“I can’t find my phone anywhere. I’m wondering if I may have accidentally thrown it away when I was taking out the trash,” I said.
“What is it you need me to do?” he asked cautiously.
I wanted to laugh. He thought I was going to ask him to check the dumpster. “I need you to watch Kalen while I see if it’s in one of the trash bags.”
“Oh,” he said sounding relieved. “Yeah, I can do that. You picking me up?”
“Of course. I’ll be right there.”
Since I didn’t have to get on any roads, I strapped Kalen to my chest with the new baby carrier I’d picked up at the store and drove the golf cart over to get Landon.
“Where are you going?” he asked when I pulled up to the gate at Stuff It.
“To the dumpster to look for my phone.”
“Oh,” he said slowly. “You meant for me to watch him out here, not at your house.”
“Um, yeah. I need you here in case something happens.”
“Like what?” he asked as he glanced around nervously.
“Like me not being able to get out. I’d need you to help me.”
“You better look before you leap, because I’m not carrying a baby into a dumpster to fish you out. That’s a headline I’m not going to be.”
“Do you want to hold him or wear this?” I asked and pointed to my chest.
“I’ll wear the carrier,” he said excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to try one of these. Oh, shhh! Don’t tell anyone I said that.”
“Okay, wish me luck,” I said, after helping Landon get situated with Kalen.
“Good luck,” he said and wrinkled his nose as I climbed into the dumpster. “Are you sure you’ve looked everywhere?”
I stuck my head through the side door and glared at him. “Do you honestly think I would be elbow deep in this disgusting dumpster if I hadn’t looked everywhere?” I nearly shouted.
“Okay, honey. Calm yourself and finish your dumpster dive so we can get far away from this rancid smell.”
“I hate to break it to you, but that rancid smell is coming from what’s out there with you, not what’s in here,” I gleefully shared.
“No,” Landon said in horror. “Say it ain’t so.”
“I’ll say it, but it’ll be a lie,” I laughed.
“Look at you and your nephew giving me shit,” Landon joked.
I picked up a bag of trash and started to look through it when an idea hit me. “Will you call my phone?”
“Yep. One sec,” he said.
Moments later, Landon’s designated ringtone filled the air. “It’s here!” I said excitedly and held the trash bag up to see if I could spot the lighted screen. It stopped ringing before I found it, so Landon called again. Four phone calls later, I finally located it. “Got it!”
Landon’s outstretched hand appeared through the door seconds later. “Give it to me and climb out. Hurry up, girlfriend. There’s a bug that’s been eyeballing me like a piece of meat. I don’t like it.”
“No, it’s covered in…something. I’ll put it in my pocket until we get back to the house.”
“Do I need to spray you off with the hose before you go inside?” he teased.
“No,” I giggled. “But I am going to take these clothes off in the garage.”
