"What is it?" I take the seat beside her, lean my elbows into my knees and wait for the story.
"The boy who mowed our lawn every week, he went and—” Ma pauses.
"What?" I question.
"He took too many pills and," she says, slicing her finger across her throat.
This area is not that big. "What was the guy's name?"
"Keegan Powers," she responds.
"I didn't know he was your landscaper. I knew the guy. In fact, I went to his funeral."
"Oh, Lord have mercy. His poor family must be in ruins over his death."
"Yeah, it was uh—it was sad."
The thoughts bring me back to August and my unanswered text message. I pull my phone out of my back pocket and take a look.
She responded.
August: I'm fine, thanks.
That's it. That's all I get from August.
Me: Will I see you tonight?
The very second I hit send, I wish I could take it back. I don't know why there isn't a button for that yet. After the move she put on me last night, I should be holding back just a bit. I told her she needs to take care of herself, and I shouldn't suggest that she come back to the bar.
Thankfully, she decides against responding.
The rain is falling harder now, tapping loudly against the roof. It's hard to hear the background noise of the TV. Ma has rested her crochet needle down on her lap and looks sleepy. This weather is making me tired too.
"Well, I have a few errands to run, but I just wanted to come by and check on you guys. Please call me if you need anything. I'll find you a new landscaper, too, okay?"
Ma smiles lazily. "I don't know what we did to deserve such an amazing son," she says.
"You saved me from not having amazing parents." I give her the same response to the same statement she makes whenever I see her. We were meant to be a family, and there isn't a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for them adopting me at eleven years old.
"Go on, be careful in the rain," Ma says.
"Tell Pa it was nice spending time with him," I snicker.
I was so dang bored today. I went to the bookstore just to look around. This rain needs to let up. I can't spend another day like this without a thing to do or anywhere to go.
I've been watching the time tick by until an acceptable hour approached for me to head over to Kenny's for dinner.
The place is empty when I arrive ten minutes past five.
"It's like we're livin' in Seattle," Luke says as I step inside. I'm soaked just from the walk from my truck to the door, but thankfully it's warm in here.
I glance down the length of the clean bar, noticing a half-empty glass a few seats down. I point to the drink with a silent question as I raise a brow at Luke.
"Your friend is here already," he says.
"Are you serious? Did she come in drunk?"
"She certainly did. I've been watering her whiskey down for the last hour."
