Author's Note.
Thanks to you all those who have continued to support and follow this story, whichever platform you choose to do so on.
Also many thanks to my editor, Dr Mark, who has read stuff - so you don't have to.
I fully expected to be finished with this part of the story by now, but I still have some more story to tell, and so it will continue until that is done. I do have some thoughts about a second part but whether that will materialize remains to be seen.
Caleb 41 - Conflict.
Another Monday morning rolled around. Two weeks until our exams, just under three until Ness arrived, and just under four until my birthday.
Twenty-one. Everything would be legal. I smiled at that thought. Ironically there was nothing that I wanted to do that I hadn't already done. Did that detract from coming of age? Not really. Did I wish that I had 'saved' something? Hell NO. I wouldn't have done anything differently even if I'd had the choice.
That, of course, was a lie. There were so many things that I would have liked to change. Decisions made for me, and about me, for my entire life, that, given the choice, I would change in a second. More recently, I had made decisions for myself and others, that I would also change. But that was not an option. There were things that were going to change, though, and I wondered about the repercussions of decisions I had made, but had yet to implement.
I was also surprised that there had been no blowback for my interference with the two guys who had tried to kill Gracie. Someone, somewhere, must have realized that there had been interference, and it wouldn't take a genius to determine who had done it. Maybe they had, and just didn't care; or maybe they were keeping their powder dry and waiting to use that against me at a later date. Either way I didn't care. Those assholes got what was coming to them. I sniggered at that turn of phrase. Their assholes would definitely get what was cumming to them and they wouldn't enjoy it, not one bit.
I slipped out of bed and started my day.
Kevin had either not known about, or chosen not to mention, Carys' and mine's tryst in the changing rooms last week. I had seen him a few times since then, and he had behaved no differently than he had before. I hadn't seen Carys since then. The first time I would see her, routinely, would be tomorrow night, if she came to the dojo to watch my class.
This morning was an Aikido lesson. I found it to be both settling and elevating at the same time. I had noticed that since I had started Aikido I was a lot less stressed. My temper, which had often gotten me into trouble in the past, while not absent, was no longer uncontrollable. I reacted less and considered more. That isn't to say that after consideration my actions wouldn't still be extreme, but at least they were considered.
I was making breakfast when the kitchen was invaded. Everyone entered all at the same time. That was unusual - mostly people drifted in. It was like they had been prompted to be here all together. I wondered if there was a reason or if it was just coincidence. I waited to find out.
Mary was first to speak.
"I thought," she said, "that we ought to discuss a couple of things." Not a coincidence then.
"Such as?" I asked.
"Gracie," said Mary. "I got a text from her to say that they would be happy to release her from the hospital if she had somewhere to go. She wants to come here."
"She's still in full leg casts," I said, "which means she's still bed bound. How would that work?"
"Apparently," she replied, "Dylan said he will be able to come and look after her. He has some leave due and is willing to spend it caring for her."
"Then why doesn't he take her to his place?" I asked.
"He lives in a second-floor apartment," she said. "No elevator, and it's very small. He wouldn't have space to care for her there."
"Also," suggested Amanda, "you would be able to 'help' her along."
"Right under the nose of a medical professional?" I asked. "Hardly."
"So," said Jules, "how would it work? Would Dylan visit daily or is he thinking of staying with her? If that's the case, then where would he sleep? Do we really want a complete stranger in the house, even without worrying about using powers?"
"I said we would discuss it and then go see them both," Mary said.
"It would have to be Wednesday," I said. "Don't forget, we are going to Jeevan's tonight for dinner, and I have a class tomorrow night."
"I'd forgotten you were going out," said Louise. "I guess Josh and I will order in."
"You really need to learn to cook," I said. "You can't live off Uber Eats your whole life."
"Why not?" asked Louise. "Besides, we have a chef in house and another one on the way. We wouldn't be able to get near the kitchen in any case."
Jules laughed. "She has a point."
I conceded. "I have some time this morning," I said. "I'll make a lasagne. All you'll have to do is put it in the oven. I'll also make some garlic bread. Do you think you can manage that?"
"Will you write instructions?" asked Josh. He wasn't joking.
I sighed. "Fine."
"So," said Mary bringing us back on topic, "Gracie?"
"We did say she had a place here for as long as she needed," said Amanda.
They all looked at me.
"Why is this up to me?" I asked.
"Technically," said Jules, "it's your house."
"It's OUR home," I said. "It's not completely my decision." I didn't know why - but I wasn't keen on the idea of having an invalid Gracie and a live-in nurse here in the house. I didn't want to be the one to say no, especially when everyone else seemed to be okay with the idea.
"I'll tell her no," said Mary. After looking at me for a few seconds.
"Wait what?" said Amanda, "I thought we said..."
Mary shook her head. "It's not a good idea," she said. "If it were just Gracie, that would be one thing. But having a stranger move into our home is something else. Having to watch everything we said and did was bad enough when Rachel was here. I don't think we need that kind of stress again, especially with Ness joining us. Being so new, she might easily let something slip."
Amanda looked at me. "Caleb?"
"I think it's a bad idea," I said, "for all the reasons that Mary outlined. This is supposed to be our haven; somewhere where we can let our hair down, where Louise can walk around naked, where we can have sex through the gloryhole in the yard, or just plain chill. Having a stranger here will stop all that. It will turn our home into something else. That's my vote."
"Jules?" asked Amanda it seemed we were going for a vote. Amanda's position was clear, she wanted us to take Gracie in and was looking for support. Her sister voting against had been a surprise.
"We're doing this?" Jules asked. "Going for a vote? Then I vote no. This is Caleb's house - he says no - that's good enough for me."
I didn't like that reasoning. It made me seem like some kind of dictator.
"This is OUR home," I repeated. "Not MY house. I know my name is on the paperwork, but it was your father that bought the house, and as far as I am concerned, he bought it for US. We should all have an equal say in decisions like this, Ness too."
"Does that include us?" asked Josh. "We're only tenants."
"You have a right to say who you share your home with," I said.
"I liked Gracie," said Josh. "I think we should help her out."
Amanda smiled at him. He was her first supporter - currently it was two yes's and three no's.
"Louise?" asked Amanda.
"I like Gracie too," she said. "I'm sure I can keep my clothes on for the few weeks she is going to be laid up here. It's not like he's moving in permanently. Once she is back on her feet he'll be going back to work. It's a month. Not only that, after the end of term, you guys will probably be going up to Jules' parents place, so you won't even be here. How is it going to be a problem if he is here when you are not?"
