Stepping into the light

Chapter 499

Dean approached the check-out, pensively.

They waited in the queue. Dee's children could see that a veil had crossed over their father's eyes. It was like he was looking back at something really bad.

"Dad's not gone for a young pretty one this time, Ruth. That's weird!" Johnny whispered to his companion. "He goes for sweet old ladies too but never a young guy!"

Wayne had clocked that indisputable fact as well. Cassidy still felt awful about her loss of temper and making her daddy sad. She nudged up to him and put her small arms around his waist very affectionately. Dean picked her up and gave her a kiss on her plump right pink cheek. Cassidy apologised again. She wanted her father to get his happy face back.

"I love you, daddy." The little girl whispered into his left ear. "I'll not rile ya' again… I promise. I shouldn't have hit Wayne… he just pushes my buttons!" She quoted back at her father who gave her a sweet smile.

"I guess all of us have to work on our tempers… I love ya' too, sugarpie."

Cassidy gave him another heartfelt peck on his stubbly cheek.

"Ya' prickle, daddy… ya' need to shave!"

Dean laughed as he put her down. The boys had stepped up and were putting the items on the conveyor belt. Ruth was helping as well. They were next in line to pay. Tommy looked at the family group. Never in his three months at Sunshine Food Store had he seen a guy look so hot! The young man could not help sweat a tad' as he made polite conversation.

"I like both those films. Ya' ll enjoy that Princess one more, though. Julie Andrews is an icon, in my considered opinion."

Cassidy gave him a beaming smile as Wayne glared at the misguided dude'.

"I'm looking forward to that giant ape, more." Dean replied politely.

"Well… he is a sort of Christ like figure crucified on a stage before an audience of spectators… that's for sure!... I feel like that sometimes…" The young man responded, wistfully. "I'm a media studies student… films transport you somewhere far away than yar' abject existence… sometimes. That's what I adore about them."

Dean drew some sort of comfort out of having found a guy that was even more miserable sounding than he felt at the moment. The ex-hunter decided to cheer the dude' up by flashing him one of his megawatt smiles.

"Escaping into fantasy is good as long as ya' don't lose sight of reality…"

Dean suddenly thought that Sam would have been proud of his response.

"Reality sucks!" Tommy replied in a whispery tone of voice.

"Not if ya' find a soul mate. Ya' will one day… cheer up!"

Tommy looked into the man's forest green eyes and sighed. Not only was this father the best-looking dude' that he had ever seen but he was wise, too. He slowed down his scanning technique a smidgen' to make that moment in time last a tad' longer. Dean did not mind. He was not in a hurry.

"One hundred and ten dollars, sir."

Dean handed over his bank card.

Tommy slid it into the machine and waited for approval. He handed it back to the father, inadvertently brushing his hand against Dean's.

"Thank ya' for the advice. I'll look out for one of those!"

Dean put the card back in his wallet and turned away to leave.

"One moment, sir!"

The pensive father turned around.

"Ya' forgot yar' coupons!"

Tommy handed him a wad of them, very quickly, as if he was trying to hide the gesture from prying eyes. Dean thanked him and pocketed them quickly. Johnny and Ruth were astounded.

"Ya' see what I mean? He's got it down to a fine art!" He murmured to his pal.

"How many did ya' get, dad?" Wayne asked his father, eagerly.

"I'll tell ya' in the car. Let's go!"

The group made their merrier way towards Baby who was waiting patiently and shiningly for her Dee. The young father put the groceries in the boot with some help from his boys. They hopped in. Dean took the bundle of coupons out of his brown leather jacket pocket. He counted the amount of their worth.

"Two hundred dollars, kids! WOW! Goddam' it!... sorry Ruth!... WOW!"

Ruth laughed merrily. Dean could be so funny at times!

"How did ya' manage that feat, daddy?" Cassidy asked him, breathlessly.

Dean thought for a short while.

"I don't really know… I guess he liked me."

The sudden realisation that he could have got them purely by being himself made Dee feel like he had won a million dollars. "You could try so hard at times to be something that you were not… maybe letting your "true self" shine through made everything all good in the end!"

Dean turned the key in the ignition and they roared off towards their beautiful home.

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