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Mom put a hand on his and squeezed. "I'm sorry, dear. Didn't mean to bring up bad memories." She smiled brightly. "How is working there at, what is it, Coffee and Cups?"
He grinned. "Coffee and Cars. I know, it sounds like a weird combination, but it works. I can take you out there and show you my new place if you'd like. If Erin's around, I'll introduce you."
"I don't want to put you to any trouble." She fiddled with her purse strap.
Ryan chuckled. She wanted to go. "It's no trouble, Mom. I'm not doing anything today except laundry. I want to stop by the house first and see if any of my old gear is still in the attic."
"Sure, honey. It might be." She shrugged. "I haven't done anything with it, but your sister or brother might have. They've been cleaning."
"Really? Why?"
Mom shrugged again. "They thought it was time to get their stuff out of my way and clear out leftover junk. I haven't missed anything up there for the last few years, so I don't think I'll miss it now." Her smile turned down. "I didn't specifically tell them to leave your stuff alone because I didn't think I'd have to, but maybe I should have. Sorry, Ryan."
He shrugged in turn. "We'll wait and see what's still there, Mom. It's a long shot. Even if it's there, it probably won't be in one piece."
"What are you looking for?"
"Some of my old hiking gear."
"I rather doubt it will fit you at this point. You've put on a lot of muscle." She surveyed his shoulders. "I've seen the admiring glances you've been getting."
Ryan glanced down at his prosthesis. "Thanks, Mom."
"Ryan." She sighed. "The arm really isn't as big a deal as you think it is. Sure, it startles people at first, but after that? I bet most people don't even notice after a while, do they?" She leveled her the quintessential "Mom knows best" look on him.
"There's a big difference between 'no big deal' for a friend and 'no big deal' for a girlfriend." He frowned.
"Maybe. If a woman is that shallow, then you don't want her, anyway." The "look" ramped up.
Ryan scowled. "I haven't found out if someone is that shallow. They see the arm and disengage."
"Then you're looking in all the wrong places." She shook her head sadly, then perked up. "You should come to church with me."
Ryan snorted. "Sure, Mom, your friends all want to date me."
"Well, they do, but no, there are lots of younger people moving back here now that there are more jobs."
"There are?"
Mom tilted her head. "A lot of them go to the oil fields while their families stay here. Or they work from home. So many remote-work jobs these days. It's a different world."
"Ah." Ryan changed the subject to his high school friends and where they were now through the rest of breakfast, then drove back to Mom's house. When he poked his head into the attic, it was clear Marie and James had truly cleaned up. There wasn't much left. To be fair, most of his stuff was probably mouse-eaten or dry-rotted, anyway.
Downstairs, he convinced Mom to look at his new apartment. He didn't have to work too hard; she really wanted to see the place. He showed her around the coffee shop and the garage first, then locked and alarmed the shops. They climbed the stairs.
"I'm glad she's got good security. You're not too far out of town but far enough that it probably takes a while for the sheriff to get here." Mom shot a look over her shoulder.
"That's true. We're going to get even better security; I have a friend designing a surveillance system for the place. After the incidents we've had out here, Erin needs a video record." Ryan opened the door and held it for her.
"What's happened?" They entered the main apartment. "Ryan, this is lovely. What a nice place."
Dodged that bullet. Breathing a sigh of relief, he showed Mom around the little apartment and all the very nice amenities that Erin added, like the stacked washer/dryer combo and the built-in storage.
"And she lets you pay by working?" Mom sounded incredulous.
He still couldn’t believe it either. "Yes. It's a straight trade, hours for the apartment. And if I find a car to work on, she'll trade me hours working on her projects for hours on mine."
Mom beamed and put a hand on his arm. "That is a very good deal, dear."
