Hey all! A quick little heads up, I'm not sure when I will have the next update for you guys as things have went from quiet to hectic in a matter of days. I am working on it and I hope to it up on Tuesday, but it's unclear at this time if that will be possible.
Enjoy!
"Brought the wine like promised," Wade said, holding the bottle up as he walked up the steps of the carriage house. "Though it seems like you have your own, and you don't need mine," he commented, placing the bottle he brought next to the half empty bottle on the table.
"I suppose not," Zoe commented, placing her glass on the table, lost in thought. "It's not the same," she sighed. Spending a weekend without her daughter, it's not been as dreadful as a week. She rather enjoys spending the weekend without her daughter, a chance to give her time to get the household chores done without a little child running behind you ruining everything you had just done.
"I have grown used to the little giggles that float my way when she'd be playing in the yard," Wade commented, a week is enough to get used to the sounds your neighbor makes and the quiet just as peaceful without a few giggles breaking the barrier of silence. "It's rather quiet and quite dull without her making noise over here," he told her, twisting the cap off a beer he had brought over.
"She reminds me of you," Zoe smiled, shaking her head. The similarities clear to her.
"Say what now?" Wade asked, swallowing the mouthful of the bitter liquid in his mouth. He tried extra hard to swallow it and not spit it out all over Zoe's porch. "How can your daughter, who hasn't met me until recently, remind you of me?" He questioned, gaining his bearings back.
"I can't get her into the house for the life of me," Zoe told him. "She loves chasing frogs and all sorts of critters through the woods. She scares me when it comes to Burt Reynolds, she refuses to leave that dang alligator alone," Zoe laughed lightly under her breath. "She loves doing all of those things you forced me into doing as kids," she stated, reaching for her wine glass to take the last bit of it.
"Then you're welcome that your daughter has quite the adventurous side," he smirked, taking a pull from his beer bottle.
"You would say that," Zoe snorted, pouring more wine into her glass.
"Of course because even though I forced you into doing those things with me as kids, you enjoyed yourself. If I remember correctly, you're the one who had so much fun that you went home more than once covered in mud," he teased, earning himself some laughter from Zoe.
"I, remember correctly, and I can say for certain that more times than not, I wasn't playing in that mud, I either fell into it or got pushed into it," she stated, giving Wade a very pointed look.
"I won't say that I am sorry for making your childhood so much better," he told her, making himself comfortable in the chair, his legs stretched out in front of him. "And as much as I made you do things that I liked, we did plenty that you liked," he retorted.
"I wasn't complaining because I really liked my childhood and I couldn't have had a better best friend to share it with," she told him, sincerity shining through.
"Until we grew up and everything turned sour before us," he sighed, downing the last of his beer. He groaned to himself, it'd be him to shove his foot in his mouth. Everything was going smooth, almost like they hadn't had this big gap of missing years between them, and he goes and points it out, because, of course, he would.
"Do you know what I hear when you say that?" Zoe questioned, chewing on the inside of her lip. She hadn't invited Wade over to rehash the past. She wants to start over the best they can while fixing the cracks that have formed in their friendship.
"Can't say I have a clue on what you hear," Wade commented, putting his focus on his old friend and not the woods before them, as he's curious to know what she's going to say.
"That with a little work and communication we can be best friends again," she told him. And if her feelings for him happen to come back, not that they had gone anywhere, well, she'll deal with those at a later date. Right now, she wants her friendship with Wade back. It's something that she's missed.
"I would like that," Wade nodded, smiling. To have Zoe back in his life as a friend, well, it would be great because over the years he's wanted to reach out, figured it wouldn't be worth it and that she wouldn't forgive him. Guess he was wrong. "Now that we have that out of the way, can we get to the real dirt going on in Bluebell?" He asked, opening his second bottle of beer, one he is going to enjoy a little longer than the first one.
"If you really want to get back to the old ways and the real dirt," she teased, turning to face him. "We can go spy on Tom and Wanda, they're hiding something," she told him.
"I'm afraid it wouldn't be as cute now that we're grown," he laughed. "I had the same thought though, not to spy on Tom and Wanda but to spy on someone, thinking it would help fix our broken friendship," he confessed.
"It made the most sense," Zoe commented. "You did hear that they had gotten married, right?" She asked, licking her lips.
"I did read all about it on one of Dash's blogs," he told her. They've been married for a year and a half now. "It's hard to know what is really true because Dash has a flare for the dramatics," he chuckled.
"He really does," Zoe smiled. "But yes, that one was true," she confirmed, even though he didn't need it. "I don't think they're expecting, but it's hard to know what's going on there. Did you hear anything while tending bar?" She asked.
