The Professional Oldest

"No, not DQ, Oberweis!" A boy shouted across the dugout. Each boy was in a matching red and white baseball uniform with a cursive 'Adlersville Alligators' across the front. 

"But DQ is tradition," another boy shouted back.

"How about a vote?" Andy asked.

"Always the diplomat," his coach teased.

"You have no idea," Andy thought to himself. The vote was done by a raise of hands and came in at 9-6 DQ. Andy started packing up to leave.

"Hey Andy," Gavin walked over to him, "Why don't you ride over with me?" 

“Maybe next time,” Andy replied.

“But you never come to DQ after the games. Just ask your mom and tell her my parents will drive you. I’m sure he’ll say yes.”

Andy frowned but he conceded. “Okay, I’ll ask her.” He slung his baseball bag over his shoulder and began walking off the field. He looked over at the stands to see the circle of parents on one side and the giggling circle of boys in matching uniforms on the other. He stopped at the edge of the dirt to change into his crocs. His dad hated when he got dirt in the car. He put his bag back up on his shoulder again and saw his mom waving him over through the window. He sped up to a jog and yanked on the handle of the side van door. Sliding his bag onto the floor by his feet, he began buckling himself in.

“Good game today, Bud.” Dad began pulling the car out of the park. 

“Yes, good to get a win,” Mom spoke without looking up from her phone. 

“Thanks,” Andy murmured. Gavin was waiting 20 yards off for an answer about DQ. Andy shook his head at him as he closed the van door and waved to his friends in the stands. The ones that saw him waved back. 

“Make sure to take Berkley back not Curtis,” Mom reminded

“It makes no difference Emily.”

“Makes no difference,” Emily huffed, “we’re already up against the gun to get to this work dinner for your real estate partners. You can explain to them that it makes no difference when we walk in and everyone's seated.” Andy winced.

“I’ll be sure to do that.”

Emily sighed and Andy felt the eye roll from the back seat. He looked out the window and quietly tried to feel excited about the win. Dad turned onto Berkley. 

“So, David, you do hear me!” Emily smiled sarcastically. 

Andy began trying to name the make of the oncoming vehicles before they passed each other.

“That would be a logical connection,” he sighed. 

“I’m so pleased, I wish I’d known that when I had to clear the trash cans from the end of the driveway to get to work this morning.”

“If the trash cans are this insulting to you then maybe we can just skip the dinner. Say we’re sick so I can spend the night listening to all the things I do wrong. Do you think you could work with a midnight deadline or should I plan to be up all night?”

“David!” Emily hissed looking back at Andy who was staring out the window trying to think of any way to change the subject.“If you don’t want me to come just say so. You’re good at finding a date at the venue.”

 The car pulled into the driveway and came to a hard stop. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Emily kept texting. Andy already had the door open and was walking inside. 

“No really what did it mean?” David turned off the car and turned to face her.” 

“Just that you manage to do a pretty good job making your own, I don’t know … friends … shall we say, without me around,” Emily pushed her hair out of her face and began writing an email on her phone.

“This is about bringing my new assistance to after-work drinks?” David’s brow furrowed. “Still? We talked about this multiple times. It’s a good work environment booster and you used to go when you were my assistant.”

“Yes,” Emily nodded, “and she’s the first of your assistants to go since me.”

“Listen,” David took a deep breath, “there is really nothing to worry about there. Do I miss you? Of cour–”

“No,” Emily interrupted flatly. 

David rubbed his forehead in frustration, “You were excited about the new position at the time.”

“Yes, once I realized you didn’t care that I left.” Emily finally put down her phone

“How do you manage to twist everything I do into some massive plot to screw you over.”

“Because you never do anything, David!” Emily’s lip quivered. “I wish you would try to screw me over because at least that would break the limbo of your indifference!” Emily grabbed her phone and opened the door. 

“Em, stop,” David unbuckled his seatbelt, “don’t –”

Emily slammed the door and whipped her chestnut hair as she walked up to the front door.

David grabbed his phone and yanked his keys out of the ignition. Emily was already well into the kitchen by the time he got out of the car. Andy was there with three plates of grilled chicken leftovers sitting on the table from the night before. 

“I figured you’d want to eat before you leave,” he pushed his sweaty, blond hair to the side, “I haven’t zapped yours yet so you can change it if you don’t want chicken. 

Emily took a steadying breath and kissed his forehead, “Chicken is perfect, sweet boy.” She turned and opened the refrigerator, “Ketchup or Ranch?”

Andy smiled and went to grab forks and napkins as his dad walked in, “Just plain tonight.” 

“Look at you all grown up,” she smirked. 

David entered abruptly, “Em, I want to finish-”

“Andy has made chicken for dinner,” she interrupted, “I’ll stay back tonight to eat with him.”

“So you’ve decided, just like that. And I’m the one who doesn’t consider you?” he shook his head again. 

