadbeat. So his uncle was probably the closest thing to him.

Now his uncle was teaching me how to cook because well I can't. I think we are making some kind of soup or something. I was cutting up peppers trying not to cut myself so I was cutting them very slow. Aiden came up behind me looking over my shoulder. God he smells good.

"Not bad," He says "You could go a little faster though."

"I'm trying not to cut myself," I inform him.

He laughs moving away from me and I already missed him.

"Aiden I need more tomatoes," His uncle Aaron said, "Can you go get them?"

"Why can't you?"

"Because I asked you," Aaron said simply.

"Fine," Aiden says walking out the door. I chuckle as he left.

"He hates going in the garden because he is afraid of the snakes that lurk around near them." Aaron says chuckling

Aaron had to be like 40 maybe 45 years old. He didn't seem that old.

"I find that a little hard to believe," I said smiling.

"There's a lot you don't know about him," He said.

I sighed, "Why does everyone keep saying that to me?"

He turned to me as I continuing chopping the peppers, "I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that. It is not necessarily a bad thing. There is more to him than you know and you seem to be cracking through to him."

I looked at him raising my eyebrow, "what is he like then? I know there is the version I see him as and then there is another version that other people see. What version do you know?"

He smiled, "He's nothing like his father if that's what you're asking."

"Thats not what I asked."

"So you don't know about his father?"

"I do," I said "He doesn't know that I know."

Aaron nodded his head, "I love that kid with everything in me. Treated him like he was my own son. I mean someone had too. My brother was a shit father and Aidens mother was too scared to do anything. I took them in after his father died. When Aiden had enough money they moved to the city, which I still don't believe that lie. Everything he did, everything he does, has a purpose. He protects his own and he has a good heart just has an odd way of showing it."

"He always feels like he is alone," I said quietly.

I know that feeling.

Feeling like you have to do everything yourself because you have no one there.

No one to trust, but yourself.

"Aiden has a tendency to try to fix everything," His uncle continued "What he doesn't know is that it's going to bite him in the ass." He grabbed a bunch of the peppers I cut up and threw them into the broth, "One day that idea that he needs to fix everything is going to get him killed."

I stayed quiet not really knowing what to say.

Aaron really cares about Aiden, I can tell. It is so sad to hear him talk about him like this because it sounds like he feels helpless. Like there isn't anything he can do to save Aiden. He knows he has to let Aiden make his own mistakes.