After the Storm {Book 2}

Chapter 7: Enough

"Come on Ryan, we have to go to the medicine aisle first. I've been having some killer headaches." I said strolling into the store.

As we walked through the store, I got some strange looks form people I'd seen before. They must have been wondering who this kid was I was walking with and had I taken to pedophilia.

"I saw some candy. Can I get some?" He said, trying to keep with me. You'd think the kid had never been inside a Wal Mart before.

"Uh, maybe on the way out." We came across the medicine aisle and I scanned it for some Advil.

"Mommy used to take these."

I looked to my side to see what he was talking about. "Take what?" I said standing next to him.

"These." he pointed to an array of pain medications.

Oh, Bridget. You've probably scarred this kid for life.

"Come on." I led him over to a different section next to the kids' vitamins.

"Try to find the one with the Flintstones on it." I had to give him something to keep his mind off of his mom.

"OK." He began looking at all of the vitamins.

A few seconds later, my phone started to ring.

"Ugh." I removed it from my pocket. "Hello?"

"Did you drop the kid off yet?" Cindy growled into the phone.

"Cindy, you don't even care about the kid so why are you worried about it?"

"I never said I didn't care about him, Jason. I need you to get me something at the store."

"What?"

"Some of that herbal tea stuff that we ran out of. It helps cleanse my senses."

I sighed. "Sure, Cindy." Always caring about yourself.

"If that's too much of a hassle for you Jason, I will get it myself." She hung up the phone.

I stuffed the phone back in my pocket, without bothering to call back. Her horrible moods were the usual these days.

"I found the vitamins." I turned around to see Ryan holding an orange box of Flintstones vitamins.

"Good." I said nodding.

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When we left Wal Mart, we went straight to Bridget's parents' house. We were greeted in the driveway by an angry Heather, cursing heavily. 

"Heather, please. Come on now. He didn't mean to scare you. He just needed to get out." I said walking towards her.

"I don't care if he needed to go have heart surgery, he doesn't just skip town and go anywhere." She said, glaring at Ryan as he was getting out of the car eating M&Ms.

"Ryan!" She yelled.

"Mrs. Thomas, please." I gave her a reassuring look.

"I told you, I-"

"Hey Grandma." he said nonchalantly.

She pouted and glared at him, then me. "Just this once." She said in a demeaning tone.

She looked down at him. "Hello boy."

"I'm gonna' go inside. I've got to tell Chris something!" He ran inside the house.