Steven snatched the keys from her hand and hopped into the driver’s seat, leaving her no choice but to climb into the passenger seat.
“You know, Mom, you really need a hobby, and I don’t mean work. When are you going to stop watching every move I make?”
Given that they would be spending a considerable amount of time together, she chose to remain silent to avoid any potential conflict. They made it out of town and headed east before she finally spoke up. “Take the interstate. It’s the fastest.”
“And the costliest. It's not like he’s alive and hanging onto life, Mom. He’s gone. A few hours more, and it's not going to matter.”
Angela was in no mood. The journey would be long, and they had to survive it and get to Mistletoe Harbor in one piece.
“It’s going to matter to me. You know how I dislike driving for long hours in a car. The interstate, or I stop paying the car payment when I get back.”
“Fine.”
She ignored the loud music he blared from the stereo, not her usual choice, but after an hour, she couldn’t ignore his driving skills. “You’re driving too fast, Steven. Slow down.”
“It’s the interstate, Mom. You're supposed to drive fast. That’s why they make them to get you to where you're going faster than the route I was planning to take.”
“If we crash and die, you're going to meet your grandfather sooner rather than later, and he hasn’t always been a nice person at times.”
Angela was grateful her son slowed down to a reasonable speed for a while. Deciding her only way to find peace was to admire what flashed outside her window, she turned to the passing scenery. The cold, frosty landscape that usually calmed her did nothing to bring her peace.
The evergreen trees swayed with the beginnings of late autumn's departure. All signs of life that nature once showed had fallen into slumber as the gloom of the day echoed her feelings. She sighed, almost forgetting her son’s driving, and closed her eyes.
The moment she closed them, Evander appeared in her mind. His face, with his warm smile, was just as she remembered it. He looked down at her, and his twinkling eyes mirrored the depth of her feelings for him. A love that had come so quickly and deeply shattered every illusion she had about her life until then.
“Oh, Evander.”
“Who’s Evander? Is that Grandpa’s real name?”
“What?” Blinking her eyes open, Angela realized she’d spoken his name aloud. “Oh, no, Grandpa was Jack. I thought you knew that.”
“Then who’s Evander?”
“Nobody, just someone from my past.”
“From the way you said his name, it sounded serious.” The words from Steven sounded way more serious and curious than Angela liked.
Still, she wouldn’t lie to her son anymore. “It was serious at the time, but long since over. It was a long time ago. We were over long before you came along, but yes, it was, or so we both thought.”
“What happened?”
“Your grandfather is what happened.” Her stomach grumbled, and seeing the sign for food just in time, Angela used it to her advantage. “Listen, I’d rather not talk about it or him now. Let's pull over and grab a bite to eat. I’m starting to feel hungry again.”
“Okay.”
Her son, who had an insatiable appetite, would never refuse food if he could help it. After grabbing a quick burger and fries, they were back on the interstate heading east to Mistletoe Harbor, Maine.
“So why did you leave town? I mean, neither you nor Grandpa ever told me, and neither did Emma. Why go so far? Chicago is a far cry from Maine.”
At a loss for how to explain things without giving too many details she wasn’t about to share, Angela sipped the last of her soda and put it in the cup holder. “It’s a long story, but your grandfather and I didn’t see eye to eye. I ended up in Chicago with Aunt Beverly, whom you remember. I just never left.”
“Well, from the looks of things, I can see why.”
The hour was getting late, and her son had been driving for way too long. She’d had one too many energy drinks, and now she was buzzing with nervous energy. “You’ve been driving a long time, and we still have about six hours or so to go. Why don’t you let me drive? You can rest, and I’ll wake you when I stop for gas and dinner.”
“Fine.”
After a quick stop, they switched seats, and Angela was surprised he didn’t put up a fight over the change. Quickly, her son settled into his phone, forgetting about her and the journey for a while. This suited her just fine as the darkness of nightfall covered them in a cozy blanket.
