2020-06-08 - Face To Face Finally - Patrick and Avery

Patrick Peterson had showered and changed into his civilian clothes, ready to be off duty at 7am.  The second he was free he walked out of the fire station, but instead he heading home, he turned left and walked to 3rd street.  It was a lovely morning and he wasn’t tired from his 24 hour shift.  A Shift had gotten to bed early and woke early and well rested.  It was when he checked his phone, that his morning plans had completely changed.  He saw a message from avery and it read simply;

Come see me.  Alone.

He’d immediately sent a text message to Sajini telling her that he’d be with his sister for a while.  Sajani knew that Patrick and Avery had not spoken directly to each other since before Avery had been attacked by Jack Rose.  Had Avery asked at three in the morning while downtown Alexandra was ablaze he would have dropped the hose, told Chief Stanley he had to go and started the very walk he was on now.

In his trainers, blue jeans, plain grey tshirt and AFD windbreaker, he forced himself not to sprint.  He was eager to see what made Avery ask to see him, but he also didn't want to startle her by sprinting into the Farm like an overzealous spinach merchant.

A smile crossed his lips, as he saw the SGDI van outside of Kira Delmonaco’s house. Good things were about to happen there and he was glad to see it.

Once he left 3rd street for the access road, he actually relaxed to enjoy the walk through the North Woods.  Once Avery had told him what was going on, he’d already decided to tell her about Sajani .. before his father told his mother and his mother told Avery.  Sajani was so special Patrick wanted to tell his sister about her face to face.

Finally

In what seemed like no time, he was walking through the rows to the trailer in the northwest corner of the clearing known as The Farm.

Avery was splitting wood. It was a satisfying task and she had a good stack going on one side of her. There were many campfires around, including the one closest to her and they needed wood every night. She had on an old grey tank top and a pair of khaki green cargo pants and work boots. She wore work gloves and her light brown hair was tied back in a braid. Splinters flew as her ax came down with a crack. She looked up, wiped the sweat from her brow and saw Patrick approaching. She knew it was Patrick because she had asked him to come, and also she could tell her twin brothers apart since well basically birth. She gave him a little wave and put the ax down, resting against the stump.


Patrick watches as he approached his sister chopping wood like a lumberjack.  It made him think of Paul Bunyon and just like that he picked out a new book to read to her, if she needed him to.  He waved back and stopped a ‘safe’ distance from her, not sure if this was a complete meeting or not.  While Avery and Chris had talked, the only real communication between Patrick and Avery had been through books.  Thinking about it, Patrick tried to remember if he’s even seen his sister this close to him since before …  He pushed that thought away and looked at the piles of wood and campfires.  “Are you burning all of these like all the time?”  he asks.  It was an occupational hazard.

Avery has to laugh at his first question and gives her woodpile a little foot tap with her boot “Oh yes Patrick...all the time. Campfires and effigies and crop circles….it’s a ring of fire…” And then she has to pull out a moment of Grandpa Pat and sings a few bars of Johnny Cash “I fell into a  burning ring of fire…..oh it burns burn burns and the flames just get higher…”. She sings her way to the picnic table and sits down but on top to the table part and looks at the table seat option beside her as if inviting her brother to join.

Patrick laughs with delight at the song.  “Yea, yea yea ….”  he moves to the seat and sits, drinking his sister in with his eyes.  “You look incredible.”  he tells her.  “A little scary slinging that axe like a scary woman wrestler … but incredible.”  he pauses.  “How have you been?”  he half expects the question to be ignored.  SInce Jack Rose he hasn’t seen her to ask her and is prepared if the question is deflected to use his axe in the hole, Sajani.  Just thinking her name, he has to smile.

Avery snorts at the compliment and then raises her arm and pretends to sniff her armpit “I smell incredible too...lemme tell ya.” It’s obvious that she’s stopped shaving since she’s been out here or perhaps since before. She looks like she doesn’t know quite how to answer the question of how she’s been so she sits in an awkward silence mulling it over and then just shrugs. She’s got no jokes for that one and she tenses up a bit, not answering further yet.

Patrick feels it get awkward, but he’d expected that.  He straightens and looks quite proud of himself.  “Well as long as you’re sitting down, I have an announcement to make.”  he sais with an air of showmanship.  “Your brother.  The awkward twin who can’t be on time and can’t talk to girls without embarrassing Peterson's back to Adam and Eve ....  has fallen in love.”  he spreads his arms out as if a Vegas showman.

