Jokes

This novella is written in dual first person points of view. Each chapter will be labeled as to who is narrating.

So far, Jameson Petry meets seventy something, Iris. They talk about life and seem to fill a need for each other. He becomes her emergency contact and good friend. She gives him advice and shows him what it takes to be strong in the face of adversity.

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In the past couple of weeks I've been happier. Part of it is because I can concentrate. I'm not waiting on Claire any more. I have a new goal. Being the best father I can be. And, you can't be a good anything if you're focused on the wrong thing.

Iris had said after her little boy had passed, she had started to shut down. She realized she had to choose to be happy. I might never have Fin more than a few days a week, or I might only see him every other Christmas. I have to choose to be happy. Whatever time I get with him, I'll be happy and thankful for it.

I take Heston for a quick walk and grab my keys. Today is my lucky day. Claire is in Raleigh and Amanda has to cover for someone at work. That means I get Fin.

*********************************

Fin is so happy to see me when I pull into the drive. He runs as fast as he can down the sidewalk, yelling, "Daddy's here. Daddy's here."

Mandy shoots me a thumbs up and hops into her car. She rolls the window down and waves at Finny. "She should be home after 6. At least, that's what she told me."

"Doesn't matter. I'm just glad you called me. Have a good night."

I look down at Finny. He's grown in the past few months. Using more words, running faster, he's turning into a little boy.

We spend most of the afternoon outside in the yard. There's nothing wrong with Amanda's house, but it's not my house. I fix French fries and chicken nuggets for dinner then we eat on the front porch steps.

Fin starts to get cranky around seven-thirty. I pull him into my lap and tell him a story. He's fast asleep when Claire pulls into the driveway.

"What are you doing here? Where's Mandy?"

I stand, shifting my sleeping boy in my arms. "She had to work." I step aside so she can grab the door.

She let's me put Fin to bed, giving me a few minutes to watch him. I press my lips to his cheek before returning to the living room.

"Well, thanks," Claire says, she won't look me in the eye, instead she glances towards the door.

"No need to thank me."

Her phone buzzes and she grabs it. She looks around nervously as it buzzes. "I really need to take this."

I show myself out. "See ya, Claire." She doesn't hear me, she's too busy giggling into the phone.

***********************************

Iris sounds tired when I call her the following morning. "You alright?"

She sighs. "Just over did it yesterday."

"Are you free for coffee?"

"Of course. One of my favorite things is our coffee dates."

I smile because I feel the same. Iris has never judged me or made me feel any other way than safe. And, she's seen me at my weakest moments.

"Let me go get presentable. I'll meet you in an hour."

"Iris, you always look lovely."

She laughs lightly. "That's very kind of you to say ... even though I know it's utter bullshit."

*********************************

She's out of breath when she arrives. Her chest rises and falls like someone who just finished a race. She stands just inside the door of the coffee shop and rummages through her bag. Her hand comes out with an inhaler. She quickly shakes it and inhales as deeply as she can.

I get up and walk over to her. "Next time, I'm coming to get you."

She waves her hand, still panting but not nearly as bad. "It wouldn't matter if you carried me on your shoulders. This is how it is now."

I help her with her chair and sit down across from her since there is nothing I can say to ease the ugly truth. "I got to see Finny yesterday. Amanda, his aunt, got called into work and Claire was in Raleigh."

"I'll bet that was nice for both of you."

"He's growing up so fast. It's like every time I see him, he's grown."

She nods. "It does seem like that, doesn't it?"

"I think Claire has met someone."

Iris looks over, concern clouding her eyes. "Did she say something?"

I shake my head. "No. She got a phone call as I was leaving. She seemed, nervous, I guess that's the best way to describe it. Said she had to take the call. It's pure speculation but ," I look across at Iris. "It really doesn't matter."

"You've a right to your feelings, Jameson. Even though you're ready to move on, seeing her do so is bound to hurt."

Iris finally opens up about her breathing scare. "I couldn't put off telling Gertrude any longer. She's a pain in my rear some days, but she's been through everything with me. I owed her the truth."

"I'm sure she's upset."

"Calls me every few hours. She doesn't find it funny that I answer by saying, 'I'm not dead yet.' I think it's hysterical."

I can't keep a serious face. This is Iris. A true lady one moment, and a teamster the next. "That's funny, Iris. Wrong but funny."

Iris smiles. Her eyes twinkle with renewed life. "I'm not going to go out angry or frightened. I may have come into the world crying, but I'm going out laughing."

"Guess I should learn a few jokes, shouldn't I?

She winks. "One or two."

I walk her to her car after we've finished our coffee. I hug her tightly as I realize that our coffee days are coming to an end.

"I'll call you tomorrow. But, if you need anything in the mean time, please call me."

"Deal."

I step back on the curb after closing her car door. As she backs out I turn to walk home.

I'm a lucky man. I really couldn't see that when my life started to spin out of control. But now, I see that I will never be the same again. Thanks to Iris, I know what's important in my life. Friends and family. And it doesn't matter if it's just my son and dog or one friend. I need them.