“You usually call first,” I point out.
She shakes water off her hands over the sink and walks into the living room, patting them on her jeans.She reaches out a hand to Jaeger, glaring at me.“Hi, Jaeg.Good to see you again.My, how you’ve grown.”Her eyes dart down his body as she grasps his hand.
It’s official.Jaeger can’t control the effect he has on women.My own mother just checked him out.He’s a weakness to the female sex.I should know.
“Mom, Jaeger’s my boyfriend.”
Despite her obvious admiration, my mom’s mouth puckers and twists.She nods.
I hate that look.It’s the one that says,You’ve got some explaining to do.I’m a grown woman.Whom I choose to love is my business.
I walk over to the couch and sit down.“What’s up, Mom?You don’t usually show up out of the blue.Everything okay?”
She slowly drags her suspicious gaze from Jaeger to me.“I’m here to talk to Tyler.Do you know where he is?”
So this isn’t about me?It’s about Tyler?Excellent.
Now he’s done it, though.Mom showed up, so whatever Tyler did, it must be bad.
Come to think of it, I haven’t kept close tabs on Tyler and he is acting strange.He comes home reeking of beer and cigarettes, and I haven’t figured out why the sudden desire to spend the summer in Tahoe.Getting dumped, fired, and falling in love distracted me.So I’ve been an awful friendandsister.Wonderful.
Before I tell my mom I have no idea where Tyler is, my brother walks in the door.He freezes with his hand on the knob.“Hey,” he says nervously.
What is going on?I mean, my mom can still put the fear of God into us, though she’s tiny and we tower over her, but Tyler looks more nervous than I’ve ever seen him.
“Your work called,” she says.“You’ve missed the pre-semester meetings and they haven’t been able to reach you.”
Tyler breaks eye contact and bends down, rustling around in his overnight bag.“I’ve got it, Mom.Don’t worry about it.”
“Really?Because it doesn’t seem like you’ve got it, son.”
Jaeger sinks on the couch beside me.He’s watching my mom and brother with rapt interest.This is the first bit of drama that doesn’t involve us.He’s probably as giddy as I am.
“What’s going on, Tyler?”Mom asks.“Don’t lie—you’re no good at it.”
Tyler straightens and plucks the shoulder of his T-shirt.It’s one of his nervous tics.“Well, if you really must know, I’m not going back.I’m staying here.”
My mom sits on the edge of the recliner.“What does that mean?Your employers thought you were missing, Tyler.This isn’t how you give notice you’re leaving a position.The college administration told me they were about to notify the police of a missing person.Imagine their relief when they reached me and I told them you were here.”
“I should have called.”He knuckles his forehead and sighs.
“Why are you leaving your job?”she asks.“I thought you loved Boulder and your career.”
Tyler crosses to the kitchen and pulls a beer from the fridge.Now that I think about it, he’s kept the fridge stocked with a steady stream of Sierras.He’s been drinking too much.
“I don’t.Not anymore,” he says.
“Uh-hmm.And how will you support yourself?You planning to sleep on people’s couches for the rest of your life?”Mom is pulling out the sarcasm, which means she’s about to go ballistic.
“I’ve been living like a student.I’ve got money saved to last a few years.”
Well, shit, he should be paying me and Gen rent!
Tyler finished his undergrad in three years and a master’s shortly after that.He really did get our father’s brains.Mom and I could never figure out why he didn’t go for his Ph.D.
“Tyler, that money is better put toward a down payment on a house, not”—she waves her hand aimlessly—“freeloading off your sister and drinking all day.”
Tyler frowns, and Jaeger and I glance at each other.This is serious stuff going down.I had no idea my brother was so screwed up.Diabolically, it makes me feel better.
