Page 91 of Another Love, Another Time
“I hope so. Why don’t you go take a shower, and I’ll warm up some food. My mom is going to stop by; she can’t wait until tomorrow. Hope you don’t mind?”
“Heck no. I love your mom! Let me jump in the shower so I don’t stink. I need to call my mom and let her know we made it to your house.”
“Tell her I said ‘hello,’” I call as he walks back to the spare bedroom.
~~~
“I can’t believe you’re here to visit her, and she puts you to work,” my mom taunts Baxter. Meanwhile, she’s helping to sweep up the padding left from pulling up the carpet. Surprisingly, the floor is not bad at all. There are a few spots I could sand down, but I think it shows character. It can wait for right now.
“I would have been more surprised if she didn’t put me to work,” Baxter responds.
“Hey, is it Pick-on-River day? I’ll remind you that both of you volunteered for this. Besides, I need to get all my honey-dos done before this guy kicks me to the curb.” I jab my thumb at Baxter.
“Oh, River, I’m not kicking you to the curb; I’m just trading you in for another model.”
“Asshole! Mom, you hear what I have to put up with?” Laughing at him, I throw a piece of the carpet, and it hits him square in the back.
“I’m not getting in the middle of it, but Baxter, if you ever want to trade for a classic model, you know where to look.” She winks at him. My. Mom. Winks. At. Him. Oh, God!
Baxter looks at me with a gleam in his eyes. “Riv, just think: I could be your step-daddy.”
“Eww. Gross. Stop you two!” We all laugh and throw bits of carpet padding at each other.
Finally, we slow down, and my mom asks, “So when will the divorce be finalized?”
It’s Baxter who responds, “Well, we both have signed, and River’s lawyer sent them back, so it should be soon.”
“You two may have the most civil divorce known to mankind.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I don’t want to lose touch with Baxter,” she says. “He’s become family.”
He pats her on the back. “Thanks, Mrs. G. You all have always made me feel like family.”
“Because you are, sweetie.”
There is a knock on the door, and I open it to see Aunt Jessica. Earlier, my mom was telling Baxter about this place in Monroe City where they sell moonshine, and he wanted to try some. She called my Aunt Jess to bring us some to-go drinks so he could try some. She picked up Aunt Connie on her way over.
“Here you go,” Aunt Jessica says. “I’ve got a few different flavors.”
“How much do I owe you?” My mom asks.
“Nothing. My treat.” She beams at Baxter. “I’m Jessica. You must be Baxter. It’s good to finally meet you.”
Aunt Connie has met him, and she greets him with a “hello.”
“You too,” Baxter returns to Aunt Jess. “Thanks for picking up the drinks. River only has shitty beer.”
My jaw drops in mock affront, and Aunt Jess continues, “No worries. How long are you in town?”
“Until Sunday. We have a thing where I’m going to meet all of River’s friends, and then River is going to drive me to see my family. From there, I’ll go to my next duty station.”
“Do you know where your next duty station will be?” Aunt Connie questions.
“Yes. They’re sending me back to Iraq,” Baxter answers.
Aunt Jess asks, “How many times have you been there?”
