Let the Rain Come Down - ch8

Disclaimer: All characters owned and created by Stephenie Meyer.

Huge thanks to the helpful folk who posted Goodwill price lists online. It made this shopping trip a realistic and enjoyable experience.

This chapter is unbeta’ed – any errors are mine and I apologise in advance.

~o.O.o~

Chapter 8

Edward’s POV

Esme drove us home once the last person had been served their meal. The weather was cold and dry for the first time in days, the air holding a very real threat of snow.

Walking around her car, I saw that there were still bagged items in the trunk. I guessed she had more Christmas presents to deliver; she never mentioned family, but spoke of friends often. Esme said nothing, intent only on helping us inside out of the bitter cold and into our marginally less cold room. Our home seemed bleak and unwelcoming after our little holiday, the air stale and chilled, but we ignored it as an inevitable return to reality. Our kettle and hot water bottles were laid aside ready for use that very night.

I turned to see Esme holding another bag that I hadn’t noticed before. Setting it down, she reached in and pulled out a heavy and familiar biscuit tin, holding it out to us before placing it on the counter. I remembered that we had had hot apple pie for dessert and not cake.  

She placed her hand on the lid of the tin.

“I wanted you to have the rest of this. It was made for you and never intended for the kitchen. Plus…” she reached into the bag again, pulling out a foil wrapped package that she placed next to the tin. “This should keep you going for the next couple of days. Just add your vegetables. Oh, and you need one last thing…” She placed a packet on the countertop. “This is beef bouillon to make into some meat gravy: you just add hot water and stir to enjoy a quick roast dinner at home.”

Looking at her in disbelief, Jasper stepped forward and unfastened the foil packet to reveal the rest of the roast beef, sliced and ready to eat. He gaped at me before opening the biscuit tin to reveal the delicious sponge cake inside. I thought he was going to cry.

“Esme! This is all just… too much!”

“Is there any point in telling you you shouldn’t have?” I raised my eyebrows at her, shaking my head with an appreciative smile.

“None whatsoever!” She giggled, looking proud of herself. “Well, thank you for so much for spending Christmas with me. It’s been wonderful to have such lovely company. So, what are your plans after the holidays?”

I looked at Jas.

“We’re hoping to go to Goodwill with our giftcard to see if we can get some new clothes. It’s pretty exciting - we get to go shopping together.” Just the thought had us wreathed in smiles.

She nodded in understanding.

“Well, I’m not working until the new year so if you need a lift to help you carry everything home you call me, okay? I’ll be happy to come – in fact I have a few things to donate myself so you’d be doing me a favour by giving me the push to go. I’ve been meaning to do it for a while.”

I looked to Jasper, who at that point would have gladly followed Esme anywhere she wanted to lead. My heart swelled with love for him.

“Well, if they’re open, maybe tomorrow? Or the day after. The sooner the better I think.”

She gave a firm nod.

“Tomorrow would be good for me and you might get lucky with the sales starting too.  I can come pick you up at nine? It gives you time to look around before it gets busy. The changing rooms are more likely to be free then too.”

“Okay – that sounds great. We’ll be ready. Thanks again, Esme.”

She pressed a kiss to my temple and, seeing his bashful smile, did the same to Jasper before letting herself out.

The first thing we did was unpack our kettle, fill it and plug it in. We both stood and watched it boil, marvelling at the speed. Jasper made us drinks before refilling it. We read the instructions on the bottles and filled them with hot, but not boiling, water, letting out the air before sealing them. The heat they gave out was a revelation and we found that they could be tucked into the back of our jeans beneath a sweater, or placed between our feet in bed to defrost frozen toes. Until the season turned they would be our constant companions every evening, refilled before bed each night to ensure maximum heat retention until we fell asleep.

Our supper that evening was fresh bread and cheese, firm, fresh apples and a slab of cake each. We knew the cake wouldn’t keep for very long and reasoned we might as well eat as much as we wanted and fully enjoy it.

After all, wasn’t a little indulgence what Christmas was all about?

