Page 79 of His One True Wish

Mom texted when I was just outside of Golden.

You close?

I readied to answer her call on speaker. The phone rang.

“Hey, Mom,” I said, smiling. The snowglobe surrounding Axl and I had shattered. My real life was crashing in all around me.

“I’m so happy to hear your voice, sweetheart,” Mom said. A hammer pounded in the background, and I heard the muddled voices of people shouting. “What an ordeal. I can’t believe you got snowed in up there — and with a tenant.”

“You and me both, Mom,” I said. I took a long, slow breath as I hit traffic at Golden, which I had no intention of mentioning. “Yes, it was a surprise.”

“Well, I suppose it’s good someone has been keeping an eye on the place,” Mom said.

“Nah, I don’t think he is the right fit,” I said. “We should talk about making a change. He has a lease, but he’ll give it up if we ask him to.”

“Okay, honey. If you think so,” Mom said. Then her voice muffled, I heard what I imagined was Abby. Mom was talking to her with her hand covering the phone.

“Hey, Mom? I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Great. Abby is here now,” Mom said.

“I figured. I mean, that’s great,” I said, reminding myself to quit being such a bitch. Abby had been helping Mom while I played naked roommate with Axl. I was embarrassed at myself for running away and then getting stuck.

“She says hello,” Mom said. “We’ve got a crew over here right now, ripping out the soggy floor outside the powder room. We’re going to get that repaired and then look at rescheduling the open house.”

“Yikes,” I said. “Mom, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I know I thought I was helping by taking things to the cabin, but what a mess.”

“Honey, nobody saw that weather coming. Don’t you worry a thing about it,” Mom said. “The good news is, the house wasn’t staged. I can’t imagine what it would cost to replace all that fancy furniture.”

“Oh, Mom,” I said, feeling sick for leaving her to deal with such a mess. I couldn’t have predicted the pipes would burst, but my inclination had been to run. I was ashamed of myself for leaving Mom when she needed me and falling for Axl’s bullshit. “I’ll be home to help soon.”

“Well, you can help first by stopping to get a bucket of chicken,” Mom said.

“Hold the phone,” I said, in mock surprise. “Is my mother, Moira Prescott, actually greenlighting getting take-out?”

“Oh, you know that I like my fried chicken better than anybody else’s, but the kitchen is a mess, and Abby is encouraging me to not to do much.”

“Huh,” I said, an unexpected feeling of camaraderie surprising me. “Tell Abby, thank you. I approve.”

“I will, sweetheart.” Mom sighed. “Okay, drive safe. You know the traffic in Golden — ”

“Yes, you and Abby are right. It is terrible.”

“I know it is.” Mom sighed. “Love you, sweetheart. I am going to go before they start banging and ripping things up. I’m afraid it’s not so peaceful here.”

“It’s okay. I kind of feel like picking up a sledgehammer and knocking some walls down myself.”

“Oh, sweetheart. I think you need to be insured for that kind of thing.”

“Kidding, Mom,” I said.

“All right. Love you.”

I hung up just as I passed the Walmart, where I considered picking up a phone charger before heading to Smoke River. Here I was, back in Denver. I felt different, but nothing had changed. There was snow on the ground, and the traffic still sucked in Golden. Mom and Abby were hard at work preparing to sell my childhood home.

“What happens in Smoke River stays in Smoke River,” I muttered to myself as I flipped on the radio. I scrolled through different stations, pausing at the golden voice of John Denver.

You fill up my senses, like a night in the forest

---