It's no secret that lately there ain't no escape

 

Carson felt he was stuck in a hard place. However, he was elated which left him bitter-sweet when his mom left him the house.

"But, but I  have to pay you rent," he didn't want to listen to her about how he needed a place for him and the kids. Besides, she wasn't doing that well lately with all her illnesses that had caught up to her. She couldn't even smoke anymore. 

"Easy bought a premade ranch-style home," she told him they'd found a place for it not too far out of town near the Platt River.

Carson knew it was no more than a bona fide double-wide trailer, but it was beautiful inside, and his mother, Clare, wouldn't have to walk up the stairs anymore in the three-level home she was in. 

Easy was her partner. Honestly, Carson couldn't remember his mom staying that long with anyone. He was a little younger than her and drove a bus at the nearby assisted living home. They'd been good for each other, and now they'd both stopped smoking. Fortunately, they never smoked in the house.

Carson felt a little out of it with the news. He'd talked with Brit's mother, Betty, about it, who thought it was a great idea. Especially since the place wasn't all that far from her place, and Gage, his brother, lived close. 

"I know you never expected much out of me, all these years, and I know I leaned on you a lot when you were growing up." She rehashed all those time when she was in rehab, and he'd survived the Foster System in those days when they lived in Florida.

His mom smiled about it now, who had become frail. "But if it wasn't for you, I might not be here today." She said she was happy that both her sons were wonderful Dads.

Carson nodded, even though he felt he was in a sea of unrest, trying to hang on with the job at the ER and being a paremedic a couple of days a week. He still wasn't sure he had enough time for the kids, these days. Usually, Friday nights were their night. As summer played on, he had too much to do to worry about Brit. After all, he'd been told more than once from Gage, and even her mother, he had to let her go.

Things were looking up, and then the security at the hospital gave him a call to look at some footage in the hospital parking lot.

Supposed to fire my imagination

 Some days, Brit missed Carson very much. She remembered what they had. What it was like when they first met. The magical chemistry when they just couldn't get enough of each other. Of course, even then, there were problems. She had already had a baby and her mother to deal with. Although, back then, she felt angry with her mother. Now she needed her more than ever, especially with the kids. Granted, they were a blended family. They had her Theo, his daughter Kat, and their eight-year-old Chloe.

Where had the time gone? Brit felt the need to be more. More than this. Just when had she given up on Carson? Maybe she never trusted him. Yeah, some big romantic he was. He couldn't get her out of all this debt. 

Maybe it was all her fault. Sure, it started out with little things. Then she needed a new computer. He wanted a new computer. She winced at the thought. No, the real cost was when she hurt her back. And that meant surgery. Actually, she needed surgery again. 

Perhaps, she was worse off than her mother ever imagined (or was it how bad she imagined her own mother's struggles had been as a single parent?). Somehow, her mom always managed to bounce back. Her mother did pay off the house. And her mother was always kind to strangers. She even ended up marrying one who was a good ten years younger than her.

Brit didn't see anyone saving herself anytime soon, and she hadn't found that great of a job, even if she managed to hang on to the one in Supply at the VA hospital. 

All her children had been talking about lately was how Dad was going to get a house, and they were all going to live with him. "Then you can do anything you want, Mom. You won't have to worry about us."

Theo said he was responsible enough to take care of Chloe. After all, he and Kat were teenagers. Brit didn't like the idea. Technically, she should have been giving Carson child support for Kat since their split, but he hadn't asked for any. Of course, he never had time for Brit anymore. He never asked about her. This divorce business was over as far as he was concerned. He didn't want to get back together with her. This was making Brit so blue. She didn't know what to do.

Brit decided to take a drive. She was just going to drive down to the Emergency and have it out with Carson. She didn't tell her mother where she was going. The kids were busy watching Ninja Warrior and eating popcorn.

Honestly, Brit felt she was in a daze. Like maybe she was on a drug of some kind, or a mission that needed to be over. But once she got to the parking lot, she noticed a familiar old car. She'd seen it before. There was a blue and yellow equal sign on the back. 

Instantly, Brit knew who drove that car. Was Carson actually seeing that slut? Brit was full of bitterness. Oh, that blonde bitch had gone too far this time. Brit had to do something. She just had too. And she would at nightfall.

In the end you'll still be you

 "Why are you wanting to do this all alone?" Boone had asked his Mom Tammy early on who had rented a UHaul for her things.  She'd even taken down her bed and manged to get it in the truck. Her dresser was still at the condo that was abandoned now.

She looked exhausted, but there were no broken bones. The doctor said she was lucky. Of course, she fretted in pain. Her body ached. It was as if she was ready for the doctor to tell her how her fat had cushioned the fall. But she laid with her eyes closed while the I.V. nourished her body. 

