Page 18 of Confessions of the Funny Fat Friend

Was I a creep for hoping to see her car in the parking lot? Or better yet, alongside the road? Probably. If not a creep, then, at the very least, a moron. Nothing could happen between us, I reminded myself for the millionth time that day.

And still, I was more than a little disappointed when I noticed it was already gone. Hopefully she was getting her tire fixed and wouldn't be changing any more tires on the road.

After showering, I got out my tablet and called Mom like I always did on Wednesday nights. When we all lived in Cottonwood Falls, it was our family's tradition to get together Wednesday nights and have supper. Mom always made a delicious meal, and when it was nice outside, Dad grilled the meat to go with it.

On those nights, we’d sit around a table on the cement patio overlooking our family's pasture. I missed that when I was on the road. Especially now, in this apartment with a view of a family playing in the park between buildings. So when Mom's face surrounded by a mop of frizzy blond hair appeared on the screen, it was like a breath of fresh air. A breath of home.

“Hey hon, how you doing?” she asked, setting her phone on the windowsill and washing her hands in the sink.

“Just got settled in here. First couple days have gone well,” I answered. “How's everything there?”

She turned the sink off and squinted at the camera, then my view flipped to the window. She showed Dad at the grill, Rhett at the patio table, and my sister, Liv, sitting across from him. My older brother, Gage, was nowhere to be seen. Since his falling out with Dad, he hadn't been around much. But we didn't speak about his absence because it broke Mom's heart.

The camera wobbled as she stepped outside, and I heard her announce, “Tyler’s on the phone!”

“Hey, what's that grilling?” I asked.

She turned the camera on the grill, showing blackened steaks and foil packed with what I assumed were peppers and onions fresh from the garden.

“Now you're being mean,” I said. I could feel my accent growing heavier the longer I talked to them.

Mom laughed, turning the camera back on her. “You know you can come home any time, right? We miss you like crazy.”

“I miss you too,” I admitted, that homesick feeling back full force.

She moved again, and I saw her sitting next to Liv. “How's California?” Mom asked. “Are you liking it out there?”

My mind drifted to my new colleague, the one who had occupied far too many of my thoughts as of late.

“That's a smile I see on your face. Did you meet someone?”

I swore my mom could read minds. I didn't want to answer, but my hesitation was all she needed to let out a joyous squeal. “Do you hear that, Liv? Tyler met someone out there!”

My sister waggled her eyebrows at me, and I heard Dad grumble something about California. Rhett added something offensive about bleach-blonde girls in bikinis, and I could hear his protest as my sister slugged him.

I laughed, despite the homesick feeling in my chest. I knew Jim was counting on someone like me to handle the business, but I didn't know how much longer I could stay away from home. Every time I came out on a job like this, I felt like something was missing. But there wasn't anything for me in Cottonwood Falls—not without me coming up with a lot of money. Because I would never ask my older brother for money no matter how much he had to spare or how quickly he’d give it. My pride wouldn't let me do that.

“So when do we get to meet her?” Mom asked.

“I don’t date girls when I’m on location,” I reminded her, “especially not ones I work with.”

“You work with her!” Rhett said in the background. “You dirty dog.”

I rolled my eyes. “I do. And even if I didn’t, I don't think she's the kind who would move back to Texas with me, and there’s no way I’d fit in out here. There was a girl on the side of the road this morning changing her tire, and no one even stopped to offer her help.”

“Typical city folk,” Dad grunted off-camera. “They're always in a rush. No time to help.”

I could feel the rant coming on. Dad loved Cottonwood Falls almost as much as he loved his family, and he never understood why anyone would want to leave town, most of all his oldest two sons. “The job's going well,” I said, cutting the rant short. “We got the foundation going today and everything seems to be on track. One of the guys invited me out for a beer Friday night so I think that should be a good time.”

“Good deal,” Dad said, back to his quiet self.

“How's everything at the school?” I asked Mom. She'd be starting her tenth year of teaching in just a couple weeks. She always said teaching was her second career, since she’d stayed at home until all us kids were in school and then went back to college to get her own degree.

“We got new books for the classroom, so that's good. Although I will miss one student showing me their book that has Tyler Griffen’s signature along with a big butt drawn next to it, written in pen no less.”

My ears heated at the memory. I'd been such a dumb kid, leaving stupid drawings in all the books. “Maybe I can finally live that down,” I said.

She chuckled, and Dad said, “Dinner’s ready.”

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