Avery is pulled out of her awkward by Patrick’s flashy announcement but now has to crack a joke at him “Really? Like a real live woman who has teeth and toes and sheds skin cells...or is this an AI in a video game?”

Patrick looks wounded.  “What Cortana and I had was real…”  he mock cries.  “She was just leading the Master Chief on.  She only left me because of hardware compatibility issues.”  he sniffs and then laughs.  “But I’m not sure Sajani is a real girl.  She’s incredible.  Do you remember her?”

Avery laughs about Cortana and then asks “Sajani Singh? The shrink’s daughter? They live at the end of our old street? Really? She’s gorgeous. How do you and Chris both have gorgeous women going on? Something in the water of that apartment building?” She teases. “So did you beg her or use some sort of magic incantation?”

Patrick turns beet red and tries to cover it.  “Yes.  That Sajani.  Not any of the other three.”  and then she teases him and he somehow blushes more.  “I begged.”  he admits.  “Long story short, I accidentally stood her up.  I went over after and literally fell to my knees begging for another chance.”  he admits and he is sincere.  “We’ve been together ever since.”  he arches his brows.  “Do you want a gorgeous woman, too?”  he asks.  “I can bring a couple bottles of our tap water next time I visit.”

Avery cracks up about the begging “That’s attractive…..but shit you did it.” She sighs about the offer of water “Thoughtful but no. Can’t wrap my head around anything like that right now…..I am happy for you Patrick.” She looks at him critically “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you with a girlfriend…..have you had secret people you didn’t want mom to interrogate you about? And is that why she’s so pissed at Dad right now? Did he hear about that one first too?”

Patrick nods about her not wanting a gorgeous woman yet.  Then he blows out his breath.  “Well … honestly .. she’s my first girlfriend.” and then he winces.  “Well ..  I wanted you to be the first to know.  But … you know I really blame your other brother.  Christopher.”  he tells her what happened a couple of days back.  “And that’s how Dad found out I had a girlfriend .. the … end.”

Avery lets her legs dangle over the seat of the picnic table and kicks them a bit and then places her heels back on the seat and leans her elbows on her knees. She looks a bit surprised that Sajani is Patrick’s first girlfriend but doesn’t question him. She knew he was awkward. Then she hears the saga and her head slowly turns as her eyes widen and finally she laughs “I think the best part is about our Dad having lunch plans with Dr. Singh. Oh my god Patrick. Are you making up for years of Chris getting busted? Because he wasn’t exactly discreet with Melissa.”

Patrick sighs and laughs a bit himself.  “No …  really, I’m not.  I couldn’t catch up to Chris in a car.  And I was trying to be discrete.  That’s why I didn’t start anything until we were alone.”  he sighs.  “What I always found funny is Chris is the ‘modest’ one, yet which of us got caught by mom having sex in the family hearse?”  he shakes his head.  “Sajani was beet red and I’m positive all dad saw was the bottoms of her feet.”  he drops his head on one hand.

Avery lets her head hang and laughs “God that was funny. Charlie Anderson was delivering our paper and the hearse was rocking and he just threw his papers down and ran for it. Then mom stormed out there….poor Sajani...and poor Dad…” She laughs again “I miss you guys. Clearly all the antics are still on. I hope Sajani and Noelle can stand you both together.” She looks off towards the lighthouse “Mom’s helping the old man….he’s probably offering her pot…..” She shakes her head a bit and then looks at Patrick seriously “I texted you...because I wanted to thank you. For reading to me...and texting me lines...and not giving up on me even when I didn’t answer you at all. I love you for it.” Her eyes get teary and she swallows.

Patrik starts out laughing.  “Oh Sajani and Noelle met a few mornings before.  Chris and I fell into that ‘twin trap’ but I think they love each other maybe more than us.”  and then her eyes move in the direction of the lighthouse and she thanks him.  Patricks throat gets tight and his own eyes fill.  “No problem…”  he chokes out.  “I could never give up on you, Avery…  never.  I love you .. so much.”  he sniffs and swallows and blinks fast.

