3. Mac #2
I shake my head, “Nah, just wait. She’s been home less than a day. I’m sure once she finds out what those two busybodies were talking about, she’ll be on their side too.”
“Oh, kiddo.” Mom shakes her head and looks at me with pity in her eyes before diving back into her salad. We finish the meal in peace until I head back to the shop to finish up some more work.
Balancing a pack of beer in my left hand and a large pizza in my right, I approach the front door to my parents’ house.
I give it a gentle kick with the side of my foot and hear my mom’s soft voice and hurried footsteps moving toward the door.
I plaster a smile on my face even though I feel dog-ass tired as she opens the door.
“Alex!” She practically beams up at me. “Twice in one day, you’re going to spoil me.”
I shake my head and make my way inside, past my mom, through the living room and to the kitchen, where I set the pizza down on the table.
“Not possible. Where’s Dad?” I’d noticed he wasn’t sitting in the recliner he’s usually in when I walked through the living room, and I fight off the tendril of panic that tries to take root in my mind.
“I’m right here, son. What brings you over here on a Saturday night, no less?
” Dad shuffles from the hallway leading to the bedrooms and opens his arms for a hug.
I gently wrap my arms around his frail frame.
Releasing him, I hover nearby as he shuffles over to the table.
“Beer and pizza too? My heart!” My dad clutches his chest, and I huff out a laugh.
“Figured we haven’t sat down together in a while.
Plus, there’s a bag of laundry by the door.
” I shrug sheepishly. I technically still live with my parents, but there’s a little studio above the garage that I stay in more often than not.
Mom usually sneaks over and gathers my laundry every weekend, but after the display I saw in the bookstore, I decided that maybe I could give her a break and bring it over myself.
Mom heads to the front door and lugs in the bag of laundry while I grab paper plates from the cupboard. “Ma, I can get it!”
“Oh shush, just save me a slice or two, please. I’ll be right back,” she calls as she drags my clothes to the laundry room and gets the washer started.
Making sure everyone has a few slices of pizza on their plates, I head to the living room to set up the TV trays.
I know my parents and they likely have a show they usually watch together on Saturday nights, and I don’t want to disrupt their routine too much.
Sure enough, Dad takes his seat in the recliner and grabs the remote to turn something on.
I hand him a beer and take a seat on the couch.
We eat in silence minus the TV droning on in the background, but then my dad breaks the silence during a commercial. “Your mother shared with me that Emmalynn is back in town. And apparently defended your honor to two townsfolk today.” He raises his eyebrow in question.
“Yeah, I guess she’s back for the summer.
Probably prepping to head off to law school.
Did Ma tell you what bullshit rumors those townsfolk were spreading?
” I ask, and he shakes his head. The town talking about “those Macdonald boys” is a pretty common occurrence, so even if Mom didn’t tell him, I’m sure it wouldn’t be a surprise to him.
Ever since my older brother, Jake, got busted the first time, the whole town has been abuzz with gossip.
It was pretty fucking ridiculous. I’d like to think I wasn’t a bad kid when we were growing up, not like Jake.
But after dropping out of high school, I hung out with him quite a bit and the town continued to talk.
Now that it’s my turn to have a run-in with the law, the town has pretty much doubled down on their opinion of me. Well, almost the whole town. I still have my close friends and the odd townie here and there who still have my back.
“Don’t worry about it, son. The town is going to think whatever they want to think.
What matters is we know the actual story, right?
” My dad asks. I take a pull of my beer and nod.
“I’d rather focus on a plan for if this entire case goes sideways.
I know you’re hoping for a lenient ruling, and I have faith that Bill will do all he can to help you, but I’d feel better if we had a plan, just in case. ”
I take a deep breath and blow it out.
“Mr. Lawrence has been trying to get Henry to agree to a plea deal, but he’s not budging,” I explain. Running my fingers through my hair, I turn to my mom, who’s sitting on the edge of the couch now. Talking about the case always makes her nervous and a little on edge.
“What does that mean, Alex?” Dad asks.
“Well, it means we’re likely going to go to trial. Plead my case and hope they either find me not guilty or the judge goes easy on me with the sentencing.” I shake my head in frustration.
“And what if the judge doesn’t go easy on you?” my mom asks, rubbing her hands on her jeans.
“Mr. Lawrence says it could be a few months in prison.” My mom sucks in a breath and Dad curses. “But we’ll figure it out. I have some ideas on how to keep the garage open if that happens. But that’s the worst-case scenario right now.” I look at my mom, and she nods slowly.
“Have you heard from your brother?” Dad asks.
I shake my head. “Nah, not in a bit. I know he’s still in Cedar Bend, but that’s about it. I assume he’s doing okay since we haven’t had any calls to bail him out.” Rolling my eyes, I grab my beer and lean back onto the couch.
Dad huffs and leans back onto his recliner, rocking it slowly.
Their TV show starts back up after the commercial break and, just like that, the conversation is over.
Giving Mom and Dad the facts is easy. Hiding my anxiety about what might happen if I go to prison has gotten easier.
But as the trial date gets closer, and a plea deal seems unlikely, I can’t help the unease growing in the back of my mind.