Page 156 of When We Were Us
“Hey.”
I can hear Tucker whining in the background and the road noise as Hank drives. I picture him now, freshly showered with damp hair covered by his favorite black hat.
“Sorry to wake you, but I had to hear your voice before I go.”
“I’m glad you called.” I sit up and prop myself on the pillows. “You heading out soon?”
“Yeah, just left the cabin.”
“Be safe, ok?”
“Always am,” he answers, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “What are you doing today?”
“As soon as the boys get out of school, Peter is dropping them off. We’re going to make cookies since Ginger will be home late.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Yeah, it should be. They’ll keep me on my toes, for sure.”
“I bet.” He waits a beat or two. “Anything from your lawyer?” I can hear the change in his voice. He hasn't said anything, but I know he’s worried something will happen to keep me here indefinitely. Sometimes, I think he’s not 100 percent sure I’ll come back.
“Nothing yet. I think I might have a buyer for my vehicle though. So, that’s one step closer.” I hate lying to him, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise. He should make it home Thursday afternoon, just before my flight Friday.
“That’s good.” He sighs and clears his throat.
“You ok?” I ask, but I know he’s not. I probably wouldn’t be either if I didn't know I was going to be back with him in less than four days' time.
“Yeah, just miss you, Wrennie Girl.”
He sounds tired and sad. Tears spring to my eyes and my voice comes out thick when I say, “I miss you, too. So much. Hopefully not too much longer.”
“Yeah. Hopefully.” He clears his throat and sighs. “All right. Well, I should go. Get some sleep and I’ll call you in a few days.”
“You’ll be back Thursday, right?”
“Yeah, probably later in the afternoon.”
“Ok, well, I’ll talk to you then. Please be safe. I love you.”
“Will do. Love you.”
We disconnect the call and I flop back on the pillows with a sigh. I hate that he’s leaving for three days when I'm not there. I hate that I’m not there, period. They’ll likely not have cell service, but they will be travelingwith a satellite phone for emergencies, so I at least have that consolation.
Checking the clock, it's not even three. So, I turn over and burrow down in the blankets and try to get more sleep.
I spendthe morning doing laundry and watching horrible daytime TV. A call from my lawyer around lunchtime has me grinning from ear to ear because Derek has finally agreed to my terms to split everything half and half. I ask what changed his mind, and she doesn’t have an answer for me other than to not question it and that she’ll stop by tomorrow for me to sign the final paperwork. I make sure to set it up so that I’ll be back from the dealership in time, and we agree to meet tomorrow evening.
The boys come screaming into the house around four o’clock with Peter hot on their heels.
“You two hang up your bags and wash your hands!” he calls after them.
I laugh as they run past me. “Hi, Auntie Wrennie!” they chorus as they bound up the stairs to their rooms. My heart swells and I can’t believe how much I’m going to miss them when I’m gone.
“You sure you got this?” Peter asks as he follows me into the kitchen, carrying the twins' lunch boxes.
“Oh, yeah, we’ll be fine. We’re gonna make cookies and hang out ‘til Ginger gets home.”
He laughs. “You mean, you’re going to make cookies while the boys make a mess and eat the raw dough?”