Avery’s tears spill over as she sees Patrick’s emotion. She sits back and reaches out her dirty farm hand to his and if she can grab it she’ll give it a little squeeze “I know Patty.” When she was smaller she called him Patty.  She grew out of it but it sometimes slips out now and again.

Patrick feels her grab his hand and squeeze it.  Then she calls him Patty and he sobs, taking her hand and kissing it, his tears making the dirt into mud.  His sister is alive and healing.  Taking a deep breath.  “I read your tweet.”  he tells her.  “And I’ve talked to Kira.”  he sniffs and looks at her with his wet blue eyes.  “I … think I … understand .. a little after talking to her.”

Avery doesn’t pull her hand away. Her discomfort with her male family has calmed significantly since Jack Rose died. She even fully hugged their dad when he brought her her aerial silks. He cried too. She keeps making all the men she loves cry and it’s both comforting to be loved and simultaneously awful. She nods at Patrick “I’m glad you went to her. She needs people...god in that fucking jail……” She looks thoughtful. “How is she now?”

Patrick manages a small smile.  “I went to visit her because … I only figured it out when she castrated the fucker.”  he chuckles.  “I’d asked her out in high school, you know.  Before she and Brayden Kim got together.  Of course, I was late and she wasn’t impressed.  But I apologized for that .. again.”  he clears his throat.  “She told me she forgave me … but in like the third person?  She said the Kira I knew was dead but the Kira she was now would like to be friends.”  he tightens his jaw.  “She said Jack Rose killed her … and maybe I’m nuts, but I know exactly what she meant.”  He looks at his sister.  “She’s going to make it.  They started the work on her house today and she has a lawyer.   Chris said she’s a big time lawyer from Vancouver.  Expensive.”

Avery listens to the whole thing before showing a reaction “Patrick we should make a mural of all the women you’ve asked out.” She teases and then her eyes pop a bit “Kira dated Brayden Kim…..wow small towns.. I never told anyone this because it was new but Brayden and I had a thing….it was new when Jack…..well he attacked Brayden and then me…..” She exhales “I understand how Kira feels. I feel dead a lot….a bit less now…..but yeah….a part of me is gone. I’m glad Kira has people helping her. I know how lucky I am to have a loving family. And I hope her lawyer is kick ass.”

Patrick scoffs.  “Let’s not .. maybe one for the one who gets me.”  and then his eyes grow big.  “You did?”  he scoffs.  “Small world indeed.  Kira and Braden and you …. Almost Noelle .. all …”  and he stops suddenly because he’s afraid he’s made some kind of nightmarish connection … but then he thinks it is just a wild small town coincidence.  “Kira had no one for the longest time.  Not even us.  I thought it was because of that brain infection bullshit.  But … no I know better.  And that lawyer looks high powered, if that makes sense.”

Avery snickers at the scoff and then scowls “Horrible thing to have in common with people...not the first part...the Jack part. I didn’t really know Kira before other than just a name in your and Chris’s class. I mean I’m sure I saw her around like everyone. I can’t believe her parents abandoned her. God Mom’s given up her whole life for me…” She feels the weight of it. “I keep telling her she can take breaks from here. But she swears she’s fine. Now that the ferries are running maybe I should invite Aunt Ellie out here or Keely…..I dunno if I want to tell them both, maybe just Ellie. Have you talked to any of them? Dad said Uncle Louis could see our ferry terminal but couldn't buy a ticket...Half our family probably thinks we’re dead….I hear snippets though Mom but it’s like she doesn't want to burden me.”

Patrick nods slowly.  “After that fundraiser, she can’t feel alone anymore, I don’t think.”  he declared.  And then he blows out a breath.  “Yea.  I think Uncle Louis is mad about that.  People must have thought he was crazy.  I know the grands are mad .. Mom was telling me and Chris a little bit.”  he blows out a breath.  “Like all of us just stopped talking to everyone for no good reason.”  he rolls his eyes and then focuses on Avery.  “But I think Elle might like it out here.  Could you take time off of work?”  he glances around the Farm.  Her sister seemed to like the work well enough and it did keep her out of the public eye.

Avery nods “Yeah even I heard about that fundraiser. It’s good.” She shakes her head “How do we even explain it to them all?” She looks around “Everything I do here I can do while people hang out. Although some of it’s boring I suppose. And some of it’s stinky. We have composters for humanuring….and yes I do mean human shit. So you know buckets of with straw that I dump. Not a fate for the squeamish.”

