SG Vol. 1 pt. 16

It’s already dark out by the time I get home.

The groceries I’m bringing with me will be enough to give Naomi and Mom a proper meal instead of feeding them that frozen shit Kate depends on.

Of course, even something as fucking simple and common as bringing home groceries results in pissing her off and getting shouted at.

“Really? What? You trying to say I don’t take good enough care of them? I have food in the fucking freezer, don’t I?” Kate asks, getting in my face as I try to put the groceries away.

Naomi is already home. I’m not going to have a shouting match with this bitch as long as Naomi can hear.

At least Mom should already be knocked out from her medicine since she didn’t go out today.

“We can take this outside if you want to talk,” I tell Kate.

“Oh? Can we? What’s wrong with doing it here? Huh?” Kate asks, pushing me and almost making me drop the yogurt I got for Naomi.

I remember growing up thinking that men who beat their wives were pathetic weaklings not deserving life.

Now? They’re still shitbags if they lay their hands on their wives, but I think I can understand why they might.

It’s fucking hard trying to remind myself that not all women are like Kate. Clover seemed like a decent enough girl – nothing like Kate. Then again, I thought that Kate was an angel until the ring was around her finger.

At least her pathetic punches don’t do anything to me. If I was able to survive my old instructor’s punishments and training, I can survive getting punched by some bitch who sits around on her ass all day.

There’s no way she could ever seriously harm me without a weapon. Even then, I doubt she’d be able to use it right.

“Our daughter is in her bedroom. Grow up and get over yourself,” I tell Kate in a low whisper.

Kate shouts, “What’s wrong? You scared she’s going to realize how much of a bitch her ‘papa’ is? Men like you disgust me. Look! You won’t even stand up for yourself! What’s wrong, you leave your balls back at base? You already empty them on some of those new brats you’re teaching? It wouldn’t fucking surprise me if you like them young with how much time you spend alone with Nao—”

I spin around with my fist ready to—

There’s a knock on the door.

Kate smiles a smug smile at me when she realizes my fist is never going to hit her. It wouldn’t fucking hit her even if we weren’t interrupted, and she knows that.

I’m not going to waste my energy hitting her.

Kate walks over to the door, opens it, and I hear a, “Tch,” come from her. “I’m going out,” she says. I hear the door shut a second later.

Looking over, that annoying mechanic is standing there in her casual clothes. Short jean shorts and a dirty tank top covered in grease stains.

“Yo!” Tabitha says, cracking her knuckles before walking her way over to the kitchen. “Figured I’d come over and see wha—”

“Aunt Tabby!” Naomi shouts as she comes running out of her room, almost tripping over some shoes that Kate stupidly left in the hallway no matter how many times I tell her to be careful.

“Over here, cutie,” Tabitha says, crouching down and making sure to speak loud and clear so that Naomi can figure out where she is.

Tabitha helps Naomi out by grabbing her and hugging her as soon as she’s close.

If Naomi could hear Tabitha come in, I know she heard everything Kate was saying.

That really fucking pisses me off.

I’m starting to remember why I was so against being transferred. Not being on the front lines means spending more time with Naomi, sure, but it means having to deal with Kate every single fucking day.

“Aunt Tabby! There was a guinea pig at school today and I got to pet him and hold him and he felt super soft!” Naomi explains.

“Woah, a guinea pig? No way! I’m surprised they let such a cute lil’ girl hold somethin’ so dangerous! It didn’t bite ya, did it?” Tabitha asks as she pets Naomi on the top of her head.

“Ehehe. Nope! It licked my finger and it felt really funny!”

“Ya know what you need? A big ol’ dog to cuddle with ya and protect you from those scary guinea pigs.”

“I wish,” Naomi says. I know she’d be looking in my direction and pouting if she could tell where I am.

I can barely trust Kate to take care of Naomi and Mom. There’s no way that I could trust her to take care of a dog, and I have no idea if I might have to leave again sometime.

“Or ya just need to get rich! Hire some bodyguards to protect you from those scary zombie guinea pigs,” Tabitha says.

“Zo-zombie guinea pigs?” Naomi asks.

