Page 58 of Dark Endures

Probably the same person who decided each load needed to take forty-five minutes. I move my third load into the dryer and put the fourth in the washer.

How am I going to have time to grocery shop and fold all of this?

I need less clothing… or more. That way I can procrastinate longer on this chore.

My phone rings. The caller id is a bit glitchy on this old phone.

Hopefully, it’s not one of the girls. My excuses for missing meetings have been getting a little old lately. I need to quit before I have to confess. “Hello.”

“Hey, Mindy.”

Waylon! “How are you?”

“Can we meet for coffee? I’m in Urbium near your place?”

He absolutely cannot come to my apartment. Waylon’s never seen it. He’d be horrified even though I love it. Also, you’re going to tell me something horrible, and I don’t have energy for that and to hear what you’re going to say about me living somewhere unsafe. “I have about twenty minutes in my schedule.” Not really, but I’ll have to find it. “Can we meet at the coffee shop on the corner of 9th in about ten minutes?”

“I’ll be there. And thanks, Mindy.”

Oh, this is bad.

Really bad.

Waylon

Mindy

Waylon is sitting in the front window by the corner with two cups in front of him. His head is down as he stares at the steaming mug.

Whatever this is, it’s bad. Is Pattie sick, or worse, is their baby and my namesake?

“Hey, Waylon.” I slide into the seat across from him.

“You came.”

Of course, I did. “What’s wrong?” It better not be that he needs more money. It’s one thing to take out a loan with a balloon payment you can’t afford. It’s another thing to keep asking for money.

He won’t lift his gaze to meet mine.

“Just say it. Whatever it is, just say it,” I blurt out words, hoping they made sense.

He lifts his head up, unable to hide the fear. “I’m in trouble. Big trouble. I need your help.”

Waylon has never gotten in trouble, ever. He’s one of those guys that always did the right thing even as a boy. For him to say that, it has to be really bad. But what could it possibly be? He doesn’t even speed when he drives. Everyone goes five miles over the limit or more on a highway, but never Waylon.

“What happened?” What can I do to help him would be a better question. But that would show my inadequacy, not the confidence and support he needs now.

“My business hit a rough spot. A couple of employees embezzled funds. And the market had a downturn last year. It’s better now.”

You already told me that.

“But I had to take out a loan to keep everything afloat.”

That’s why I wrote you a check.

“None of the banks were willing to give me one. You know, we just moved into our house a few years ago, so there wasn’t enough equity there to help.”

If you couldn’t get a loan from the bank—

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