Page 73 of For a Goode Time Call…
Juneau watched me eat. “What’s going on, Ink?”
“It’s kind of a long story, and I hate bothering you guys with it.”
Remington sat on the arm of the couch, rested a hand on Juneau’s nape. “Nah, bro. Tell us.”
I looked from one to the other. “It’s…a lot.”
Juneau rubbed my shoulder. “Ink, you’ve been there for me my whole life. It’s largely because of you that I’m living my dream of being a tattoo artist. You challenged me and encouraged me and pushed me and provoked me and counseled me, and then Rem came along and he was the last catalyst I needed to live my truth.” She leaned against me, her head on my bicep. “My point is that now it’s my turn to be there for you.”
I nodded. “Okay, well…I guess you probably need the whole story.”
So, I started at the beginning, telling her the things I think she’d long suspected and guessed at. Then I told her about Cassie, how things had developed, leaving out the details they didn’t need and which I wasn’t about to share, cousin or no cousin.
Juneau and Remington listened attentively, asking questions here and there. Finally, when I was done, Remington got up and paced the living room a few times. Then sat down again, picking at a hangnail and not looking at me.
“Ink, I gotta be real with you, bro.”
“Always,” I said.
“I think what you told her was true, and right. But I think she just needed you to give her space and time to figure it out on her own. I think maybe you were a bit…harsh.”
I sighed. “June Bug?”
She tilted her head to one side. “I don’t know. It sounds like sheisavoiding things. But I guess what Rem is saying is that maybe you guys could have figured out the way forward without having to drop the hammer.”
I hung my head. “Shit. So what the hell do I do now?”
“Don’t get me wrong, Ink, you’re right about everything you said to her, and I bet one day she’ll thank you for your honesty. But she just had her whole life turned the fuck upside down, and she had already taken off once before, so maybe you coulda been a little more understanding about that.” Rem shrugged. “What doyouwant to do now?”
“Go find her and…fix things.”
“Except you can’t, can you?” Juneau smiled at me, not quite sadly. “And that’s the point. I think you need to give her time. In the meantime, make it clear to her that you care about her and you’re here, waiting for her. No rush, no pressure, no expectations.”
“I thought I’d done that.”
Remington snorted. “Yeah, well, that kinda thing sorta bears repeating, in situations like this. She’s probably hurt and pissed off, and maybe isn’t remembering the good shit you said.”
I ran my fingers through my beard. “I’m no good at this.”
“Who is?” Juneau asked. “I’m sure as hell not.”
“No one isgoodat this,” Rem said. “You just muddle through it best you can and hope to hell the person you’re diggin’ on don’t break your fuckin’ heart to pieces in the process.”
I looked from him to her. “So that’s what you’re doing? Muddling through?”
Juneau smiled at me. “After a while, you learn to trust. Not just the person, but the relationship. It’s still scary.” She glanced at Remington. “He could still decide he wants someone skinnier, taller, blonder. He could decide he’s bored with me. He could decide a lot of things. He could just get drunk and bang somebody. I could tell him I’m pregnant and he could panic and run. All of that is possible. But I choose to trust him. Rem has shown me that he loves me. That he wants me, and only me. That this thing between us is beautiful and real and lasting.”
Remington tugged on her hair. “Babe, I know you were sayin’ all that shit for emphasis, but…don’t. I don’t want anybody skinnier or taller or blonder. I couldn’t get bored of you if I spent a million years with you. And even drunk, I would never want anyone but you.” He frowned. “You’re not pregnant…are you? If you are, I’m not panicking.”
She just laughed. “No, babe, I’m not pregnant. But if you do what you did a little while ago, I will be.”
“We used a condom,” he protested. “Mostly.”
She just laughed and patted his cheek. “Yes, darling. But it’s the other side ofmostlywhere you get unexpected babies.” She tugged on his beard. “But babe, if I got pregnant, I wouldn’t be mad. I’m not ready to actively try, but if it happens, I’ll be happy.”
He sighed. “Me too. Not looking for it, but wouldn’t freak out.” He laughed. “Well, maybe I’d freak out a little. But I wouldn’t run.”
I just watched this back and forth between them. “So.”
