Page 43 of Emergency Exit
Ash hung up and tried to compose a response to Harper.
I think so? I just found out. Forest says Rowan is at home. I need to call my mom. I’ll call you later.
He was about to hit send when the phone rang with his mom’s number.
“Hey, Mom!”
“Ash, was your brother involved in a drive-by shooting?”
Rose sounded on the verge of Forest’s previously mentioned freakout.
“Rowan is fine,” said Ash. He hoped.
“Are you sure? Because the news said he was hurt.”
“OK, I think he did get a little hurt, but if you look at the clips from the press conference afterward, you can see he’s walking around.”
“How do I get clips? I just saw the news, and now they’re talking about the weather.”
Ash rested his head in his hand. How was he related to people who watched the news on Saturday morning?
“You can Google the news channel,” said Ash patiently.
There was silence, and Ash could hear her tapping on her tablet.
“Oh, there he is. Yes, he does look OK. That girl is pretty, and that dress is very sophisticated. I think Rowan likes her.”
“I think he’s dating a girl from work,” said Ash.
“Well, if you say so, but I think he likes this girl.”
“I don’t know, Mom,” said Ash tiredly.
“Should I call him?” Rose sounded nervous. She always sounded nervous about calling Forest and Rowan. He usually didn’t know what to say, but today, at least, there was clarity.
“Forest said he was sleeping in and I shouldn’t call him,” said Ash. “So maybe tomorrow. Or text him later today.”
“Oh, OK.” Rose knew very well that her relationship with her oldest two children was strained, but none of them, including her, would say it. It drove Ash crazy that none of them wouldjust admit it. He always felt stuck in the middle. “I did have a question,” she said, sounding puzzled. “But then I saw Rowan on the news, and now I’ve forgotten what it was.”
“Well, if you remember, just call back later.”
“Hold on, and let me walk into the living room.” It was one of his mother’s firm beliefs that walking into a new room either made her forget or remember things.
Ash waited patiently, listening to her footsteps.
“Well,” she said after a moment, “I have remembered where I put the tea I just made, but I don’t think that was why I wanted to talk to you.”
He also thought that sometimes she just wanted to talk to him.
“It’s OK, Mom. But I’m going to have to go. I need to find someone to help me with Bob.”
“What about Bob?”
“Someone broke her pot.”
“Oh no! Well, put her in a new pot as soon as possible and give her plenty of water—but not too much. Make sure she has plenty of drainage. So, if you’ve got a few packing peanuts, you can put them in the bottom of the new pot and then cover everything with fresh soil. That will do until you get a proper replacement pot.”
“Thanks!”
