The Painting

#68 Six Days - Se La

"Absolutely not."

"Lyle-" I reached out to her as she held her hands at her temples. She drew away.

"May," She began her voice no longer the even calm I was used to. Her tone pitched as she lost ability to speak in a whisper. "You know nailing that son of a bitch is important to me, but I am not letting you do that. It's dangerous and reckless and-"

"Might work." Frankie interjected and I couldn't help but smile at his support in spite of Lyle's initial fury. "It's rather fucking brilliant."

"Frankie you can't just blackmail a psychopath." She interjected in exasperation.

"You can try," He tilted his head back thinking it over for a few seconds before popping a mustard-less French fry in his mouth and exclaiming. "I'm in."

"I need some air." Lyle rose from the table and I scooted along the beat up red leather booth to let her out.

"I know it's crazy." I began inching closer to her.

Leaving Frankie to his massive plate of fries I had followed Lyle out of the diner and into the cool spring evening. The sun had vanished from the sky but the light of the day hung in the air not yet ready to relent to total darkness. She stood with her back to me her arms folded as she looked straight ahead. There was no movement in her and when I spoke only a sarcastic "uh huh" met my words, halting them in their place.

"I'm not saying it's our best option but it's our only option, you heard Frankie." I took two steps toward her until I was inches away. Naturally my arms wrapped around her waist as I pressed my head to her back.

"May."

"You won't loose me." I rubbed my forehead along her back. "I promise."

Not like she'd lost her parents or like I'd lost my mother. A beat passed and I held in my words waiting for a reply. Gradually Lyle turned around to face me but I did not release my arms from around her.

"You know this won't solve everything."

I nodded. "It's a start."

She shook her head and blew out a breath. "You know what your problem is?" A slight smile played at her lips as she recycled the accusation I'd made our first day into this crazy journey.

"Do enlighten me."

"You're too hard headed."

"Is that a yes?"

Her jaw tensed and she broke our eye contact. "I'm not crazy about this."

"But?"

"But," She returned to me. The freckles in her eyes practically glowing in the midnight hour. Taking a deep breath she her lips parted. "I love you."

I paused, waiting for her to continue. Waiting for something to come after the three simple words I'd grown addicted to hearing. But when nothing followed I understood. She knew me, knew the yearning I felt. There was no switch to turn it off, no remote to control it. I lacked a meter that spiked into the red zone when danger was inevitable.

And that's what love is. Knowing someone well enough to tell when to pump the breaks, and sometimes when the battle cannot be won. When you have to lay down your weapons and reservations and drawn in your support.

That is what she did now as she bent down to kiss me. "How much time do we have?"

"Six days until he takes over the company."

"Perfect."

Frankie was more excited then I'd ever seen him and we spent the next three hours in the diner planning. When we got home it was close to three. I knew the door to the B&B would be locked so I went in through the kitchen. The lights were already on and I found Grace asleep at one of the tables. Her head was buried in the crook of her elbow as she folded forward across the tabletop.

"Grace." I whispered giving her a gentle nudge.

"Hmm?" She lifted her head with her eyes still closed allowing herself to adjust to the lighting. "Oh May."

"Grace it's late what are you doing? Is everything ok?" I swiveled on my heel to look around the kitchen for something out of place.

"You didn't come home." She began placing her hands on my shoulders. She stood to face me and I could see the worry in her eyes. "I tried calling you but it went to voice mail."

"I told you I was going out for the day, I was with Lyle and Frankie. I am ok." I feigned a smile but my effort didn't quell Grace's anxiety.

"Are you not carrying your phone anymore?"

I shrugged off the question. I stopped carrying around my phone the day Monroe used it to track me and almost kill Beth and Ivy.

"I was worried about you honey." She rubbed my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. "You've been acting odd lately and I know you're a quiet gal but I hope you would ask me if you needed some help."

Her words punctured my lungs and I let the breath I'd been holding in fan out as she held me.

"Give me six days."

"What?" She drew back holding me at arms length.

"Less than a week and I'll tell you everything."

The corners of her mouth dipped.

"It's complicated." I met her pained gaze. It was time I told Grace. She had been my best friend, my mentor, and in many ways another mother to me. It wasn't right to keep her in the darkness anymore.

I'd always vowed to tell her when I had everything figured out. I thought it would be easier for me, if I had a nice little summary to share and all the answers to her questions. But it'd never be easy. I would always feel pain as I relived my mother's epic and my own journey to pick up the pieces.

I pulled Grace back into a hug. "I love you." I mumbled into her thick braids.

It was time for me to share that pain with her.       

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