Page 61 of Talk to Me

I laughed. Theo chuckled.

“I don’t think I’m fam—”

“Oh, yes you are,” Evie said matter-of-factly as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve seen you on the internet and Marcella—she’s my friend from homeroom—she said everyone knows who you are and—”

I was about to interrupt Evie again, especially since Theo looked completely overwhelmed. However, the voice from the porch kept me from having to settle her down for the second time in under a minute.

“Evelyn Mae!” I looked up to find my mom on the porch at the edge of the steps, her hands on her hips. Her breath was visible in the chilly air. “Were you rolling around in that yard? You look like you messed all up the back of you!”

Evie looked down and kicked at the ground guiltily, holding my hand tighter. I laughed.

“Hi, Mom!” I exclaimed.

“Hi, honey,” Mom said, waving a hand at me. “Evelyn Mae, you get in this house and you march upstairs and clean up! I’ll have lunch on the table soon and you are not going to drag mud all through my nice clean house!”

“I was making snow angels!” Evie exclaimed, clutching my hand for protection.

I squeezed her hand back and gave her a tough look. Evie and me against Mom. As long as Mom was okay with it, of course.

“Mud angels!” Mom shot back. “Get in here and get cleaned up. Now!”

Evie looked up at me, grinned, then let go of my hand and ran towards the porch. Mom gave her a stern look, but Evie and I both knew her enough to know it was for show. As Evie ran up the steps towards the front door, Mom swatted at her playfully, and Evie giggled and dodged her, entering the house a half second later.

I popped the trunk and Theo and I pulled our bags out, slinging them over our shoulders. After closing the trunk, I gave him a reassuring smile, and turned towards the porch. The car beeped lazily when I pressed the lock button on the fob, and I suddenly wondered why I’d bothered. Parked in front of my parents’ house, who was going to break into the car? Even on campus it was questionable that anyone would want something from my 2007 Honda Civic.

As we approached the base of the stairs up to the porch, Mom spoke.

“I told her the ground was too wet and there wasn’t enough snow to play in it,” she said. “But she just insisted on coming out here and messing around. You see the back of her? Looked like she shat right up her back.”

I laughed. Theo chuckled nervously, which drew my mom’s attention. She gave him a warm smile.

“Well,” Mom said, “y’all just get up here and let me look at you good!”

Dashing up the steps, I fell into my mom’s arms, giving her a big hug. Theo trudged up the stairs, obviously unsure if my family was sane or not. Mom returned my hug, then pushed me out to hold me at arm’s length to get a look at me. I’d only been gone a few months, but anytime I came home she always looked at me as though she hadn’t seen me in years.

“Well, you look no worse for the wear,” she said softly. “Are you being good?”

“Have I called for bail money?” I teased.

“As if you would be dumb enough,” she said, throwing her arms around me.

After another big hug and finally letting go of me, she flapped her arms at Theo, urging him towards her.

“You must be Theo,” she said, giving him an equally warm, but less psychotic hug. “I’m so glad you could join us for the holiday!”

Theo grunted slightly at my mom’s tight hug, but gave me a smile over her shoulder. I shrugged and mouthed “sorry” to him. When she pulled away and looked at him at arm’s length, she made a “tutting” sound and shook her head.

“Both of you boys need a good meal!” she exclaimed and patted his shoulders before turning to me. “You both get in this house and get warm!”

Mom rushed over and opened the front door and Theo and I shuffled into the foyer. I dropped my bag at the base of the stairs and Theo, knowing it best, followed my lead. Mom closed the door and shivered, then snatched her cardigan from the coatrack by the door. After she’d wrestled it on, she turned to us again.

“You boys are staying in your room, of course,” Mom said, waving her arms towards the stairs. “We got that old cot out of the attic and set it up for you, Theo. Dean—that’s Josh’s father—found a better mattress pad for it so it won’t sleep so bad. But if my son is a good host at all, he’ll take the cot. Now, I’ve got lunch about ready. We’ve got some chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, smothered green beans, biscuits, a good ole pecan pie for dessert, fresh tea, and—”

“Mom,” I said, “Theo needs to be eased into the crazy.”

She cackled and slapped at my arm. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she leaned into me, mumbling as if Theo wasn’t right there to hear her.

“Merle called me this morning,” she mumbled. “Diane got into the raw milk again—you know she’s into that natural living now—and she was in the hospital for three whole days and nights getting antibiotics. She’s had the trots for a week since getting out. Merle said she could make through a screen door if she wanted. So, I don’t know if we’ll see them tomorrow.”