The Boys are back in Town

Moving back home

        When I first found out about my mother's diagnosis I was prepared to move back home for a month or so but to move back permenently was not expected. I was a little aprehensive to moving back, by that I mean I absolutely did not want to. But my dad needs me becasue my brother is so devastated he drowns himself in booze every waking minute. My father needs someone who's going to be there to get him up in the morning and make sure he eats something, anything. My mom was the kind of woman who made dinner every night, not because she felt she had to but because she genuinely enjoyed it. I'm that way too. My mother was like the glue to our family she always kept us together, whenever anything came between us she always found a way to bring us back together again. When I left home she always kept in touch, always called, always planned on visting. Although I wasn't much to be proud of she still bragged about my impromptu life style. To make a living I had a collection of jobs, most of them I wasn't technically qualified for but they made for incredible life lesons. I was a waitress, a bartender, folded clothes at American Eagle, swept the floor in hair salons, walked dogs, and my all time favourite was a model. Probably not the model most people think of when that word is said, I was the model for an art class. Do you see where I'm going with this? That's right I posed naked as women, and men, sketched my figure. In fact that is where I met my best friend, Garret. Yes, he drew me naked and laughed the whole way through and then took me for coffee after. Unfortunately mom never got to meet Garret, she would have loved him and told him straight up she thought he was hot. I mean that's what I did. Anyways here I am moving into a new apartment in an old convent, it's actually very homey so I can't complain too much. 

The buzzer went off just as I was about finished unpacking my books onto the bookshelf in the open living room. I slowly got up off the floor, trying not to get a head rush, and made my way over to see who was at the main door of the apartment. 

"Hello?" I asked whilst pushing down the talk button on the wall.

"Bean!" At his enthusiasm I had to move my ear farther away from the voice emanating from speaker as to not become deaf. "It's Lee and Cam! We brought you a present!" A present? Ok. I press the button to let them in. Not two minutes later there is rapid knocking on my door. I of course run to answer it, I mean they brought me a present! Who says no to presents? As the door opens wide I see my present right away, in fact he's standing in front of me with a large smile on his olive toned face. His warm brown eyes sparkle with excitement and his thin lips framing a great white smile. Garret. My eyes must have gotten really wide before I jumped on Garret, thankfully he caught me.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, you're here!"

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Garret was the first friend I made when I moved to Edmonton. I had taken a small job as a "model" to collect a little extra money for groceries. This "modeling" experience was not exactly what I expected but I was relatively comfortable with my body and the majority of the art class was older women, except for one young man. Garret had taken the class with his aunt and was obviously not expecting to see a naked woman on his first day. He wasn't weird about though he made conversation with me in between his small bits of embarrassed laughter and took me out for coffee afterwards, fully clothed of course. We were practically best friends from that moment on. He introduced me to his friends Adam and Luke, we all got along right away. They were also my testers when I was a bartender for almost a year. I would make new drinks and they would tell me if it was good or not.

"I've missed you so much." I whispered into his chest, his 6 foot frame towering over my own. His arms wrapped around me and squeezed lightly.

"I've missed you too, I'm sorry I couldn't make it for the funeral." He replied, Garret just couldn't afford the plane ticket on such short notice and I totally understood.

"I'm just glad you're here now." I said slowly stepping out of the hug and turning toward Lee and Cam. "Thank you guys, you have no idea." They just smiled.