Sooooo I'm doing another rewrite of one of my earlier stories. I really liked it and hope you all do too.
Such cliche Bethyl fluff, intermixed with a tiny bit of angst and intrigue. If you read this before, no spoilers please! Thanks for giving it a whirl. :)
Dead Battery
It wasn't easy. Working. Going to school. Life. Taking care of Madalyn was, of course, priority one. Since the day she was born eighteen months ago, Beth always put her first. Madalyn was the light of her life, her main goal was to give Madalyn the best life she was capable of. Some days were harder than others, however. And she often wondered if her best was enough. Some days she felt like a failure and questioned herself and her ability to raise a child on her own.
Beth did her best to make sure she spent quality time with Madalyn and her world revolved around her. But life, such as it were, was tough. Like today for instance. Madalyn had been up most of the night, making them both grumpy and tired this morning. Still, they had to get up and go. She had no fever, she was just a snotty drooly mess. Early 2-year molars or a cold, it was anyone's guess, but up bright and early and ready for the day they were knocking on the babysitter's door.
Beth was thankful for Patricia, retired veterinary tech/widow/next door neighbor, who watched Madalyn for a quarter of the price any day care would ask for. With Patricia, Madalyn got one on one attention filled with stories, playtime, and fort building. They often went on nature walks as well as trips to the park and the ice cream parlor. Patricia was like an honorary grandmother to Madalyn, treating her like one of her own grandchildren. Patricia's grandchildren often visited, giving Madalyn an occasional playmate. Yes, Patricia Taylor was a lifesaver.
When Beth first moved into the neighborhood she was forced to put Madalyn into low-income subsidy daycare. It was less than ideal with seventeen children, ranging from newborn through age two, with only two adults and one aide supervising. Not wanting to leave Madalyn at the daycare anymore than she absolutely had to, she refused to take more than a couple college courses at a time. Those being done online.
Patricia was the answer to Beth's prayers. An angel dropped straight from heaven right into her own backyard. Patricia had been watching her new neighbor across the street. A young mom with a beautiful little girl. Seeing her leaving early in the mornings and not returning till late, Beth looking harried and tired. Shortly after they moved in, Patricia approached them one afternoon as they played in the yard of the duplex Beth rented the upper half of. They hit it off. Even Madalyn, who was very reluctant of strangers, warmed right up to her.
Shortly after that afternoon, Patrica offered to babysit Madalyn for Beth. At first Beth had refused, not wanting to impose an her elderly neighbor, but Patrica all but insisted. Beth almost fell down with relief. Patricia only took the bare minimum of money, it probably going right back to Madalyn in some way or another through an ice cream cone here or a small toy there. Because of this Beth was able to quit one of her jobs and take classes at the actual college, not only online. It was a miracle, for sure.
A side benefit was that Patricia lived right next door. Her small blue bungalow of a house was visible from Beth's upper level apartment. Every morning she worked or had class Beth walked Madalyn across the street. Today was no different.
"She was up most of the night sniffilin'. Her nose was so stuffed she could hardly breath." Beth informed Patricia, handing her off through the back door. Madalyn went right to Patricia, snuggling her head into the older woman's shoulder. It warmed Beth's heart to see her daughter feel so safe with the older woman. She tried, unsuccessfully, to ignore the stab of guilt that shot briefly through her heart.
"So, she's pretty grumpy. Sorry." Beth handed Patricia Madalyn's diaper bag.
Patricia held Madalyn on one shoulder and slung the bag over her other shoulder. "Don't you go apologizin' now. We all get grumpy, especially when we are sick. Isn't that right, Miss Madalyn?" She nuzzled the girl's fuzzy blonde hair. Beth folded her hands to fight the urge to pull Madalyn back for one last snuggle before she had to leave for school. Knowing exactly how soft her curly blonde hair felt and how it smelled of the all natural baby shampoo she used on it. Even today when it was in an unruly tangled mess after the sleepless night she had had, it would still feel as soft as down feathers.
Patricia's glance flowed over Beth's face and disheveled appearance. Hair pulled back in a messy bun, dark circles that rimmed her eyes. She had no energy and didn't care to take the time to apply any make-up. "Long night for Miss Madalyn, means long night for mama too."
Beth smiled weakly. "Well you know how it goes," she said by way of explanation. Patricia did indeed know having five children of her own.
"I have class till eleven then I work for the cleaning company this afternoon. I will be back around five. Hopefully."
"You are gonna' work yourself to death before you even hit your mid-twenties."
"Someday I will have a degree...then maybe I will be able to have one job instead of three."
"Uh-huh. Well try to eat a healthy lunch, at least. None of that McDonald's crap." Patricia reprimanded.
