Thin Air (Complete EDITING)

20- Andrew

20 Andrew June 21, 2020

"Are you and Mom going to get back together?"

This kid, geez. We haven't even gotten our menus yet. Talk about cutting right to the chase.

"I don't know, Buddy," I answer honestly. " But I want you to know that if it doesn't work out, nothing is going to change between you and me."

"Well, duh, Dad. That's a stupid thing to say." This kid could take the gold medal in eye-rolling. "Anyways. Last night Morgan and Caleb were saying that you took mom on a date. Is that true?"

"Uh, yeah. We were out." Shit, Jamie is going to be mad. She doesn't want Eli to get hurt if we can't move on together. After I explained that Nic had car issues and slept on the couch. Far away from me. She agreed to drinks and dancing.

"...And?"

"And what?"

"Are you getting back together? It's a yes or no question."

I wish it really were that simple. The answer from me is 'Hell, yes.' "We are spending time together. Is that a good enough answer for now?"

Again with the eye-rolling. "I guess. I wish you would just move home. Why can't you stay in mom's office? That couch turns into a bed. She studies in the kitchen anyway. I don't like your new place." His hair is in his eyes when he looks down to pick at the paper holding his napkin closed around the silverware. "Morgan said Uncle Seth slept in their pool house for a week once when he made Aunt Shannon mad, and now they are fine."

"I'll take that into consideration." I'd sleep on that lumpy hide-a-bed in a heartbeat if it meant being under that same roof as my family. I wonder what Seth did to get banished to the pool house. It's near impossible to make Shannon angry. I used to try to rile her up all the time when we were kids. That woman has got the patience of a saint. "Are you doing waffles or french toast this morning?"

He's still mulling it over when I catch on to the conversation behind us.

"Such a shame, that poor boy had to raise that baby alone. If I'm being honest, I wouldn't be surprised if that girl just ran off. They were only babies themselves."

No need to guess who they are referring to here. Talk of Erin always kicks up this time of year.

"He wasn't alone for long. That Holt girl didn't waste any time getting in there and playing house."

"Oh, I know! And her brother was friends with the girl." The old biddy lowers her scandalized voice. "Wouldn't it be something if the brother had something to do with it?"

"Oh, pish posh. I don't buy that for a second. He is a nice boy."

"No, no. Not that one, the other one. The cop. Think about it. What better way to cover your tracks than to get into law enforcement? I have it on good authority that it was him out in the woods that night, probably drinking too. You know how those youngins are"

Excuse me? I'm going to shut this shit down right now.

"French toast." He slaps the menu down, looking around for the waitress. "They have that cinnamon whipped cream here."

I shake my head a little to clear the crap those old gossips were just spewing. "Sounds good. I'm going with bacon and eggs."