Page 28 of Bending Under Pressure

“Really?” She grins and I love seeing her excited over the simple fact that I’m going to come watch.

“Really.”

“Okay.” Haley glances at the empty driver’s seat. “I should go.”

“Everything okay?” I ask, feeling as if something is wrong. She didn’t say she was going. She said she should go. As if she doesn’t want to.

Haley shrugs.

“Come over to the house in about an hour or so.”

“Okay, thanks.” She gives me a small smile and finally slides into the driver’s seat.

I head to my car and drive home. After a shower, Cam and I sit down at the table with my parents for dinner.

“Have you made any decisions about Natalie?” Mom asks about halfway through our meal.

Holding in my sigh, I say, “Yeah, I’ll meet with her again I guess. I should probably call her soon.” Maybe if I get to know her a little more and meet my aunt and sister, I can lay the subject to rest and say I tried. I’m a little curious about my sister and aunt, but not my mom. That’s probably backward, but I can’t help it. If I get to know her, then I’ll find out why she went to jail, and I’m not sure if I want to know.

“That’s good,” Mom replies with a smile. “Whenever you’re comfortable, if you want, you can invite her here for dinner.”

Natalie? Here in this house? I don’t think so. I can’t picture her here. This is my home and it’s where I’m most comfortable. I can’t have someone who would be the equivalent to a tornado invited into my house. “Maybe,” I tell her, knowing it will make her happy. “Haley’s coming over soon,” I add to change the subject.

“You can have dish duty tomorrow then,” Dad tells me.

Cam speaks up then to talk about his favorite subject: Jess. I tune him out until we’ve finished eating, which is exactly when the doorbell rings.

“I got it.” I quickly stand and my chair almost falls backward, but I catch it.

“Don’t run too fast,” Cam jokes.

“Shut up.” After hurrying to the door, I swing it open with a smile and open the screen door for her. She’s showered, her hair slightly damp as if she didn’t want to waste time drying it completely, and she’s wearing a pair of shorts that weaken my knees. “Hey.”

“Hey. My mom said I had two hours before I needed to be home.”

I chuckle. “She decided I might try to corrupt her little girl?” I guess, taking her hand and leading her to the back of the house.

“Something like that,” she confesses.

The night air is warm when we step out the back door. Crickets are already chirping and there’s a chorus of frogs croaking like their lives depend on it. I release her hand and lie in the hammock first. There’s a small smile on her face.

“What?”

“No pillow this time?” she smirks.

“Nah, I figured we could do without. Unless you want one?”

Haley shakes her head, slips her shoes off, and climbs in next to me as slowly and carefully as possible so she doesn’t tip us over. “I was only teasing.” The sides of our bodies are touching again and I take her hand. “Why did you invite me over?”

“You seemed like you needed some hammock time.”

She deeply inhales and exhales. “I think you’re right.”

We lie there for a while, listening to the crickets, frogs, and birds, and enjoying the peacefulness.

“My dad cheated on my mom,” she suddenly blurts out.

“What?” I turn my head toward her.

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