by Leah Atwood
“If by, ‘okay,’ you mean, did we get food poisoning, and are we going to die from it, then, yes, everything is okay.” Eli’s voice was void of its usual vim and vigor.
“I brought medicine.” She called through the two-inch opening she’d allowed herself. Neither of them would thank me for invading their privacy if she walked in there.
“What kind?” Gavin’s yell didn’t sound too upset by her presence outside their door.
She scrutinized the box in her hand before shouting back. “The generic of some sort of diarrhea medicine. It’s a pill you take.”
Gavin’s voice came again. “Grab us a couple bottles of water, can you?”
Avery fetched the waters from the trunk of the hatchback and went back to the men’s room door. After knocking loudly, she opened it the requisite two inches. “I have two bottles of water and the pills. What do you want me to do with them?”
When she got no answer, she shoved the door further open. “Tell me where to put these, or I’m bringing them in there myself!”
This time it was Eli who called out. “Don’t even think about it! Set them on the ground outside the door!”
Shaking her head, Avery backed out of the bathroom and set the two bottles on the ground, balancing the box of pills on top of them. Lord, please make them read the directions.
Avery decided to take a stroll around the grounds and dug a flashlight out of her suitcase. Hoping to kill some time, she began exploring the area. When insects chasing her light began gathering in hordes, though, she returned to the relative bug-free safety of the car. She battled with the suitcase for nearly ten minutes before she got it shoved into the rear seat, and even then she wasn’t convinced it was going to stay there. After that accomplishment, she settled into the passenger seat with her tablet and tried to read a book.
Concentration, unfortunately, proved elusive. She gave up on the book and played a mindless card game.
After more than a half hour, Gavin and Eli made it back to the car. They both climbed in, and Gavin handed her the box of medicine. “You might want to keep that handy. You never know.” His face was pale and waxy, his brown eyes glazed over. He’d removed his stocking cap, too, and his hair stood on end. If he’d looked anything like this when she’d met him, she would have given him directions to the homeless shelter, maybe even offered to take him there herself. Avery shook her head as she remembered feeling the need to protect her son as they’d passed near the shelter that morning. She needed to be kinder about those things.
She twisted around in her seat to look at Eli, who seemed a little better off. His skin looked washed-out, and he was still perspiring, but his eyes were alert. “You going to make it?”
Eli shrugged. “I’ll live.”
“Alright then, people, we’ve got a road calling our name!” She started the engine, but before she backed out, she had to tell them something. “You’ll never guess what the name of this rest area is.”
They both peered at her, but neither was willing to hazard a guess. “It’s the Rattlesnake Rest Area! Wonder how it got its name?”
Avery put the car into reverse and pressed on the gas as she eased up on the clutch. The car moved, but something felt off.
“What’s wrong?” Gavin was either curious or annoyed — she couldn’t tell which.
“It’s squishy.” How else was she supposed to describe it?
“Squishy?” His voice inched its way a little closer to annoyed.
“Oh no.” Eli warned him. “Asking Mom to explain a car problem is worse than asking a toddler to explain calculus.”
Avery ignored the teen. “The car feels squishy when it moves. Something’s wrong.” She pulled forward back into the spot. “Yep. Still squishy.” She shut the engine off and got out. Gavin, looking reluctant, climbed out with her.
“Well, there’s your problem.” He pointed to something she couldn’t see. When she walked around to his side of the car, the problem became obvious. The rear passenger tire was flat. “Believe it or not, Eli, your mom’s dead-on. With a flat, the car would feel squishy when driven.”
She didn’t mind his coming to her defense, but did he have to make the word squishy sound like a communicable disease?
Gavin sauntered around to the back of the car and opened the hatch. “We’re going to need to get all the luggage out. The spare tire should be under the carpet back here.”
Avery knew how to change a flat, but she was more than happy to let Gavin take the lead on this. She would contribute by helping to remove the luggage. When Gavin set his last camera case on the ground, he lifted the carpeted bottom of the hatch.