~o.O.o~

The next morning I ensured that Jasper was well wrapped up for our outing. The gift card was tucked safe and secure into my coat’s inner pocket and I touched it often to make sure. I added a few extra dollars and some loose change to my pockets in case we needed to top it up a little.

“Are you ready?” Jasper looked at me and I could see his smile in the way his cheeks rounded beneath the scarf, his eyes bright with excitement and purpose. I nodded.

Right on time we heard Esme’s car and headed out for an adventure.

The short drive took us to the store we had seen on our bus journey. Esme drove past and a short ways down the street, pulling into a private parking area. We looked at her, our faces both asking the question.

She killed the engine, looking over at us.

“My friend lives in this building and she said I could use the space while she’s at work. Much better than the bus, don’t you agree?”

With enthusiastic nods, we climbed out of the warm car into the bracing December chill. I touched my pocket again for reassurance whilst I waited for her to open the trunk. Inside I saw two smallish boxes of clothing and shoes and I lifted one whilst Esme took the other, both of us brushing off Jasper’s protestations.  They were bulky, else I would have insisted on carrying both. No way was I having him hurt his chest again. With the trunk closed, we headed down the sidewalk to the huge building.

The inside was nothing like I expected. Rows upon rows of clothes racks and all manner of items. It was a mini mall of every shop we could want in one enormous space. We followed Esme to the drop off counter and prepared to wait in line, but she had other ideas.

“No, no; I’ll do this.” She set her box down on the floor and took mine from me, placing it on top. “You boys get shopping!”

Looking at each other with scarcely contained excitement, we headed towards the cornucopia of treasures that lay before us just waiting to be discovered. Turning back to smile at Esme, I noticed she was crouched next to a blond man, helping him to pick up some items that had spilled from the torn paper sack he held. He was clearly apologising to her, an embarrassed smile blooming on his face when their hands touched.

“Looks like Esme has made a friend.” I nudged Jasper. Even from where we stood I could see a flush to her cheek, her hand fluttering in unspoken gestures.

Jasper squinted for a moment. “I know him. He’s a doctor. Nice guy too. I see him when I go…you know.”

The insinuation wasn’t lost on me. He was Jasper’s doctor at the sexual health clinic. I watched them, trying to be covert, seeing the doctor smile at something Esme said, breaking into a laugh. It all looked very positive and I found myself hoping that this could be something.

~o.O.o~

“Jas! What size boot are you?” I held tight to my find until he answered.

He looked up, confused lines wrinkling his brow.

“Eight – eight and a half maybe. Not really sure. I just see what fits.”  He peered around the rail. “Why?”

“Because I found these. They’re almost new. You do realise your boots aren’t in much better shape than mine?”

He shrugged, a little defiant. “I love my boots. They’re me and they’re fine.”

“I know you love them, but please try these? They look the same and you can smell the leather. Think how warm your feet would be…?” I knew I was verging on wheedling, but he hadn’t even looked. He sighed and walked over to where I stood, clutching the boots to me for fear of losing them. The store was filling with people now and I was taking no chances.

He leaned in close to me, his voice low, frown lines evident behind the shaggy hair flopping over his brow.

“I can’t try boots on – I gave you the good socks this morning because we were looking for you, not me.”

Ah. That explained the reticence. Holey socks weren’t a good look in public and I understood where he was coming from, but no way was I letting him leave without at least trying these on.

“If you pull off your boot and lean against me for balance, no one will be able to see your feet. One at a time.” I set the boots down in front of him and saw his eyes brighten.

“You found me new cowboy boots? Ohh - those are beautiful!” With no further argument, he picked up a boot and placed the sole against his own foot for comparison. Satisfied, he braced himself against me and toed off one boot, keeping an eye out for anyone who may have cared to examine his sorry socks. Slipping his foot into the boot, he pulled it up and stamped on the tile.

“Other one?” I moved it over and he gripped my shoulder while he shed the other boot, wriggling into the new one, repeating the stamping like a horse at the farriers.

I watched him walk in a circle and caught him admiring his feet. I grinned.

“How do they feel?” I so hoped they were the right size because he was going to hate putting them back.

“They’re great! I can wriggle my toes and the heels don’t slip. This must’ve been what mine were like when they were new!” He all but scampered back to me and gave me a brief squeeze. “Can we afford these?”