"Can't say I did," he frowned. Everything he heard had nothing to do with Tom or Wanda, heck, until Zoe told him he didn't know they were hiding anything. But that might have to do with him not knowing how they normally act since he hasn't been around to see them interact with each other. "What else can you tell me?" He asked.
They lost track of time as Zoe filled Wade in on the on goings of Bluebell over the past few years. All the details that really matter anyway. It felt nice to be able to laugh and talk about those in town, even if they were friends. Wade found some stories to be a bit out there, but he didn't expect anything less. Little by little as they talked and joked, and Wade being caught off guard so much he'd ask a question or two, the bond that had been broken was starting to heal. They could actually sit in silence, and it didn't feel as awkward as it had when he had dinner with them.
"I never did say thank you for being there for my dad and for Jesse," Wade told her, picking at the label on his beer. "I wanted to be here, and I didn't," he sighed, rephrasing what he wanted to say. "I felt so numb after being told that she had passed. Coming home to a home without her didn't sit right with me, and I couldn't," he confessed.
"I need them as much as they needed me at that time," Zoe told him. "She was always a second mom to me, and it hurt, and it was nice to have them to lean on. I can get it for the most part because I was numb hearing it, and she wasn't even my mother," she told him, not wanting to hash out a lot of what she felt because she wants to avoid making him feel worse than he already feels over it all.
"Don't you know, Zoe," he said, gaining her attention. Zoe raised an eyebrow, curious to know what he is going to say. "You were her daughter in every way that mattered," he stated. Zoe smiled.
"Have you been to see them yet?" She asked, not knowing what to say to what Wade had told her. Zoe felt honored that Jackie thought of her and loved her the same way she had.
"Not yet," Wade sighed, feeling like he might need more beer than the few he's had for this topic of conversation. "I am supposed to go over tomorrow night for dinner, but I don't know," he sighed, closing his eyes. He's been putting off seeing his dad and brother for as long as he could. Time was finally up and no longer on his side because his dad won't let him keep postponing dinner invites. "I've done enough damage, I don't want to add more to it."
"Don't you know, Wade," she said, reaching out to take a hold of his hand. He cracked an eye open to look at her. "Your dad is proud of you." Wade gave a skeptical look at that statement alone because he doubted his dad was proud of him for not being with his family when they needed him the most. "He's proud of you for serving your country, he's proud of the life you created for yourself after you were done serving," she told him.
"I still let him down, when I shouldn't have," he shared. "And Jesse is going to be there, and we didn't leave things off in the best place when he called to chew me a new one for not being here, and I prefer not to put my dad through that," Wade told her.
"Would it make it better if I went with you tomorrow night?" She asked, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. There's not much she can do about the tension the brothers might have, but she can be there for Wade, for her friend.
"You would do that?" He asked, not sure why it had surprised him.
"Uh, yes," she stated in a duh tone. "Your dad and brother adore me," she teased. She'd be more than happy to go with, if it meant that it would help ease Wade to mend his relationships with his dad and brother. "I haven't been to see your dad in a good while, and it will be fun," she commented.
"It would be nice to have someone there in my corner," he nodded. "Just know that I am not going to make you go if you don't want to," he assured her.
"I know, but I don't plan on changing my mind. I wouldn't have offered if I felt it would be better not to be there," she told him. Wade nodded his head in thanks. "Now, what are some stories from traveling you can share?" She asked, removing her hand from his, to have a drink of her wine.
"There are so many," he commented, thinking over what story he wanted to start with.
Just like that, with stories of his past while on the road in a band being shared, the tension that hung around while talking about his family disappeared. Sofia's laughter might not be there to fill the darkening sky, but Zoe's laughter mixed in with Wade's chuckles as the night grew on were enough for the night. Some things can be easily fixed if you let them. She wants to know more about what got him discharged from the military and why he went down the path of a rockstar instead of coming home, but she's not going to pry. He'll open up when he's ready.
"Why don't you play anymore?" She asked, quickly covering her mouth. "Wade, you don't have to answer that," she told him, watching the shadows dance across his face.
"It's okay," he told her, blowing a puff of air out of his mouth. "Music and my guitar reminded me so much of Ma, that it's hard to focus on anything other than the pain of losing her. It's easier to stop playing than dealing with the emotions. I played for her because she was my biggest fan and with her gone, it's not the same. That spark, it's not there," he explained, sighing.
She might not fully understand the reason behind it, she can respect Wade enough to let it drop. She only wishes that at some point down the line, he picks the guitar up. It's what Jackie would want. His mom would never want Wade to give up the one thing he loves. Hopefully, with time he'll be ready.