“Well, there’s the doughnut.” His voice held no joy. “Too bad it’s flat.”
“No, no, no, no, no.” Couldn’t anything go right on this trip? “You have to be wrong. Maybe it’s similar to one of those rafts in airplanes where you have to pull a cord in order for it to inflate.” Gavin stepped to the side, and she pulled the small tire out of the back of the car. She examined every inch of the tire then held a flashlight in her mouth as she studied the compartment from which she’d pulled it.
When she was done, she stood up ramrod straight, pulled the flashlight from her mouth, and tossed it into the back of the car. She put her hands on her hips, and narrowed her eyes at him. “So now what?”
“Hey.” Gavin held up his hands, the picture of innocence. “I didn’t do it. Eli’s my alibi. Accidents happen. You don’t need to act like it’s my fault.”
Avery ran a hand over her face. This day had gone from bad to worse, sure. What came after worse, though? Because that’s where they were.
Eli’s voice called out from the back of the car. “She stayed up all night reading. Mom’s always crabby when she doesn’t get enough sleep. Don’t take it personally.”
“Eli!” She was so not in the mood for her son’s tattling. Either he didn’t realize they’d passed into the danger zone, or he knew exactly how close she was to her losing her temper and was taking a wee bit too much pleasure in pushing her buttons.
A couple of deep breaths and some blessed silence from the back seat, and Avery was ready to face Gavin again. “If it were me and Eli, I’d call the tow truck now. Can you think of anything else we should try first?”
Gavin shook his head. “Call the tow truck, but ask if he can bring the materials to fix it here. Maybe we won’t need to have it towed.”
Huh. That wasn’t a half-bad idea. Good thing she’d asked.
Gavin stared after her as Avery marched away. “Your mom’s used to everyone doing what she says, isn’t she?”
Eli snorted. “She’s been in charge of me for fifteen years now, so yeah, she’s used to being the final word on everything. I meant it when I said you shouldn’t take it personally.”
“Where’s your dad?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Gavin regretted them. He wouldn’t want anybody asking him that question.
“Gone.”
Gavin cast a quick peek at the boy and saw him lick his lips and look away. He knew vulnerability when he saw it. He’d seen enough of it in the mirror during his lifetime. “I had no business asking. I’m sorry.”
“Nah, it’s okay.” Some of Eli’s usual spark back in his voice. “There’s more to it, but it’s a long story, and Mom will come back before I’m done. If she catches me talking about it, she always assumes it’s because I’m upset or hurt or that I need to…” He sighed before adding in a pained voice, “…talk about it.”
“Seems as if you two have a good relationship.”
Avery terminated her phone call and began walking back toward them.
“She’s been my mom, dad, tutor, and sometimes jailer. We know each other better than most mothers and sons.”
Avery’s bright voice interrupted them. “Alright, the tow truck will be here in about an hour and will bring a replacement tire for us.”
“Did you ask them to bring a replacement doughnut, too, so we can get rid of this one
? We still have a lot of miles ahead of us.”
Avery shook her head. “I didn’t think of it. Maybe next time we stop we can find another doughnut?”
“Stop talking about food. You’re making me hungry.” Eli chimed in from his spot in the back seat.
“You can’t possibly be hungry after what dinner did to you!” Avery’s eyes were wide and green, and her voice rang with horror.
“Hey, I’m a growing boy. What can I say? Besides, I’ve never gotten sick from doughnuts before.”
Avery went and sat down on the curb to wait for the truck.
Eli ignored her and made directed his conversation at Gavin. “There’s this place out in some small town in Virginia called the Apple House. Supposed to have the best melt-in-your-mouth apple doughnuts ever. Mom needs to get Mr. Jones to assign her a story out there.”
Gavin smiled. “Do you always think with your stomach?”
“I’m fifteen. What do you expect?”