“Mom, we can eat quickly and you can still go,” Andy set the table and sat down, “I’ll just be doing homework, really.” There was silence for a moment, “They lay it on you in 6th grade now,” Andy assured.

“See, Em, he’ll be fine. Let’s just eat and go.”

Emily sat down across from Andy. “You’re sure? I’d love a mother-son night in.”

“Positive,” Andy smiled, “Plus, I know how excited you were about the new dress.” Andy looked up at his dad, trying to cue him. 

“You bought another dress?” David asked.

Andy’s heart sank. 

“Yes, I thought I should look nice for your work dinner. Is that a problem?”

“You have an entire closet full of nice dresses.”

“I’m sorry,” Andy interjected, “I forgot it was a surprise.”

“Don’t Andy,” his mom replied with frustration, “Your father doesn’t appreciate it. I’ll just return it tomorrow and wear the dress from last year.”

They ate in silence for the next few minutes. Andy’s mind desperately searched for any kind of conversation starter. He could feel the tension in the room pressing against his body but kept shoveling his chicken in as quickly as possible. He finished his dinner and placed his napkin up on the table which caused his dad to look up for the first time that meal.

“You’re hungry tonight, big guy,” Dad remarked. 

Andy sighed with relief, “I just really had to run after some of those fly balls.”

“I bet,” Dad smiled weakly, finishing off the last of his chicken. “I’m going to go change,” he announced as he cleared his place, “I’ll meet you up there.” 

Emily didn’t respond. Andy cleared his plate as well and went up to his room. He walked by the blue bathroom where his dad was fixing his hair. Dad caught Andy’s eye in the mirror, “Hey buddy, I’m sorry things were tense downstairs. I really am proud of your playing today.” Andy stopped and leaned against the doorway.

“Why couldn’t you just say the dress was pretty?” Andy murmured staring at the floor. 

“Because it’s not about the dress Andy, it’s about being careful and not spending money impulsively.” Andy stood quietly in the doorway. “You’re twelve, but someday you’ll understand.”

Andy shifted his footing and side-glanced towards the white towel racks before turning to leave. “What are you thinking?” Dad asked.

 Andy turned around and waited a few seconds before responding, “I know she didn’t do the best thing you would have liked, but she seemed like she was trying to be nice in a different way from you.” 

His dad set the comb down on the white countertop, “Maybe you’re right,” he rubbed his forehead as he turned to face Andy, leaning against the counter. “How’d you get so wise all of the sudden?” 

“I am in middle school now,” Andy smirked. Dad chuckled and walked back to their respective rooms. 

Andy flopped onto the floor and pulled his earbuds and school-issued Chromebook out of his backpack. He went to YouTube and switched from his school account to his personal one (to get around district restrictions) and began listening to the Coldplay album he played on road trips. 

“This one came out the summer your dad and I met,” mom would tell him with a grin, “He came into the CD store I worked at and bought the album right after I’d finished it. And he was so cute too.”  Andy scrunched his nose — pretending to be grossed out. 

“And then she started stalking me!” Dad would joke which always made Andy laugh.

“Oh shush!” Mom would say with feigned indignance, “You know I switched to the secretary job because I was paying for college and hated my boss. Besides you were the one hiring.” 

They would laugh and belt out Strawberry Swing. Andy would smile and pretend to be embarrassed. 

Andy switched to an Imagine Dragons playlist. He missed when his parents would joke in the car more than bicker. He missed life before Mae moved away. 

Mae and Andy were best friends in the fourth grade. They spent all day together at school and then they’d come home, play floor hockey, and go on epic adventures in the quiet street by Andy’s house. One day Andy got up the courage to ask Mae to marry him. 

“No,” Mae said quickly, “Not ever.”

“Why not ever?” Andy asked a little hurt.

Mae pushed her glasses up on her nose and told Andy, “My parents are married and all they do is yell and fight. Only Disney princesses have fun marriages, everyone else just fights.” 

Andy didn’t ask Mae to marry him after that. He was perfectly happy to forego a playground wedding under the cherry trees just to keep laughing with her. Every day Andy would sit behind Mae and giggle through class, and every day they would go home to Andy’s to play until dinner. When school was out, Mae would bike over each morning by 8:30 a.m. to spend the day watching cartoons and playing in the neighborhood pool with Andy. One day in mid-July Mae didn’t come over, in fact, she didn’t come over for a whole week. Andy convinced his mom to let him call Mae’s house.

“Hello, this is Andy Davis, may I speak to Mae please?”

“Mae is packing right now,” her mom answered. “Can I take a message?”

“Packing?” Was Mae going to DisneyWorld? That would explain why she was gone, “Is she going on a trip?”

“No, dear, I’m afraid we're going to be moving. Can I take a message?”

Andy’s lip began to quiver. “Can you ask her when she can come over?”

“We’re on a pretty tight schedule, dear.” Mae’s mom could hear Andy trying to hold it together and sighed,  “I’ll see if she can stop over to say goodbye. How about that?”