Patrick snorted.  “I didn’t even try, really.”  he admits.  “I’ve lost some friends on the mainland, but … I had you guys.  Logan Reinhardt got cut off.  I can’t even imagine being cut off from you guys … from Chris.”  he clears his throat as his sister goes on.  “Um … no ..  I don’t .. really know .. I’m just an old fashioned guy who needs his toilet, Avery.”

Avery rolls her eyes “Well it’s the most old fashioned toilet you can get Patty. It’s fuckin medieval.” She laughs “Just maybe warn your girlfriend if she’s never used one and you want to bring her out next time.” She makes a face about Logan “Yeah that’s shitty for the Reinhardts….but glad they’re back together now.”

Patrick nods, slowly.  “I’ll tell her ‘Sudara, unless you want to share your shit with my sister, we should probably cleanse our colons before we head out.’ and then she can turn beet red and huddle in a ball behind the couch again.  It’ll be foreplay if we keep it up.”  and he shakes his head at Avery.  “You HAD to call it shitty, eh?”

Avery looks confused “Who’s Sudara? How many hot women are you beckoning to your little water cooler now? And wow you guys are into some kinky shit. No wonder Dad was freaked out. I’m just talking about outhouses big brother….YOU had to make it weird.” This is the core of Avery when she’s on top of her game. There are still moments of this. It’s just not continuous. She can definitely keep up with the twin’s banter though when she’s got it.

Patrick blushes a little.  “Sorry .. Sudara is Punjabi for beautiful .. it’s kind of a nickname I gave Sajani.”  and then he laughs and shakes his head.  “I made it weird?  YOU made it sound like shitting in the manger someplace with the three wise men and a sheep.”  he protests.  “You’ve been out here with the goats and chicken and lettuce a little too long, I think.”  he laughs again.  “Now can we PLEASE talk about something besides Peterson colons?”

Avery looks like she’s finding the nickname thing sweet and then cracks up “Oh there are no wise men out here...only an old stoner dude who’s a washed up cult leader. And yes to other organs of the body…..” She grins “So you begged for a second chance, you’re learning Punjabi now? And you get to have kinky yoga sex and scar our dear father. Is Sajani/Sudara the…” She does finger quotes “one” “Whatever that is for you.”

Patrick throws off a quick prayer that the new organ won’t be his penis, but his sister adds it to the list.  “First of all, it was more like a THIRD chance.  She stood me up in high school, then I stood her up and then I got on my knees and begged for a third date right then and there so I wouldn’t be late.  Second.”  he clears his throat.  “Maiṁ pahilāṁ hī bōla cukā hāṁ.  I already speak it.  I’m sort of waiting to meet her family so they can talk about me thinking I don’t understand them being a white guy.  Third …  Unlike our brother and mother, our father busts in on me BEFORE I can get any kinky yoga sex.  I’ve told him to call ahead next time.”  he licks his lips.  “And finally .... I would marry her in a heartbeat … if I wasn’t afraid I’d ruin it all by being late to my own wedding and finally pissing her off.”

Avery follows Patrick’s story with her head like she’s watching a tennis match being a bit intentionally physically comedic. She pauses and blinks at the Punjabi and gives an impressed nod. She smirks then and looks sympathetic “Sajani knows about your late thing right? Like she won’t be shocked by it at this point?”

Patrick grins watching her head as he ticks off the points.  “Oh she knows … but I also want to wait .. you know until we’re established and I am sure beyond five shadows of doubt that she’ll say yes when I propose.  It’s only been a few weeks … I can’t ask her now.”  he reasons.

Avery nods emphatically “Yeah that’s fast. And she has to at least meet Mom….even though I’m sure our parents know her from her being Dr. Singh’s kid. Plus you need to pass that Punjabi test? Isn’t Sajani an only child? I’ve never seen any other kids coming in an out of the house. I remember her mother with canes and then a walker and then that scooter thing…..”

Patrick chuckles.  “They'll like her.  Not as much as Noelle … unless I’m wrong that Sajani does not mean Christmas.  And yes she’s an only child.”  he nods, remembering Mohinder also and then searches for another subject.  “Can we talk about someone else's penis?”  he suddenly snaps.  “Chris and I were conceived in an oak tree!”  he suddenly exclaims, remembering.  “Dad told me after interrupting my yoga lunch.”

