On the appointed Saturday, a week into the new year, I woke up with a rare case of nerves. I can’t say why. It was just one of those things. Poor Tee bore the brunt of it. After I’d asked her about her blood sugar four times and if she’d taken her thyroid meds twice,…
By now, you’re probably wondering what all this has to do with meeting Cole. Well, everything that happened over that Christmas holiday—the Elephant Child, Kade, shooting a music video—made a big difference in what happened next. I had to tell you those stories so I could tell you this one. Remember that phone call I…
There are endless clichĂ©s about rock stars: they are high-strung and temperamental; they spend more time in rehab than on tour; they do crazy shit like demanding two kilos of M&M’s with all the green ones removed or roasting a goat in their hotel room; they go everywhere with an entourage that would fill a…
Christmas day rose up, bright and clear and promising to be warm, but not too warm. I set my alarm for a half hour past sunrise, lazed for a quarter hour more and then collected Juniper from her place on the shelf above my bed and went to check on Tee. We might have hit…
I arrived home about 2:30 to find out Tee was having one of her “okay” days. Let me explain: if I ask Tee how she’s doing, she’ll answer fine, good, or great—or maybe okay. You see, as far as Tee’s concerned, she doesn’t have bad days. But some of her okay days would land you or me in the hospital begging to…
One of the downsides of working for a regional lab is not getting Christmas Eve off. But we don’t return to work until January 3rd, a humane indulgence for those who like to celebrate more vigorously. National and metro think we’re funny that way. Even though Christmas Eve is nominally still a full workday, people…
Now that you know where it all began, when did it all begin? The Monday before Christmas last year. Monday mornings are a bit special at my job. They are usually slow, giving me and Brody time to rehash our weekend. Now, everyone has a fatal flaw. In Brody’s case, he loves cricket. I think…
“It all began right here, in this office.” I stole that line from a movie and if you’re a film buff, you might recognize it. I stole it cuz I think it’s a great opening line and it’s perfect and it’s not like I can do better… so there ya go. Except you gotta give…
I walk into our apartment after dropping Erin off and grabbing a quick breakfast at my favorite cafĂ© to find Amie on the couch, looking like something dragged in by a not very picky cat. Her sleek black hair is across her face in a messed-up tangle, she’s wearing her old Winnie the Pooh T-shirt and I think that’s it. The shirt’s long but not…
The sound of a door opening, followed by giggling and a couple of dull thumps, jerks me awake. Great. Savannah’s roommate is back. And she’s not alone. No matter how tired I am, I never sleep deeply in strange surroundings and now my ears are hyper-attuned as I hear footsteps and a muffled whisper. “Careful. Savannah’s sleeping.” “Oops,” a very femme, rather tipsy sounding voice…
Six flights of stairs are a lot. Growing up in Colorado, snowboarding was my winter workout and I mountain biked in summer but since I moved here, it’s had to be the gym and with my job lately, it hasn’t even been that. So I’m not in the shape I’d like to be. After five flights, my thighs are burning and I’m regretting my aversion…
Tap. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tappity-tap… TAP. That’s the sound of my index finger against the steering wheel of my jeep. Yeah, I tap my finger like a mad woman when I’m anxious, worried, or angry and right now I’m all three. Worried about what Erin’s gonna walk into. Anxious if I’m doing the right thing. Angry that anyone should be in this…
“Hey? How are you doing? Okay?” I look up. She’s waiting there, Savannah, a worried look still on her face. Her teeth catch the corner of her lips for a moment, drawing my focus there. It’s disconcerting. I hate that I worried her. I also should not be staring at her lips. “Yeah. I’m doing… fine,” I lie. And not well. I have no idea…