“Okay,” Andy said, eyes brimming with quiet tears.

“Alright, dear, talk to ya soon!” The phone line was dead before Andy could even muster a “bye” and Andy immediately melted into quiet sobs.

Mom popped her head into Andy’s room, “We’re heading out. Are you sure you don’t want me to hang back?”

“I’m okay, Mom.” 

She smiled gently, “Okay baby, get to bed on time, please.”

“Of course.”

Mom left the room and Andy whipped out his earbuds. He listened to his mom walk downstairs where dad was waiting. Andy rolled off his twin bed and tiptoed across the hardwood floor to the hallway. He heard the door shut and rushed down the hall to the window overlooking the driveway. They walked down the driveway and dad stepped in front of her. He opened the door and said something that made mom look at him. Her face softened a little. Andy smiled and gave a small sigh of relief before walking back to his room. 

Mae had come around one more time before she left. She rode her bike over just after lunchtime. They sat against the maple tree in Andy’s front yard and tried to tell crazy stories but, even when they did think of something, they didn’t erupt into giggles like usual. Finally, Andy got up the courage to ask, “Why are you going away?” Mae pushed the mulch around with the heels of her yellow converse. “My mom’s not happy with my dad anymore. She told me they’re not in love anymore and that we need to go to a different house because they’re getting a divorce.” 

“What’s a divorce?” Andy asked. 

“It’s what happens when married people fight all the time and don’t want to live with each other anymore.”

“Why don’t they?” Andy began to feel sick. Mae thought about this for a moment, “They just fight and yell all the time and they don’t like each other anymore, I don’t know.” 

Andy pulled his knees up close to his chest and laid his hand on his knees. “Can anyone’s parents get a divorce?”

“Oh yeah,” Mae nodded, “My aunt and uncle got one two years ago and my cousin had to decide who she wanted to live with.” 

“Are you going to go with your mom?”

Mae nodded again, “I’ll get to live with my dad in the summers, though. That’s what they decided, not everyone chooses.” Andy took this all in. “Who would you choose?” Mae turned towards him. The question twisted in Andy’s already sunken stomach.

“I don’t want to think about it. Where are you moving to?”

“Greenfield, it’s 45 minutes from here. You really should figure it out just in case.” Andy didn’t respond for a while.

 He couldn’t choose. 

He knew that. 

It just couldn't happen. 

“I need to get going,” Mae stood up, “My mom wanted me back in an hour and a half to finish packing.” 

“Will I see you again?” Andy asked, standing up against the tree. Mae hugged him and told him she would ask her mom about playdates. She left on her lavender bike, and that was the last that Andy heard from Mae. He always wanted to send a letter, but he didn’t know her address. Since Mae had left for Greenfield, four more of Andy’s friend’s parents had gotten divorced. 

Andy opened up his google classroom app and went to the to-do section. 

Today: No assignments

Tomorrow: No assignments

Friday: Homework 2.5a – ratios, proportions, and percentages;

 Unit 5 lesson 2 – King Henry VIII

Andy’s math class was still working on fractions and his social studies class had only just started talking about England today. Andy closed his laptop and rolled off of his bed once more. This time he walked slowly down the hall and descended the stairs to the living room. He stood for a moment, then decided to grab a bowl of popcorn before sitting down for the night. He climbed up onto the kitchen counter to pull out a bowl and the massive bag of Boom-Chicka-Pop. He poured the popcorn until it made a rounded heap above the rim of his bowl. He replaced the bag, hopped off the counter, and carefully walked the bowl into the living room. Grabbing a fuzzy, white blanket from the bin beside the TV, he curled, opened Netflix, and began watching the next episode of Cobra Kai.

 He watched three 40-minute episodes and refilled his bowl twice before he saw headlights rolling down his quiet street. He quickly flipped off the TV and scurried to the kitchen to put his bowl in the sink. Then, ran back up the stairs with his head low, in a mad dash to make it to bed before his parents got inside. He made it. 

David and Emily walked in quietly and called, “Andy, we’re home.” Naturally, Andy did not respond. Emily looked at her husband knowingly and he shrugged back with a smirk. 

“I’m heading up for bed, I’m wiped,” David said loudly. Emily smiled and laid her purse on the side table before locking the door. She walked up the stairs and left her heels in her room before walking down the hall to peek into Andy’s room once more. She walked in. Andy’s eyes were shut tight while he held his breath. She smiled again, walked across the room, and kissed his forehead.

 “Good night, sweet boy.” Emily gently close the door behind her and walked back down the hall into her bedroom. “What a faker,” She chuckled. 

“It’s only 8:45,” David responded, laughing as well. 

Andy didn’t fall asleep quickly. He was up for a while thinking about his talk with Mae against the Maple tree all those years ago. He eventually drifted off to sleep comforted by the fact that, for at least one more day, he’d done his job. For at least one more day, wouldn’t have to choose.