"Yes, ma'am." Beth said, kissing Madalyn on the cheek. "Bye baby, you be good for Patty." Madalyn lifted her head briefly off of Patricia shoulder and waved, her little hand flapping in the air.
"Call me if there is a problem," Beth fretted. It was never easy leaving Madalyn. Even though Patricia made it easier, Beth still found it difficult. Whether it was going to school or work, she felt horrible leaving her baby. She didn't have a life outside of work, school or Madalyn and that was fine with Beth. That's just the way it had to be.
"Go on now, everything is under control here." Patricia reassured.
Days like this Beth ached to stay at home in her pajamas snuggling and take care of Madalyn. As her mother it was her job. One that she took seriously. And when she had to leave her baby girl, even with someone as fitting as Patricia, it made her feel like a failure. Giving Madalyn one last kiss, she quickly shut the screen door and made her way back across the street and to her car parked behind her apartment.
. . .
Nursing school was the most difficult choice Beth ever chose to inflict on herself. Having to take half a class load a semester, instead of the full amount, made it drag on even longer. In high school she was able to earn college credit and receive her associate's degree before graduation. That left two years of nursing school. The end was tantalizingly close; she had less than one year to go.
And she was ready to be done. The time spent at school, away from Madalyn, went at a snail's pace. She took the courses she could on-line, freeing up time to spend with Madalyn or working, but the majority of classes, unfortunately, had to be spent in the classroom or in clinicals. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy school, because she did. The extenuating circumstances of her life made it difficult.
It was hard work, to say the least. She knew that one day she and Madalyn would reap the benefits of her hard work. As of now, though, after spending three hours in class, she was on her way to one of her jobs. Cleaning other peoples mini-mansions.
. . .
My whole bedroom could fit in this bathroom, with space to spare, Beth thought to herself. She turned on the shower and rinsed the soap-scum down the drain, taking a second to rest her arms on the lip of the jet-powered tub. Metallica blared through the buds in her ears, connected to an ancient second hand iPhone in her back pocket. She could almost hear her mother's voice from when she was young yelling at her to turn it down. Old habits die hard, she supposed. The blaring music made the back-breaking work easier somehow.
The house was one of the three she cleaned regularly during the week. It was kept up by the everyday help, still, it needed to be dusted, vacuumed, scrubbed and swept. Thankfully the laundry was handled by a laundry service. She only had this bathroom, out of four total, left to finish up and then she could pick up Madalyn, an hour ahead of schedule and head home. Beth looked forward to a quiet, calm evening, just her and Madalyn.
Outside, the sun beat down on her shoulders, making the sweat thicker on her brow. After that morning's clinical Beth traded her scrubs for a spaghetti strapped tank-top that had seen better days several years ago and a pair of cut off jean shorts fraying mid-thigh. Even when the amount of skin that was exposed, it was no match against the Georgia heat. By the time she got behind the wheel of her used 1999 GMC Jimmy, her tank clung to her body uncomfortably. The only thing that worked correctly on that car was the air conditioning and for that she was eternally grateful. She inserted the key to the ignition and turned it over, but nothing happened.
"No. No don't do this to me, Jimmy," she spoke to the car by its pet name. "Not today." Her visions of a quiet evening at home evaporated like rain on the heated pavement.
She tried to crank it once more. Again, nothing. Just a click, click, click sound.
"No." She slammed her hand on the steering wheel then rested her head on top of her hands. "I shoulda' known better than to think I'd get home an hour early. Damn it!" Instead of sounding mad, it was the sound of defeat.
Resigned, she climbed out of the car, the heat more stifling than just a few minutes before, if that were possible. She went to the back and popped the rear window open, grabbing the jumper cables out of the trunk. As she walked past the still open driver's side door she reached in, pulled the hood release.
Beth knew exactly what was wrong. Dead battery.
It had happened half a dozen times in the last month or so. She knew how to remedy the problem. Get a new battery. However, she did not have the extra cash right now to purchase one. Slowly she had been saving a little from her tips at the diner and she almost had enough. But not quite yet, having to wait another week or even two to have enough money to buy one.
Propping the hood up on the pole, placing the jumper cables on top of the around the high class neighborhood with its perfect tiny lawns and paved sidewalks, no one was outside. No one was home at the monstrosity of a house she just cleaned either.
"Crap!"
Beth fished out her cell phone from her pocket to call Patricia. She was fifteen miles out of the way, but who else did she have to call? She had friends, sure. No one close enough to inconvenience in this way. She thought briefly of calling her sister, Maggie, deciding just as quickly not too. She lived in the next town over, about a half hour away. She would not able to come rescue her sister. Beth sighed. When did my closest friend become a sixty-six year old retiree?
In all honesty, Beth didn't have time for friends. She had acquaintances, a couple of fellow students at the college. She had Patricia. She had her sister. When you were a 21 year old single mom, that didn't leave much time for socialization.
