Passing the welcome sign on his way into town, Nick couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his old stomping grounds. It had been a while since he'd last been home. Driving down the main street through town, he gave a glance up at the old water tower. The high school logo painted on the side, time faded with help from the weather. Leaving home for college was something Nick looked forward to. A new adventure, one that took him out of state and into the big city, away from the monotony of a one-horse town that was his prison for the first eighteen years of his existence.
Earning a bachelor's degree and enjoying all that the college life offered, Nick thrived. Living independently, partying every weekend, and the occasional hook up here and there. Four years flashed by in a blur and upon graduating, he found a job close to his university and settled in to his new life.
Things were going well for the young man. He had a nice apartment, a steady job in the infancy of his career, and of course, the spotlight of his life, his girlfriend, whom he had grown very intense feelings for. They hit it off instantly when a mutual friend introduced them. The pair were soon inseparable, as casual dates turned into lustful sleepovers, which eventually led to a deeper intimacy and bond that formed between the two. At least, that's how Nick saw it. You can imagine the shock he got when that same mutual friend approached him with the worst news the young man thought he could receive. His girlfriend had stepped out on him and was seeing someone else behind his back. Enraged by the news, Nick was beside himself, replaying events from the last two years in his head.
Where did I go wrong?
He thought, the pain of being wronged numbing him to his core.
She never denied it either when confronted. The only explanation she had was that it wasn't him, but her.
"That old cliché," he muttered as he turned and walked out of her life, too heartbroken to say anymore.
His world slowly crumbled around him. Productivity at work slowed as night after night he found himself curled up on a bar stool till closing time. Finally, his boss approached him with an ultimatum: either pick up the productivity or look for other employment. Nearing the end of his rope and foggy from the previous night's hangover, Nick found himself that next morning loading up all of his belongings into his newly purchased pickup truck. With the turn of the lock on his apartment door, he was gone.
After twelve hours of driving and his hangover all but gone, his truck tires hitting gravel as he turned off the two-lane highway towards his parents' place. Feeling the rumble of the gravel under him brought back distant memories. A pit formed in his gut as the thoughts of yesteryear flooded back.
Approaching the old homestead, Nick's heart skipped a beat. Far too long he had been gone, and it made him feel good pulling into the old farmyard. Taking in the modest house and barn, freshly repainted an eggshell white, a small smile cracked his lips as he took in a deep breath and coughed. He laughed to himself as he forgot about how potent the fresh smell of manure was. A smell he hadn't been acquainted with for some time.
Pulling the truck up to the house, he stepped out into the hazy autumn air. It was unusually warm for this time of year, but the humidity felt good on his skin. Taking a few steps towards the house, Nick noted how clean the place looked. He always thought his parents' farm was nothing but a dung heap, but now he was having a new sense of appreciation for the place he called home for so long. He eyed up the sizeable garden that his mom had planted alongside the house, recalling the many long hours he spent helping cultivate, pick weeds, and harvest vegetables each year. Just then, the screen door burst open with excitement.
"Nicholas! What are you doing home?" his mom exclaimed, rushing to hug her baby boy. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming all this way?"
"It's a long story mom, I'll tell you after I unpack some of my things. Is that all right with you?" he laughed, returning his mom's hug.
"Of course, of course. Are you hungry? I can fix some lunch while you unpack?"
"Yeah, that'd be great. I'm starving after that long haul." Nick said, stretching his arms above his head.
Unpacking took a lot less time than he thought and before he knew it, he was sitting at the kitchen table scarfing down a sandwich, chips, and sweet tea. His mom sat across the table, never taking her eyes off the son she hadn't seen in ages. When he finished eating, he explained in great detail of the events that unfolded in his life the last several months. The whole time, his mom sat and listened intently. Nick always appreciated coming to his mom with things on his mind. They talked on the phone several times a month while he'd been gone, usually for an hour at a time. She was reasonable and always did her best to understand both sides of any story before making her opinion known.
"I'm just so happy you're home now, Nicholas. Your father is going to be thrilled to see you."
"Speaking of dad, he out hauling a load?" Nick asked, peering through the kitchen window to the vacant farm yard.