I nodded, my smile a mile wide. “They’re five bucks and they’re yours.”

With regret he toed them off, but took them to where Esme stood, her head tilted and a warm, satisfied look on her face, handing them to her for safekeeping while we carried on digging. Carrying on my search, I tried on any boots that looked to be the right fit, not having much luck until I stumbled across a pair of sturdy black leather boots, thick soled to survive the rain and snow, with a fleecy inner. My feet and ankles were cocooned in warmth the moment my heels slid into position. Plenty of room, not too tight, and comfortable to walk in. The price tag said ten dollars which settled it. Now I had the only thing I wanted for myself, I set off to find Jasper and see if he’d had any luck with finding a coat. I tracked him down and watched bemused for a moment while he flailed, trapped in a too-big coat, trying to escape the confines of voluminous fabric. Helping him out of it, I rehung the heavy coat while he carried on looking. Walking along the racks I spied a more suitable winter jacket, well-padded for the sub-zero temperatures of a Chicago winter. Checking the label, it looked to be a better fit for his frame and had no visible signs of wear and tear. I walked back to him and he looked up, a smile breaking across his face.

“Hey – that looks good! Let me try…” He shrugged off his denim jacket, handing it to me to hold before sliding into the insulated all-weathers jacket.

The sleeves were a good length, long enough to hit the base of his thumbs and keep out the biting wind, and it finished below his hips. He fastened the zips and snaps, pulling up the collar around his face and burying his hands in the deep pockets. All I could see were sparkling eyes above the flattering blue shade of the fabric and a huge grin that matched my own when I nodded approval. Seeing Jasper so happy was the most addictive drug I could ever want; I wanted to say yes to him for the rest of my life. With the jacket and my boots safely stowed away with Esme, we headed to the clothing rails to find shirts and jeans. This took longer than anticipated, neither of us knowing sizes. After heading to the changing rooms with several garments apiece, we emerged with a couple of pairs of jeans each that were the right size and length, and a small pile of short and long sleeved shirts between us in a mix of plain colours and designs. I was keeping a mental tally of what we were spending, overwhelmed by the amount we had already accumulated with money still to spare.

On the way back from the changing rooms I swerved into a less occupied aisle, navigating my way around the solid roadblocks of people, and spotted a jacket sticking out of an overstuffed rail. It seemed perfect for Jasper, made of soft, well-worn but clean, brown leather that would look so perfect with his new boots. I shrugged it on to check the size and found it to be a good fit, our sizes almost the same apart from our height. I knew that it was frivolous spending, but a look at the low price tag told me to just do it. He would love it and we could share it, each needing a lighter jacket for the more clement weather. Keeping quiet, I dropped off my clothes with Esme and followed Jasper to the homewares section where he was examining pans, nodding to himself in satisfaction. He held a sturdy frying pan, a small saucepan and a new vegetable knife. I checked the prices and added them to the running total in my head.

The next item on our list was a toaster. We had talked about it, both considering it a good use of our money. It would give us hot food for breakfast every day and make the stale bread we couldn’t afford to waste more palatable. I had no idea of the cost of electrical goods and so was stunned to see a brand new no-frills toaster priced at $2.99. Jasper shook his head in amazement and carried it under his arm while we headed back to Esme. Passing a display of mugs for only 50 cents each, I stopped and chose one with a golden Labrador that had the look of Rosie on it. Now Esme would have her own mug when she came to visit, rather than the small, chipped cup. Happy with my find, I caught up with Jasper.

“I’m going to run back and look for towels, okay? We need more to give us longer to get them dry.”

He turned to me, his voice low.

“Do we have enough money? This has to be getting expensive.”

I understood his worry, but I was keeping score.

“We’re good, don’t worry. I brought a few extra bucks in case we saw something too good to pass up.”

Looking relieved, he carried on walking while I headed back to the homewares section, locating the section I needed easily. I flipped through the pile on the rack, choosing soft, lightly used bath towels that would wrap around us for warmth. Trying to be surreptitious, I sniffed them, satisfied they were fresh and laundered. Thanks to the low prices, I was able to buy the two I had selected. They were the last item on my list and I was beyond happy with what we had accomplished with our money.

