@jupitergeorge
Willie ditched that piece of galvanize to give her his full upright attention, which in all honesty was kind of flattering in a general sense of the term. Not attractive or anything like that but Jupiter had never really been a ‘commanding’ person (her kids might say different if they did some nonsense and she was pissed at them) and Willie didn’t exactly snap to attention. But he had a big grin and focus on her, dismissing whatever else he was doing, and it was kinda cute, in a neutral-cute way. It was like having Big Bird eager to help you clean up Sesame Street.
“I know, me too! I was a skinny little thing back then! Not like starving but I could eat a whole hog and not regret it,” Jupiter giggled. “And you! You were so dang cute. Scrappy little boy with a mouth on you. That mouth could talk,” Jupiter grinned up at Willie. “I know you’re back to normal now, but how’re you feeling anyway? Miss being a little boy, or glad you’re all grown up now?”
It seemed like Willie wanted to pull her into a hug - which was so sweet. It would be like what Jupiter imagined getting a hug from Tom Cullen from The Stand, she imagined. M-O-O-N, that spelled ‘Willie’, etc - but then paused last minute for some reason. Propriety? He was an old fellow, so maybe it was impolite for his time. But Jupiter dived closer and gave him a hug anyway, her hands not touching as they wrapped around to his back. She pat his back.
“Awww ain’t you a sweetheart, Willie. I’m glad you’re doing okay too.” ‘One of the good ones’, he called her, and that just warmed Jupiter’s heart. But she didn’t want to stall too long. Maybe she was building anticipation for something that wasn’t even relevant or interesting to him anymore, or maybe it’d just make him sad. She could handle sad, but she didn’t want to ruin his day.
Still, she’d taken them this far, couldn’t back down now. “Damn I wish we had some yummy cake right now! A big old fluffy white cake with chocolate frosting. If only,” Jupiter giggled, and carefully extracted a brown bag from her purse. “No honey, I got something else, something you’d recognize. I hope it’s still okay…”
Opening the brown back, she jostled out a little branch, with some leaves and buds attached. She held it in her palm. “Guess what this is? Go on, you can take it if you want it!”
“I miss it alreet!” There’d been a spring to his step that was auspiciously missing now, everything felt increasingly more difficult. In some ways, it had forced Will to lean a little more heavily on the magic, his attunement, reinforcing himself when needed. Lightening each step when previously he’d used it to skate along at thrice the pace. Nonetheless, it was nice to let all the aches melt away for a moment. Willie gave Jupiter a half-decent squeeze back, she smelt fresh, spritzed with coconut and a womenfolk-like scent he couldn’t distinguish. “You’s weren’t too quiet yerrself! Set of church bells ‘bout you.” He said, a wily smile as they parted ways, giving her a slight pat to the shoulder. “Ain’t no bad thing.”
This was all really long forgotten as Jupiter produced a small clipping of what was unmistakably, tobacco. Will hadn’t been one of the ones to nurture the plant, not strictly, but he’d spent enough time in the fields to know. “Blazes…” He tenderly took the little half-plant from her, it was barely anything but it was hope enough. “Ay’up! Jupiter!” He pinched it between his fingers, holding it up over both of their heads. “This is glorious!” Will leant in to give her a second, or was it third, another squeeze of the shoulders, and forgetting all the lessons that had come before. A light kiss to her cheek.
“We’s got t’ plant this now! Canna have t’lil one dying on us before gets a chance t’ grow up real big and strong. Ay’up! I’m happy as Larry, you’s no idea. Big man Tomas said I were okay t’be growing but bugger if I knew how t’bring it back. You’s know how t’plant? Ma’ did it all when I were lil lad, like I were last I saw you’s but I didn’t do much. Bit o’ a gobshite I were.” Perhaps, certain people might still ascertain that to be true but Willie was blissfully ignorant. “C’mon I know best spot for this and all, I do.” He said, with a nod of a gesture towards the farm and a quicker-than-usual amble in that direction. There was no rush, no urgency, but Will was terrified the fragile small thing would die if they didn’t sow it soon enough. The island had a habit of playing wily tricks on them, and Will had endured enough of that bollocks as of late.
“How’s you keeping ducky? I know it been bit…topsy turvy int’t?”