"Yes, he's been hauling corn to the grain elevator for most folks around here the last few weeks. Probably won't be home till after sundown," his mom said, taking the empty plate and glass and placing them in the sink.
Nick's dad owned a semi-truck and grain trailer that he used to haul grain from their farm, as well as helping their neighbors. Many of the neighbors had much larger farms than Nick's family, but they all respected Nick's dad as a hard worker and one that they could always trust to get the job done.
Nick told his mom that he was going to lie down and take a short nap. His mother agreed to the idea and sent him on his way. Retiring down the stairs, Nick found the basement just as he'd remembered it. It was one large room with concrete block walls. Unfinished and used mainly for storage. Nick had turned it into his bedroom when he was about fourteen. He loved the cool and dark dungeon fell, much easier sleeping than the sunbaked upstairs bedrooms. Plopping down on his old bed, he quickly drifted off to sleep.
Stirring from his deep slumber, Nick awoke to the sound of a diesel truck rumbling up the driveway. The basement was completely dark, and he assumed it must be well past sunset. Rising from the bed, he climbed the stairs and entered the kitchen just as his dad stepped through the back door into the mudroom. A look of surprise covered his face as he untied his work boots.
"What the hell brings you home, son?" his dad exclaimed. "Sheila, did you know about this?" A look of shock, mixed with pure joy, filled the man's face as he stood to embrace his son.
"I was just as surprised as you are, Terry," Sheila said with a laugh, turning back to the meal she was preparing over the stove.
Nick and his dad sat at the table, catching up while his mom finished making supper. He explained his reasons for returning home and, like his mom, his dad was equally supportive.
"All me and your mom want is for you to be happy Nicholas, nothing more," he said, patting his son on the shoulder. "You can stay here as long as you need till you figure out your next move."
Soon, the three of them were sharing their first meal together in ages, engrossed in joyful conversation. Nick caught up on all the town news and, of course, the gossip. Who had died, moved away, how each sports team had done this year, grain prices, etc. the whole time he sat and listened, that feeling from earlier grew in his gut. A feeling of happiness, something he hadn't felt in a while.
When supper was over, Nick's dad excused himself to go finish up a couple of evening chores. Nick helped his mom with the dishes and then went to the back porch to sit for a time. His mom soon joined him in the darkness, the only light coming from the kitchen window and a warm-colored porch light.
"Krissy Taylor is still around town. Maybe you could look her up some time," his mom said, breaking the silence.
"She is?" Nick enquired, a little too quickly.
"You always had a crush on that girl, too bad you were too bullheaded to ask her out way back when," his mom said with a giggle.
"Oh, mom not this again," he groaned. "I told you time and time again, there was no way she was going to say yes to going out with me."
"Never know until you find out, took me five times to say yes to your father when he asked me. Now look at us."
Nick laughed at the thought of his mom turning his dad away time and time again. It just surprised him, being that his dad was kind of famous for his abilities on the gridiron back in the day. He was sure his dad could have gotten any gal he wanted, but he played the long game and eventually won the hand of a tough as nails farmer's daughter.
"Maybe I'll see her around and say hi," Nick retorted with a roll of his eyes.
"Nicholas, you're a lot better young man than that boy she was running around with," His mom snapped back.
She had a point there. Krissy Taylor dated Joe Byrd off and on throughout high school and eventually married him when she turned twenty-one. He wasn't a kind man by any stretch of the imagination. If he wasn't drunk and beating up someone outside of the bar, he was taking out his frustrations on her. Several times he had put his hands on her and roughed her up, and those several times he ended up behind bars. The man had a silver tongue and was quite the manipulator. She would be free one minute and the next, wrapped back around his finger. Until one day he went too far and pulled a gun on her. She filed for divorce, and he left town to work the pipeline out west.
Nick remembered how all the boys in school lusted after Krissy. She was slender, with an athletic build from running cross country. She always had her long, blonde hair flowing down her back. A cute, firm rear that always drew attention down the halls, especially when she wore a pair of tight-fitting jeans. Of course, all the boys wanted to sneak a peek at what was beneath her shirt. Krissy always knew how to wear the right clothes to show off just a little. Though she didn't have the largest breasts in the class, she always left a button or two open on her flannel shirts to really make the boys' imaginations run wild.
