Will wasn’t the most active kid in the neighborhood. Honestly, exercise wasn’t his thing. The only kind of outside activity he did, reluctantly at that, was riding his bike. Riding around the neighborhood was a freeing activity, not exercise, at least not in Will’s book. Josh, on the other hand, was an active kid. Watching sports was a regular part of his life, as long as it included baseball or soccer. Otherwise, forget it. Josh was the new kid on Interlachen Street in the Village Green subdivision of San Ramon, California. Josh’s side of the street was prim, proper, well-maintained, and regularly cared for lawns. Whereas Will’s side of the road was a little more lackadaisical in lawn care. Some were mowed, many not. Seeing Teslas, Landrovers, and Lexuses in the driveway or parked on the street was normal on Josh’s side. But on Will’s side? Old Ford F-100s used as work trucks, Jeeps, and jacked-up four-by-fours littered the block’s west side.

Will’s Mom was off from work on most Tuesdays, which meant she was accounting for the household, grocery shopping, and doing her best to spend time with her son. That meant Will would be forced to go to Whole Foods with her unless he could think of something better to do. Getting older had some advantages, the least of which was getting out of some chores. Going to the store was one of those things he dreaded. His Mother enjoyed dragging him along and forcing him to talk to people. She thought it best for her son. There was something extraordinary about him helping her find the items she needed. He had a knack for finding those items she couldn’t. Plus, like it or not, Will had a fantastic memory. He could remember where his Mom had put stamps in the desk drawer three months ago. Finding items in the grocery store? That was cake.

His Mom worked part-time at a floral shop, making flower arrangements for various occasions. Something about the creation and building was soothing and therapeutic for her. Not only did she enjoy it, but once word spread concerning her creativity, everyone came to the tiny shop to watch her work. She didn’t mind. At one point, the owner decided not to let her teach flower arrangement classes. He made more from her creativity than he did, letting her teach others how to do it. Her popularity had such a following that her few days a week became a very profitable gig. What started as a part-time job turned into a full-blown career!

And the website blew up. Socialites from New York and Chicago ordered flowers that may not make the journey from California, but they paid top dollar for them anyway! The money she earned she didn’t tell her husband about. Will’s Dad was an over-the-road truck driver, spending weeks and sometimes even months on the road. His Dad told Will he could come with him anytime he wanted, but Will’s idea of traveling the country wasn’t in the passenger seat of a semi-truck. It wasn’t the truck that bothered Will. It was the truckstops. For a young man, Will’s age, thirteen, some truck drivers took a quick shine to the boy. It made him uncomfortable, to say the least. And his Dad knew what some of the other drivers were like. Being on the road for thousands of miles can get lonely, and finding company is tough to come by. That’s why prostitutes were commonly found on the road. Not that Will’s Dad had anything to do with them.

Will never told his Mom about the prostitutes. But she knew. She knew all about them. If there was one thing Will’s Dad wasn’t, it was being unfaithful to his Mother. Bill loved her intensely but equally loved the road. Being his own boss. Making good time. Hitting bonuses that your regulars gave you for showing up early. That was what Bill lived for. That, and traveling all over the country. Once, Bill crossed six states, almost seven, before he had to pull over. This was before the DOT tracked everyone’s time via computers. The Department of Transportation now required all drivers to log on to their system to accurately follow how long each truck and driver was moving on the highways. It forced drivers to stop after eight hours of driving, which cut down on the number of coast-to-coast truck driving accidents. Sure, there were exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, accidents were prevented. The only bad thing was a driver couldn’t cheat the DOT anymore. No one could run dual log books, which was how over half of all the truck drivers made their money, getting paid per load instead of a per-mile rate.

               Michelle loved Bill almost as much as he loved her. But she also liked her quiet and peaceful home. When he was home, the balance was off, making it a little uncomfortable. Thankfully, she had to work when he came home, which kept the peace. It also meant he’d sleep for twelve hours, at least! He always came home exhausted and burnt out from the road. Which is why he took a week off after several weeks of traveling. Grateful that Bill had left two days earlier, Michelle was ready to relax, read her book, drink her tea, and take care of her home.

               “William!”

               “Yeah, Mom?”

               “We’re going to Whole Foods in a minute. Put your bike up.”

               Will had been riding circles in their driveway for twenty minutes. Riding bikes on the street was fine during the day. But you had to be extremely careful between six and eight o’clock, both morning and night. Adults and teens tore through the neighborhood, using it as a shortcut to Alcosta Boulevard, the main thoroughfare in San Ramon. He hollered back at her, “Can I stay home this time, Mom? Please?”

               Michelle poked her head out the door, flipping her sunglasses onto her nose. “You have big plans today, kiddo?” She always called him kiddo for some reason. He never quite figured out why until he was much older, and she had forgotten why she started doing it. Her dementia never made sense to Will. Not that he had to worry about it now. Now, all that mattered to him was not going to Whole Foods with his Mother.

               “Nope. Thinking about riding around the neighborhood, maybe riding up to Walt Disney and goofing off.”

               “What about Josh? You haven’t talked to him since school got out, have you?”

               He stared at his Mother. It’s the stare thirteen-year-old boys think they can get away with because they are ‘grown.’

               “Don’t you look at me like that, William. I won’t have it. I’ll make you come with me, and then I’ll tell your Dad all about it.”

               Will rolled his eyes. “Sorry, Mom.”

               “That’s better. Now come here before I leave. Give me a kiss.” She puckered up, and Will grimaced. “What? Too good to give your Mother a kissy kissy?” She smacked her lips a few more times, coming outside and letting the storm door slam behind her. “Come here, William. Give me a kissy kiss!”

               Will kept riding his bike in circles, but now he was riding fast, managing to stay just out of reach of his Mother’s arms. Michelle was faster than Will and caught him, wrapping her arms tightly around the boy, kissing him all over – and making Godawful noises!

               “Get a room, you two,” Josh said, laughing. “Will, you have a thing for you, Mom? I can see that,” he said, leering at Michelle. Michelle scowled at Josh.

               “Joshua, how’s your summer been?”

               “Not bad, so far. I’ve been to Hawaii and Lake Tahoe in the past two weeks. Not sure where Mom is taking us next. If I had to guess? Canada, but I can’t figure out why. Hey, William,” he winked at his friend. “Whatcha doing?”

               “Going for a ride. You coming?” He took off as fast as he could down Interlachen.

               “Yep. Bye, Will’s Mom!” he waved at Michelle.

               “It’s Michelle, you little stinker!” she shouted, smiling. Like it or not, you just couldn’t get mad at that kid. He was charming in his own way. Probably be a womanizer when he got older, but Michelle wasn’t thinking about that. Her mind was on the recipe; she needed ingredients from the store.