Bettering

The week went on, more comments from Pam as he walked Jas to Penny every day for sure, but they softened and took on a new tone as time passed.

"How was your day?"

"How's our Laura doing?"

"Have a good morning you two!"

And Penny and her mother had begun to exchange I love you's at the bus stop. This was of not much consequence to Shane, but it seemed to lift up the spirits of Jas and Vincent, who whooped "Hello Ms. Pam!" each time they came back from school, and when he was a bit late they were always chatting together, and Penny seemed to mind less and less when he was tardy. Not that she ever really even "minded" it. She was passive and quiet, the former which had always been Shane's favorite trait about her.

Must be giving up the booze... Shane mused as he walked into the little clearing of the bus stop, and found he was a little bit early. Laura had been fussing with tree grafting for the last week and barely had any time to chide Shane for working so much later than he necessarily needed to. A Franken tree was in her sights, having already grafted an apple tree to grow pears as well, her explanations of the grand Franken tree were explained exuberantly over every dinner. Her cheeks perpetually reddened from the toiling she did every day in the sun.

"Oh, hey Shane! Bit early today, kid. Just wanting to catch up with your ole friend?" Pam asked, smiling at him so largely her eyes almost shut, exposing more of the gaudy purple eye shadow.

"Sure, Pam." he responded, leaning back and against the fence post and chewed on the inside of his cheeks a habit he'd formed after becoming sober, and always around triggers. Pam being one of them.

"Yeaaah I knew it. And hey! We got two sober losers standing here." she laughed, causing a flare of anger to boil up in Shane.

"Fuck off, Pam- just cause I-"

"Whoa whoa! You're not hearin' me right, kid. Just sayin' I've been layin' off the brew!" and she continued to chortle as he scoffed and ground the toe of his foot into the dirt, his brow furrowed a little.

"Well... that's good. Glad I don't have to smell your stinkin' beer breath anymore. Set me off big time for a cold one." and he looked up and smiled half heartedly at her.

It did make him happy, to hear that she was shaping up. Jas loved Penny, Penny loved Pam, and he loved Jas- this town was too small to not be incredibly interconnected and he had to admit he preferred when the townspeople were happy. Especially since he'd discovered the quality of giving a shit.

They continued to laugh and joke a bit, making a few jabs almost like the couple times they'd been drunk enough and the last two in the bar to sing a few songs off the juke box. And then aggressively telling Emily to never speak a "fuggen swerd" about the late night karaoke. Which she always happily agreed, his one real friend besides now Laura. And he could almost include Pam in the mix. They quieted down as Penny approached, who seemed a little concerned, and she didn't need to say anything. Pam and Shane both knew she was worried they might both be drunk somehow. But instead of scowling at the ground like Shane immediately did Pam waved and grinned.

"Hey Penny! Good day with the rascals? So proud of my daughter!" she almost hollered, causing a quick brightening in Penny who was obviously not used to her mother's sober praise.

"Yeah, they both did well." she said as the kids both cheered.

"Learned about transparent, opaque, and tranlu... uh..." Jas faltered.

"Translucent!" Vincent finished for her triumphantly, pulling down on Penny's arm and jumping up and down, looking as though he'd pull the appendage from it's socket, but Penny only winced slightly and laughed a little.

"Yes, we did a lot of learning today. And Jas did very well, even read a bit of Winnie the Pooh today for us." she said, and Shane beamed a rare grin gracing his face, and Jas quickly ran over to him.

"May we check a book out someday Uncle Shane?"

"Of course we can, Jas." he responded, and held out his hand for her to take. "Well- thank you Penny- we'll see you Monday."

"Sure, tell Laura we say hello." Penny said softly, smiling, and nodded as Jas told her thank you and skipped alongside her Godfather, and they both waved good bye to Vincent, who stuck his tongue out at her, and Pam, who waved back cheerily.

Laura had just about finished dinner when they came home, and she smiled at the two of them cheerily, pushing around the sausage and lentils with finely chopped fennel. Jas bounded up next to her, taking a deep inhale of the food cooking in the cast iron and let out a long content, "Mmmm!"

"Would you and Shane mind helping me set the table?" Laura asked, smiling at Jas who nodded happily. Laura noted again how much more excitement Jas seemed to have now that she knew her better. Jas turned expectantly to Shane, who moved forward, Jas scuttled out of the way and Laura moved only slightly as he pulled the plates down from the shelf. They touched momentarily and glanced quickly at each other, sending a slight blush to Laura's already heated cheeks. And she could have almost said she saw his face redden slightly too but... she couldn't be too sure. He turned quickly, and handed the plates to Jas, and then reached back for cups just as speedily, and was helping his goddaughter set up the table before Laura could ask him about how the pick up went.

Soon, they were all at the table, Jas chattering away about Vincent trying to break the little piece of glass Penny had brought to demonstrate their lesson that day. When asked what he was doing, he'd responded that he'd seen it on the TV, making Jas laugh and laugh. Even at the table she was still giggling at the memory of Vincent screeching in the museum, drawing the ire of Gunther. Laura listened to her story intently, glancing over at Shane to see him smiling, face calm, at Jas as she regaled them. She glanced over at him more than a couple times, and one of those times, they both seemed to have looked at each other at the same time. For her, time froze for just a moment longer than the second they looked at each other. A blush creeped over her all the same.

For a woman who not long ago was hacking away at the slimes and undead, she sure did fluster easy... she cursed herself often. Shane was so out of reach. Not only because as he firmed up and stood straighter, more women in town were seeing him with fresh eyes, but because he just wasn't one who seemed to become emotionally attached to... almost anyone. Besides his family. But she couldn't help but think that he might be taking that extra moment to look at her too, as if he may have been stealing glances in between her own.

Once Jas finished up she scampered away to take a bath, drawing it herself now. Leaving Shane and Laura at the table, eating the last bites of food quietly.

They both opened their mouths to speak, only a tiny part of a word coming out before they both clammed up again. But now they were looking at each other, and this time, neither averted their gaze. As though soaking in the feeling that permeated out from each other, unaware that both were feeling that strange mix of emotions. Confused. Finally, Shane spoke.

"Thanks, Laura. Really. I've told you already but... Jas really likes it her and... so do I." it sounded like the last bit of his sentence took a bit of a push to say, and Laura felt herself become flattered.

"Oh! I'm, I'm glad you two have come. Started to get a little lonely just me and Ooma here..." Laura laughed nervously, scooting a lentil around her plate that she now stared at.

"I love having you guys here." and she cringed at that L word. It wasn't like she was saying she loved /him/ just his and Jas' company... but it created inner turmoil in her anyway as Shane nodded and smiled back. Still looking as though smiling was a second language as far as facial expressions went. Deciding to continue chatting, Laura began speaking about the farm and the turning of the crops that would be happening sooner than later with fall approaching, and they together laid out a quick plan out loud, bringing it together quickly and went about the rest of their evening, content and quietly enjoying each other's company.