Page 5 of Make My Heart Malt

“Thanks,” I answer sheepishly. Maybe I should have stayed home so I wouldn’t be subject to all the pity. I’ve been here five minutes and I’m already over it.

“Oh! I got it!” My mom barrels into the kitchen, her face lit up brighter than the Harbor Highlands Christmas block party. “Garrett can be an usher at the wedding. There’s always room for another usher. Since everyone missed Thanksgiving.” Her hopeful gaze drifts between me, Tony, and Georgia.

A laugh rumbles from the back of my throat and I shake my head. Nothing like a good guilt tripping to start this wedding off on the right foot.

Tony’s eyes meet mine, and I shrug. Once our mom gets an idea in her head, we all kind of have to run with it. He glances down at Georgia, and she nods.

“Yeah. We’d like to have you as an usher,” Tony says with a flat tone.

Our mom claps. “This is so exciting to have both my boys here and at the wedding together.” She wraps us both in a hug. She’s aware of the rift between us but pretends it doesn’t exist in hopes we’ll go back to the way things were. Easier said than done.

THREE

SORRY, I GHOSTED YOU

Garrett

Over the next hour, our mom plays mediator as Tony and Georgia tell me all about how they met and how Tony swept her off her feet. I’m hard-pressed to believe he has the capabilities to woo anyone, but to each their own. Georgia animatedly describes the wedding from the colors to the decor while Tony scrolls on his phone as if he’d rather be anywhere but here. Same, but I’m also not going to be an asshole about it either.

After they leave, my mom turns to me. “How have you been? And don’t give me any of that ‘I’m fine’ crap.”

I laugh. Leave it to Mom to not sugarcoat anything. “Of course, I’ve been better. When an entire city hates you, it’s hard to walk around with a smile on your face.” I don’t mention my only saving grace is the possibility ofseeing Dessa. She’d spend the rest of the afternoon fixated on our relationship, or lack thereof.

Her hand rests on mine. “You’re an amazing baseball player. Everyone will soon forget all about it.”

“Soon” can knock on my door any day now. Instead of dragging my mom to my pity party, I nod. “I’d like to think so, but right now it looks bleak. Enough about me. How’s everyone here? How’s Dad?”

“Wedding planning has kept me busy, and your father has found himself a new hobby.” Her voice raises an octave at the end.

“Oh yeah? What’s that? He’s not collecting vintage fishing tackle again, is he?”

My dad tends to go through these phases, like mini mid-life crises, where he’ll randomly start collecting things. Last year it was vintage fishing tackle. The year before that was old oil cans.

“No. Thank goodness.” Her shoulders deflate. “We’re running out of room to collect things. We need to downsize, not the other way around. Anyway, he bought himself a drone and found a flying club to join. Don’t get me wrong, I love your father, but I need him to leave the house. This club gives me a few hours a week to have some peace and quiet.”

I’m envious of my parents’ relationship. For starters, theyhavea relationship. One that started in high school. Something me and Dessa should have had. Besides that, they have unconditional love for each other even if they’re in each other's hair every now and then. A moment of silence passes between us.

My mom rests her arms on the table and leans in as she bites back a smile. “Are you going to ask me how she’s doing?”

My eyebrows hit my hairline as my gaze shoots to my mom.

She swipes her hand in front of her. “Don’t give me that look. You know exactly who I’m talking about. I’m surprised you haven’t asked about her yet. I figured it would have been the first thing out of your mouth when you walked through the door.”

I cast my gaze downward to the white and gray quartz countertop. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Playing coy is useless since she can read me like a book. Always has. She calls it a mother’s intuition. I call it fucking creepy.

“Just because you don’t talk about her doesn’t mean you’re not thinking about her. I know you.” She rests a comforting hand on my forearm.

I fiddle with my phone on the counter, working up the courage to ask. I’ve never been a nervous guy, but when it comes to Dessa, she short circuits my brain. The corner of my lips curve into a smile. “How’s Dessa? Is she still in town?” Fuck. It sounds so weird to say her name out loud. For so long, it’s only been a thought in my head.

My parents have always known the reason I cut ties with everyone when I left Harbor Highlands. Having to hear about Tony and Dessa’s relationship was always like a knife twisting in my gut. I didn’t want to know how happy they were while I was stuck being a miserable piece of shit. She always respected my wishes. Until now.

“She is. She has a townhouse on the south side of town.”

My heartrate spikes, knowing that she’s still around. For the first two years that I was gone, I occasionally checked her social media but with every post of her and Tony together, I got angrier and more spiteful. Eventually,I couldn’t do it anymore. I forced myself to stop looking and torturing myself.

“Her parents still live down the street?” I ask.

“They do. You should stop by for a visit. I’m sure they’d love to see you again.”

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