Small Town Tango by Jennifer LeJeune

all over again.
     
    “Grab me a blanket and a pillow, would you?” Katy asks Bo.
     
    When he walks back into the living room from down the hall, he finds Katy already laying down on the couch, sound asleep. He gently picks her head up and slips the pillow under it, and takes her shoes off ever so gently and covers her up. He brushes her hair out of her face and gives her a light kiss on the cheek and smiles. Yes, coming back to little hill might have just been exactly what he needed. He plops down in his grandfather’s old recliner. Many nights he watched his grandfather fall asleep there watching football games and old westerns. It was still the most comfortable chair he had ever sat in. He reclines back, puts his hands behind his head, and drifts off to sleep.
     
    The next morning, as they come up to Viola’s hospital room expecting her to be lying in bed, they find her standing up with her little pink purse on her shoulder, pink diamond-shaped earrings that perfectly match her pink sweater, a floral skirt and a pink watch that matches perfectly, her hair is nice and curly.
     
    “What are you doing, Mammy?” Bo exclaims. “You haven’t been discharged yet, have you”?
     
    “Oh yes, I have,” replies Viola, “it just took a little sweet talking to the doctor, that’s all. I told him I would make sure to relax and keep my feet up.”
     
    “Well, you look lovely, Mammy,” says Bo.
     
    “Oh I know, son. Now let us head on over to that little boutique on western called Fleur de Chic. There is nothing more relaxing than, what do you youngins call it these days, a little “retail therapy.” And I noticed y’all didn’t bring me the French toast that I asked for, but that’s ok, we will stop out for breakfast too. I am feeling great today”.
     
    “Ok, Mammy, just let me go talk to your doctor once and make sure we are all good to go,” says Bo.
     
    “So, what did you kids get into last night that was so entertaining you forgot to make an old lady’s breakfast?” she asks Katy, laughing.
     
    “I’m so sorry, Miss Viola, we did bake the bread before we fell asleep but we… we actually had a lot of fun last night. We went out to Rock Hill Creek and skipped pebbles and talked a lot after going by Andersons Diner and stuffing ourselves with a super mega pile.”
     
    “Well, indeed, it does sound like you two have had fun, just like I suspected.”
     
    “You know, Miss Viola, your grandson is quite handsome, and can be such a gentleman.”
     
    “Oh I know, hunny, but don’t you dare tell him, his head doesn’t need to get any bigger. I am sure I have told you this before.”
     
    They both smirk as Bo comes back into the room and grabs Viola’s bags for her and whispers in Katy’s ear, “she voluntarily stayed overnight to be monitored, the doctor says she could have gone home last night.”
     
    Katy smiles, knowing exactly what Viola is up to, and they walk towards those big double doors for their morning out on the town. “This should be an interesting day,” Katy thinks to herself, darting a look in Bo’s direction to see if he is looking as utterly happy as she is.
     
    As they come up to Martha’s salon, Viola says to Katy and Bo, “I’m going in to get a manicure, you two run along and grab a cup of Joe or something. I should be done in about an hour.”
     
    “Mammy, you know you are supposed to be relaxing,” says Bo.
     
    “This is a woman’s way of relaxing, darling.”
     
    Katy and Bo just smile and shake their heads as they walk out of the door and across the street over to the coffee shop. They get their cups of coffee coincidentally made the same way - black with two sugars - and sit down.
     
    “You know what she is up to, don’t you?” Katy asks Bo.
     
    “No, what do you mean?”
     
    “She wants us to spend time together,” Katy replies.
     
    “Well, if that is her agenda, I have no complaints,” says Bo, with a crooked grin, and a sentimental gaze