An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
âYou okay, Cheryl?â
She stared at me with an expression I couldnât decipher, but it clearly wasnât happy. âIâve had a day, Ezekiel.â My sister laughed in Jimmy Jr.âs arms as she clapped at my name, looking at me to pick her up. I set down the groceries on the countertop before kissing her forehead and shaking my head at her while mouthing âfood.â I put what I could away and then went back to cooking.
Cheryl eventually lifted herself to sit normally in her chair, her joints creaking in exhaustion and age. She tilted her head this way and that to let go of a few pops underneath, and then she leaned onto her forearms while hunched over her knees. âNow, whatâs this Iâm hearinâ âbout edibles?â
Jimmy Jr and I froze as we stood there in the kitchen, him dancing around the floor with my sister in his arms and me holding a piece of steak over an oiled skillet.
âOh,â Jimmy Jr. whispered as soon as he gained his composure, adjusting my sister on his hips. âWe werenât-I mean, we were only discussingâĻI think you might have misunderstood what we were saying. We werenât saying edibles-â
âCan it, ginger,â Cheryl demanded. âEzekial.â
She looked at me, narrowing her eyes before glancing between the two of us. I sheepishly tried to smile my way through this, but she wasnât having it. She again sighed, in what seemed like a combination of exhaustion and exasperation. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb before sighing again and looking back up at us. âIâll help ya, but donât ya dare let yer pa know. Iâll feckinâ kick yer ass.â
I looked at her confused, my brows furrowing in distrust of the situation. It didnât make sense for Cheryl to want to help me, especially considering she was trying to âclean upâ our family image. Plus, she hadnât baked since she left her family back in the mountains. What exactly was she getting out of this? âWhat makes ya wanna help me?â
She rolled her eyes, crossing his legs over one another and folding her arms across her chest. âThis hereâs âbout gettinâ that Belcher gal back, ain't it?â She looked between the two of us while Jimmy Jr. nodded his head in response. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she suddenly made full eye contact with me and a soft, sympathetic expression crossed her face. âCount me in. I can't handle another day of you moping âround this house âcause yer without her.â



















