busted nose. “I doubt he would take her to his house.”
“Do you think he would hurt her?” Panic clawed into his throat at the thought.
“No. I don't think he would hurt her on the off chance, well, that the girl is his.” Tim pondered for another moment and the realization of what Tim said hit Calvin full force.
“The girl?” he squeaked, doubling over and clenching at his stomach. “She's having a girl?”
“Yeah, man I thought you knew? Oh hell man, don't puke on your shoes... Ah hell, too late, isn't it?” Tim grimaced as he attempted to wrinkle his nose. “Ow.”
“Missed the shoes. Let me call her again.” He dialed her number again and frowned with each ring that she didn't answer. “She's not picking up.”
“Want me to get Layla home? Then I'll ride out with you. We'll find her. I'm sure she's fine, Calvin.”
“I'm going. I'm not going home,” Layla huffed.
“Do you have Derek's number, by chance, Tim?” Calvin asked, completely ignoring Layla and her outburst.
“No, man, I don't,” Tim shrugged apologetically. “We never were great friends.”
“I have it,” Layla piped up. “And you can have it, if I can go.”
Calvin leveled her with a dark gaze. “Give me the number, Layla.”
“Do I get to go?”
“Tim, you really want to marry this one? Layla, give me the number. Now.”
“Fine,” she huffed, scrolling through her phone. “224-6888.”
Calvin punched the numbers in and waited patiently as the phone rang. “You better answer, Derek,” he whispered.
* * *
Zoe opened the door of the truck and stepped out, her shoes crunching against the gravel of the driveway. Derek shut the truck off and stepped out. “He's calling me.”
She sighed. “I don't want to talk to him right now. I'm going up on the porch.” She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering slightly against the chill air. There had been a small warm spell, giving them Indian summer like days, but the nights were still brisk. A hoodie simply wasn't enough.
Her momma's robin's egg blue swing still sat on the corner of the porch, a beacon to a time she longed for, when things were simple. Her hand trailed along the railing of the porch as she walked closer to the swing. Turning, she sat down and began to rock, the familiar squeak of the chains soothing her frazzled, tired nerves.
She swung that way for a few moments, leaning back into the swing and flying. Best thrill ever. Her dark eyes filled with tears and she cried silently in the dusk of the porch. I wish life was simple again. Her breath caught on a sob and Derek sighed.
“Why are you crying, Zoe?” He came to sit next to her, jostling the swing as he plopped down on it.
“Why is life so complicated, Derek? Can you tell me that?” she whispered, her shoulders caving under the weight of the world pressing upon them.
“I don't know, Zoe. Sometimes I wish we were just kids again, before stuff became about sex and money. When we could just play down at the creek and not worry about life. But it ain't that way anymore.” He leaned back against the slats of the swing and rested his arm along the back. “Swing with me, Zoe. Let's just be.”
“Okay.” She slid back and her shoulder brushed against his arm. They began to rock back and forth, gliding smoothly through the air. The swing swept back far enough to catch glimpses of the clear sky and Zoe found herself choked up again looking at the majesty of the twilight. The sky stretched as far as one could see and was dotted with hundreds of crystalline stars. They blurred as she blinked and a tear slid from the corner of her eye. “Look at all the little lights, Derek.”
He glanced up as they flew back again. “Makes you feel small, don't it?”
“Very small, and like all my worries are insignificant in the big scope of things.”
“Ah, Zoe. You look so beautiful,” Derek whispered.
He shifted on the swing and drew her in close. “Derek, don't. Don't ruin this.”
“I
“Do you think he would hurt her?” Panic clawed into his throat at the thought.
“No. I don't think he would hurt her on the off chance, well, that the girl is his.” Tim pondered for another moment and the realization of what Tim said hit Calvin full force.
“The girl?” he squeaked, doubling over and clenching at his stomach. “She's having a girl?”
“Yeah, man I thought you knew? Oh hell man, don't puke on your shoes... Ah hell, too late, isn't it?” Tim grimaced as he attempted to wrinkle his nose. “Ow.”
“Missed the shoes. Let me call her again.” He dialed her number again and frowned with each ring that she didn't answer. “She's not picking up.”
“Want me to get Layla home? Then I'll ride out with you. We'll find her. I'm sure she's fine, Calvin.”
“I'm going. I'm not going home,” Layla huffed.
“Do you have Derek's number, by chance, Tim?” Calvin asked, completely ignoring Layla and her outburst.
“No, man, I don't,” Tim shrugged apologetically. “We never were great friends.”
“I have it,” Layla piped up. “And you can have it, if I can go.”
Calvin leveled her with a dark gaze. “Give me the number, Layla.”
“Do I get to go?”
“Tim, you really want to marry this one? Layla, give me the number. Now.”
“Fine,” she huffed, scrolling through her phone. “224-6888.”
Calvin punched the numbers in and waited patiently as the phone rang. “You better answer, Derek,” he whispered.
* * *
Zoe opened the door of the truck and stepped out, her shoes crunching against the gravel of the driveway. Derek shut the truck off and stepped out. “He's calling me.”
She sighed. “I don't want to talk to him right now. I'm going up on the porch.” She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering slightly against the chill air. There had been a small warm spell, giving them Indian summer like days, but the nights were still brisk. A hoodie simply wasn't enough.
Her momma's robin's egg blue swing still sat on the corner of the porch, a beacon to a time she longed for, when things were simple. Her hand trailed along the railing of the porch as she walked closer to the swing. Turning, she sat down and began to rock, the familiar squeak of the chains soothing her frazzled, tired nerves.
She swung that way for a few moments, leaning back into the swing and flying. Best thrill ever. Her dark eyes filled with tears and she cried silently in the dusk of the porch. I wish life was simple again. Her breath caught on a sob and Derek sighed.
“Why are you crying, Zoe?” He came to sit next to her, jostling the swing as he plopped down on it.
“Why is life so complicated, Derek? Can you tell me that?” she whispered, her shoulders caving under the weight of the world pressing upon them.
“I don't know, Zoe. Sometimes I wish we were just kids again, before stuff became about sex and money. When we could just play down at the creek and not worry about life. But it ain't that way anymore.” He leaned back against the slats of the swing and rested his arm along the back. “Swing with me, Zoe. Let's just be.”
“Okay.” She slid back and her shoulder brushed against his arm. They began to rock back and forth, gliding smoothly through the air. The swing swept back far enough to catch glimpses of the clear sky and Zoe found herself choked up again looking at the majesty of the twilight. The sky stretched as far as one could see and was dotted with hundreds of crystalline stars. They blurred as she blinked and a tear slid from the corner of her eye. “Look at all the little lights, Derek.”
He glanced up as they flew back again. “Makes you feel small, don't it?”
“Very small, and like all my worries are insignificant in the big scope of things.”
“Ah, Zoe. You look so beautiful,” Derek whispered.
He shifted on the swing and drew her in close. “Derek, don't. Don't ruin this.”
“I
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