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“Luke, don’t take this the wrong way, but…”
“I’m in a rut?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No. Five years ago, you hit a rut.Now I think you’re full-on depressed.”
“Well, thank you, Dr. Phil.”
“I’m just saying that I think you need a hobby or something.”
“I don’t have time for hobbies,” I told her.
“A girlfriend?”
“I think you’re forgetting about the fact that I was divorced before I was twenty and live with my mother,” I said. “Not to mention, I swore off dating forever.”
“Forever is a long time.”
I shrugged again. Laura didn’t understand, and I hoped she never would.
“Okay, not ready to get back out there in the dating game. That’s fair. Maybe a vacation?” she offered.
“Who’s gonna take care of Mom?”
“Okay, then… How about a college course? Blue Creek Community has—”
“I appreciate what you’re doing, Bean, but my bed is made. I have to lie in it,” I told her firmly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to see if Ma wants to be early for her potluck.”
“Luke, you can always find a reasonnotto do something,” she stated.
“Therearereasons.”
Laura got that hopelessthere’s no way I can get through to himlook on her face.
“Jessa’s picking me up soon, so I’d better go. But Luke… I don’t know. Try and find something fun to do tonight,” she suggested.
I nodded. I wouldn’t, but I could humor my kid sister.
“Congratulations, Bean. I’m proud of you.”
Around ten,I parked my truck in front of St. Mary’s and waited for my mother. She ambled toward me, and I leaned over to open the passenger side door for her, helping her with a casserole dish, a few Tupperware containers, and a gallon of milk.
She eyed me as I took the milk. Yes, I had forgotten. But neither of us said anything.
“How was it?” I asked, putting the truck in drive.
“My Mississippi mud cake was the highlight of the evening,” she reported. “Got way more compliments than Melinda Moore’s devil’s food brownies.”
“Oh. That’s good.”
“It’s more thangood. There should only have been one chocolate dessert at this potluck, but there weretwo.”
“Travesty.”
She chose to ignore my sarcasm. “At least mine was the one that will be remembered.”
“I thought this was a potluck for charity or something.”
“It was,” she confirmed.
