Cabin Tour
ELI
I’d stoodin front of my bathroom mirror, preening myself like a parakeet for the last hour and a half. I’d plucked my eyebrows, trimmed my beard, shaved my nose hairs with a machine that sounded like it had a jet engine inside it, blow-dried and styled my hair down to the individual curls, and manscaped all over. It took me another half hour to figure out what I was going to wear, going through six different (but mostly similar) green or black shirts until I settled on an olive button-up with a pair of boot-cut jeans and a clean set of white Adidas.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d put so much thought into an outfit. I was used to throwing on either gym clothes, hockey gear, or a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. That’d been my rotation these last few months.
It was nice dressing up for something. I had music playing on my phone, and I wasn’t nervous at all. I was excited to be spending more time with Gabe.
Just us.
He offered to pick me up like a true gentleman—gentleshifter?—but also said he wanted to getthere first to set it up for us. I told him I’d meet him there to make it less complicated, so I gave myself one last look over in the mirror, asked myself how the hell I had gotten here, turned the music up a little louder, took one last swish of mouthwash, and headed out with a little pep in my step and a little vibration in my pocket.
Wait… oh. “Hey, Mom.”
I connected the call to my car as I got in. It was a chilly but comfortable afternoon in late February with a cloudless blue sky stretching out ahead of me, so I turned the A/C off, lowered the windows, and opened the sunroof. “Can you believe Isa went home last night?” my mom’s voice rang out loud over the speakers.
“Huh?” It took me a second to realize what my mom was talking about. It was a reality show I occasionally watched with her, about celebrities in a castle lying and backstabbing each other. It was campy and entertaining when I had a long flight or bus ride to spend. “Oh, I didn’t watch. I haven’t watched the last two episodes, so thanks for the spoiler, Mom.”
“Oh shit. Sorry.”
“It’s okay, I’m joking, I don’t care. And I said Isa was going to go home before the scare challenge. She was playing too aggressively.”
“You’re right. I just liked how she was from Puerto Rico. Reminded me of home.”
“I think Caleb’s going to take it all.”
“I agree. At least he deserves it. His story’s so sad. But also, he’s very attractive. And I read somewhere he’s gay! You should message him.”
That got a laugh out of me. My mother had been on a mission, trying to set me up with anyone and everyone sheheard was gay pretty much the second my breakup was official.
So far, she hadn’t succeeded. And, well, it looked like she could give up her quest.
Which brought me to an entirely “unrelated” question.
“Mom, what are your thoughts on fate?”
“Onfate?” she repeated. Her dog, Chichi, barked loudly in the background like she did every time my mom talked to someone on the phone.
“Yeah. Like destiny.”
“Are you thinking of getting into tarot reading or something? Because, honey, I really don’t think you should give up your talents in hockey for?—”
“No, Ma, I’m just asking in general. Do you think it’s real? Like, do you think there are relationships out there brought together through fate?”
My mom mulled over the question. The silence was filled with a barking Chichi. “Yes,” she finally answered, shushing Chichi in the process. “Just like I think there are certain moments in life that are ‘meant to be,’ I think there are certain relationships that are the same. Your dad, as much as that man annoys me on a daily basis, had been placed in my path. I chose to go out that night, but so did he. And I think there was an inkling in the back of both our minds that something would happen the night we met.
I think that meeting was written down in a book somewhere, a verybigbook, and it led to a chapter featuring my favorite son.”
“Youronlyson,” I said.
“Yes, ok yes, it wasn’t a difficult title to achieve, but I promise you it is one that’s impossible to take.” She laughed, her singsongy joy always bringing a warmth to my chest. “What’s with the fortune cookie mood?”
“Oh, nothing,” I said, more than happy with the answer but not wanting to divulge too much just yet. “So you really think Caleb’s going to winThe Liars?”
“One hundred percent. I’ll bet you anything he’s walking away with his money. And if he doesn’t, then I owe you a gift card to Longhorn.”
“Mom, I told you, I’m not betting on things with you anymore.”