“Ya haven’t heard? They say that durin’ Halloween, armies of zombie guinea pigs rise up from the ground and nibble on everybody’s brains!”

“Papa!” Naomi shouts. “Can I be the queen of zombie guinea pigs instead of honey bees?”

I should have expected that.

“Ya aren’t thinkin’ big enough! You’ve gotta be the queen of zombie guinea pigs and honey bees,” Tabitha explains as she ruffles up Naomi’s hair, causing her to giggle.

I wish Kate would stick around whenever Tabitha comes over just to see how to really treat a little girl, but we both know that Tabitha would punch her in her fucking face if she dared to stick around.

I might not punch Kate, but Tabitha will and has.

“Ooh! I see! Yeah! I wanna do that!” Naomi agrees, nodding her head underneath Tabitha’s hand.

I’m finally able to finish putting the groceries away now that Kate is gone. I’d be worried about her just tossing them all away out of spite if I didn’t know that she’s just going to try and eat them for herself. At least Naomi and Mom will get some before Kate finishes them all off.

“So, lil bro, how’d you enjoy your first day of teachin’?” Tabitha asks me.

“I’m not your little brother,” I answer, “and it went about as good as you could expect.”

“Your words hurt me! Denyin’ your big sis like that.” She turns her attention to Naomi. “Don’t worry, cutie. No matter what he says, I’ll always be your aunt!”

“Yay! I love you, Aunt Tabby!” Naomi declares, wrapping her arms around Tabitha’s neck.

Tabitha looks over at me with wide, happy eyes that are asking me if I’m seeing what she’s seeing.

…

I hate that I’m jealous of this annoying mechanic.

Tabitha picks up on my jealousy and wraps her arms around Naomi before saying, “Love ya too, cutie!” She then looks back at me with a smug smile.

I had pulled this knife out to cut the steak that I left sitting out, but now I’m glaring at Tabitha and pointing the knife at her.

“Ya makin’ dinner?” Tabitha asks me.

“Yeah. You’re not welcome to stay for it,” I answer.

“Papa! Aunt Tabby is always welcome!” Naomi shouts at me with a pout on her adorable face.

Dang it. “Fine,” I grumble.

“You’re the best, Naomi!” Tabitha announces. “Make sure to keep that grumpy old man of yours in check!”

“If Papa is old, and you’re his older sister, doesn’t that make you old?” Naomi innocently asks Tabitha.

I catch Tabitha’s eyebrow twitch before she says, “Oi. Us gals never get old. Only men get old, ya understand?”

“Nope, but okay!”

“Good enough! Alright! Let’s go out and play while that grumpy old guy cooks dinner for us.”

“Okay! Have fun, papa! Come ask me if you need any help, okay?” Naomi tells me.

“Will do, angel,” I reply. Unfortunately for Naomi, the only way she ever gets to help me in the kitchen is by mixing things, and I won’t be mixing anything this time.

If I could think of a way for her to help me make steak tacos, I would.

While those two go outside to play, meaning that they’re going to play wrestle and get covered in grass and dirt, I’ll—

“Lance?” Mom calls out for me.

“I’ll be right there,” I say before hurrying to load the skillet with the chopped steak.

When I make it to her room, after making sure to cover up my eyepatch with my hair, I see her lying in bed with a book and her glasses on. She’s supposed to be knocked out right now from her medicine.

“Are you alright?” she asks me.

“Yeah. Why?” I ask.

“I heard you argu—”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Don’t forget that you’re always going to be my one and only child, Lance. No matter how old we may get, you are still my precious little boy.”

“Thanks, Mom, but I’m fine. Seriously. You hungry enough for some tacos?”

She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts at me.

“Don’t you think you’re too old to be pouting?” I ask.

“Didn’t you pay attention to what Tabitha was saying out there? Us ladies don’t grow old!” Mom replies.

“Just answer the question. Tacos. Yes or no?”

“Only if you give me a hug.”

I sigh, walk over to the bed, and lean over it to hug her.

She immediately wraps her arms around me to trap me here.

“I’m serious. If you ever want or need to talk, you know I’m here for you,” she whispers into my ear.

“I’m putting your pills in your tacos,” I tell her.