May 6, 2440, 9:00 PM
Jimmy just somehow knew that sitting down to dinner would bring someone in a panic to his door.
“Wera, you look distressed,” he said, ushering the man in.
“My daughter, she is missing.”
“Tuja, black hair, almost thirteen, about this tall?” Jimmy asked, putting out his hand as they made their way outside.
“Yes, yes, yes.”
“When was the last time anyone saw her?”
“Just after midday, during the supply delivery.”
Jimmy stopped, pulled out his phone, and checked the logs just to confirm his suspicion.
Of course it was her.
He sighed.
“Hi, Annie, do you have an extra V’ren girl at your house named Tuja?”
Jimmy reached out a hand and gave the worried father’s shoulder a good squeeze.
“You don’t say,” he chuckled. “No, I don’t think that is a good idea. I will come fetch her.”
“Wera, she is fine. Some girls offered to let her help, and no one could remember where they picked her up. Remind everyone that this is Number 19 Blackwater Road.”
“I should go with you. She needs to know my frustration.”
“No, Wera, she needs to know mine. You have four other kids to worry about and one on the way. Go home. See to them. See to Oleah, as she is carrying your youngest-to-be. Let Tuja see I am father to the community.”
Jimmy sent a quick text to Teash on the phone he managed to get her, and she must have been waiting for it, as he barely hit send before he had a green thumbs-up and she was walking out her front door.
The drive back to Arrow Rock took longer than it needed to, but not as long as it would have had he used more creative navigation.
Annie just looked at him.
“Are you going to tell me what is really going on?”
“Of course I am. Her father is not happy, so I am smoothing things over. Also, we can’t stay long. I want to get over to Delia’s. I need a better chef.”
The rotund woman snorted, knowing he had more than once boiled a pan dry.
“So how are you going to smooth them over? Don’t make me drag it out of you, boy.”
“I am assigning her to Quinn’s crew, since I am assuming it was Thing 1 and Thing 2 that just decided to pull her up into the back of the truck. Also, try to keep Quinn from hitting anything going forward or in reverse while you have my wayward girl,” he sighed.
“I heard that, Jimmy!” a snarl from the other room called out.
“She was meant to hear that,” he chuckled, looking at Annie. “Tuja needs to check in every day and bring her back when you are tired of her or on Wednesday. My mom said she was making that spaghetti night for the community. Also, have her introduce herself to everyone with her address and that Jimmy is now her big brother.”
“Now tell me about Teash,” Annie said with raised eyebrows.
“She is green,” he said with a grin, dodging a backhand aimed at his chest. “Truth is, she is interesting, and I like her. Now we are going for burgers.”
Annie sighed. “Go on. Get out of my kitchen. I want to go to bed, and you know damned well I better get a wedding invitation. I know where you live, Jimmy Chakrobarty.”
“Are you sure they will not mind her staying with them?” Teash asked as they walked back to the truck.
“No one will mind. This is one of the best places she could have ended up. Dave and Annie are good people. I have known them most of my life.”
“How did you meet?”
“My dad brought the family down for one of Matt’s picnics. Quinn and I were instant friends.”
“I sensed there was something more to your relationship.”
“It didn’t work out, and we drifted apart,” he said, opening the truck door for her. “It was never meant to be,” he added after coming around and climbing in his side.
Jimmy carried the tray to one of the outdoor tables, set it down, and pulled her chair for her.
“This smells amazing,” Teash said as he sorted out their meal.
“Best burgers around. You saw what I was eating,” he chuckled, because she hadn’t been shy about trying it.
She had liked the bologna sandwich, which admittedly was good bologna from the butcher three doors down from here. The bread and cheese were good, as was the lettuce and ranch dressing. She found the instant noodles both boring and depressing, which he could not dispute, but he could make them without fucking them up.
This, on the other hand, was a feast.
He cut the smash burger with pickled beets and a fried egg in two, and then the kimchi double katsu burger. He dumped the fries on the wrapper and poured out some Heinz 57. He finished with one straw in each of four milkshakes: strawberry, chocolate, ube, and peanut butter.
He had opted to skip the chocolate mint shake, which had been his favorite until Quinn ruined everything minty.
Jimmy pulled into Wera’s driveway, realizing V’ren fathers with daughters were much like human fathers with daughters. He got out of the truck and just looked at the man with sympathy, glad he had asked Teash to wait in the truck. He needed to own his own actions, even if she had helped assure the older man of his daughter’s safety.
“You have not brought her back.”
“No. I spoke with her, and she did not mean to worry you. She was impulsive and didn’t understand the real risks of leaving without telling anyone. The driver and the delivery team said she was a lot of help to them and requested I let her continue to help. I could not say no to that request once she had proven herself capable and willing, not when there are so many in need of help.”
“That is true. I would still have liked to have gone with you.”
“Because you are a good father and are concerned about her. She will contact you twice a day and make a full report of her contributions to you every day she is gone.”
“Thank you. You understood my duty was here and chose to act in my name with a decision that ensured my parenting would not be questioned. How do I repay that?”
“By making sure everyone knows the importance of letting others know when you are leaving. It won’t be long before we have regular public transportation coming here, and everyone can come and go as they please. I don’t know whether being worried makes V’ren parents hungry, but my mother always needed to eat when she was worried. I brought you something,” he said, holding up a bag of burgers.
Jimmy slid back into the driver’s seat and smiled at the look on Wera’s face as he sagged into the porch swing and had his very first cheeseburger. The look of pure joy made him wonder if Wera would misplace more kids just to get more burgers.
He backed out slowly, letting the man eat in peace.
“No, don’t,” Teash said as Jimmy started to turn into her driveway. “I already told them I was going to your place.”
“What?” he choked.
“Did I do wrong? You said we could do what I wanted when we came back.”
“No, not wrong, just unexpected,” he said, flipping the blinker off and letting the truck idle over the speed bump.
“You made me interested in the fossil last night. I used your phone and the translator to learn more. The pop-up suggested we watch a movie called Jurassic Park. I looked, and it is available.”