Gavin chuckled before following Avery and sitting down on the curb beside her. “Do you think the guy will change the tire for us, or is he going to give it to us and make us do all the work?”
“He’ll change it.”
Mischievousness wasn’t exactly his middle name, but… “I’ll bet that’s going to cost the newspaper a pretty penny.”
Avery smiled, but her face was drawn. “Mitchell will thank me when I tell him how much I saved him by not having the truck tow us somewhere to get it fixed. If he doesn’t, then I’ll threaten to write an article about how this trip actually went instead of telling a cutesy little story about Nowhere, Oklahoma.”
Gavin shook his head and stretched his legs out in front of him. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”
From where they sat, they could see Eli, and he appeared to be engrossed in his music. Avery leaned a little bit closer to Gavin. “He knows me a little too well. I’m always crabby when I haven’t had enough sleep. Sorry I was snappy earlier. None of this is your fault.”
Gavin glanced from her to where Eli sat. “Why don’t you want him to know you’re apologizing?”
“I’ll get around to telling him eventually. I just don’t want to listen to him crow about it for the rest of tonight’s drive.”
Then she winked at him. Avery hadn’t seemed like the winking type up to that point. For a moment he wondered if he’d misread her. Maybe it hadn’t been a wink at all. Could it have been a highly isolated eye-related seizure? After careful consideration, he decided to go with wink.
Gavin laughed, liking the idea that Avery was pulling one over on her son. And that she’d let him in on it. Then he glanced over to where Eli sat and saw the teen watching them.
“We were chatting while you were on the phone with the tow truck. Eli says you’ve been his mom, dad, tutor, and jailer. I get the first three, but not the last one. What did he ever do to need a jailer?”
Avery glanced away and pulled her legs in, bringing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. Her tangible discomfort at his question gave him pause. He would let it go. If she didn’t answer, he’d change the subject to something else.
As he was trying to think of a different topic he could raise, Avery’s quiet voice reached him.
“We’ve had our share of issues over the years. You’re right, though. He’s a great kid. It wouldn’t be fair for me to fill your head with everything he’s ever done wrong before you’ve even had a chance to get to know him. “Her voice was filled with raw emotion. “He’s worth getting to know.”
“I didn’t doubt it for a second.” Was she thinking about Eli’s missing father who, it seemed, hadn’t taken the time to get to know his own son? “It’s clear you’re doing something reasonably well. Eli thinks the world of you, and not many mothers of teenaged sons can say that.”
He noticed the blush that again snuck up to stain her cheeks. Gavin grinned to himself. Her discomfiture made him wants to dig deeper and understand her more. His mom had once told him that when a woman blushes, it’s either because someone said something offensive or because she heard something she secretly wanted to hear.
Gavin was still shaking his head in surprise when the tow truck pulled into the rest area. The man who climbed out was tall and gaunt with sunken eyes and grease-stained overalls. He inspected their car for a microsecond. “You said this is a rental?”
Avery nodded. “Yes, we got it in Albuquerque.”
“Where’d you go?” The man got his jack out and started walking toward the car. “It looks like you got it out of an old box of cereal or something.”
Gavin hid a smile as he saw Avery’s face flush. He was pretty sure her heated cheeks weren’t because the tow truck driver was saying things she secretly wanted to hear.
Someone needed to intervene before the tow truck driver said something else and ended up on the wrong side of Avery’s sleep-deprived temperament. Gavin stepped in and shook the man’s hand. “We sure do appreciate you coming to help us out. “Any chance while you’re here that you could air up our doughnut, too, so we have a spare in case any of the other tires go flat while we’re on the road?”
The tow truck driver, whose overalls said his name was Bob, scratched his head as he looked from Gavin to the car. “Sure, I can do that. If we had a rental agency in Moriarty, I’d tell you to trade this baby in for something a little sturdier. As it is, you’re out of luck.”
Bob got the tire changed in short order. While it was still up on the jack, he snagged the doughnut and filled it with air. The loud hiss told them all what they didn’t want to hear. The air was leaking back out just as fast as he put it in.
