Elena and Jill enjoyed casual small talk, occasionally erupting into a fit of laughter. Jill couldn’t remember the last time she had so much fun. She was thoroughly enjoying herself, the food, and had to admit that the company wasn’t bad either.
Eventually the topic swayed towards Brian as Elena began telling Jill some stories of his childhood and time here before he moved south. Each new thing Jill heard, she became more interested in who Brian was and how he became the man he was today. She tried picturing a young Brian playing in this house and all the fun he probably had in the small backyard that Elena owned. Some things were too hard to imagine, but she enjoyed each story all the same.
Hearing too much of himself, Brian interrupted, “Mom, enough about me already.”
“Oh, come on. Jill’s interested in hearing what I have to say.”
Brian highly doubted that Jill was enjoying his mom talking about him. As much as he wished, he didn’t think she was interested in him at all. “There are a million other things we could be talking about though,” Brian reminded her.
Wanting to end the little family bickering that was taking place, Jill stated, “So tell me about the Brian of today.” She demurely glanced in Brian’s direction and took a sip of her water, anticipating the things she would learn.
At first Brian was a little speechless because he didn’t think Jill wanted to know much about him. She always seemed to keep a small distance from him; building walls up so they couldn’t get close. But, even though he didn’t like talking about himself, he thought maybe this might be one step closer in the direction he wanted to head with her.
“What do you want to know?” Brian asked, and then took another bite of salad.
“Whatever you want to tell me,” Jill smiled.
“Hmm, where do I start?” he playfully questioned. “I mean, I’m not sure what my mom has already told you.”
“Well, how about you tell me why you moved?”
“Sure, sure. Well, to be honest, I never wanted to move from here. I love the small-town feel; that everyone knows mostly everyone else. People help one another here and are more compassionate than in the bigger cities. I love the weather here, my friends and family is here, and I fully intended on building a life for myself here.”
Jill kept eating, listening intently to everything he said.
Brian took a sip of water and continued. “But life had other plans. A friend of mine was stationed down where I live. One time when I went to go visit him, I helped him and his squad fix something. One of them noticed my skills and offered me a job right on the spot. Having no such luck here, and not wanting to free load off my parents anymore, I took it. At that time it was temporary, but over time one thing led to another and I opened my own business. Life was treating me good down there.”
“Your mom’s probably told me already, but what type of business is it again?” Jill wanted to know.
“I own a hardware store. Well, it’s mostly a hardware store, but we also do jobs for people. Basically anything that can be done or needs to be done in or to a home, we can do.”
“I take it that it’s successful?”
“Brian is doing a wonderful job down there,” Elena chimed in. “He has such skill, and he’s really flourishing.”
“Yeah, business is good. I still miss being here some days though,” Brian confessed.
He reached over to
Eventually the topic swayed towards Brian as Elena began telling Jill some stories of his childhood and time here before he moved south. Each new thing Jill heard, she became more interested in who Brian was and how he became the man he was today. She tried picturing a young Brian playing in this house and all the fun he probably had in the small backyard that Elena owned. Some things were too hard to imagine, but she enjoyed each story all the same.
Hearing too much of himself, Brian interrupted, “Mom, enough about me already.”
“Oh, come on. Jill’s interested in hearing what I have to say.”
Brian highly doubted that Jill was enjoying his mom talking about him. As much as he wished, he didn’t think she was interested in him at all. “There are a million other things we could be talking about though,” Brian reminded her.
Wanting to end the little family bickering that was taking place, Jill stated, “So tell me about the Brian of today.” She demurely glanced in Brian’s direction and took a sip of her water, anticipating the things she would learn.
At first Brian was a little speechless because he didn’t think Jill wanted to know much about him. She always seemed to keep a small distance from him; building walls up so they couldn’t get close. But, even though he didn’t like talking about himself, he thought maybe this might be one step closer in the direction he wanted to head with her.
“What do you want to know?” Brian asked, and then took another bite of salad.
“Whatever you want to tell me,” Jill smiled.
“Hmm, where do I start?” he playfully questioned. “I mean, I’m not sure what my mom has already told you.”
“Well, how about you tell me why you moved?”
“Sure, sure. Well, to be honest, I never wanted to move from here. I love the small-town feel; that everyone knows mostly everyone else. People help one another here and are more compassionate than in the bigger cities. I love the weather here, my friends and family is here, and I fully intended on building a life for myself here.”
Jill kept eating, listening intently to everything he said.
Brian took a sip of water and continued. “But life had other plans. A friend of mine was stationed down where I live. One time when I went to go visit him, I helped him and his squad fix something. One of them noticed my skills and offered me a job right on the spot. Having no such luck here, and not wanting to free load off my parents anymore, I took it. At that time it was temporary, but over time one thing led to another and I opened my own business. Life was treating me good down there.”
“Your mom’s probably told me already, but what type of business is it again?” Jill wanted to know.
“I own a hardware store. Well, it’s mostly a hardware store, but we also do jobs for people. Basically anything that can be done or needs to be done in or to a home, we can do.”
“I take it that it’s successful?”
“Brian is doing a wonderful job down there,” Elena chimed in. “He has such skill, and he’s really flourishing.”
“Yeah, business is good. I still miss being here some days though,” Brian confessed.
He reached over to
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