When nothin' really goes to plan

 

Aaron wasn't sure what to say when someone asked for him. It wasn't like they said he won a prize. Instead, he took a deep breath and faced the music. Of course, didn't know who was worse now. The long lost dad he never met or his mom.

Of course, Alton put the blame on Aaron's mother from the first sentence. Maybe he was right. Aaron wasn't going to argue. He told him she wasn't around. She was in South Dakota.

"South Dakota," made him laugh, "Hell, I hope she's under six feet of snow." He laughed at his own joke. Aaron gave him a slight nod. Evidently, Alton was glad he wouldn't be running into her.

"She's mean, you know," Alto told him she was the blame for everything that got him in trouble. "I don't know what I ever saw in her."

Aaron nursed his bottom lip. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.

"He could sleep on your couch," Sal whispered. 

"Couch?" Aaron squinted that was where he slept. He licked his bottom dry lip. This was just too much. Jody would not be pleased. He'd have to sleep in her room. But before he could slowly think of any ideas on how to get out of this. Alton had finished his beer and Sal had them locked out of the bar in no time. 

"We gotta get home before the snow hits. The wind was whipping. Ice was grazing them right and left as they hunkered down to pile into Sal's old pickup truck.

"It'll be just for the night," Sal said as he drove on. The cold was already here as the wind gusted like white snakes on the pavement.

Aaron was ready to shut down. Like maybe he didn't want to go home at all, but Jody was there to greet them and the man who said he was his dad was all smiles and flirting with her as if he could stay up all night just drinking coffee. 

She warmed up was left of the one pot meal on the stove. Alton ate like he hadn't had a meal in a week. He ate buttered bread like a hungry teen after a football game. Aaron just set there staring at him. Wondering if they were really anything alike. It had to be a mistake. He was certain his mom had no idea who his father was. 

"Our people are from the Ozarks in Missouri," Alton informed Aaron. "You don't want to mess with our people." Alton grinned.

The more Aaron listen, his ears began to burn, then his throat ached. Once they got him fed, Jody got everything ready so Alton could shower and get ready for bed.

"Are you sure your alright?" Jody asked Aaron who could barely nod.

"I dunno what I'm supposed to feel," he shrugged.

"I know. I would feel that way too." She smiled as she gave him a pat on the back. He looked at her then and realized she'd never met her biological father either.

"It's not like on TV, you know." He then sighed.

"Well, we'll do this together," she took his hand. "I don't know why you always have to stay out here every night. We have a perfectly good bed, you know."

"I know." He hated to tell her, but the couch was the only place he'd ever slept. It was challenging getting used to a bed.