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Troy walked out of the jail wearing his own clothes and a smile. Even through the rain, he felt lighter as he hopped into his dad’s old truck.
“Ready to go?”
“More than you know. Let’s roll.”
They rode in silence as his dad made his way through the town he had always known, giving the two-fingered wave to every other car. “Tennessee Whiskey” played on low in the cab while they made the familiar loop into the McDonald’s parking lot.
“Alright, let’s go say hi to Sherry.”
“Sherry?”
“Yeah, it’s her shift today.”
Troy followed his dad up to the counter where he placed an order for a senior coffee and the hamburger, because as he said, “The day was already a win.”
He also noticed how the petite lady in the ironed polo with a perfectly cleaned visor came around to the table to wipe it down and took her break to visit with his dad.
Troy took notice over his fries as his dad smiled and blushed, reciting the tale from the morning to Sherry who sat next to him, never taking her sparkling blue eyes off Hank. Her shiny silver hair was cut short around her ears and styled in an attractive way. She didn’t wear any jewelry other than simple gold earrings. The best thing about her was her smile. Everything his dad said was met with enthusiasm and genuine interest. The woman practically bubbled joy, but not in an annoying way. Troy found himself smiling more just by being in her presence. She was the kind of person who made you feel noticed, like you were the only one in the room.
After the story and introductions, Troy learned she was a retired and widowed preschool teacher who had the job to get out and get some extra money. That’s where they had met. Things had gotten more serious when he hadn’t shown up after the fire. The next time they had started talking more.
He watched as they traded stories and checked in on each other. After sharing everything about his court case, his dad wanted to know about her water heater, which was apparently acting up again, and offered to stop by and take a look.
When her break was over, Troy took the trash away and was keenly aware of how much time they spent saying goodbye with plans to meet later.
He eyed his dad as he got back in the truck. His dad didn’t meet his gaze and seemed oddly focused on his seatbelt for a man who had buckled himself into cars for over sixty years.
“She seems nice.”
“Sherry? She’s great.”
“How long have you two been together?”
“Together? Oh no, no, no. We’re just friends.”
Troy let the silence hang in the air. “Uh-huh.”
“It’s called being social, son. Your generation is all about that phone or jumping into bed.”
Troy let that one go right by.
“What about good old conversation?” Hank finished, despite not looking him in the eye.
“So that’s all you’re interested in?”
The pink on his dad’s cheeks was a nice surprise.
Troy smiled and leaned back. “I think she’s really nice. You should ask her to dinner.”
He expected a smart remark or biting retort to throw the suggestion back in his face, but none came.
“Yeah, maybe I’ll think about it.”
“Can’t hurt.”
His dad shifted in his seat. “Nuff about me. When are you making up with Megan? You owe it to her.”
“Honestly, Dad, as soon as possible.”
