Returning to the Apartment

As I drove us to the drop off location I chatted with Stevie, Robby… was out cold. For real, he'd had one drink. Chatting with Stevie was just easier, even though we didn't have any common interests, it was just nice. He didn't pry, usually.

On the pretext of needing a mailing address, I gave Stevie my new address. In the reflection of the window I saw him looking up images on renter websites… yep. The few pictures I did see looked like they came out of a crack house.

After we arrived Robby finally joined us in the land of the living, we hugged, Robby pretended he wasn't crying. I pretended I wasn't teering up. Then Stevie was marched onto a bus with twenty other young recruits. We stayed until the bus was out of sight.

The drive back was thankfully silent as Robby tried to stay awake… but fell asleep within minutes. I shook my head, he'd always fought sleeping, but he was always out the fastest.

I slept on the couch with a quilt. We'd only been gone three hours but the bin for recycling had a new addition. An empty bottle of alcohol lay alone… I rolled away so I didn't have to look at it before I caught a few hours of sleep.

Breakfast was painfully awkward after dad stumbled into the kitchen. It would have been less awkward if he hadn't tripped over his own feet, then cursed up a storm when he couldn't get up. It took me and Robby lifting him together to get him up, our thanks? Getting shoved into the counter as he cursed until he'd returned to his room.

Ma was overly cheerful as if nothing had happened, but her red swollen eyes gave away she'd been crying again. I listened to her talk about staying together, good christen marriages don't end, that I needed to be careful when I eventually married. To start looking because I was getting older.

After breakfast me and Robby helped get the yard under control. Looked like it hadn't been mowed or edge yet this year. Robby got the lawn mower working as I edged. When I reached the only tree in the backyard, I carefully edge around the grave. Triumph, our family dog. After I edged, I brought out a bucket of water to wash the headstone off. Robby brought over a few wildflowers, then we cleaned the gear off and put it all away in the garage without a word.

We took turns taking short showers, then escaped before dad woke up from his mid morning nap on the couch.

Now that I was trapped in the car Robby tried to subtly question me… if subtle was a bull charging at me from the front. "I don't really know any of them that well Robby, I've only met them a few times."

"Oh, well, how's the new job going? Will it cover rent? That apartment was really nice." Robby asked as he focused on the red light like it was the eye of Sauron.

"Going good, yeah, it'll cover rent, which is only $200 a month. It'll be a good place I can hunker down and save up." I added leaning against the window as we headed to the jewelry store.

"Oh Damn! That's a steal! Uh, what did, the leasing contract look like? You have a copy?"

I closed my eyes, "Leasing contract is in a binder at home, take a left at the light." Unfortunately, the ring was outside the thirty days return policy… the custom order didn't help. Thankfully I didn't get it engraved, so now I'd have to look to sell it online or to a pawn shop or something.

The shoe shop was a little better, it catered to sports. Robby went on and on about all the different kinds of flats he'd tried out over the years. It would have been nice… if he wasn't so dang loud. I kept trying to get him to lower his voice but each time he'd get sullen until I apologized. I bought a relatively cheap pair, still over $60, but better money on shoes than back pain.

I napped on the drive back to my place, nothing personal, but playing twenty questions was exhausting… and the car was a cramped space so Robby's booming voice was giving me a headache.

Since it was already pretty late Robby just dropped me off. I stumbled in with a yawn, already almost six. I started a load of laundry, then fed the sins as they looked at me pitifully. I'd been able to eat while we'd been out, they'd been on their best behavior.

Reed set his fork down after swallowing the last piece of scrambled egg down, "So, we should break down our finances, we have a little bit of time now."

"Uh, well, I'd really like to, relax after time with the family." I hedged glancing at the apartment's computer… watching some TV seemed like a really good idea.

"Max, we have to figure out how you're going to pay your credit cards off, see why you haven't heard from the insurance company about your car, and how we're going to afford to eat this month. Come on." Reed started patting the table.

I sighed, then brought my computer over. Eating was kind of important.