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I heard him slam the passenger door shut.
Good. Get mad at me. Take the hint.
And why in the world is he dragging Henry into this?
Oh, what, Henry looked at me a few times? That’s a crime now?
He was just probably checking up on me…
“Hey, Travis,” I said.
“I don’t want to be here anymore,” Travis said. “This place is freaking me out and I’m thirsty.”
“Okay,” I said. “Come here.”
I pulled my son in for a hug and looked around.
My options for a ride were Tad or Henry.
Like some pathetic love triangle playing out during my grandfather’s funeral.
That’s when I realized Alex was here.
Right on cue, she and I met eyes.
I gave her the look and she came hurrying toward Travis and me.
Alex lived about half a mile up the road from me.
She was a single mom. Her ex worked for a construction company and spent more time with his secretary than he did on the job. His secretary got pregnant, they both got fired, and Alex tried to work things out. I couldn’t blame her for finally reaching a breaking point where she knew having her son’s father trying to balance time with two families wasn’t going to work. The pregnant secretary called her family for help and they took Alex’s ex under their wing. Kind of like a secret dirty deal. Leave your family behind for this new one and we’ll take care of you.
What a piece of shit, huh?
Alex and I met because our boys play football together.
Travis and Mitch hit it off and were best friends.
“What do you need right now?” Alex asked.
“A ride,” I said. “Travis is thirsty and things are just too…”
“Morbid,” Alex said. “I’ve got goosebumps. I hate this stuff.” She looked at Travis. “Hey, big guy. I left Mitch back at home for a bit. Want me to swing by and pick him up? I’m sure he’s due for another meal himself.”
Travis nodded. “Yeah. That’s fine.”
“Sneak away with me,” Alex said. “I didn’t park too close to the festivities here. Hey, Travis, do you know why there are gates around a cemetery?”
“No…” Travis said.
Alex smiled. “Because everyone is dying to get in.”
Any other person I would have gasped and been pissed.
But it was Alex.
Her rough edges made her the person she was.
And Travis absolutely loved her. His eyes lit up when he saw her. He smiled when he talked to her. He laughed at all her jokes, including this new cemetery one.
