“Do you know anything about it?”
“Not a thing. I’ll try to find out. I guess. I don’t know. I just wanted to keep you up to date. That is where we stand.”
“This is a lot for me to digest. Not as much as those pancakes you put away, but still a lot.”
Meredith laughed. “I know. But when don’t I have things like this going on in my life?”
“There is always something with you, but usually positive fun things, not this.”
“Yeah. Tell me about it.”
The check was brought over and she grabbed it and put cash on the table before her mother could.
“How do you feel about things?” her mother asked.
“Regarding what?”
“All the crazy events happening and then Clay. Both things?”
“The rock was the last straw to hit home last night. I’m trying not to be scared, but I am.” Even though she tried not to let Clay see it, she was positive he did.
“Where are you going to stay?”
“I’ll talk to Clay after work. I’d like to spend the weekend with him. My landlord can fix the window on Monday. I hope to go home then. If I can’t stay with Clay, can I stay with you and Dad?”
“Of course. You don’t need to even ask that. I almost want you to anyway, but you’re stubborn and will do what you want like you always do.”
“I need to figure this thing out. Lots of things.”
“Especially with Clay?”
“Yes,” she said.
Meredith had some momentum and there was no way she was slowing this progress. As well as she thought she knew him, he’d take advantage of stepping back if she gave him the space.
“Which tells me how you feel about Clay. Are you sure it’s not a rebound or a savior part?” She burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?”
“The savior part. I didn’t even tell you about those.” She filled her mother in on the first day tripping, then falling off the table, the cut on her foot.
“Meredith. Are you ever going to go a full day without something happening to you?”
“Probably not.”
“I remember he caught you from falling out of the tree house as a kid, right?”
“He did.”
“Have you been thinking of him for years?” her mother asked.
“Kind of. But not until recently. I mean, we moved and I didn’t see him. He went into the service. But when I saw him again over a month ago, it all slammed back.”
“He’s different from anyone else you’ve dated by the sounds of it.”
“Very. So I’m going in with no expectations.”
“You always have expectations.”
She sighed. “I do. Bad habit. But anyway, there you go. I’ll let you know what is going on later.”
