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Chapter 27
Benjamin “Benny” Abbott was a few inches shorter than Walker. His hair was dark brown and cut much shorter. He hadn’t inherited his mother’s eyes and hair color the way his son had; they were, instead, the same dark brown as his own father’s. His skin was a little sallow, ragged, worn beyond its years. Wrinkles weighed down from a hard life. He was slim—not the type of skinny he’d been while he was using, but of someone who was used to skipping meals.
For all this, Walker had never seen the man look better. Those dark eyes were clear and alert, his entire disposition as calm as it could be given the awkward situation.
It was the first time Walker had seen his father in person in years. Gram had seen her son a few weeks before, but still, she couldn’t keep her eyes off him.
They were sitting around Gram’s kitchen table, glasses of half-drunk sweet tea sweating on the wood in front of them. The conversation between the three of them had been slow, full of stops and starts. Three days after the dinner party/intervention at Corey and Adya’s, Walker had finally given his father a call. He’d apologized for skipping town and ignoring Benny’s attempts to reach out. Benny had told Walker that he understood, that he probably would have done the same if he’d been in his son’s position. Walker doubted that very much, but he appreciated the sentiment. His voice had been a croak as he’d told his father that he would like to meet up in Greenbelt when he was able. He was ready to talk and listen and try to figure shit out.
They’d agreed to meet at Gram’s, to let it serve as common ground for them both.
Gram had been ecstatic, of course. Walker was positive he’d heard her sniffle back a few tears during their phone conversation. He didn’t acknowledge it for fear of a scolding, but he’d taken note.
Benny had shown up in a rusted little Toyota ten minutes before he said he’d be there. They’d all exchanged slightly awkward greetings before retreating to the kitchen to catch up.
They conversed about how Gram thought that retirement life was exactly what she’d been waiting for forever, especially with her arms healed. Walker shared that his life was as normal as it could be. He was in the midst of trying to transition to remote work full time while spending most of his other free moments in the company of his friends. He made sure not to mention Aja, who was never far from his mind, so that he didn’t clue them in that he was still broken up about having left her the way he had.
Benny was open about what was going on with him too. About how he never thought he’d have a life as good as he did now. About how driving semitrucks across the country allowed him to see things he never thought he’d see and paid him money he never thought he’d make. But also how he could see himself getting older every time he looked in the mirror and was ready to put some roots down. How he couldn’t think of any place better than Greenbelt, with his mother close and his only son just a couple of hours away.
Walker had never seen his father so happy. His crooked-toothed smile was big and genuine underneath his mustache, and his voice rang with possibility. Walker didn’t have the heart to bring up the heavy stuff yet. Not when he was still trying to figure out what he was going to say. They kept things light, allowed themselves to talk about the kinds of things other families talked about. Like peach cobbler.
“You mean to tell me Minnie is still servin’ that cobbler?” Benny looked at them in disbelief.
“Sure is,” Gram said. “Makes it fresh every day.”
“And it’s just as good as it always was.” Walker licked his chops at the thought of it.
His father smiled fondly at him. “You always did love that cobbler.”
“He used to ask for it in his sleep.” Gram laughed.
“Because it’s the best thing in the world. Better than fried chicken and biscuits and whatever else is out there.” There remained only one thing that tasted better than Minnie’s peach cobbler. But he’d likely never taste that again.
“You know what?” Benny rubbed his chin. “I might have to stop by there while I’m in town.”
Gram grinned, pushing herself up from the table, her elbows still a little shaky under her weight. “No need. I stopped by and got one earlier today.” She opened the cold oven, pulling a white bakery box out and setting it on the table. “I was so happy to have both of my boys with me that I figured we could all use a little treat.”
The cobbler was obviously room temperature, but Walker still felt his excitement build once she opened the lid. There it was, almost spilling over the edges of the hefty tin pan. Golden brown and juicy and the second most gorgeous thing he had ever laid eyes on.
He and Benny were so enraptured by the dessert that they didn’t notice Gram gathering plates and utensils until they clinked down on the table in front of them.
“I’m goin’ to set this here.” She smiled at them. “Then I’m goin’ to go on up to my room and give y’all some time to talk.”
“Gram.” He reached for her hand as she tried to turn away, flashing pleading eyes at her, all but begging her to stay.
She smiled softly and petted his head. “You need to do this, Wally. Talk with your daddy. He ain’t gonna bite.”
He watched as she walked away, the tightness in his chest returning once he was finally alone with Benny. When he looked at his father, Benny’s eyes were on him, dark and soft, his brow furrowed. When neither said anything, Benny picked up the serving spoon and dug into the cobbler, cutting out a piece and putting a scoop of ice cream on the plate along with it before handing it to Walker, who didn’t touch it until his father took his first bite.
“You know, this was my favorite thing to eat as a kid,” Benny said softly around a mouthful.
“Really?”
“Yep. It’s why Mama gets such a tickle out of you lovin’ it so much.
“I didn’t know that.” Walker pushed the back of his spoon into his ice cream, watching it cave under the pressure. Suddenly he wasn’t so hungry for cobbler.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” his father said. “Which is a damned shame… and my fuckin’ fault.”