Scrolling through her contacts, which was depressingly small, she found Patricia number, she stopped short of pushing the call button when she heard a car, no a truck, pull up next to her car. To be exact, a beat up grey and blue 1973 Ford F-250. The man at the driver's side leaned out the window sporting short, dark messy hair and, most noticeably, clear blue eyes. His chiseled face was covered in stubble and his muscled arm was smeared with grease.
A damsel in distress, he thought, as he slowed. Going around construction that riddled the main road with cones and slower speeds, detouring through a neighborhood of hugeass houses, maybe wasn't such a bad idea. The blonde, with long legs tucked into short jean cut-offs, was looking at her phone. The color of frustration high on her cheekbones. Lifting her face from her phone, she scowled either at the sun or the strange man in the beat up ol' pick-up truck that pulled up alongside her.
"Troubles?" he asked without preamble in a deep Georgian drawl.
"Uh..." His voice, that one word, did something to her. Not able to pinpoint exactly what that feeling was, it crept under her skin giving her goosebumps, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She stammered… "Yes, my batteries dead. I need a jump."
Unable to help himself, he smirked. "I'll gladly give ya' a jump." Neither of the two missing the double entendre. Peering at her through those eyes, she felt thoroughly looked over.
In spite of herself, she felt a shiver climb up her backbone. It had been so long since she caught the eye of a man (or boy, which was the case, most of the time) she couldn't remember when the last time was. Probably Gareth. He would most definitely fall under the boy category. It's not as though she had time to pay attention to such things, anyhow. Boys or men. Or strangers with piercing blue eyes. Bsides, with the messy appearance she kept most of the time, she found it comical to think anyone would be interested.
But...who does this guy think he is. Looking at me like that? She stood straighter. Coming back to her senses, all business now. "I would greatly appreciate that, thank you."
Nodding, he pushed open his door and unfolded his long, lean body. Muscled biceps rippled with every movement in his sleeveless navy blue work shirt. Grimes Auto Repair was written in white lettering over the right breast pocket. Underneath it was what she assumed to be his name; Daryl.
Reaching past her, forcing her to step back or risk his brushing up against her, he reached into her car and tried to turn over the ignition himself. Nothing but the now familiar sounding click, click, click.
"Dead battery," he mumbled under his breath.
"That's what I said," she told him, irrational irritation spiked at her nerves. Why she was irritated, Beth was unsure. She refused to think it had anything to do with this strange attraction she felt for this complete stranger and more to do with the car problems.
He either didn't hear her or chose to ignore her as he climbed back into his truck. Deftly backing it up, he parked it in front of her car. He popped his own hood, got back out, easily hooked up the jumper cables to his still running truck, hardly flinching when the cable sparked a bit, and then hooking it up to her car battery. A cigarette dangled from his lips, his eyes squinting at the smoke.
"Give it a crank," he spoke over the smoke and engine. Beth got back behind the wheel and after two tries the engine came to life. She smiled her relief. It would seem she'd get home to Madalyn a tiny bit early afterall.
He unhooked the cables and slammed both hoods closed before rounding the GMC and handing them back over to her. His fingers brushing hers. Beth ignored the vibration that ran up her arm. She wasn't naive enough to believe in love at first sight. She did, however, believe in strong attraction at first sight. And this was all this was. Attraction. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Thank you," she said again, meaning it this time. He saved her a lot of time and grief.
"Ain't nothin," was in his only response.
"Well then..." She should probably offer some sort of reimbursement for his time. Slip him a five, or something. She simply had nothing to give him but her thanks. With that, Beth turned and got back into her car, tossing the cables onto the passenger side floor mat.
Surprising her, he shut the door for her and leaned on the open window frame. "If that battery gives you any more trouble, stop over to Grimes, we'll fix ya' up with a new one."
She nodded, "Sure. I will keep that in mind. Thanks again." Everyone knew where Grimes was located. It was the most formidable mechanics' garage in town. Everyone went there at one time or another if they owned a vehicle of some sort.
Conversation over, he lingered. Just go ahead and ask her her name, she's just a girl. A beautiful girl. A girl nonetheless. How you gonna' meet anyone if you can't even ask a girl her name! The past year, hell, the past few years, had put him in a very low place. Never one to think too deeply, he found himself thinking all the time. Brooding, actually. Mostly about what a mess up he was in general, and how he fucked up his life.
And now, from the first second he laid eyes on this woman's face, his soul seemed to lift. It was the first time in many a day he noticed the sun, the clouds, the god forsaken birds chirping. It was like he had been living in a bubble of beige, and she popped it with a simple glance up from her phone.
