by Rhea Rhea
Tucker looks up at the sky, he seems to be thinking over this for a minute before he answers. “Sounds good.”
He lowers himself to the ground and waits for me to jump down so he can close the tailgate then he rushes to the driver’s door and opens it. I climb up into the truck and scoot over to the middle when Tucker starts the engine. The radio station is playing Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Fishing in the Dark.
I have to laugh, I mean, what are the odds that we were just fishing, the sun has set, and this song starts playing on the radio. Talk about a coincidence.
I look out the window to watch the stars come out and think about all the nights Tucker and I roamed these fields catching lightning bugs. It was a game to see who could catch the most in their Mason jar. Things were so much simpler when all we worried about was having fun.
Chapter Four
Tucker parks the truck near our tree. Not close enough for me to use the truck as a ladder, so I guess he will be boosting me up there. We both get out of the truck and walk toward the lowest branch. Tucker squats down and cups his hands. I place my foot there and up I go. Just like old times.
I settle onto a branch, waiting for Tucker to join me. When he does, he sits on the branch, his back to the truck, and holds outs his hand to help me get situated. He pulls me close until my back is against his chest, encircling his arms around my waist.
Settling my arms on top his that are holding my waist, I lean my head back against his chest. I am completely relaxed and feel in this moment that I am exactly where I should be. This is a moment that I’ll want to remember forever. I take my phone out of my pocket and angle it just right to capture a picture, so no matter what tomorrow brings, I will at least have this memory to look at whenever I want.
Tucker clears his throat, startling me. He tightens his arms a little to keep me from falling. His chest expands as he takes a deep breath. Maybe he’s getting ready to answer my question from earlier.
Tucker says, “All right, I’m gonna talk and you listen, okay?” He waits until I nod my agreement before continuing. “I’m gonna start at the beginning.”
“Okay.” I whisper.
He says, “I remember the day we met like it was yesterday. I was helping Dad unload the truck and I looked up to see the most beautiful sight I’ve ever laid eyes on. You wore pair of grass stained, worn out jeans, a pink T-shirt, and your boots.”
Much like I am dressed right now, minus the grass stains, but I don’t say a word, not wanting to interrupt him.
“You ran right up to me and said, ‘My name’s Brenna, what’s yours?’ I told you my name and from that day forward we were inseparable. That is, till the day I saw you run past the field and I ran after you. The day you told me you were moving.”
Tears pool in my eyes at the memory. Tucker takes another deep breath, as though he is fighting his own emotions, before he continues.
“Brenna, it felt like my world stopped that day. I was so afraid I’d never see you again. I know now that it was irrational or whatever, but I was eleven years old, and to me, it was the end of us. I didn’t think about the fact that I still lived here and you could still visit. After y’all moved, I sat in this tree every day, staring across the fields, thinking any minute I’d see you running toward me.”
I sniffle a little at this because I know how he feels. We were best friends, and I felt like I lost a piece of me right here on this farm that day. I wait for a few minutes for Tucker to say more, but he doesn’t say anything else. It’s my turn to speak now.
“Tucker, I missed you every day. I used to beg to come here every time school was out, but most times I either couldn’t, or by the time I got here it was too late to see you. And then the next day, we seemed to always miss each other. Like something was trying to keep us apart.”
I hear Tucker make a noise behind me. I try to turn so I can see his face, but he tightens his hold again, stopping me. We sit there in our tree, both lost in our thoughts.
Finally, he says, “Scoot forward some. I wanna show you something.”
I move forward and turn to can see what Tucker is doing. He swings his leg over so he can step onto the branch below us and motions me back over. I scoot back toward him to look where he is pointing. It’s too dark, so I pull out my phone to shine the light on the tree trunk. I gasp in surprise when I see it.
Carved into the tree are our initials inside a heart. I glance at Tucker, who is staring intently at my face. A tear rolls down my cheek, reaching up he catching it on his thumb. Instead of wiping it off on his jeans, like I expect, he rubs his fingers together absorbing my tear into his skin.
“When did you put this here?” I ask with a shaky voice.
“The summer you were fourteen.”
“That’s the summer you stopped all communication with me.”
“Yeah,” Tucker drops his head, and after a few seconds he starts to climb down the tree.
“Why?” I whisper.
He had to hear me, because he pauses before dropping to the ground. “That’s a story for another time, Brenna.” Holding his arms up to me he says. “Come on, jump, I’ll catch you.”
“You better!” I yell before I jump.
Tucker catches me in his arms, holding me close. I wrap my arms around his neck, giving him a squeeze. He holds me against him, staring into my eyes for a few short minutes, before lowering my feet to the ground. I let my arms fall and step away.
“Why can’t you tell me now?” If he’d just tell me, I know it’ll be a revelation that will change everything.
“It’s not time for that yet. I need you to remember everything else first. Then I’ll tell you.”
