The Boy on Sunset and Main by Kelly Utt

Author:Kelly Utt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Standards of Starlight
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

4

Inheritance

“Whatcha got?” I ask, not sure I’m ready for anything heavy this evening.

I kick one leg absentmindedly as I wait to hear what they want to say. The sun is slinking lower in the sky, promising to give us a colorful show before it disappears for the night. Pop sits down on a wicker armchair across from our swing. His brows are low on his face. This must be important. I look over at Mami. Her expression troubles me. I quickly scroll through a list of possible topics in my mind. None of them are good.

“Come on,” I say. “You two are worrying me. Is everything okay?”

Mami sits up straight and lets her gaze rest on Pop. He will do most of the talking. They’ve planned this ahead. How did they know I’d show up here tonight? I suppose I’m fairly predictable. I stop by at least a couple of evenings each week. Maybe they had this talk queued up, ready and waiting.

I look up at the haint blue ceiling, hoping it will somehow distract from whatever this is. The paint is beginning to chip around the edges. I make a mental note to pick up a fresh can from the hardware store and touch it up for them. I know the color: a Benjamin Moore product called Clear Skies.

After what feels like a long, drawn out silence, Pop speaks.

“Puck, you know that Mami and I are getting older,” he says.

This reminds me of the awkward talk we had about the birds and the bees when I started high school. That’s right. High school. I had learned the facts from friends at school long prior.

“Yeah. So? You’re both doing great.”

Pop inhales a slow breath, then holds it a moment before letting it out in a quick burst.

“We’re reasonably good for our age, but it’s time for us to make some changes,” he says.

My pulse quickens. I hope he’s not going to tell me that one of them is sick. I’m not ready for that. I need them to stay just as they are. I have far too much to figure out in my life. They’re the only solid ground to be found beneath me. Mami and Pop are my rocks.

“Like, what kind of changes?” I ask.

As if on cue and to match my mood, storm clouds gather themselves in tight knots in the distance over the water. I hate thunderstorms even more than sharks. I guess that’s not a surprise. Being struck by lightning was a betrayal of sorts. I’m not sure I can trust the stormy skies ever again. What the lightning took from me that day was everything. It forever changed my view of the world. I suspect I know how the Ancient Greeks and Romans felt. It’s easy to imagine Zeus up there moving people around like chess pieces when you’ve been through what I have. The volatile parts of nature are mean. And terrifying.

“Puck,” Pop says. “I won’t beat around the bush here. You deserve the truth.

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