Guns For Roses (Frerard)

Chapter 21

welcome. been a while.

The last thing I remember after breakfast was sitting on the far side of the couch and leaning my head against the wall. I propped my knees up and curled my arms up against my chest, and next to me, Bandit was sitting with her back against my legs, playing quietly with some stuffed animals. The room was chilly and I was exhausted.

I closed my eyes, resting for just a minute, and then I was waking up. I was more or less lying down now, though I was still pretty scrunched up, with my head on the arm of the couch. There was a blanket over me, and Bandit wasn't sitting with me anymore. The room was much darker. 

What was with every day being so fever-dreamish? I didn't even know what damn month it was anymore.

I lifted my head, looking around the dark room, and I lifted a hand to my slightly aching head, rubbing my face and running my hand back through my hair to get it out of my face.

I was hearing Frank's voice, but he was speaking an octave higher, sounding much softer and more playful.

"This is a beautiful tea set, thank you." He said. "Will you share with grandma, too?"

Moving the blanket off of me and standing from the couch, I hung my arms around my middle, going down the hallway. 

Frank and my mother were sitting together in Bandit's bedroom floor. As I came in, I saw in Frank's hands a tiny plastic teacup, which Bandit was "filling" with a matching plastic teapot.

Bandit turned to look at me, pleasantly surprised. "Oh, sit down, sit down!"

Obediently I sat down on the floor, next to Mama and across from Frank, as Bandit hurried to get me a cup.

"Thank you." I said softly, my voice still thick with sleep.

Frank looked at me from his place on the floor and silently kissed the air in my direction. I smiled at him and sent him a wink back.

"How did you sleep?" My mother asked me, taking a pretend sip from her cup after Bandit filled it up again.

"Heavily." I said, yawning while Bandit filled my cup.

After getting everyone's cups as full as she needed them, Bandit picked up her own and then came to me, turning around and gently settling herself in the nest of my criss-crossed legs.

I rubbed her arm up and down absently, just lost in the moment. There she was again, comfortable just with me. With me. I never thought I'd have these moments with her; a tea party on a Tuesday afternoon in her bedroom floor. This was never going to be mine.

I closed my eyes and kissed Bandit's head. 

Frank and my mom were lost in a conversation of their own I'm assuming they'd been having before I came in, I wasn't listening to them. I was listening to Bandit talk about her toys and how they were doing at work. Apparently Kitty and Miss Fluff were mad because there's no pets allowed at their favorite park, and they both had dogs (yes, both toy cats have pet dogs).

"That's silly." I said to her quietly. "Why can't there be pets?"

"'Cause the mayor is mean."

"Oh."

Frank sat up and leaned over to kiss me before he stood. "I'm gonna start dinner, okay?"

"Okay," I said, looking up at him.

"Will you need help?" Mama asked. "I'm not much in a kitchen, but I can try."

"Uh, sure," Frank glanced to me and I nodded.