Page 41 of Too Much In Common
Her phone pinged.
Chris: Beach? I have a beach. Only it is covered with snow and ice.
That conversation looked like it could be more fun. Tian finished her conversation with her mother first.
Tian: I see your point. I meant I would worry about him. He said he was going back to Boston. Does he still have his place? I thought the current wife was in Atlanta.
Mom: She left him months ago. Divorce is final. He is going to live in my spare room.
Tian stared at the screen. Her parents were living together again?
Mom: Close your mouth. I can hear you yelling from here. After everything, we’ve stayed friends. He can’t go stay with his parents because of their health, but here he will be close to them. Your aunt’s old room will work for him when the time comes.
The room that contained a hospital bed and smelled like death? It had been mostly empty at the funeral. This was what Mom got for turning in her flight attendant uniform for nurses’ scrubs. Now every relative that needed hospice...
Tian: I’m shocked but not surprised. You are the nicest person on earth.
Mom: It took me a couple of days to offer. I also think it will be good for you and Brit to have a place to come see him over the next few months.
Further proof that her mother deserved sainthood. How many women would take in their ex-husband’s daughter, who happened to be born while they were still married? Only Mom. The best part of that extraordinary mess was she’d gotten a sister out of the deal.
Tian: You are the best. It must be late there. Love you.
Finally, free to leave her room, Tian texted Chris as she walked down the hall.
Tian: If it makes you feel better, I haven’t made it to the beach yet.
* * *
It took long enough for Tian to respond to his text. Chris wondered if she’d been surfing.
Chris: Doesn’t. I pictured you having fun.
Tian: I am on my way to a souvenir shop now to buy a cheap towel and maybe a lava-lava.
Chris: You don’t strike me as they type to purchase a lot of souvenirs.
Tian: Other than bears... Which most of them have been for occasions, not places. I usually bring Brit and Simone the local chocolate specialty. How was your day?
Chris: Boring. The way I like it. Can we call?’
Tian: Let me put in some earbuds. One minute.
Chris: Call when ready.
Chris picked up on the first ring. “Hey. Was your flight good?”
“Standard. The landing was a little nerve-racking—new airport, big plane, worried I’d mess up.”
“Which you must have done perfectly since there is nothing on the TV about a plane crash in Hawaii.”
“My goal in life is to not mess up to the point that anyone uses the recording as a lesson on YouTube or mocks me on Twitter or TikTok.
“Mine is to not be in the news.”
“So our career goals are the same. Yet another thing we have in common. We want the day to be as uneventful as possible.”
Chris couldn’t help but laugh. “So boring is good?”
