“Brody?” she questions.
“Hey,” I respond.
“What am I looking at?”
“The roof of the truck. I thought I hit the speaker button.”
“Ah,” she says quietly. “How’s the drive going?”
“I need coffee. I’m falling asleep.”
“So, you called me to keep you awake?” She doesn’t seem flattered by the movement.
“Maybe.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“I don’t know. Tell me a funny story,” I say.
“I think I’m fresh out of those today.”
“Then I’ll just talk, and you can listen. How’s that?”
“Sounds good to me, but don’t get mad if I fall asleep, okay?” I can’t look over at the phone to see the expression on her face, but I’m fairly sure a small smile is seeping through her words.
“I didn’t realize I was so boring, but okay. So, anyway, Hannah told me she doesn’t want to see her mother anymore and she can’t stand her mother’s boyfriend. Now, I basically feel like I’m forcing my daughter to do something she hates one weekend a month and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.”
“That’s a tough situation,” Journey says. “Do you think Kristy is the reason Hannah’s so angry all the time?”
I shrug, knowing she can’t see me. “I don’t know. I think part of it is hormones, but I think she’s dealing with a lot more pain than she’s willing to admit, and it scares me. For most of her life, I’ve been able to figure out what’s going through her head, you know? But at this age, she’s become a master at keeping those thoughts to herself, and it’s unsettling.”
“Maybe she needs something exciting in her life; something new or just something to look forward to. Going to school and coming home to do homework is a normal thing, but if she’s dreading her weekend visits to her mom’s house, maybe she needs something more in her life.”
I’m beyond shocked to hear Journey talking so much and speaking so wisely about something I’ve really needed some female advice on. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“Hmm,” Journey says with a sigh.
“Do I hear The Kardashians on in the background?” I ask. Only five seconds after the question comes out, I hear the sound from the TV become mute.
“What is with you and that show?” “I didn’t think it was too soon to express my enjoyment for reality tv. I’m pretty sure I made that confession during one of our first phone calls, but she might have thought I was joking.
“I don’t know. It makes me feel like I’m living in Hollywood too,” I explain. I’m not sure if what I said makes any sense, but who has an actual reason for enjoying a reality show. It’s Just a brief escape of your own reality. “You should get her a puppy,” Journey says. “Puppies make people happy.”
“A puppy? Who the hell is going to take care of it while I’m at work and she’s at school all day?”
“Bring her with you to the warehouse and make a little pen area.”
“You’ve already decided it will be a girl dog?” I ask, laughing at the idea. “Maybeyouneed a dog.”
“Can’t have one in this apartment or I would.”
She was quick to answer that question. Too quick. “So, you want to live vicariously through me getting a puppy who will be up whining every night for the first two months? Will you be coming over to take the puppy out to do her business in the middle of the night?”
“No. I’d only be living vicariously through you between the hours of eight and eight.”
“I see,” I respond. “You’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?”
“I do.”
