Escaping RiverCreek

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Forming Their Bond

In a rush, Tara pitches her bag into the backseat, watching as Cory walks away. Tara opens the passenger door, getting into her mother's car.

"Hi, Momma," she says, keeping her eyes locked on her new boy toy.

"Well, look at you. Here for a day and already finding boys. So who is he, and what's his story?" her mother wants to know, pulling out of the pick up are.

Sucking in a long breath, she begins with what little she knows about him.

"Well, his name is Cory, he plays hockey, and he wants to go to Western Michigan to play. He wants to be a surgeon. He's like, oh so cute, Momma, and really shy and nice, and he asked me out Friday. So, like, Mom, please can I go?"

Her mother snickers at it all, pretending she's going to deny her daughter the chance to go out. "Well, I don't know, young lady. I mean, he sounds nice and shy and, like, oh so cute, but Friday, your father is coming off the road for the weekend."

She taps her fingers off her chin, teasing her daughter.

"Mom! C'mon, please. It'll give you and Daddy time alone, and it's just a movie and dinner."

Happy and able to play off her daughter's excitement, she shakes her head yes. "You can go, but I want to meet him first."

Tara squeals, shaking her hands fast, wanting to hug her mother's neck. "Thanks, Momma. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Reaching into the center console, Tara takes her phone and holds onto it as they continue down the road.

The feel-good sensation doesn't last long.

"I have something to tell you, and you're probably not going to like it." Not thinking twice about her mother's tone, Tara turns to listen to what is about to happen.

"Well, you know I got laid off a few months back, and well, they're going to stop my unemployment, so I talked to your dad this morning, and we're selling the house back home."

Tara can hear the disappointment in her mother's voice. "The factory is shipping every job down to Mexico, and Mom left me the store."

"So we're not going home like you said we would?"

Her mother attempts to hold back the tears. Tara's mother confirms it with a shake of her head.

"Well, that's cool, Momma. I guess it's not too bad up here. I mean, I've made new friends, and I could always go visit Aunt Suzy over the summer to see my friends back home."

Tara's mood goes from happy-go-lucky to feeling a little bummed out—not over being stuck in RiverCreek but because she felt betrayed by her parents not wanting to bring her into their decision.

"That's my girl. I'm so sorry to spring this on you like this, but it's better than being homeless, you know, and it's not like we can't remodel Mom's house and make it our own."

Tara's voice shows her frustration, as she wants to drop the subject. "Mom, really, it's fine. I mean, I kind of have a boyfriend now, and all I'm gonna miss are my friends. Plus, no tornados up here, and look, we can have a white Christmas for once. It's cool, Mom, so drop it, okay?"

It doesn't take them long to reach the grocery store in the heart of town.

"Here we are, Hunter's Groceries. Soon it'll change affiliation. I'm going to turn it into a Foodland International, and try to bring in a little more culture to this place. I'll say this though, it has increased in size since I left. So maybe it won't be so bad."