Page 167 of Love in Riverbend
Along the way we talk about our day. I tell him about the big science department meeting. There are a few proposed adjustments in curriculum that we all needed to know and understand. “It’s so weird to never have taught a class and be the one to make major changes.”
“Do you feel good about the changes?”
I shrug. “It isn’t anything like things you hear on the news. It’s pretty basic stuff, like having my lesson plans ready before school starts. There’s an internal review board. That way if anyone complains that I’m teaching the anatomy of an arachnid, the team has a ready response.”
“Oh, arachnid anatomy,” he says. “I can see how controversial that could be.”
“You have no idea. In some species, their different appendages can grow large enough to take on the appearance of an extra leg.”
Justin laughs. “I didn’t know that.”
“Explaining that to seventh-grade boys…”
He lifts his hand. “Oh, stop. I see the problem already.”
“Yep. The subject came up when I was student teaching and thankfully, the teacher was able to jump in. The scary thing is that now I’ll be the teacher.”
Justin’s hand lands on my dress-covered thigh before his blue stare meets mine. “I have faith in you.”
“How was your day?”
“Nothing as exciting as leg-sized appendages.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” I’m a terrible judge, but what I felt the other night and before at my apartment was large, but isn’t exactly going to be mistaken for a third leg.
Justin’s expression sobers.
“Is something wrong?”
He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing in the V of his open shirt collar. “Fuck. I didn’t want to talk about it tonight. I want tonight to be about us.”
“Is it bad? Is there a problem? With us?” I ask.
“No,” he answers quickly as the light mood of our talk slips away.
Instead of asking, I wait.
“I found out today,” Justin says, “the developer offered your dad more money for the farm.”
“Oh.”
I suppose that should make me happy. I mean, my parents deserve to benefit from their years of hard work. The thing is that now that I’m back, I don’t want them to sell.
“What are you thinking?” Justin asks.
Looking down at his hand still on my leg, I try to come up with words. “I want my parents to reap the benefit from all their hard work.”
Justin nods.
“I also don’t like change. I thought I did. I thought I wanted a different life than Riverbend. I don’t regret leaving for college. Now that I’m back, I realize how much I love this place. I don’t want to see it change. I don’t want it to turn into every other town.”
He squeezes my leg. “Dad has come up with a way for us to buy your farm.”
“If the developer is offering more,” I say, thinking aloud, “then that means you’d need to pay more.”
Justin nods again.
“When do you need to decide? Does my dad know you’re interested?”