“Valve stem’s shot.” Bob didn’t seem all that surprised. “If it was a hole, I could patch it. Not anything I can do about a valve stem with the equipment I’ve got, though. Sorry ‘bout that. Might want to stop somewhere along the way and get a replacement. Or take it up with your rental agency.”
Avery crossed her arms and planted her feet. Gavin had a feeling it was a good thing the rental agency was closed at the moment. If it was still open, he was pretty sure whoever worked there would be getting an earful from Avery.
As Bob lowered the car back to the ground, everything went smoothly until the last couple inches. The jack slipped and the car hit the ground with a thud. Then the rear bumper fell off with a hollow plink.
Bob scratched his head again. “I’ve never seen that happen before.” He stepped closer and, in the glow cast by the tow-truck’s headlights, gawked at the bumper without touching it. “Huh. Will you lookie there.”
Gavin, unable to resist, had to see what held Bob’s attention. He, too, leaned in. “That’s not what I think it is. Is it?”
Avery, who had barely sat down on the curb again, jumped up. “What is it?”
Bob let out a low whistle. “You sure you didn’t get this car out of a cereal box?”
Eli’s voice came from the side of the car. “Is that duct tape? And… paper clips?” His disbelief was evident. “Our bumper was being held in place by really big paper clips and duct tape?” When nobody said anything, he went back to the curb and took his seat. “Mom, you do realize you gave up a Zeon for this car, right?”
Gavin bit back a smile. “Do you think we should try to put it back on?”
Avery shook her head. “If we put it on, we run the risk of it falling off while we’re driving down the road.”
Bob made a choking sound. “You can’t exactly fit it in the car and haul it with you, you know.” His eyes shifted from the bumper to their piled luggage, then back again.
Avery cast her eyes around the darkened rest area. “Maybe if we put it behind the garbage dumpster, it’ll still be here when we pass back through on our return trip.”
Gavin thought he had a better idea. “Bob, do you think you could hold onto it for us? We can pick it up on our trip back to Albuquerque. If we don’t get it from you within a week, you can toss it. I’m sure the newspaper will reimburse you for keeping it.”<
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Bob leaned in real close to examine the bumper where it lay on the asphalt. “Seeing what shape that little car is in by the time you come back this way will be payment enough. No money needed.” Then he picked up the bumper and put it behind the bench seat in his tow truck. “You folks need anything else?”
“No, I think we’re good.” Gavin shook his hand again. “You mind sticking around until we’ve got the car started up? In case something else goes wrong?”
Bob waved and climbed into his tow truck. The door slammed loudly but not quickly enough to hide the sound of the gaunt man’s uproarious laughter.
Gavin scanned the pile made by his camera equipment cases and their luggage. “Alright Weston family! Let’s get everything loaded up. Avery, would you prefer I drive?”
He reached out a hand to grab the keys as they arced through the air in the general direction of his head.
Once everything was in place and they were all belted in, Gavin put the key in the ignition and turned. He let out a whoop when the engine started with nothing more than the smallest stutter. Reaching a hand out through the open window, he waved to Bob as they passed the tow truck on their way to the I-40 onramp.
Chapter Six
Santa Rosa, NM
December 23, 9:00 p.m.
Avery was glad when she saw a sign indicating Santa Rosa wasn’t too far away. “Do you think we should stop and get gas?”
“Let’s go at least another hour and push on to the next town. What do you think?”
“I think stopping for a bit sounds good.” He apparently wasn’t one to pick up on a subtle hint very well.
Gavin peered over at her and frowned.
“I need a restroom.”
His eyes widened, and his head bobbed. “Got it. We’ll stop in Santa Rosa and get gas. But, for the record, we were just at a rest area.” She narrowed her eyes. He bit back a smile, but not before she caught a glimpse of it.
Eli, reading a book and listening to music, was caught up in his own little world.