But, that was all a bit of a stretch, wasn't it? All's it took was one girl, five minutes, and he was cured of his year long melancholy? He didn't think so.
The words of his friend Tyrese rang in his head, "You jus' need to quit being so damn shy." Though, he knew, shyness was only half the problem. "You're a good guy. Gainfully employed. Not too butt-ass ugly. Any girl be lucky to have you."
He always rebuffed his friends words, hating the blush of embarrassment that would inevitably creep up his neck. He also declined his friends attempts to set him up with his cousin. Or his neighbor. Or his neighbor's cousin. Anyone. Ever since Tyreese got married he was hell-bent on finding everyone a mate.
He opened his mouth to ask her name, instead he casually slapped the door frame with his hand and backed up so she could leave. Chickenshit. This time in his own voice, not Tyreese's.
Feeling a strange pull to him that she did not want to understand, she didn't waist any time. Not waiting for him to move his truck, she put the Jimmy in reverse and drove around his truck and on down the road. Watching him in her rearview mirror, standing in the middle of the road one hand cocked on his hip, cigarette burning in between his fingers, his bottom lip pulled into his mouth, chewing. A look that can only be described as disappointment on his face.
Beth was relieved to see Madelyn was feeling much better when she picked her up from Patricia's. She was her normal happy-go-lucky little girl self, except for the runny nose. At home Beth made her home-made chicken noodle soup and they both were in their PJ's by 5:30. It would be an early night, Beth thought gratefully. Her day wasn't necessarily bad, barring the dead batter, it was just long, and she was ready for it to be over.
Daryl, the mysterious man that had jumped her car for her, unconsciously kept drifting in and out of her thoughts. His slow drawl, those eyes, the cheek bones. Minus the comment about giving her a jump, which now she could admit was rather humorous, he had a kind quiet way about him.
He was obviously a hard worker if his hands had anything to tell about that. His calloused fingertips rubbed against her hand appealingly. Expansive shoulders sloped down to muscled biceps. His eyes, how would she even begin describe the color of his eyes...
A splash of water brought her back to reality The pot she was washing slid out if her hands and splashed into the sink full of sudsy water.
"Oh, this is ridiculous." He was just a man. "You don't have time for this, Beth," she lectured herself.
She was much too busy to day dream about hunky mechanics. Besides the two online courses she took, on Tuesday's and Thursday's she had class in the morning. Then, depending on the day of the week, she either worked at the Diner or cleaning houses for a local cleaning company.
On Wednesday's she didn't have class and cleaned only one house. Because it was only one house of smaller size, she was able to bring Madalyn with her. She spent the rest of the day catching up on her own housekeeping, laundry and playing with Madalyn. Fridays she had no classes also, but worked the afternoon and dinner shift at the diner. Her shift starting at eleven and going till close. It was the only day she worked past Madalyn's bed time. They tried having Patricia babysit at Beth's apartment so Madalyn could go to sleep in her own bed, but that left Patricia having to go back to her own house well past her own bedtime. It was decided it was best to leave Madalyn at Patricia's on Friday nights. There she had her own bedroom, normally reserved for Patricia's grandchildren on the occasion they spent the night. It worked and Madalyn seemed to have no qualms about spending the night at Patricia's. Patricia would bring her back bright and early and have coffee with Beth. It worked out well. She absolutely hated not tucking Madalyn in herself, the tips from waitressing helped cover a lot of their extra expenses.
Saturdays and Sundays were Beth and Madalyn's days together, as well as Beth's time to study and play catch up. Her days were filled, for sure. She tried to remain focused and looked at it as an investment in their future, looking forward to the day when she could maybe, just maybe, have one job.
A man did not configure into her plans.
Yet, here she was late at night doing dishes. By herself. No one to talk to. To go over the day with. No one to share her evening with. Madalyn fast asleep, and her trying to find things to do; laundry, dishes, dusting - though she had nothing really worth dusting, because she knows if she goes to bed now, sleep would evade her. Lying awake, a dull ache thudding in her hollow chest.
Most of her days, Beth was able to shrug off that feeling, being so busy she barely had time to breathe, let alone think. And Madalyn was there. She kept her mind busy. At night, though, it was more difficult to hide away from that feeling. And it wasn't that she was sad or depressed. She just felt empty. It was that she had no one to lean on, no one to share lifes burdens with. Someone to help and hold her. Someone to stand by her side.
This disconnect weighed heavily on her, but she felt there was nothing she could do about it. What was she going to do? Leave Madalyn and go out to the bar? Try to get laid? No, that wasn't her style at all.
Ultimately, it was better to be alone than to have someone who doesn't really care. She had experienced that before and that hurt more than not having someone. She had Madalyn, and that's all she needed at that moment.
So what do you think? Should I keep going? Thanks so much for reading.