Chapter 48 #2
I sit on the front porch letting the lake breeze lift the hair off my shoulders.
There’s something about the time in small-town Wisconsin.
It’s like the fewer stoplights a town has, the slower the days go.
It feels like you can get one-million things done, and it will still be early afternoon when you check the clock.
Maybe it’s the long days of summer, but even in the winter when the sun sets behind the sugar maples at four-thirty, the time still feels slow.
In summer, it’s like you have all day to do what you want because the sun sets so late.
In the winter, it’s like you have all this time to just hang around because the sun sets so early.
It’s fascinating compared to Houston where the rush-hour traffic starts before seven o’clock in the morning and doesn’t end until after seven in the evening.
The screen door behind me slams again and I glance over to see Wyatt coming through the door holding two sodas. He plops down in the chair next to me and hands me one.
“I could sit out here all weekend and feel like I got my money’s worth out of this trip,” I say as I stare out onto the wide green lawn again.
“Babe, you didn’t pay for this trip,” he laughs, taking a long sip of his soda. Half this state calls it pop, but you lose that when you get this close to the lake and, I guess, Illinois.
“Tomatoes, potatoes.” I wave my hand away, brushing off his comment.
“Do you ever miss it?” Wyatt’s voice is so quiet, I almost think he’s talking to himself, except he turns to look directly at me.
I have to look away from the deep blue of his eyes to answer.
“Sometimes.” The truth is that I was just considering it.
Did he read my mind? Silence stands between us like a stranger.
Today wasn’t my first time thinking about coming back to Wisconsin.
Every year I mail in my vote for Texas state elections only to hear the same assholes were re-elected time and time again, and that’s when I consider moving to Wisconsin.
They’re at least a swing state. And their Supreme Court just recently upheld abortion rights.
It’s pretty appealing. But someone needs to stay and vote in Texas.
I eye him across our chairs. “Did the Texas lessons convince you to like it there at all? Do you not see any similarities?” I gesture at the state around us.
He barks a laugh. “Oh, they’re completely different. I’m just getting used to it now.”
I play punch him on the shoulder. Colliding with the corded muscle there kind of hurts my fist, but I don’t let it show. He would never let me live it down.
Charlie is already on his way back up the drive with brats piled high on a platter. “You kids ready to eat?” he asks as he walks up the porch steps.
“Brats done already?” Wyatt replies, already folding his huge frame out of the regular person-sized chair.
“Have you been gone so long that you forgot they’re cooked in the beer boil before they even go on the grill?” Charlie teases.
Wyatt claps his old man on the back. “Of course I haven’t.”
We all follow Charlie into the house which smells like mac ’n cheese and green beans with bacon.
I chuckle to myself when I see the “salad” on the table.
In classic Midwest fashion, there’s not a lettuce leaf in sight.
No, these salads are special in that they’re basically a dessert.
They’re not big on vegetables around here.
“Wyatt, will you get the Poblocki Bakery buns off the counter and bring them to the table for everyone?” his mom asks.
“Sure, Ma.”
We all settle in at the huge wooden table. It could easily seat ten or twelve people, but tonight it’s just me, Wyatt, and his parents. “Where’s Henry and Hazel?” I ask anyone who might know.
“Her parents are in town for the wedding, so they’re out with them tonight,” Barb replies.
“That’s nice.” Hazel and Henry got together right after I left for Italy, so I haven’t gotten to know her as well as I would have wanted.
“Did you guys see the new Kwik Trip on your way in? They just built it in the spring. The food is so good. I’ll pick up some Glazers for us tomorrow.”
“I didn’t realize they finished it so quick. We’ll have to run by while we’re here. Too bad it’s not cold, their hot chocolate is awesome,” Wyatt says and takes another sip of his beer.
The room is filled with the sounds of clanking cutlery.
I watch as Wyatt piles what must be three cubic inches of sauerkraut on his brat.
So much that you can’t see the meat at all.
Just bun on the bottom and kraut on top.
This is one thing, besides my undying love of Culver’s, that I brought back with me to Texas.
They sell brats at H-E-B, and every now and again I get a mean craving for one.
“So,” Charlie starts, and I know this is about to be the interrogation portion of dinner. “About you two…”
I knew it was coming. Anyone would be curious how two great friends ended up dating. I just didn’t think there would be sex in addition to the real feelings I had when we started…maybe we’ll leave that part out.