"When's the last time you ate?" Boone wanted to know.

"I don't know."

"Well, Naoki is coming."

"I don't want to see people." She snapped. 

"It's just Naoki." Boone looked at her wide-eyed. "What's going on with you two?"

"Nothing."

Boone found that hard to believe. He sighed, not sure what to do. He'd never been in a situation like this. But he guessed he was glad his name was on the important list, but Naoki wasn't. After all, Naoki knew her best, even if he was adopted. 

"You two need to make up. We all need each other."

Even when he said it, he wasn't sure he believed it. How had it come to this? They were just getting to know each other, and here he was having to take care of everything. He raked his fingers through his hair. Hopefully, she could come home, but he wasn't sure where home might be at the moment.

"Look, you need people who can move your stuff," Boone explained. " I'm busy at the bakery with the Farmer's Market now. It was one more outlet they needed for revenue, which meant more baking.

It was summer. He and Maddie hadn't even gone out to the camp yet. At this rate, he didn't know if they would. His adopted mother didn't do anything for Memorial Day. As it was, she was having trouble with his Dad, who always seemed to be asleep in front of the TV  lately. She was afraid he wasn't taking his medications. He was becoming forgetful. Boone didn't know what to make of it. Both of his biological parents were still young. Funny, he didn't realize this until now. 

Before he could ask his mother any more questions, Naoki practically flew in and fluttered about as if he wasn't sure where he was. By the looks of things, he hadn't taken the time to actually get ready, either. He looked like a bum of some sort in his girlfriend's tee.

Of course, she arrived about thirty minutes later. She had fresh clothes for Naoki and coffee for everyone.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Tyra asked as if she might be with a moving company of some kind. 

Tammy looked at her as if she were in shock.

That's when she told Boone and Tammy that she didn't live all that far from Tammy's new place. "I've got the time," Tyra said. "I'm done at work by noon. I could find some neighbors who'd love to help."

Boone smiled. He knew Tyra would come through. If anyone could keep them together, Tyra just might be the glue.

Every single word builds up to this moment

"She hates me."

There, Tyra said it. It needed to be said. Didn't Naoki get it? Of course, he was still with her in her room. He blew out a breath and fell back onto her bed, taking her with him. He hugged her tightly and looked at her sleepily. They didn't have much on and possibly wouldn't in a few minutes.

"Now see, it's not something to worry about." He told her he wasn't worrying about his mother, and neither should she.

"You'd think differently if it were my mother," Tyra pouted back.

"Possibly." Naoki shrugged back, "But your mother loves me, so you know, why go there?" He acted as if he could do no wrong with that silly smile of his.

Tyra sighed. She thought this would have been over with now. Except, she kept forgetting about it, too. This was a whole new happiness she'd never had before. Was it supposed to be this easy? No, there was his mother to worry about. She needed to be tense about that, but the more they were in this dance of tenderness, the braver she felt about the future.

Before she knew it, she lingered in his touch and the clothes shed to the floor. It was only three in the afternoon, but it was full of delight, rocking each other's worlds. About twenty minutes later, they sank under the covers, resting as if the day was just ending. 

It was about six when Naoki got a text. He pushed the covers back as if it was too early to go on an exhibition, but he looked at the TEXT.

"What the fuck!" he gasped.

"What is it?" Tyra set up, thinking this might be a good time to find her clothes on the floor.

"It's Boone," he sighed.

"Boone?" She covered her breasts as if maybe she had gone to Catholic school, after all. 

"Ma fell or something," Naoki fretted as his wild hair fell in his face, but he pushed it back and reached for his glasses. "He's at the ER with her."

Now she could see he was angry with himself. He knew he wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be helping his mother move.

"She kept saying I was no help at all, and she didn't need my help," he told Tyra, reaching for his briefs on the floor to put on, then sliding on his cutoffs. She'd found his tee on the other side of the bed, but he already had on hers. He didn't notice it was snug. 

"What am I gonna do with her?" He sat on the edge of the bed, turned from her. His elbows propped his hands under his jaw as he sat in thought. 

Tyra pulled on his tee and patted him on the back. 

"Maybe, it's not that bad," Tyra said, hugging him from behind.

"I don't think she'd break anything. If it's anything, it's her blood sugar."

Naoki needed to get to the hospital. He reached for her and gave her a longing kiss as if he couldn't wait to get back to her.

He got up and shuffled off in his summer sandals.

"But-"

"You need to get ready for work." 

Naoki looked back at her.

Tyra nodded and turned back to the red numbers on the old digital clock. It was only a little after six in the evening.

"It's not morning," Tyra reminded him, but he was already gone.