Avery laughs “Ah yes Noelle the Vegan. Be funny if she hated Christmas wouldn’t it?” She blinks a few times “Gross, you’re talking about Dad...WHICH oak tree?” She tries to rack her brain for where on Alexandra there’s even an oak grove. She doesn’t address the yoga lunch as she’s stuck on the tree question.

Patrick laughs.  “I can hope.”  and then he motions vaguely in the direction of the mainland.  “The one in Hammond.  At the edge of the peach grove, because apparently there were peaches being thrown.  Granma Janelle and Aunt Elle.  Aunt Elle is apparently a dead shot and Grandma can’t hit the broad side of the ferry.”

Avery shakes her head and laughs “So Mom and Dad in a peach tree made you beasties while they were target practice for peach pitching? Well that explains a lot. God I miss Aunt Ellie….especially right now….” She looks thoughtful and then says “Do you know she’s the reason I have the name Avery? I know it’s odd….but there’s a story..”

Patrick nods.  “Yea … it’s a strange family.”  he smiles a little sadly.  “Then invite her to come visit.  You’re pretty much out here alone … or Skype her or something.”  then he arches his bro.  “Oh!  A story!”  and he moves from sitting position to lying position on the picnic bench.  “I’m all ears.”

Avery nods “I will.” Then she sits cross legged on the table bit shifts to face Patrick “OK…..but I think I’m the only one of the three of us she told...so..” She makes a zip across the lips signal and then sighs a bit “She told me after Jenny died….” Avery has a little pause and then begins “Back in Hammond Auntie Ellie made this friend, Avery. I actually looked her up after she told me. Her name was in the news, Avery Ambrose…..she was a RCMP officer in Hammond with her husband. The husband was messed up….anyhow Ellie and Avery were friends…..then they fell in love but it was an affair. But the husband found out or I think Avery was leaving him. And this was Ellie’s first love….well first woman and it’s been all women since so I assume first love. The guy shot her Avery and then shot himself. This was like a week before Mom and dad came to visit. You guys came too….and Mom was pregnant with me...like really pregnant. Because I was born in the orchard…..huh funny place that orchard. You and Chris were conceived there...I was born there. Then Ellie came over and told Mom and dad everything, the truth about Avery. Because everyone thought she had lost a friend. So Ellie said Mom asked if it would be ok to call me Avery, to remember Ellie’s love in a happy way…...it’s so sad but in a  way it makes me feel extra connected to Aunt Ellie.”

Patrick pretends to lock his lips and toss the invisible key into one of the campfires.  Then he lays and listens to the story of where his sister got her name.  His eyes grow wider and wider.  “Wow…”  he says once the story is done.  “That’s really cool.  Much better than ours, I think.”  he chuckles and rests his hands on his chest.

Avery has to laugh “Our grandfathers would disagree with you.” She gets teary eyed again ”But Ellie survived that….and I survived Jenny…..it gives me hope...that I can keep going..” She wipes at her eyes “I mean people live through wars and shit…..lose everyone they love. That would be …..I just need to do it right?” Now she’s fully sobbing and slumped forward.

Patrick begins to sit up the moment he hears his sister get teary eyed, and pulls himself up onto the table with her, hoping that putting his arms around her isn’t too far for this trip.  “You’re not alone, Ave.”  he tells her if he is allowed to hold her.

Avery lets Patrick hug her. She’s hugged their dad. She half hugged Chris. These aren’t the scary men. These are the good men. She hugs Patrick back and leans her head on his shoulder and cries, nodding a bit. She’s been out at the farm so long now she smells like farm, straw, dirt, a bit of sunscreen and sweat mixed with that smell humans get when they spend hours in the sun.

Patrick fights his own tears as he hugs his sister.  It had been so long since they’d last hugged, and he inhaled her earthy scent.  But to him it was just Avery.  “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”  he whispers.  “But I’m here for you if I can help.  Know that, Avery.”

Avery shakes her head on his shoulder “I know you are. That wasn't your job. It shoulda been his job not to do that to anyone...and you are helping. You’ve been helping all along Patty. I just finally got around to telling you it’s been working.”

Patrick kisses the top of Avery's head and tightens his hug.  Not all of his sister had been killed or ruined.  She could heal and she would heal with the love of their family.