Beta Timeline - Chapter 3
Chapter Title: Some things you just can't buy
Summary: Danny and his aunt run to the store and he finds that sometimes you can find things in a small town that you can't find anywhere else.
Word Count: 1 ,072
You can read on AO3 or down below the cut
It wasn’t long before they were pulling into the parking lot of the general store. Before he moved in with his aunt, he didn’t think places like this existed outside of movies and old tv shows.
Almost everything was made of wood except for the old tin roof and the nails keeping the place together. Every step in the place made the floors creak, but most of that was drowned out by the chatter happening at the little table near the front window from a small group of old ladies.
None of the shelves in the store were taller than Danny was, so he could easily see the entire store wherever he stood, as long as the products on the top shelf weren’t in the way.
The shop owner was a hunched-over old man that wore an apron and was so old Danny wasn’t sure if he was the original owner or just a descendant.
The owner waved and greeted them as they entered, “Afternoon. What can I do you for today, Alicia?”
“Just got to stock up on a few things,” she reached into the front pocket of her overalls and pulled out a list, “this should be everything.”
The owner looked over the list and hummed to himself, “seems like a lot to carry on your own.”
“That’s what he’s for,” she said with a grin as she thumbed over to Danny.
The owner looked over the rims of his glasses at Danny for almost as long as he had taken to read the list, “looks like a strong wind will knock him over.”
“Oh hush you, he’ll do just fine.” Alicia turned to Danny, “why don't you take a look around and see if there’s anything you’d like, okay?”
Danny nodded and walked off as the pair continued to talk. He went up and down the isles but nothing was really catching his interest.
He ended up near the front of the store and he lingered near the limited chip options and debated if he should just pick one at random or not get anything.
His attention wandered from the snacks to the elderly ladies and he couldn’t help but notice that one of them was working on a craft.
The needle glinted with the fluorescent light as it poked up through the cloth. The string that followed was a dark brown.
He couldn’t quite make out what image she was making inside that little wooden hoop from where he stood so he took a few steps around the shelves.
Then a couple more because it was the wrong angle.
Then a few more.
"Can I help you, Sonny?"
Danny perked up and realized he had about one more step before he would be standing in the table.
"I'm sorry." He said as he took a few steps backward.
"Think nothing of it, Sweetheart. What brings you over?"
"I just uh," he might as well tell them the truth. He was working on being more honest anyway. "I was curious as to what you were working on."
The old lady beamed and showed off her project, "it's my chicken! Gertrude! Ain't she a peach?"
It sure was an embroidered chicken. It was actually really good. Looked professional even.
He figured he might as well let her know too.
"Why thank you, Dear." She pushed her things over a bit on the table and gestured for Danny to come over again, "sit, sit. You can pull up a seat from over there."
There were a couple of stools stacked up against the wall but Danny hesitated on getting one.
"What’s the matter, hon?"
"I didn’t mean to interrupt."
"You didn't interrupt a thing. We ran out of things to talk about ages ago."
"Wow thanks, Lucille."
"Oh hush you." Lucille dismissed with a simple wave, "when was the last time a handsome young man came and talked to us?"
"What about Robert?"
"What about him?" Lucille asked as she set the embroidery hoop down.
"He poured us lemonade two days ago. You were even going on about how polite he was."
"Did you miss the part where I said handsome?"
"Are you implying my nephew isn't handsome?"
"I'm not implying anything, Rebecca."
The other woman was satisfied for a moment but then Danny watched as she got more suspicious of what was just said. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
"It means what I said." She leaned back and crossed her arms, "he's not handsome."
The two went back and forth some more and Danny couldn't repress the laugh that bubbled up.
The two ladies turned to him both equally curious as to what he was finding so funny.
"I'm sorry," Danny started but had to pause again to laugh again, "it's just, my friends have arguments like this all the time."
There was a beat and then he remembered.
"Or at least they used to."
He sighed and was mentally kicking himself for messing up like that. He wasn’t sure what was worse, ruining the mood or forgetting what had happened.
"Sorry."
"Oh it's alright." Lucille consoled with a gentle pat on his hand. "You know what you need?"
Danny gave her a curious look.
"A distraction!"
Not what he expected, but it certainly did sound nice. "Okay."
"Okay? No, no, it's yes ma'am."
"Yeah!" Rebecca chimed in, "Didn't that Aunt of yours learn you nothing?"
Danny wasn’t sure how he was supposed to responded to that.
"Oh hush you," Lucille waved her hand at Rebecca again, "he only just moved here. You can't expect him to pick-up proper manners that quick."
She returned her attention back to Danny, "but I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough. In the meantime," she picked up the embroidery hoop and held it towards Danny, "you can help me finish this little project."
"I, um, don't know how?"
"How about I give you a little lesson then?"
Danny hesitated for a second. He thought about declining, he didn't want to be a bother.
Then remembered someone who used to embroider. Someone who wouldn't be able to do it now. Someone who wouldn't be able to teach him now.
“Oh Sugar, this reminds you of someone don't it?”
He didn't trust himself to speak, so he just nodded in agreement.
She pulled the embroidery project closer to herself, “how about I show you a few stitches first and then you can have a go.”
Danny watched her work and did his best to pay attention to what she was teaching him.
It was a little difficult with the tears blurring his vision.
Why had he never asked his dad to teach him when he had the chance?
He took a deep breath and did his best not to linger on what-if’s and missed opportunities.
