Free Serpentine Walls by CJane Elliott Page B

HANKS , honey.” Mom gave him a hug after he put the last folding table against the garage wall. “I really appreciate you coming up to help.”
    “Yeah, big bro,” Missy said, her flame-red hair tied back with a scarf. “You rock.”
    Pete surveyed her for a hint of her usual sarcasm, but all he saw was a grateful expression. “No big deal, guys. What’s the haul, Nate?” he called to his brother, who was counting the proceeds from their garage sale.
    “Gimme a minute.” Nate thumbed through a pile of bills, muttering to himself.
    “I can’t believe someone wanted that broken-down grill,” Missy said.
    “You’d be surprised what people will buy,” Mom responded. “Especially if the price is right. Can you stay for dinner, Pete? I’ll make meatloaf.”
    “I’d like to.” Pete thought longingly of his mother’s home cooking. “But I gotta pick up Bud and get on the road. We’re hauling the rest of his stuff back to school with us.”
    “It was nice of him to help out this weekend.”
    “Yeah,” Missy said, “even if we had to put up with Aunt Barb and her prayers. Lord, give me strength.” She raised her eyes to the heavens in mock supplication.
    “Oh well,” Mom said and pressed her lips together as if to keep herself from saying more. “I’m going to go make you and Bud some sandwiches for the road and package up the rest of the potpie so you can take it with you,” she told Pete.
    Mom disappeared into the house while Pete raised his eyebrows questioningly at Missy. She sighed, cutting a glance at Nate.
    “All right!” Nate crowed, looking up from counting the money, oblivious to any emotional undercurrents. “Three hundred fifty-eight bucks!”
    “Not bad for a garage sale,” Pete said. “Go let Mom know, Pee-wee.”
    Nate pulled himself up to his full height, which at six foot one was several inches taller than Pete, and came to loom over him, trying for a menacing expression. “Who you calling Pee-wee? I’m not the shrimp around here.”
    “No, I am.” Missy got between them and gave Nate a shove. “But you’re the youngest, so we get to call you whatever we want. Go on, take Mom the money. Maybe it’ll cheer her up.”
    “Okay. Hey, Pete, I’m gonna go shoot some hoops with Leo, so bye if I don’t see ya later.”
    “Take care, little brother.” Pete hugged him. “See you at Thanksgiving. Or sooner, if you want to come visit me at school.”
    Nate loped into the house, and as soon as the door shut behind him, Pete said to Missy, “So tell me. How’s Mom doing, really?”
    Missy bit her lip. “Not very good. She gets herself up and out to work every day, but when she’s home, she goes into her bedroom and stays there. I think she’s seriously depressed.”
    “Yeah.” Fuck Dad and that fucking bitch he ran off with. “How’re you doing?”
    Missy’s eyes filled. “It’s hard, you know? I miss Dad, but I’m so mad at him. And I worry about Nate. He doesn’t show it, he’s his happy-go-lucky self, but it’s got to be affecting him. He’s basically lost both his parents his senior year of high school.”
    Pete put his arm around her. “I wish I could be around more. Help you out.”
    “I know,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. “Sometimes I wish I was at U.Va. instead of Mason and could escape all this drama. But I couldn’t leave Nate, not now. I’m cooking dinner most nights as it is, because Mom can’t seem to get herself out of bed.”
    “It sucks. Are Rob or Austin around at all to help?”
    “Not much. They’re both busy. Austin’s schedule is insane with the elections coming up. And Rob is busy being married and all that good stuff.” She smiled wryly. “I guess none of us thought we’d be dealing with our parents getting divorced this year.”
    “True,” Pete said, hugging her to his side. “We didn’t schedule it in, did we?”

Chapter Five
     
     
     
    “H EY , roomie,” Pete said as he came into the apartment.