Chapter 34 Travis
Travis
Panic bubbles up inside of me when I read my mom’s message.
Honey, I need you. Can you help me?
I start to text her, but then I stop. I should call her. This sounds like an emergency.
But when I call her, there’s no answer.
The panic inside of me doubles. My memory slingshots to the day she was in the middle of treatment when she was sick.
I brought her home from chemo, then left for practice.
I texted her to check in while I was gone, but she didn’t answer.
When I was home, I saw her passed out on the floor of her bedroom.
She was so weak she didn’t even realize she had fallen off the bed.
I had to take her to the emergency room.
I tell myself not to freak out. She’s not sick anymore. She’s probably just busy.
But I can’t ignore the adrenaline spike happening inside of me. I can’t stop thinking of every worst-case scenario.
What if she fell? What if someone broke into the house?
“I need to go to my mom’s house,” I blurt, interrupting whatever Anna was saying.
She turns to me. “What’s wrong?”
“She sent me a panicked text, and now she’s not answering her phone.” I text her, then try calling her again. Still no answer.
Anna fires up her car and speeds out of the parking lot. She’s driving so fast that I’m pressed against the passenger seat.
“Don’t worry. We’ll make it to her,” she says. “What’s your address?”
I tell her, then hold on to the handle on the ceiling so I don’t go flying as she takes a corner sharply.
“Anna, it’s okay.”
She shakes her head. “This is your mom, Travis. She might be in trouble. I’m going to get you to her.”
A warm feeling swoops through my chest. She barely even knows my mom, and she’s willing to get a speeding ticket to help her.
A surprisingly short amount of time later, we’re pulling up into the driveway of my mom’s house. I’m out of the car before Anna turns off the engine. Heart pounding, I run up the porch steps and unlock the front door.
“Mom! Mom, are you okay?” I holler as I burst inside.
No answer.
“Mom!” I run down the hall. A second later, I hear footsteps coming from the basement. I fling open the door and see my mom standing at the top of the steps. She jumps back and grips the railing.
“Travis, what in the world? You scared me.”
I let out a breath, my heart still racing as I scan her face, looking for any sign that she’s hurt. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
She frowns like she’s confused. “I’m fine, honey. Why would you…”
She trails off when I hold up my phone, showing her the text she sent me.
Her face falls. “Oh my gosh. Oh, honey. I’m sorry.
” She sighs and gestures down at the basement.
“I saw a mouse when I was doing laundry, and it scared me. You know how much I hate mice. That’s why I texted you.
I wanted your help to get rid of it. I even took a photo to send you, but I guess I was so worked up that I didn’t even press send. ”
I close my eyes, and my head falls back as I take a breath. Thank fuck she’s alright.
“You didn’t hear your phone ringing?” I ask.
“I left my phone in the kitchen when I ran up to grab a bucket to capture the mouse. Oh, I feel terrible.”
“It’s fine,” I say through a breath. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
She blinks, and a pained look flashes in her eyes. “You were so worried about me. Oh, Travis, I’m so sorry.”
I hug her. “I’m just glad it ended up being nothing serious.”
When she wraps her arms around me, the tension in my muscles finally starts to ease.
“Oh. Hello,” Mom says when we break apart, and she looks past my shoulder.
I turn around and see Anna standing at the open doorway, a hesitant look on her face.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Anna says.
“You’re not interrupting at all. Come on in,” Mom says brightly. She beams as she walks over to Anna.
She glances over at me, quirking her eyebrow like she’s curious.
I clear my throat. “Anna and I were hanging out when you texted. She drove me here. You remember Anna, right? She’s Nick’s twin sister.”
“Of course I remember. We’ve seen each other at your boys’ games sometimes. And we said hi to each other yesterday during your big draft party,” Mom says. She smiles at Anna. “Thank you for driving Travis. You’re so kind to do that.”
“It was no problem,” Anna says. “Are you okay? Travis was pretty worried about you.”
“Oh, I’m fine. It was all a misunderstanding. I found a mouse in the basement and I panicked a little.”
Anna laughs. “Oh. That’s kind of funny.”
Mom starts to laugh too. “I feel like such an idiot.”
“It’s okay,” Anna says. “If I had found a snake at my place, I would have had a meltdown. I get it.”
Mom pats Anna’s arm.“Why don’t you let me make you two lunch? My way of apologizing for interrupting you.”
I look at Anna, trying to gauge her reaction. She looks at me. “I am pretty hungry,” she says.
I shake my head at how things turned out. “Okay. Lunch sounds great, Mom. Thank you.”
* * *
An hour later, the three of us are sitting at the dining table, finishing up the BLTs my mom cooked for us.