Tucker is leaning against the tree. I step closer to him so I can see his face in the fading light as the sky continues to darken.
“Promise?” I ask.
“Yeah, I promise.”
I smile up at him. Even though he won’t tell me now, everything else today has been wonderful. It’s almost like all the years have fallen away and I have my Tucker back.
“I’m glad we ran into each other yesterday.” I blurt.
“Me too. Saved me a trip.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was getting tired of waiting for you to come back home.” Tucker shrugs.
“Okay, so… what? You were gonna come looking for me?”
“Yeah. Something like that.”
“Why?”
Tucker snorts. Yes, he snorted. “Because I was tired of waiting.”
Before I realize what’s happened I’m pulled back into his arms, his finger hooked in my belt loop. Tucker lifts my chin so my eyes look directly into his. He lowers his head toward mine and I think he is going to kiss me. But instead, he touches his forehead to mine.
“What are you doing next weekend?”
“Nothing, besides maybe studying. Why?”
“I’d like to come and see you.” he says in a soft voice.
“I think I’d like that.”
Tucker lightly grazes his lips across mine. No more, no less. Just a soft, sweet brush of his lips before he wraps his arms around me and hugs me like he’ll never let me go.
“Come on,” he says. “It’s getting late and you have a long drive tomorrow.” He runs his hands down my arms and laces his fingers with mine as we begin our walk to my SUV.
As I open my door, Tucker hands me his phone and tells me to enter my number and call my phone so I have his number as well. I do and he hugs me one more time before he tells me goodnight. I watch as he walks back across the lane and opens his door on his truck. I wave as I drive past him and see a smile on his face. I already can’t wait to see him next weekend.
Chapter Five
I roll over, searching blindly for my phone to turn off my alarm. I set it last night before I went to bed. I wanted to get up in time to eat breakfast with my mom before heading back to Louisville. Somehow, overnight, it became Louisville and not home. What a difference a night can make.
I take some clothes from my suitcase and head downstairs to shower. After stripping off my shorts and tank I look at myself in the full-length mirror on the back of the door. I pull my ponytail holder off letting my brown hair fall around my shoulders. I step closer and stare at my reflection. My full lips are my favorite feature followed by dark blue eyes, long eyelashes, and a very small cleft in my chin.
I scan my body, not too bad if I do say so myself. All that walking around campus actually paid off. Turning away from the mirror, I open the shower door and adjust the water. When it’s hot enough, I step in and close my eyes my thoughts revolving to the day Tucker and I played in the rain.
It was a few weeks after he moved to the farm, and we’d been playing in the hayloft when a light rain started to fall. We climbed down and ran out into the field behind the barn, and with our arms spread wide, we spun around in the rain. We were soaked by the time we went back into the barn, and we sat in that hayloft until we were almost dry before making our way back home. I smile at the memory.
After shutting off the water, drying off and brushing my teeth, I dress myself in my comfy clothes before throwing my hair up in a messy bun. I gather up my stuff and head back upstairs to pack it away and bring my suitcase downstairs.
When I enter the kitchen, Mom has already placed our breakfast on the table. Homemade biscuits and Karo Syrup. Yum! I put a little butter on my plate, pour the syrup over top of it, and mix it together before opening my biscuit and putting it on top.
I say to Mom, “So, I probably won’t be home again until after graduation.”
“I kind of figured that. Where did you and Tucker run off to yesterday?”
Not sure how much to tell her, I shrug and continue eating.
“Don’t just shrug your shoulders at me, Brenna. You know where y’all went.”
“We went fishing and then we sat and talked for a while. It’s been a long time since I hung out with Tucker. I didn’t realize how much I missed him.”
Mom looks up from her plate and I think she’s about to say something, but apparently changed her mind because she continues to eat instead.
After I finish eating, I pick up my plate and put it in the sink before turning to face Mom. “All right. Well I’m off I will text you when I get back to my apartment so you know I made it safely.”
“Be careful. I’ll see you at graduation.”
I walk over and lean down to hug her. “I love you, Mom. See ya then.”
“Love you too. See ya soon.”
And with that, I am out the door and on the road.
I decide to take the back country roads, giving myself time to think and process all that’s happened in the last day and a half. I’ve thought of Tucker many times over the years and wondered what he was up to. He was such a big part of my life for those six years and then… nothing. Like he dropped off the face of earth.
I happened to see him a couple times after I got my driver’s license, but it was always at a distance, and he was gone before I could catch up to him. The only time I got close enough to talk to him was the day before I left for college.
I was on my way to McDonald’s and saw him sitting on the hood of his car next to Wesley Mitchell. I pulled up in front of them and peeked out my windshield. Tucker was staring at me. When I got out and leaned against my SUV, Tucker slid off the hood and nodded at me. Then he got into his car and drove off.
“Wesley, what’s wrong with Tucker?” I ask.
“Don’t know, why?”
“He seems to hate me.”