Meandering back through the rails, I passed a display stand of cheap plastic jewellery and watches. My eye caught a basic wristwatch with a black plastic strap. I turned it over, checking it was clean and functional, before fastening it onto my wrist to check for fit. The glass was unbroken, the soft tick audible when I held it to my ear. This seemed a non-essential item when I could borrow Jasper’s, but we had no clocks at home and he had no idea of the time when I was gone. The small price tag dangling from the strap said $1. One dollar. I stared at the tag, expecting the one to morph into a seven before my eyes, but no – one dollar. Patting my pocket, I felt the reassuring weight of loose change, and I slipped the watch from my wrist with a beaming smile. I knew Jasper wouldn’t begrudge me this one indulgence.

My arms full, I found Esme waiting with Jasper, our items packed into a shopping cart. Seeing our purchases all together like that made my stomach flip – it seemed crazy that it would all soon belong to us. I caught Jasper’s eye and realised in that instant that he felt the same as me – overwhelmed. We headed to the checkout desk, unpacking the cart for each item to be scanned. From the corner of my eye I noticed Jasper’s face register confusion when he saw the leather jacket, wondering if it was a mistake. I packed everything into the large bags provided, not commenting on it, packing the towels last to cover the contents. The total came to a little over the $50 on our gift card - $53.60 to be precise – and I gladly paid the extra from the loose change in my pocket, thrilled with the amount of goods we were taking home.

The simple act of shopping like regular people – it was an indescribable feeling.

I turned to leave and saw Jasper reading a flyer. His face was determined when he turned back to the cashier and pointed to it, his voice low. The woman smiled and beckoned him around the desk to speak to him. I watched, having no idea what was going on, but trusting Jasper. Whatever he was asking was important – I could feel it. After a couple of minutes, she indicated to him to wait and called over another employee to cover the desk before leading Jasper towards the back of the store. A tall, muscular guy was moving furniture, but stopped when she called to him. I watched him listen to her and look at Jasper with a smile, holding out his hand. They were talking now, the man nodding and gesticulating. I moved away from the desk, not wanting to block customers, and my eye caught the flyer that had attracted Jasper’s attention.

Want to work for Goodwill?

Sales Associate Vacancy

15 hours per week

Apply online or ask in store for more information.

The flyer listed their website address and contact details and I looked over at Jasper, my mouth agape, pride bubbling up in my chest.

My brave, clever boy.

This was a shot at a real job where his talents would be recognised and appreciated. I knew better than to get my hopes up, but hope welled in my heart.

It was but a few moments later when a grinning Jasper walked back to me, his face glowing.

“I just met the manager. I told him that I don’t have any references or experience because I used to live on the streets, but I want to better myself and make something of my life. I must have said something right because he asked me to come back tomorrow for a proper talk!”

He bit his lip, his eyes glistening, and I wanted to hug him hard, right there in the store. I managed to hold myself in check, squeezing his hand, my eyes wide with excitement. Esme waited by the doors and we made our way to join her, Jasper eager to tell her his news.

The frigid air was a shock after the heat from the store and the sheer numbers of shoppers. We apologised to Esme for keeping her waiting and she brushed our words away, saying she expected us to be distracted when it was our first taste of proper shopping. When we reached the car I packed our bags into the trunk before we climbed in, grateful to be out of the aching cold. Jasper explained what had happened while she was waiting for us. I could see the admiration in her expression whilst he spoke.

I debated asking her about the doctor, but I thought better of it. After all, he was Jasper’s doctor and she might feel uncomfortable if she knew. I hoped she had gotten his name and number though because their obvious chemistry was a good sign. I vowed to wait until she mentioned it before I asked any questions. She was about to start the car when she reached for her purse.

“I almost forgot with Jasper’s news, but I found these in a basket of odd bits of clothing. I thought they might be useful for you boys.”

She handed us a small packet containing five pairs of brand new socks. We shook our heads.

How did she always know?

Jasper was thrilled.

