AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Twenty-seven
––––––––
“Hey, mom.” I slidemy shoes off right inside the hotel room door and flip on the lights. It’s been quite possibly one of the longest days I’ve had on set in the month we’ve been shooting and I feel absolutely dead on my feet.
“Hi, honey. How are you? I feel like I haven’t spoken to you in weeks.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Things have been crazy here. The first episode airs in less than a month and we still have three more episodes to shoot before that time. It’s insane how quickly they’ve thrown all this together. How is everything there?”
“Oh you know, the usual. You’re father bought yet another tractor. Though I have no idea why he thinks he needed it.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” I laugh.
“The twins are getting ready to go back to school and we really could have used the extra money for clothes. I swear they’re growing like weeds. At this rate they’ll be towering over your father in no time.”
“They are pretty tall,” I agree. “How about Brad and Miranda and my little nephew?”
“Doing great. They told us last night at dinner that they’re trying for a second child. Isn’t that amazing?”
“It is,” I agree, feeling like I’m floating through the conversation in a daze–so tired I can barely hold my eyes open. “Chris and Ben staying out of trouble?” I ask, having not spoken to either of them in almost a month.
I feel bad that I’ve kind of fallen off the face of the earth, but I needed to remove myself from the situation back home and focus on me for a while.
“As best they can. Ben and Beth have gotten pretty serious. He even brought her to dinner last week. Can you believe it? I never thought I’d see the day.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “Chris has been gone the last couple of days. He’s been up in Charter helping Thad get settled.”
“Settled for what?” The mention of Thad snaps me out of my sleep deprived fog.
“Thad got an apartment there. Chris is helping him get everything set up. He should be back sometime tomorrow.”
“Thad got an apartment?”
“He did. Moved last weekend. Got himself a job as a mechanic. I’m gonna miss having him around but I think it was time.”
“What if he relapses?” I blurt, a weird feeling creeping into my chest.
“You know about that?” She seems surprised.
“Chris told me. Though I’m not sure why you didn’t.”
“We were trying to be respectful of Thad. It was his business to tell. Not mine and certainly not your brother’s.”
“I guess he felt like I had a right to know.” I shrug even though she can’t see me. “Thad doesn’t know I know. I never said anything to him about it.”
“I see.” She pauses. “Well, the way I see it he could only hide out here for so long. It was only a matter of time before he had to step back out into the world and face his addiction head on. It’s the only way he’s ever going to know if he’s truly beaten it.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works, Mom. It’s not something you just get over. He’ll have to work at it every single day for the rest of his life no matter where he is.”
“I know that, honey. But it will get easier as time goes on.”
“I guess.” I huff.
“I’m surprised he didn’t tell you about the move.”
“We haven’t spoken since I left.” I try to keep my voice casual, like it isn’t a big deal even though it feels like a very big one to me. Of course I’m not counting the drunken phone call I received not long after I arrived in North Carolina.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about Thad at least once. It’s usually at night, when the chaos of the day has filtered away and I’m lying in bed left to nothing but my thoughts. That’s when he creeps in. His stark blue eyes, his crooked smile, his deep laugh. All the things that are forever etched into my soul.
“Oh. I wasn’t aware. I guess I just assumed. I mean, you two seemed very close before you left.”
