1. Maci
1
MACI
Present Day
“Y ou can do this,” I tell myself beneath my breath as I smooth down the non- existent wrinkles in my skirt. My nerves have gotten the best of me, and I’ve yet to leave my childhood home to start my first day of work. After leaving Vegas, I hit the ground running, obviously after letting my parents hug and question me to death, totally allowable, too, seeing as I’m currently back at home living with them rent free. I went down the line, telling them what I could since being blindsided by Chad the chode. Except, while I’d like to put every last bit of blame on him, I had to take some accountability myself, and that’s the cold hard truth. Okay, not all of it. After all, your dick doesn’t slip and fall into your secretary’s pussy on its own. I did maybe sort of rely on him a little too much, which goes against every grain of my being.
I am or was that girl, the one who chased after someone I shouldn’t have. He was a lion in sheep’s clothing, a boy trapped in a man’s body, and dear old daddy trained him to be the person he is today, using others as a stepping stone to get ahead, and I was completely blindsided the entire time. It added fuel to my already deflated self-confidence, and faking it till you make it only goes so far. After the catastrophe that came with Chad Miller and his father, Harris Miller, I changed careers, jumped ship, and went in a completely different direction.
“Ready for the big day?” Dad comes around the corner, meeting me in the kitchen, a to-go cup of coffee in his hand from one of my newly acquired favorites in Oak View. I was out looking for a job when I happened upon Oak this time, he has, and maybe that’s because Mom calmed him down, or maybe because he witnessed firsthand that I truly am okay even with the hell I’ve been through.
“Thanks, Dad,” I reply, swallowing the lump that builds in the back of my throat. I take another sip, this time to calm the riot of emotions and nerves that are bubbling inside me before finally changing the subject. “Feel like dropping me off?” I ask, moving in for a hug while keeping the offered drink in my hand. I’d initially balked at the idea of having one of my parents taking me to my first official day on the job, but it’d be silly to leave my car in an employee parking lot for who knows how long.
When I landed in Oak View, I gave myself a week to lick my wounds, get my affairs in order, and look for a local job so I could stand on my own two feet. It took me point two seconds to realize even though where my parents live is considered a bigger town than the next one over, it still meant making little to nothing, and with my credit cards needing payments on the regular, I had to look elsewhere. A slew of online searches later and looking at every available option out there, I landed on the gig I’m about to embark on today.
The idea of traveling seemed like a great idea. Finding a place of my own would be pretty pointless, because I’d be in an airplane or hotel most of the time as a flight attendant. Not like they’d ever come out and say it, but I did notice little things here and there. This way, though, I wouldn’t be a thorn in my parents’ sides and cramping their house or lifestyle.
Mom seemed to feel like she needed to either entertain or feed me simultaneously all day every day. Meanwhile, Dad didn’t sit still for a minute once I walked through the door. He asked questions then looked over my car I purchased to get around town once I came back, kicking the tires, checking the fluids, and staying in the garage more and more. They never once said they wanted their space back, yet I knew. I’d been out on my own for years, and they’d lived together alone for just as many. Sure, I lived with Chad the chode, and we did check in with one another when we had plans. But we were still able to come and go as we pleased, which I’m noticing my parents aren’t doing, at least not without asking if I want to go, if I need anything, or letting me know when they’ll be back.
“Thank god you came to your senses.” Dad takes a relieved breath. He’s clearly been holding this in while trying not to bug me about making what he thinks is the right decision.
“Only took me two minutes after you suggested the idea. I just like to keep you on your toes.” I lift to my toes and place a kiss on his salt-and-pepper bearded cheek. He lets out a low chuckle.
“I should have known,” he says as we pull away from one another. I go back to my coffee, sucking it down instead of enjoying the sweet concoction. My nerves have the best of me right now, worried I’ll forget every lick of training I’ve completed the past few weeks.
“Should have known what?” Mom comes around the corner, fastening an earring while looking from me to my dad.
“That your daughter would ask for a ride at the final hour and evade the point that her father is right for once in her life.” Mom laughs, rolls her eyes, and shoots me a wink.
“She’s a smart girl, knows how to play the game. I’ve taught her well. Safe to assume you ran out to grab her that?” she teases. Mom always says she trained Dad well. They married the year before I was born, give or take thirty-five years ago, but they’ve known each other since Dad transferred to Mom’s high school his senior year.
“You know the answer to that, Eloise.” He grabs Mom’s preferred hot tea with honey and a dash of milk and hands it to her.
“You’re the best, hon,” she replies.
“So I’ve been told. Okay, let’s get this show on the road, or our girl is going to be late, and we can’t have that.” Dad grabs the keys off the hook, spinning them around his finger before clasping them in his palm.
“That’s all you’ve packed?” Mom looks down at the carry-on I have packed with a spare uniform, a pair of pajamas, an outfit, my toiletries, and my tablet to play on at the hotel room if one is necessary. They prepare you for all of this during training. It’s better to be packed and ready than to have nothing at all, especially considering the airline I’m working with does international flights.
“Yep, it’s not like I’m going on vacation,” I say with a snort. We’re both notorious over packers, and while I’ve had to pack and repack multiple times, I somehow made it work.
“Well, then, I guess it’s time we get on the road. This reminds me of the last time we dropped you off, only it was for college,” Mom says excitedly, forgetting the fact that I’m thirty-four years old, living at home, all while asking for a ride to work.
“Yeah, a barrel of fun.” I wince saying it under my breath, back turned and wheeling my suitcase through the house. I’d rather my mom stay happy. I’m not exactly excited to make her feel bad when it’s me having a tough go of it.
“Mom, Dad, I really do need to get going.” I check my watch on my wrist, noting the time and worrying my bottom lip with my teeth. This is part of the reason why I didn’t want them to drop me off or pick me up; they’re semi-retired and on their own time. Dad picks up a contract here and there with the Department of Transportation, and Mom works at the local library a few days a week.
“Right, let’s get a move on.” Dad comes up beside me and takes my suitcase out of my hand, dropping the handle and picking it up. We move in separate directions once we clear the door to the garage. Mom goes to the front passenger seat, Dad heads to the trunk with my bag, and I move to the back seat.
I glance at my watch again once I’m settled in my seat and belted in. I’m wondering if this was the right decision, if maybe I wasn’t subconsciously choosing my newfound career for a different reason entirely.
Dad enters the car and goes about getting everything adjusted, which isn’t much seeing as how he only just came home about ten minutes ago from Oak the demands were all in the way he held his body and us moving together like two people who had been with each other for years. If only he’d called me, which he didn’t, and he hasn’t, proving the point further. One night with a pilot was all about our mutual satisfaction, nothing more and nothing less. Now, it’s time to put everything in the past and work toward the future. And I’m doing that today.