Page 61 of Attraction & Repulsion

“Yeah, Jax wouldn’t shut up about you. Now we’ll get to see what the fuss is all about,” Billy teased.

“Good to see you too,” Jax said, giving his older brother a hug.

“I hope I live up to the hype.” Carson laughed, then continued to chew her cheek because it wasn’t entirely a joke.

They all squished into the van. Carson had to avoid stepping on an action figure, and when she sat down, she fished three LEGO bricks fromunderneath her and put them in a cup holder.

As Billy zippered back into traffic, Jax asked, “Where’s Elizabeth?”

From the front seat, Marlo leaned her head back to answer. “We left her with your mother, so we had enough room in the van. We were going to leave the boys too, but they insisted on coming.”

“Yeah, Uncle Jax, we wanted to see you first,” one of them said.

“Oh yeah?” Jax reached his arm behind to tickle them and their giggles filled the back of the car.

“Guess what, Uncle Jax? We learned how to ride our bikes!” the other said.

“You did?”

“Now we can ride a dirt bike just like you and Daddy,” the first one exclaimed, melting Carson’s heart.

“So, Carson,” Marlo continued, ignoring the excess noise, “have you been to Texas before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“How are you liking the humidity?” Billy asked, using the rear-view mirror to look at her.

“Definitely nothing like Arizona.”

“At least you’re not visiting during the summer,” Jax said. “This is nothing compared to August.”

The city of Houston flew by. Tall skyscrapers jutted out of the earth with freeways and streets winding every which way, as if the labyrinth of exits and on-ramps was the only thing keeping the city together. The roads Billy was taking or which direction they were going was mind-boggling. It hurt Carson’s brain as they zig-zagged from one highway or feeder road to the next. It all made sense when she noticed a toll sign.

Eventually, the infrastructure began to dissipate. The dull colors ofconcrete and steel were replaced with earthy tones. She was surprised at how green Texas was for winter. She’d have to ask if Houston ever saw snow.

They left the busy highways behind and ended up on the tree-shrouded streets of Magnolia. Every once in a while, Carson would see a store or a building. She thought about how, in Arizona, she could see a town from miles away, but in this part of Texas it seemed everything was concealed by trees and more trees.

Billy turned off the main road onto a skinny two-lane that wound through a lush forest. Was it considered a forest or just foliage? Carson didn’t know. It was so different compared to the Arizona desert. Then came an unpaved road where the vegetation lessened, and a brick home appeared.

There was no driveway other than the gravel road that ended in the front yard. A compact gold sedan and a decrepit truck were parked between a shed and the house.

Carson bit her bottom lip, excited. This was where Jax had grown up. Just like him, it was quaint and easy-going.

The twins were out of their seats before the van came to a full stop. They climbed over Jax’s lap, yanked open the door, and hopped onto the ground before taking off behind the house. A light breeze stirred the petrichor-scented air around them.

“You have one hour until dinner!” Marlo yelled after them.

“I got your bags. Y’all go on in,” Billy offered, only adding to the southern experience.

Jax led Carson to the wraparound porch that featured a swing, a dozen potted plants, and small concrete statues of woodland creatures. One of them, a tortoise, was grinning at her as they stepped through the screen door into a front entry.

“Is that you, Jax?” called a mature voice from another room.

“It’s me, Ma.”

A matronly woman appeared at the end of the hall, wiping her hands on an apron that hung on her round waist. The wooden floorboards creaked as she waddled toward them, her short arms reaching for her son. Jax had to bend down a fair amount to hug her.

“Oh, it is so good to see you,” she sighed in his ear, then pulled away to pat his cheeks and turned toward Carson.

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