Bring Me Back(100)

“Uncle Jake,” I said taking his hand.

“Yeah,” he squeezed mine in return. I gave him one of those overly serious, we-need-to-talk looks. He lifted his brows. “What is it? You’re freaking me out.”

“How long has it been since you’ve had a date?”

He looked down at his watch. “What day is it?”

“I’m serious Uncle Jake.”

He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know maybe a year.”

“Or three,” I waved my fingers in front of his face. “You have to get out and get yourself a life. You will never be married at this rate. You don’t want to end up an old lonely man with nothing but a computer and a dog.”

“Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black. You haven’t been living much yourself, you know.” He tugged on my ponytail.

I set back in my chair and shut my mouth. He was right. Besides my best friend Wren, I have no life. I haven’t had a date since my junior year of high school. It went so bad that I refused to do it again, ever. I prefer spending my time taking care of Jake and when Dane’s home I take care of him too. Dane’s the older of the two of us, but certainly not the wiser. I was supposed to go to college right out of high school. It was what my parents and I had always talked about. I chose to work instead and stay home with Jake. We’ve always been a team. Only recently have I been thinking that it’s time to do my own thing. I’ve just not found the right time to tell him. Or, maybe I’m just scared of what it will feel like to be on my own.

“I think it’s time that you got out more pickle.”

“I’m twenty years old. Don’t you think it’s time you stopped calling me pickle?” I raised my brow and watched him closely.

“Hell no, you’ll always be my pickle.”

“Whatever,” I rolled my eyes. The thought of eating pickles now makes me sick. I used to eat them jars at a time when I was little and the name just stuck.

“What about swimming? It used to be your thing.” I took a deep breath. This was not where I wanted this conversation to go. I hoped that it would never be brought up again.

“I don’t want to have this conversation.” I rolled my eyes and stood up from the table. I poured the left over milk from my cereal into the sink.

“Listen to me Sawyer,” Jake walked over and stood next to me in front of the sink. He wasn’t much taller than I was so we were nearly eye to eye. “You never want to talk about this, but we need to.”

“It’s not a big deal.” I grasped the frame of the sink in my hands, holding on so tight that my knuckles whitened.

“It is a big deal. Swimming was your life. You can’t just give everything up because you feel like the accident was your fault. It was an accident. It was no one’s fault. Start living already, you hear me.” I heard him alright. This wasn’t something that I was prepared to argue about.

“Swimming was my life back then. I’m grown up now. I need to experience new things and find new goals.” And I seriously needed a diversion from this conversation.

“Oh yeah, like what? Talk to me.” He said.

Good, the diversion worked. It’s now or never, Sawyer. “Actually, I was thinking about spending some time at the lake house. No one’s been there for a while.” He nodded. “I could take care of the place and maybe get a job there, or maybe even take some college classes. I have lots of money saved.” I really didn’t have to save money the way I did. Mom and dad left us pretty well set. The lake house was our summer home since we were kids. I haven’t been there since my parents died. I’m sure the place is a mess and could use some love.

“You know what? That sounds like an awesome idea. I think you should do it. After all, your parents would want you to use that house. There were some amazing memories made there.” He nudged my shoulder and grinned.

I shook my head. “I think I will.” I replied. He pulled me to him and hugged me. He kissed my temple and whispered how proud he was of me.

“I love you, Uncle Jake.”

“I love you too, Pickle.” I sighed loudly.

“I’m going to work. We’ll work out the details of my trip later tonight.” I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. “Oh and Uncle Jake,” I yelled back.

“What,” I heard him yell from the kitchen.

“I’m going to find you a date. A hot, sexy, blind date,” I laughed and ran out the door. I heard him yelling something and running through the house. I was in the car with my doors locked when he came barreling out the front door. The dish towel was still hanging out of the side of his basketball shorts. I smiled and waved and blew him a big kiss. He shook his head and laughed, as I backed out of the driveway. We always have so much fun together; it will be hard being away from him for very long.

The drive to work was a quick one. We only lived about three miles from town and traffic didn’t get bad for about another hour. When I pulled in the parking lot of the Printing Shack, it looked empty. I’ve been working here since my senior year of high school. It screams future potential every time I develop someone’s pictures. I’m climbing the corporate ladder one photo dweeb at a time. NOT! Hence the need to get my butt out of town.

I put Sally in park and patted her dash, silently thanking her for another successful trip. She has yet to fail me. I’ve driven this little Ford truck for so long, I’m wondering when the wheels will fall off. I have the money to buy a new car, but I don’t have the heart to part with this one. My dad bought me this truck a few months before my fifteenth birthday. I had begged him for it and couldn’t wait to get my license. I swore that I’d never part with it. I think about how petty it was for me to want this truck and about how the bright yellow really stood out now. I would trade it back in a second, if I could get my parents back, but that’s only wishful thinking.