“Nah, Brenna. He doesn’t hate ya, he just doesn’t want to talk to ya.”
“Do you know why?”
Wesley smirks. “I have no idea.”
I know he’s lying; he’s been friends with Tucker for a while, since they went to high school together. “I think you do know.”
“What’s it matter if I do? You’re about to leave town anyway. Maybe it’ll be good for him. He can finally move on.”
“You are such an ass, Wesley. Tucker and I were best friends for a long time and then one day, nothing. The past two years, me and you have been on and off. Even though y’all were friends, he’d never come around if I was there. I just wanted to know if you knew why.”
I turn around to get back in my SUV and before I shut the door, I hear Wesley say, “Because I got to you first.”
As Wesley gets into his car, I ask him, “What’s that mean?”
“It means, Tucker was waiting to date you, but I got to you first.”
I closed my car door and I sat there dumbfounded, watching as Wesley drove away. He is one person I won’t miss when I leave.
I need to pull over. I have to know if what Wesley said was true. I search for a place to stop and when I finally see one, I pull off the road and park, immediately searching for my phone. I need to call Tucker. When I unlock my phone I see that I already have a text message waiting.
Tucker: Just wanted to say good mornin’ n tell u to have a safe trip.
I look at the time on the text and see it was only about fifteen minutes ago. I must have been lost in my thoughts and not heard my phone.
Brenna: Good mornin’ I am on the road now. I have a question.
It didn’t take him long to reply.
Tucker: u better not be txt and driving!
Brenna: no worries pulled over to txt u.
Tucker: good now what’s ur question?
Brenna: u member the day before I left and I saw u and Wesley?
Tucker: yeah y?
Brenna: I just remembered something he said to me.
Tucker: what?
Brenna: he said ‘because I got you first’
It takes him a few minutes to reply this time and I’m getting a little anxious and my fingers are tapping a steady beat on my steering wheel as I wait for his response. Finally, my phone dings.
Tucker: and? Is that all he said?
Brenna: no. He also said that u were waiting for me to be able to date.
Tucker: yeah but I waited too long he got u first.
Brenna: oh so is that y u avoided me those 2 yrs?
Tucker: yeah Brenna that’s part of it and the rest I will tell u when I c u this wknd.
Brenna: k.
Tucker: B careful n txt when u get there. TTYS.
Brenna: TTYS
It felt like I was trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle. I finished the outside border and now I’m searching for the inside pieces. But there are always those few pesky pieces that seem to be hiding from me. That’s exactly how I feel. I’m working toward the middle but those few damn pieces have slipped off the counter onto the floor and the carpet ate them. I just hope I find them and get this damn puzzle solved soon.
All right. Enough thinking for one day. I crank up my stereo and pull out onto the highway. The rest of my trip is spent singing along to whatever song is playing with no thoughts of what I may have missed out on with Tucker all these years.
I arrive at my apartment a little after one o’clock, grab my suitcase, and head inside. I have two classes tomorrow and two on Wednesday. After that, finals and graduation. I have to decide what to with the rest of my life once this chapter is closed.
I send a quick text to my mom and then Tucker, letting them both know I made it here safely. Then I drop my phone on the table and go into my room where I throw myself down on the bed. A nap sounds like a brilliant idea. No more thoughts, memories, or worries today. They will all be there tomorrow.
Chapter Six
I woke up around eight last night with my stomach rumbling and my phone beeping, letting me know I had at least one missed text. I crawl out of bed and head to the kitchen, grabbing my phone from the table to see that I actually had several missed messages. One was from my Mom, letting me know she got my text. The other three were from Tucker.
Tucker: glad u made it back safely
Tucker: what do u want to do next wknd?
Tucker: Brenna?
Oh great, he pro
bably thinks I’m ignoring him. I grab a drink from the fridge and jump up on the counter to text him back.
Brenna: Hey sorry I crashed n just got up. What do u want to do?
Five minutes later my phone rings. I look at the screen and it’s Tucker. Guess he didn’t want to type.
“Hello.” I answer.
“Hey.”
Tucker and I talked for about an hour before he said he had to go because he had to work the next morning. I caught up on what he’d been up to for the past few years. I kind of feel bad I didn’t even ask him Saturday when we were only talking about me.
I learned that he is a mechanic and works on anything with a motor. I can see him now, shirtless, bent over the hood of a car, covered in grease. I’m seriously thinking about tearing up my Xterra just to get him to take a peek under the hood.
He also told me that he still helps my Pa out when needed. I told him that was very nice of him and he responded. “Well he was good to us. I have a lot of respect for him.”
I was all smiles after hanging up. How could I not be? This man is merely a bigger version of the boy who stole my heart so long ago. I can see myself falling in love with Tucker, but first, I have to figure out whatever it is I’m supposed to remember. I don’t think it’s any of the memories that have come to mind recently. Except for the stuff with Wesley, my memories have only been of the times Tucker and I spent together.