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“Or was it two years ago, Matt?” Bobby asked.
Matt glared at Bobby. He knew he was right, but he didn’t want Carla’s death to be the reason he stopped caring for his job. Carla would have smacked it right out of him.
“Matt?” Bobby asked again.
“I don’t want to make this about Carla,” Matt insisted.
“And yet you have,” Bobby blurted. “She’d be so mad at you right now, dude. We were both in awe of you and your abilities to be at the top of everything during the academy.”
Matt shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“Dude, it wasn’t your fault.”
“I know,” Matt agreed.
“And I don’t blame you,” Bobby added.
“You’ve said that before,” Matt blurted.
“And I’m saying it again.” Bobby paused and then added slowly, “I don’t blame you!”
Matt looked at his friend and tried to hold back the tears. Bobby might not blame him for Carla’s death, but Matt blamed himself. If only he had listened to his gut before the building came crashing down… but that was in the past and they were in the present.
The sliding door from the backyard opened and a young boy emerged with mud all over his hands.
“Daddy,” Junior called. “Come look what I made!”
Junior noticed Matt sitting next to his dad and made eye contact with Matt.
Bobby quickly got up and picked up his son, tucking him under his arm like a football. “Junior, you might not remember your Uncle Matt.”
“That’s Uncle Matt?” Junior wiggled with excitement under his father’s arm. He turned his head to look at Matt. “Hi, Uncle Matt. Come look at my mud mansion.”
“Best do as he says, or we’ll never hear the end of it.”
Matt got up and followed them outside to a small muddy ravine where a hose with running water was flowing steadily making the ravine muddier and very soggy. Above the small ravine was a grassy area that contained the outline of a plastic toy structure covered in mud.
“Nicely done, son!” Bobby celebrated. “You’ve done your manly construction building for the day.”
“Take a picture!” Junior insisted.
“I got it!” Matt interjected as he pulled out his phone. “Go stand next to it!”
Bobby put his son down and Junior walked proudly over to his muddy mansion and smiled a cheesy grin.
“Got it, buddy!” Matt said.
“Let me see!” Junior insisted.
“Not until I’ve cleaned you up!” Bobby demanded as he picked up his son once again and headed back to the house.
Matt followed, closing the door behind him while ignoring the muddy handprints all over the sliding glass door.
Minutes later, both Bobby and Junior appeared with clean clothes and hands, so Matt showed Junior his picture. Soon after that, Bobby turned the TV on for Junior and gave him apple slices to snack on. Bobby directed Matt to the kitchen table.
“What’s your plan now?” Bobby asked.
“I have no clue. My severance check will last me for at least three months, but I have no idea.”
