Page 22 of Revival

“You aren’t staying in Fairview Valley?”

We’re interrupted by the server. I order a steak au poivre while Cortney decides on the seafood provençal linguine. He returns a moment later with some wine before we’re alone again.

My shrug is noncommittal. “Haven’t decided. The only thing I know for certain is I’m done with the pipeline. If I can’t find work in Fairview Valley, I’ll go somewhere else.”

“It’s tough out there. Ollie’s been looking for a more serious job for about six months now.”

“That’s your kid, right?”

Her eyes brighten. “It is. He’s seventeen. Ready to make a name for himself in this big world. He’s great at baseball and even received an offer to play for college, but he’s not sure that’s the course he wants to take. He wants to go into medicine.”

“Wow. Sounds like you’ve raised one hell of a son. Seventeen… that’s breaking my brain a little bit.”

Her smile is light. “Why?”

I stall with a sip of the red wine. The dry, bitter taste coats my tongue. She has a kid nearly the same age I was when I made the greatest mistake of my life.

“I think I’m just proud that you accomplished so much.” And relieved that she did so in spite of what I did to her.

Even in the orange light, the blush on her cheeks is visible. She shakes out her napkin and lays it delicately on her lap, her fake ring catching in the candlelight. “My support system is unmatched. I’m lucky. You too, from what I hear. Silas and Sutton sound thrilled to have you back.”

Sutton and Silas are my brothers. If the three of us were standing in the same room, it’d be apparent that Sutton is the oldest and Silas is the youngest, leaving me in the middle. Sutton is all tough, Mr. Serious, while Silas can’t go an hour without cracking a joke. He lives to make others smile.

They’re beloved by the community.

And the two have been insufferable since I came back to town.

“They’re the reason I’m on this trip,” I joke, watching the wine quiver as I swirl my glass. “Can’t find a moment of peace around those two.”

“That’s something we’ve always had in common.”

“What’s that?”

Her dewy lips twitch. “Dodging insufferable brothers.”

Sitting across from her is like watching a flower bloom in real time. Little by little, she opens up as if I’m the sun drawing out her petals.

“Do you remember that tree house we built down by the river in the woods behind Fifth Avenue?”

She lets out a throaty laugh. “If I remember correctly, it was more of a shack. We could never get it into the tree.”

“So it was builtaroundthe tree. It’s still a tree house.”

“What about it?”

“I used to sneak you out there so we could escape our brothers. I just remembered is all.”

Her lips twist. “Haven’t seen that place in years.”

“I wonder if it’s still standing.”

Cortney just hums and brings her wine to her parted lips.

Our reminiscing is interrupted by our food. We both dig in, starving from a day of travel. “Fuck, it’s good to eat a real meal rather than the shit I have delivered to my house.”

“Have you visited The Rocks since you’ve been back?”

The Rocks is a local staple. The bar is well-loved, and Rueben used to make a kick-ass burger that people traveled across county lines to try.

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