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“I have to admit, those are my guilty pleasures. I don’t eat them often, but that sounds good to me.”
“Great. See you then.”
While Rick went to work, I waited another hour then found Chandler in the kitchen of the big house, slumped over a bowl of cereal. “Good…morning, Chandler,” I said hesitantly.
“Yes, it’s just perfect, just literally the best morning ever,” he grunted.
I sat beside him and asked gently, “What’s up?”
“The list is shorter. Dad and me looked over some things, and two of the schools I wanted to go to don’t have the full courses for what I’m taking.”
“What are you taking?”
“Business management with a minor in farm management, and of course, drama. That’s just for me, though. Dad only okayed that if I did the business management.”
“Wow, Chandler. I didn’t know you wanted to take over the family business.”
“Of course, I do. I mean, there are other things I want to do, like drama, but they can be side hustles.”
“Like?”
“I know how cliché it sounds, but I like video games and I’d like to make one of my own. Okay? Yes, the kid wants to make games. I know how it sounds.”
“None of our dreams are stupid, Chandler. You have your head on better than most adults I know. See, working on the farm, making it profitable while pursuing your other dreams, that’s intense and great.”
He dropped the spoon in the bowl and stared over to me like he thought I was lying to him. “Really?”
“I swear. I like dancing, I like painting too, but I know that I likely won’t make enough money to live doing those things, so I do other things and dance and paint when I can. Sometimes it’s even better that way. If you’re driven to do the thing you love because that’s where all your money comes from, it takes from the art of it. It takes the pleasure from it. Finding the time, yeah that’s hard sometimes, but your dad has this business, and his side hustle is being the mayor. That’s…that has got to show you that it can be done. Not to mention, raising two kids and I assume having a life on the side of all that.”
“No life, not really, but he’s looking for one.”
“He, uh, is?”
Chandler side-eyed me as he rose with his bowl in his hand. “Yeah, he sure is. That bother you?”
“Why would it?” I asked hurriedly, trying to hide my disappointment.
“Yeah, that wouldn’t bother you at all, right?” Chandler asked with dripping sarcasm.
He laughed and took his bowl to the dishwasher and left once he deposited it.
I followed him, getting completely sick of being prodded by things no one ever finished. “Why…why would that bother me, Chandler?”
“Because you like him,” he said in a long, exasperated sigh.
I was shocked, though I shouldn’t have been. He saw a lot, but I also probably wasn’t great at hiding it. “I admire him, and I think he’s a great guy. That’s the extent,” I lied.
“Whatever, dude. Whatever. Anyway, should we go over shopping today?”
My mind did a flip, which I thought was likely intended. “Chandler, you…”
“Are brilliant? Yeah, I know.”
“Listen, are you really trying to set up your dad and me? You know he’s straight, right?”
“Sure. I can always hope, right?”
The lies just rolled off his tongue, but I didn’t have time for guessing games. “Go get your tablet. We can sit outside today.”