Anna’s laughing so hard she’s gripping the table. “Oh my gosh, that’s hilarious and adorable,” she says after my mom recounts one of her favorite memories of me as a toddler.
Mom chuckles. “It really was.” She turns to me. “Sorry, honey. I just had to tell her that story. It’s just so precious.”
I shake my head, but I’m smiling.
Anna grabs my hand, her eyes sparkling as she looks at me. A hopeful feeling loops through me. She’s holding my hand in front of my mom. Maybe that means something. Maybe that means she wants this thing between us to be more.
I refocus, trying not to get my hopes up.
Anna grins. “I can just imagine you as a cute little three-year-old, marching out of that McDonald’s restroom and saying proudly to everyone in the lobby, ‘I went pee pee in the potty.’”
I let a chuckle break free. “That’s a big accomplishment for a three-year-old,” I say.
Anna and my mom laugh again.
“You try to do that at my age, everyone thinks you’re a weirdo,” I say.
Anna falls forward, laughing hard again. She squeezes my hand before pulling away.
“Ivy, that was the best BLT I’ve ever had. Thank you again for lunch,” Anna says.
“It’s my pleasure. You sure I can’t make you another?”
Anna shakes her head as she wipes her mouth with a napkin. “I’m stuffed. It was so good. I have to know though, what’s your secret? How do you make it taste so good?”
Mom leans forward, smiling like she’s excited. “I season the tomato slices with salt and pepper. And then I brush a little garlic on the toasted bread before I spread the mayo on. Adds so much flavor.”
“Okay, I’m doing that from now on,” Anna says. “My sandwiches are so bland.”
While they’re talking, I stand up and clear the table. I smile to myself, happy that they’re getting along so well.
It’s been years since I’ve brought a girl over to meet my mom.
Not since high school. She’s always been happy and welcoming to the girls I’ve dated, but it’s never been like this.
She and Anna hit it off right away. They talked the whole way through lunch like they were best friends. I almost felt like a third wheel.
A few minutes later, Mom walks into the kitchen while I’m loading the dishwasher.
“Where’s Anna?” I ask.
“Her mom called her to get her input on an outfit. She’s in the living room talking to her.”
Mom leans against the counter and sips from her glass of water. I close the dishwasher and start the cleaning cycle. I catch her looking at me, a curious smile on her face.
“What?” I ask.
“You like her.”
I rub the back of my neck, not wanting to talk about my feelings for Anna. I love my mom, and we have a good relationship, but I’ve never wanted to talk romantic stuff with her. It’s awkward.
I’ve always been private about dating. I know she wishes I’d be more open and tell her everything, but that’s just not my personality. Thankfully, other than some good-natured ribbing, she doesn’t pry too much.
“Of course I like her. She’s smart and pretty and funny,” I say, pretending to brush something off my T-shirt.
Mom just laughs. “Oh, honey. You’re smitten.”
I rolled my eyes. “Mom.”
She holds up a hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna make you talk to me about the young lady you clearly have feelings for.” Her eyes are bright and happy. “She’s a lovely girl. I can tell she’s special to you.”
I’m quiet for a second. “She is.”
My mom’s smile widens.
“Don’t get too excited. We’re just…hanging out,” I say.
She shakes her head, chuckling. “Oh, to be young. Fun times.”
“Mom, come on.” I try not to sound too annoyed, but I hate it when she busts my chops about dating.
She tilts her head at me, her smile knowing. “All I’m saying is that I can’t remember the last time you brought a girl you’re interested in over to the house to meet me. It’s been years. That has to count for something.”
I don’t say anything.
“Does she know how you feel about her? Have you told her?”
I clear my throat. “Kind of.”
“Maybe you should.”
I rub the back of my neck. I can’t believe I’m talking about dating and relationship stuff with my mom. But it doesn’t feel right to hide this from her. Not when she’s already noticed how different I am with Anna.
“Neither of us has time for a relationship right now. She’s focused on getting into med school. I’m focused on hockey.”
My mom looks at me, her expression unimpressed.
“What?”
“Or maybe you’re nervous to tell her that you want a relationship because you’re afraid she doesn’t feel the same way?”
I blink at her, surprised at how she nailed that.
She gives my arm a soft squeeze, her smile warm. “I hope you tell her, Travis. I know more than most just how short and precious life is. Don’t waste time hiding your feelings for the person you care about.”
Her words jolt through me like a bolt of electricity. I’ve never thought about it that way. But of course, she’s right.
I think about telling Anna how I feel about her—how I want a relationship with her.
I’d be sad and disappointed if she rejected me.
But maybe she’d feel the same way. Maybe she’d want what I want too.
I just have to work up the nerve to tell her.