Page 49 of Talon
“Want some thing to drink?I’m going to grab myself a beer, but we’ve got pop too if you’d rather that.”
She tilted her head back to look up at him.
“Beer sounds great.”
"Do you have a preference which brand?"
"No."She shook her head."Just whatever you're drinking.”
Talon nodded and walked away.A moment later he came back, a couple of cans in one hand and a chair in his other.He handed her one can, then opened his chair and set it beside hers.
"What are we talking about?"he asked as he sat down and popped the seal on his beer.
"So far, babies and what work needs to be done around here.”
"Cool.Any mention of building a clubhouse in the next few months?"
Madison frowned as she tried to remember all the things She'd barely been listening to.Had they said anything about that?
"There was something said about construction, but I don't remember what it was for, if I even heard."
"No worries, Mads.I'll find out soon enough.Probably when they hand me a hammer and tell me to get busy."
Madison blinked and stared at him for a moment, not sure how to take that.
"What's with this clubhouse you're talking about?I get the feeling it’s more than the little hidey hole clubhouses we all built as kids."
“It's kind of a multipurpose building.It will have a big kitchen, so we don't have to invade the main house twice a day.A big community room so we can gather like this, even in the winter when the weather is shit.But the best part, and the one I'm most impatient for is the apartments for each of us.”
"What kind of apartments?"She didn’t look at him, but rather at the others around them, each having their own conversations, but doing it together.This was new to her.While she’d been growing up, the people in the community didn’t spend all that much time together.They came together for certain things but mostly did their own thing.
“That part's not entirely decided yet, we're either looking at studio or suite setups—but I think they decided no kitchenettes.Everyone will have use the big main kitchen."
"Well, that doesn’t sound too bad, I’m sure there are reasons behind that."
"There are, and I'm not disagreeing with them, just pointing it out."
"I don’t mind no kitchens.I'm just looking forward to a room and a bed that doesn’t shake every time someone else breathes too hard."
Madison watched him for a moment then gave him a slow blink as she let his words process and figure out what he meant by that.She must have looked confused.
“In the bunkhouse we have literal bunk beds.If the person in the other bunk snores or rolls over, we feel it.I didn’t mind so much when I was younger and slept better, but now?”He shook his head.“Now I just want a little space of my own.”
That was something Madison couldn’t relate to.The only person she’d ever shared a home with was her father, at least that she could remember.And they’d always had separate bedrooms.She said as much to Talon.
“What about your mom?Didn’t she live with you at some time?”
“Not that I remember.I don’t know that I’ve ever met her, at least not once I was old enough to remember.And if I did, I wasn’t aware it was her,” she said with a shrug.It wasn’t a big deal to her, it was just the normal she was used to.
“Oh, that’s too bad.Do you know where she is?Who she is?”
There was sympathy in his voice, not that she minded but it didn’t mean much to her because she’d never known her mother and while as a child she’d missed the idea of having a mom, but she had never missed her mother as a person.
“No clue where she is.”Madison shrugged.“I know her first name, but what does that matter?Who knows if she’s gotten married or is even still alive.”
He was quiet long enough she turned to see if there was something wrong and found him staring at her, his mouth hanging open, as if she’d shocked him.
“What?”she asked.