“Thank you! I didn’t see any while we were shopping and we do need them.” He turned to me. “These will be great for you when you’re out with the dogs. So warm!”

His beautiful face beamed at me and I couldn’t help but do the same in return.

I snuggled up to him in the back seat for the short trip home, my head whirling with the day’s events. It was only just lunchtime and already we had had the day to surpass all others, with the exception of Christmas Day itself.

When we arrived back home I invited Esme in, but she declined.

“I have some errands to run, but you boys get inside. I’ll see you both very soon.”

Climbing out of the car, I collected our bags from the trunk and we both waved goodbye to Esme before ducking inside out of the ferocious cold. The clouds were heavy and dark and I had a feeling I knew what was coming. Once inside, we switched on the heater to take off the chill and filled our new kettle for coffee. While it burbled, we tipped out our bags onto the bed to go through our haul. Jasper gathered up the pans and sharp knife, setting them aside on the counter out of harm’s way before joining me where I waited, a big smile on my face.

“So, I got you something today. I hope you like it.” My teeth worried my lower lip despite the smile that threatened to hurt if it got any wider.

He looked at me, his expression comical.

“What did you do? You better have gotten everything you needed before you spent money on me…”  I cut him off, unable to contain myself.

“I saw this and it had to be yours. It matches your boots and it’s just so… you!” I held up the jacket, the scent of the leather tickling my nose.

His mouth dropped open and for a moment he neither moved nor spoke until he reached for it, disbelieving, his fingers caressing the butter-soft leather.

“Edward - this is beautiful!” His face, so full of wonder and gratitude, made my throat tighten. He shrugged it on and it did indeed fit him very well, moulding to him like it had always been his. “I saw it when we packed and thought it was yours. Today wasn’t about me…”

“Yes it was.” My voice sounded strangled, my throat thick with emotion. “It was about both of us, and new clothes, and Christmas, and… and…” My words tailed off, my face crumpling. Jasper almost fell onto the bed in his haste to wrap his arms around me, pulling me in close. Hot tears spilled down my cheeks, my arms finding his waist and just holding on, drowning in my feelings for him in that moment.

“Love, what is it? What’s going on in that head of yours? Talk to me.” He rocked me back and forth, the motion soothing and comforting.

“I just… I just… wanted to make sure you know that you’re everything to me. Everything I think about. I always want to make you happy.” My words were snuffly, my face hot and embarrassed at my unexpected emotional outburst.

He pulled me tighter, his hand cradling my head. His words were soft in the quiet room.

“It’s been a crazy couple of days, hasn’t it? Our first date, Christmas at Esme’s and all the wonderful things that day brought with it, and now all these new things thanks to your work buddies. It’s overwhelming for me too.” His knuckles slid down my cheek, his thumb caressing my skin. “You’re incredible, you know that? Everything you have you share with me. You never have to prove yourself to me. We’re a team, and…” his lips pressed to my hair. “You make me so very happy every single day.”

We stayed locked together for a while longer, Jasper stroking my hair. The only sounds in the room were my muffled breathing and Jasper’s steady, reassuring heartbeat.

“So shall we have a look at our new clothes? I think we’ve doubled our wardrobes – I’ve never had so much choice! I feel like a runway model!”

I coughed with laughter at that and sat up. His palms cupped my face, thumbs wiping away tear tracks before he kissed me, soft and tender. A moment of gazing into his soft eyes grounded me and I blinked before rubbing the heels of my hands across my face. Refocusing on the job in hand, I picked up a pile of shirts and we compared what we had bought. More of my shirts had longer sleeves for spending time out with the dogs, whereas Jas had bought a mix of short and long sleeves that we could layer up. Our jeans were the right length, a good fit, and barely worn. They would last a couple of seasons at least. I hung Jasper’s new winter coat on the back of the door with my own, the denim and leather jackets over the back of the chair. It was Jasper who picked up my new watch and handed it to me to put on.

I stammered, feeling the need to explain.

“I-I felt bad borrowing yours all the time. Look at the price tag.” I held it out to him and his eyebrows shot up.

