Page 78 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

Annie: Tomorrow! We can make it a four nighter?

Yulia: They’re leaving at night unfortunately.

Hollis: Whatever. I’m in. Want me to bring anything?

Yulia: Nope, just you and yourself.

Hollis: <3

She wants bread again. What should I make her?

Something fancy, none of this peasant shit. Make her a real loaf of French bread.

I could do honey butter too.

Then do it. She’s your best gal; she deserves the fine things.

No, she’s your best gal. Annie’s supposed to be mine.

Annie hasn’t made our heart race in a while.

Hollis exhaled into the cold and didn’t deny it.

Do you miss it? Annie. Loving her, being in love with her. Being normal. The way you should be.

It was comfortable. But there are other things.

Wheat

He was halfway through kneading when Mrs. Brown settled at the kitchen table behind him.

“You worry me, june bug,” she said. “You’ve been working hard doing extra chores, studying, and fixing things, and I don’t know why.”

“I’m fine, Ma.” Hollis folded over the loaf and pressed into it again with his palms. “I’m trying French bread for Yulia. I know it’s late, but I’ll be done in a bit so this can rise overnight.”

Mrs. Brown was quiet for a bit.

“You . . . worried about your old man and me?” She pressed. “We got a good thing going, and you can stay as long as you like when school ends. Or . . . Are things not going well at school with all your friends leaving?”

“It’s . . . I mean, that’s not the greatest. I’m just trying to take it seriously. Figure out what I want to do. Pay attention to the things I’m good at. There’s nothing to worry about, I promise.”

You’re a good liar.

I’m not lying.

Walt turned their feet to face the kitchen table, so Hollis folded their arms and faced his ma. But Walt was yearning. So Hollis let him sit them down, he stretched out his hands so she could hold them gently.

It’s okay to need this. Or want it, Walt.

“I’m sorry for making you worried about me,” Walt said. “I didn’t mean to.”

Mrs. Brown shook her head. “Annie stopped by early today before you got home to check in on you. She seems like she’s concerned, and seeing her all knotted up like that made me wonder how my boy was.”

She squeezed his hands, and Walt ached.

“Sometimes good changes aren’t always for good reasons,” she said. “You smell like your father did when we first took up together. Never thought I’d have to warn you off smoking in the house, but here we are. He started for his anxiety; its a fool thing to assume it wouldn’t be the same for you. We are family.”

Walt shrugged. Hollis pulled himself from their hands and face and just watched.