Page 72 of Years in the Making

“Sophie’s boyfriend seems to think he’s pretty damn close.”

“You got that from the one time you met him?” I roll myeyes. Men are so threatened by one another. Sophie Hore, the daughter of Bennett’s neighbors, introduced us all to her boyfriend at Christmas. He’s a few years older than her and quite established, but there’s nothing wrong with that.

“No, I get that from the three times I’ve met Gregory-not-Greg, and because of the things Karl and Cass have said about him. Although Cass tends to bring her brother Foster into every conversation about Sophie and Greg.” I laugh at the way he says “Greg” in such a mocking tone, as if he knows the guy will sense the short form, and Teddy is reveling in it.

“He’s nice, though, right?” I don’t know Sophie that well, but she is one of those people you’d thowdown for in a heartbeat without a history with.

“Foster? I have no idea, I’ve never met the guy. If he’s anything like Cass, he’s probably great. All I know is that he’s a ginger too and he lives abroad, but that’s about it.”

“No, not Foster, Gregory,” I clarify, forcing a terrible British accent.

“He’s just an academic.”

I force my lips to stay shut. I work in a university library and consider myself to be a bit of an academic, not to mention my father is an actual academic.

“Not that that’s a bad thing,” Teddy finally continues. I don’t know if he realized what he said was somewhat offensive or if he just didn’t know how to carry on with his thoughts. “He’s the kind of guy who will stand up on a plane when someone calls for a doctor. Bro, you know damn well what kind of doctor they need, chill.”

“Okay, I guess he did give off those vibes,” I agree. “How is Zoe?” I realize we are doing an excellent job talking about other people in our lives rather than addressing the elephant in the room, but we’re talking and that seems to be more important.

“She’s”—there’s a brief pause—“good. She’s married with akid and another one on the way.” We can circle back to that pause later.

“And your brother?”

“Married too. Three kids, a white picket fence, and a golden retriever.”

“You sound surprised telling me that.”

“That’s because I am still surprised.” Teddy guffaws. “I think we both expected to be in the other’s shoes.”

“You with the idyllic nuclear family and him the nomad?”

“Well…Maybe just the nomad part.”

It feels like we have circled back to where we start discussing his mom and why he left, so when I see our destination is only five minutes away, I feel a wave of relief wash over me.

“Marmot Point,” Teddy reads the name on the map. “There’s probably some dark reason behind the name.”

“Probably sounded better than Groundhog Point,” I say as I slowly enter the hamlet.

I was told to park at the gas station, which has one very old pump. The building itself appears to serve as the post office, liquor store, and… “Does that say taxidermist?” Teddy asks, squinting at the sign squeezed between the two others. I see him pull Kevin into himself a bit tighter and can’t help the smile that spreads on my face.

“It’s not exactly what you expect to see, but I guess you make do.”

“Well, no, for sure.” Teddy nods. “Every town needs a gas station, liquor store, and good taxidermist. Those are the essentials.”

“Absolutely,” I agree, slipping out of the truck and immediately stretching.

Through the window, I watch Teddy do the same, and I allow my eyes to lock onto the slip of his abdomen that’srevealed when his shirt lifts a few inches above the waistband of his pants. Teddy had been all lean muscle when he was twenty-two, but there is nothing lean about the man in front of me. It’s not that he’s bulging or bulky; it’s more that he now has the body of someone who worked to get it rather than just existing with it. I can feel my cheeks heat when I remember how he caught me staring at the lake. I never thought of myself as a hairy-chest lover, but on Teddy, I have the urge to grab on and never let go.

“Earth to Nellie,” I hear my name, and my vision starts to clear.

Teddy is leaning into the truck looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You good? It was like you were in a trance.”

I slap on a smile and shake my head. “Too much driving, I think. I’m good.”

“That who we’re meeting?” He points towards an older woman who seems to have materialized out of nowhere. She’s got an old Toronto Maple Leafs hat pulled low, a long-sleeved shirt, cargo pants, and some pretty heavy-duty-looking boots on. Behind her there are seven children, walking in single file, wearing nearly the same thing.

“I have no idea.” I shrug, unable to look away from the troop as they march towards us.

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