KOA
IMAKE MY WAY BACKdownstairs, wondering why the fuck I felt the need to tell her my name.
Fuck, I need a drink.
I always need a drink these days.
My phone rings and I pull it from the back pocket of my jeans and answer.
“Dad?”
“Hey, bud.”
“Hey, Dad. Just checking with you that it’s still okay to come to your place for Thanksgiving?”
My heart rate picks up, and when I reach the bottom of the stairs, I sit on the last one.
“Yeah, about that. You’re welcome to come to visit anytime, you know that, but I’ll be spending it at Aunt Emily’s place this year, not in Aspen.”
“Yeah, Grandma said you’d gone there.”
“She told you right, son.”
“Have you started the renovations yet?”
“We’ve had few feet of snow here, so no, nothing’s been done so far.”
He’s quiet. Too quiet.
“Kai?”
“Dad, I hate it here.”
“It’s only been two months, you promised to give it a year.”
He gives a long sigh, and I know without even seeing him that he’s raking his fingers through his hair just like I am.
“How long is Billy letting you take off for the holiday?”
“I fly in Wednesday, fly out Sunday.”
“Well, that’s a decent break. You want me to come pick you up at the airport?”
“That’d be great. I’m flying into Aspen, though, I didn’t know you weren’t gonna be there until after I booked the flight.”
“I needed to get away.”
“I get that Dad, but Emily’s? You just left one shit storm behind and walked right into a worse one.”
Now it’s my turn to let out a long sigh.
“I hope not, son. You spoke to her at all lately?”
“No. She’s called, but I’ve got nothing to say. Besides, when she calls, it’s always at about two in the morning, and we know what that means.”
“Fuck, she still doing that? You want me to talk to her?”
“Would there be any point? Not like she’s gonna remember once she puts the phone down, and it’ll just end with you two getting into it.”