Episode 824: Now Or Never

“We helped as much as anybody would let us,” Tansy was quick to say. “Then I thought we should just get out of everybody’s way until stuff started, is that okay?”

Quent nodded. “Here, I stole you guys some jelly donuts.” He handed one to each child, Hero barely taking a breath before he took a big bite out of his.

“Sorry about dragging you out of bed so early this morning guys, it’s just that this is a big moment for your uncle, and it’s nice for your mom if we make it a family thing, her family, well, they haven’t done family things as much as they’d maybe like.”

“It’s okay, we don’t mind being here,” Tansy said. “Jesse and Nate are the only kids here and they’ve actually been really nice, so it’s okay.”

“I’m glad for that, Tans, I wish it was always that way for you.” He wished she would choose that quiet moment to truly open up about what she went through with her peers. When she didn’t confide in him, he sighed and pressed a kiss to the top of her head as well as to the top of little Hero’s head. “I’ll round you two up when the ceremony’s set to start, probably won’t be long. Meantime, I’m going to check in with your mom to see if she or anyone else needs me for anything.”

There was someone else he planned to check in with first, though it hadn’t been an easy decision to make, he’d weighed it repeatedly, guilt ate at him either way he looked at it.

He pulled out his cell phone. His friend answered almost immediately despite the early hour or as it turned out, because of the early hour.

“Is something wrong? Is it Tansy?” The voice at the other end of the phone was plainly groggy, though also plainly concerned.

That concern, that loyalty, being there at the garage in whatever way he could help and more importantly being there for Quentin’s family, especially for Tansy, that was why Quent felt he owed him this, even if it might affect his brother-in-law.

“Tansy’s okay,” Quent said. “It’s something else. I just, I don’t know how to say this, I don’t know if you want to hear it, but I thought just in case you want one more chance you should know Avalon Lubin is getting married this morning.”

Episode 825: Love On The Brain