“Ms.Scott,” I mimicked, exaggerating a frown. “I’m going to get you to smile oneday.”
“You’vebeen trying for two years and you haven’t succeeded yet,” she reminded, eyeingme over the thick black rims of her glasses.
“I’mpersistent,” I grinned.
“SoI’ve noticed,” she grumbled. “Billy’s in the game room.”
“How’she doing this week?” I asked, reverting to a more serious tone, and she let outa puff of exasperation.
“Stilla grouch.”
“Oh,so you’re best friends, then.”
Sherolled her eyes up at me again, her eyebrow shifted upward, and I took that asmy cue to go find my grandfather.
Thenursing home was one of the nicer ones—Pop had made sure of that—but it didn’tmatter much, when all Billy really wanted was to be back in his house. To besurrounded by the walls that held his relationship with the love of hislife.
Iwalked the hallways, smiling at the patients I recognized, nodding at ones Ididn’t, before I rounded the corner into the game room. It was a large spacefilled with tables for cards and chess, a few shuffle boards, and a TV. I foundBilly, sitting at the chess table we always played at, and I pulled over anunoccupied card table for our drinks and sandwiches.
“HeyBilly,” I said, dropping down into the chair across from him.
Theold man with the feathery brows looked over the table at me with his dull blueeyes and grinned. “You know what I like about you, Devin?”
“Mycharm and wit?”
“You’realways on time,” he said, wagging a bony finger at me. Then he tapped my wrist.“You must have an impeccable internal clock. I never see you wearing a watch.”
“Ihave my phone to tell me what time it is. I get an alarm every Thursday,telling me it’s time to pay the cranky old man a visit,” I said, peering acrossat him as I opened the bag. “Ms. Scott says you’re still a grouch.”
Hewaved his hand in the air. “Ah, what does she know?”
Ishrugged. “Well, she’s not much better, so I say, who gives a fuck, right? Youdo you, Billy.” I pulled a sandwich out for him and laid it on a napkin. “Virginiaham and American cheese on wheat,” I informed him. “Can you handle it? I couldcut—"
“Devin,you act like I’m two-years-old!”
“Well,you have less teeth than a two-year-old, so …” I narrowed my eyes, shooting hima look of skepticism and he opened his mouth wide to reveal his full set ofdentures. I chuckled. “Good, you remembered them today. You make me proud.”
Ipulled the Diet Coke from the bag and twisted the cap off. “I brought you someof the good stuff today, but don’t let the nurses see you with it. They’ll handmy ass to me and not let me come back next week.”
Billyleaned across the table and whispered, “This is really Jack, isn’t it?”
Ilaughed. “Yeah, because that’s what we really need. For you to get plastered.”
“Itwould be nice,” he said with a nod.
Ismiled sympathetically. “Yeah, I know.”
Weate together, shooting the shit. Between bites, we moved the chess piecesaround the board, strategically attempting to kick the other’s ass. But asusual, by the end of our meal, Billy was snatching my queen from the board. Heraised his fist triumphantly.
“You’resuch a fucking cheater,” I griped, taking a swig from my bottle of Dr. Pepper.
“Youwere never much of a chess player,” he said, softening the blow, but he wasgrinning. “Now, when it comes to playing the guitar though …”
Itipped my chin toward him. “I learned from the best.”
“Andthen, you surpassed the master,” Billy said with a proud nod. “If only you’dtake it seriously, but … you don’t take much seriously, do you?”
“Itake some shit seriously,” I disputed.
