“I….I don’t know. It just isn’t Ribs & Co.”
Walker could tell he was nervous. He’d gotten used to nervous clients. They didn’t have deep pockets like Radiance. They were going out on a limb hiring Walker because their businesses were just as fragile as his.
He stood up and paced in his kitchen. “I get it. That was a first draft. I’ll take your feedback and go back to the drawing board, literally.”
“I know you’re still kind of new at this, Walker. I know you haven’t done a restaurant. It’s different from a bakery.”
“It is, and it isn’t. I’ve done campaigns for a hardware store and a community theater’s fall production. I know how to make campaigns unique.”
“It’s just not what I thought of when I thought of Ribs & Co.”
“Let’s talk this out, Clancy.” Walker was on his tiptoes. His body was wired and springy like he just went for a morning run. “Just start saying whatever comes to your mind. I’ll write it down and work some magic.”
“Well, I wanted it to remind people of a family barbeque but nicer. And Texas, but not desert Texas. Kind of like cowboy but not too cowboy. I don’t want people making fun of it.” Walker scribbled away on a notepad. “It’s a place where you can take the family, but also go with some friends after work.”
“I got it. Like an Applebee’s vibe, but for ribs. Real ribs.”
“Not Applebee’s!”
“Right. But it’s the same place you can go on a Sunday night with the family or a Tuesday night to blow off steam. Either way, you know you’re getting ribs.” Walker wrote down that last sentence. It could be a great slogan. “Listen Clancy, I’m going to work on some ideas. I’ll scan and email them to you tonight. And if you think there’s something there, great. We can mold it into an amazing campaign. But if I’m still not getting it, we can part ways. No hard feelings. I want you to be happy. This is your baby.”
“Sounds like a plan. I appreciate it, Walker. What was that?”
A clang and crash echoed through the kitchen. Hobie stood next to an open cupboard and a broken bowl.
“Just my assistant,” Walker said with a smile. “I’ll send you those mockups by end of day.”
“Can I have breakfast?” Hobie asked.
After he made his son breakfast, they got ready for a playdate in the park with Melinda and her daughter. Walker got dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. He loved that he would wear this on a Wednesday. He checked on Hobie in the bathroom.
“You almost re….” He watched his son make a foamy beast mouth in the mirror.
A pang of sadness hit his chest. It always happened like this. Life would be just fine, and then these moments from the past snuck up on him. It was like those summer rainstorms that left just as quickly as they came.
Walker snapped out of it and cleaned off his son.
“You shouldn’t do that anymore. It’s too messy.”
Φ
Walker sketched out ideas for Ribs & Co. while watching his son and Sophie play. Melinda came back to the bench with two iced coffees for them. Now that he had time for playdates, Walker had gotten to know the parents of Hobie’s friends and classmates. He was no longer seen as the Dull Dad (a name some of the parents had actually given him).
“Hey Dad, watch!” Hobie yelled from the top tower of the jungle gym. And Walker did, happily and easily. Hobie slid down the slide on his stomach, covering his shirt in a racing stripe of dirt.
“I have the best laundry detergent,” Melinda said. “It gets out everything, and it’s hypoallergenic.”
She gave Sophie the eye, and her daughter didn’t dare copy Hobie.
“How’s business?” Melinda asked.
“It’s going. Still bumpy, but going.” Not as much money as his old job yet, but Walker believed if he kept at it, that would soon change. “I’ll have more time once school starts up next week.”
“I can’t believe they’re going to be full-time.” Melinda didn’t seem as thrilled as Walker, probably because she dreaded having nothing to do for those extra thirty hours a week. “I loved the campaign you did for Dollop. I got cupcakes for my mother-in-law’s birthday there.”
“That’s what I love to hear. Hey Hobie, you are not going down that slide on your stomach again.” Walker stopped his son just as he was about to slide. He stared him down until he sat on his butt and went down the normal way.
“You’re even stricter than Doug,” she said. “Are you guys still…”