“A dollar? Wow – that was a find! See? You are so good at this, keeping a tally of what we were spending. I would have gotten lost somewhere and had to put something back. That would’ve been embarrassing.” His wry grin made me chuckle. “I’m not used to having money to spend on anything after food and rent. Good job I have you.”

He was saying it to make me feel better, he had to be. He had always known how to maximise every cent he earned. My gorgeous boy was no slouch with money, but he had trusted me with today’s shopping and it made me feel proud to have done a good job. He was right – we were a team and a damned good one too. I showed him the mug for Esme and he loved it, setting it carefully on the shelf. Our toaster was given pride of place next to the kettle, ready for breakfast. We began removing price labels from our new clothes and folding them to fit into our empty dresser drawers, the towels set aside ready for use. Our new boots were lined up by the bed ready for morning. I turned to see Jasper with a new boot and an old one in his hands, looking at the new one with undisguised joy.

“I can’t believe you found me new boots. I love them, I really do. They’re barely worn – look at the soles!” He held the boot aloft to show me the few scuffs from what couldn’t have been more than one or two wearing’s. “I didn’t see how rough mine were getting. They’re comfy though and don’t leak yet. Now I have smart ones too!”

My smile threatened to break my face.

“No sense waiting for them to leak before looking for new ones. The perfect replacements wouldn’t have been around then. Those were meant for you, no doubt about it.”

He set both back down on the floor and picked up my new ones for inspection.

“These are good – warm! No more cold, wet feet for you, love. Hopefully they’ll be more comfortable too. Those old ones don’t have any cushioning in and when you spend all day on your feet it’s no wonder you ache so much.”

I couldn’t argue with him there. I felt every bump and pebble even with two pairs of socks. I flopped down next to him, anxious to ask my question.

“So tell me about the job - what did the guy say?”

His face lit up with enthusiasm.

“He said it would be fetching and carrying, helping out with customers and tidying the shop floor. Nothing too heavy. I’ll be honest and tell him about the pleurisy – I hope the fact that I can’t lift doesn’t go against me, but it’s better than the alternative. I don’t want to push myself too soon. He just wants to have a proper talk tomorrow to see if I fit the bill. No doubt they’ll have lots of applicants, but if I make a good impression then he might keep me in mind when something else opens up. Oh, that reminds me…” He fished out some folded, printed sheets from his pocket. “This is about the company and the benefits that workers get. I told him we didn’t have any computer access.”

He unfolded the pages and we read them together, our eyebrows in our hair by the time we had read the first page. Words like ‘employee discount’ and ‘prescription drug coverage’ were like neon signs to people with no money like us. Add to that the paid holiday and sick leave, and we were looking at each other in shock. Neither one of us had had a legitimate job before, the sort with a contract of employment and regular wage. I was casual at both my jobs, and Jasper would be classed as self employed by anyone trying to be polite. This was a chance at a proper job – a major step up the ladder of respectability.

And it would get him off the streets for good.

We both knew better than to get too excited, but his simple act of courage in just making the enquiry was everything. It showed his self-belief that he could do something else, and that he understood he was worth so much more. I knew I would be thinking of him the whole time I was working, hoping against hope that it went well. The organisation was all about helping people help themselves and that was exactly what we needed to move forward.

My thoughts were interrupted by the tinny tune of the phone. I dived for it.

“Hello?”

“Edward! It’s Tanya. We’re going to need you tomorrow. It’ll be all hands on deck with most of our regulars back and happy to see you!”

I beamed.

“No problem. Usual time?”

“Absolutely! I won’t be around so Alice will sort you out with your group when you arrive. Thanks, Edward. Speak to you soon!”

“Thanks, Tanya. Bye.”

I looked down at my new watch.

“Well, I’m not needed until my shift at the market tonight so how about we be decadent and make a hot lunch?”

Jasper stepped up behind me, sliding his arms around my waist.

“Loving that idea. So how about we have a roast? I happen to know we have some delicious beef and…” he rustled the plastic bag on the counter with an outstretched hand, “we have some lovely fresh veggies. So, my only question is, can I peel the potatoes and try out the new knife? Pretty please?”

Grinning, I leaned around and kissed him before stepping out of the cooking area, leaving the chef to weave his magic.

~o.O.o~