My Heart's in Alabama

9 - Kiersten

I sit and stare at the clock. It seems to be all I do these days. Stare at the wall. Stare at the clock.

Matt was supposed to call me at 8:00. It's now 8:02. Two minutes, petty I know, but he's never late to call me. In fact, half the time he's early.

Another minute ticks by.

I wonder if Teddy has a job for me. At 8:00 at night, though? You know, I bet he would. He never stops working. He's probably out there right now building a fence or something. I could build a fence. How hard could it be? I caught that chicken, didn't I? Yeah, I could totally build a fence...

Girl, look at you, talking to yourself.

My phone rings, thankfully, saving me from my own wild imagination. Me? Building a fence? Get real. Oops, there I go again. Talking to myself.

I pick up the phone faster than a jack rabbit. I need to start talking to someone else for a change before I really lose it.

"You're 3 minutes late, Matty," I don't wait to start joking around. It's been too long. "When I say call me at 8:00 o'clock, I mean call me at 8:00 o'clock. Not 8:05, not 8:03, 8:00."

He laughs a little, very gently and doesn't say anything back. No smart-ass comment, no jab back, no playfulness whatsoever. Something's wrong.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," he reassures me. "I, uh, got caught up in something that's all."

"Oh..."

I try not to make my disappointment obvious or sound like I'm jealous or something, but, gonna be honest, I'm not too convincing. To him or myself. And I know I'm not, because he's real quick to jump to explain himself.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't doing anything bad or anything, I was out walking and..."

I feel an immediate need to stop him from apologizing, because he has nothing to apologize for.

"No, no it's okay, you were a few minutes late it's no big deal. Really, I was just kidding."

There's a pause that saddens my heart. He always knows when I'm joking. Of course I'm not mad at him and of course I know he wasn't doing anything shady or that he was late on purpose. Matty would never do that to me. Never.

"I know, I...I just don't like being away from you, that's all."

I bite my lip to stop my eyes from watering. I don't like being away from him either.

I try to resist the urge, but I can't stop myself from asking the question I know I don't want the answer to.

"Can you come home?"

Another sad pause.

"I'll be back for summer."

"You know what I mean."

"I...Kiersten...um..."

He stumbles, stops, and starts his sentences because he hates saying it as much as I hate hearing it.

"I want to come back, you know I do."

"But..."

"But I can't. Not unless my mom comes with me."

My heart drops into my stomach. That tiny shred of hope I had vanishes in an instant. And I hate myself for it, because I want to believe in him. I want to have the same faith in his mom as I do, but at that moment, deep in my heart of hearts, I don't have any hope left for her. She's never coming back. So, neither is he.

💚

"Matty..."

I say as gently as I can. He cuts me off before I can say more. He knows exactly where I'm going.

"I know what you're thinking, she's a lost cause. And you're right, she probably is. She left without looking back and she doesn't know how to be a parent. At least not anymore, but..."

Again with the buts. Ugh I'm so sick of it.

"She did. She did know how to be a parent. And she did look back. 4 years too late, but she did, Kiersten. She did look back."

"Matty..."

I say again, just as gently, but with the tiniest hint of frustration that I can't control. I don't know what it is about her, but lately it's like every time she lets him down, his faith in her grows stronger. I just don't get it.

"I need this, Kiersten. I need her to come home."

"I..."

I start but can't finish. Honestly, I'm left a little speechless. I don't know what to say to all this.

"Please, Kiersten. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss you. I need something to make this worth it. Can you help me bring her home?"

I take a second, but I know there's nothing left but to agree. What I'm agreeing to, who knows. I haven't the slightest what I, or he for that matter, could possibly do to change her mind, but if he wants me to try, I'll try.

"Okay. What do you need me to do?"

"Just keep tabs on my dad, okay? I'll work on my mom. I'm coming home, Kiersten. I promise. And she is, too."

Author's Note:
What do we think? Can Matt and Kiersten bring her home?