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The shift from relaxed to serious is instantaneous. “What? You know how important it is to your father and me that we get all you kids together at least once a month, Piper.”
Not for the first time, I wonder if that expectation is to blame for the limbo they’ve been in for the past twenty-odd years. My parents have what is either anextremely healthyor anincredibly unhealthyrelationship. After their divorce was finalized, my dad moved out. But they continued co-parenting as if nothing had changed. Birthday parties, sporting events, graduations, vacations, holidays were all spent together, like the family unit was still intact.
As a kid, I was grateful for it. As a teenager, I was confused why they’d bothered getting divorced in the first place. As an adult, I’ve accepted that the tradition of monthly dinners is a conscious way to keep our family together and appreciate that effort. But I still question whether avoiding acknowledging their divorcedidchange things.
“I have to go on a work trip,” I tell her. “There’s a chance I’ll be back by Friday, but probably not.”
“A work trip? Where?”
“Uh, Texas. To go over some contract…stuff.”
A loud guffaw comes from the direction of the stove. “You’re going toTexas?”
I frown at Seth. “Yes. What’s wrong with Texas?”
“Nothing’s wrong with Texas,” he replies. “I’m just having a hard time picturing you there.”
“Dallas is a major city. So is Austin.”
“And which one are you going to?”
“I don’t know…yet.” Linda is supposed to be sending me travel details later tonight. I’m hoping Kyle lives in Austin, but either city would be fine.
Seth raises one brow before turning back to his bacon.
“You’ve never traveled for your job before,” my mom says.
I pull in a deep breath before looking over at her. “I know. But I was asked to go by the head of the label, and I agreed.”After panicking-slash-deliberating for thirty minutes in the restroom.“It’s important.”
I don’t mention my possible promotion.
My mother sighs and nods. “Okay.”
We might look alike, but our personalities are very different.
Maybe it’s a side effect of her career, but at home, my mom avoids conflict at all costs.
I can feel her disappointment still lingering in the air when I leave twenty minutes later. It feeds my own doubts, and I wonder what the hell I’ve gotten myself into.
CHAPTERFOUR
KYLE
Sweat rolls down my spine in lazy rivers as the Texas sun beats down mercilessly. I twist the hammer, sending another shingle flying down to the ground. Then another. And another. And another. It’s endless, exhausting work, which is the point. The aged wood is brittle, most of the shingles splintering in half easily with each jerk of the curved steel.
Two rows later, I hear the distinctive shuffle of John’s footsteps. He was in a bad car accident in high school, and his stride was permanently affected by his injuries.
“Phone for you.”
I sigh even though my arm muscles are screaming for a break and my skin is coated with sweat. “Can you take a message?”
“It’s Brayden. Says he’s been trying to reach you all morning. And that it’s urgent.”
I exhale again, then knock up the brim of my hat so I can swipe a hand across my damp forehead. As far as I can tell, my manager has yet to encounter a situation hedoesn’tdeem urgent.
“Okay. I’ll be right in.”
Slow footsteps shuffle away.
