Rough Patch (Coming Home to the Mountain)

"So, you live here long?” She crosses her arms, wagging her hips. She is the epitome of “a bounce in your step.”

"Yeah," I say with a laugh. "Born and raised here in Home."

"Wow. A Home-grown boy." Lulu smiles.

"She reminds me of Fig," I tell Meadow.

Meadow smiles. "That's his little sister," she tells her little sister.

"Oh, you have a little sister. Anyone else in the family? Just trying to gauge the situation."

Meadow elbows her sister. "Lulu, give it a rest."

"All right," she says, "it's just, you know, Meadow is the most reserved member of our whole family, which means she doesn't usually do this sort of thing."

"What kind of thing do you think we're doing?" I say with a laugh.

Lulu cracks up. "Going out with men, women, anybody. Meadow’s a homebody through and through."

"Well, she wasn't at home when I found her in the woods."

"Fair enough," Lulu says. "About that, what were you thinking, you crazy girl? What would you have done if this man hadn't found you?"

"I don't know. I had a few ideas," Meadow says playfully, "but I'm fine. The doctor said it's just a sprain and I'm going to use that ointment I made a few months ago with the aloe in it when I get home."

Lulu smiles. "Do you need help with anything?"

"Nope. I'm fine with my crutch."

"In that case, should we get going?" Lulu asks. "Not to hurry you, but I put some clothes in the dryer before I left the campgrounds and I don't want anyone to steal my underwear."

"Wouldn't want that," I say, laughing. "So, tonight?" I ask Meadow.

She smiles. "You know the campgrounds, right?"

"Yeah. I know this place like the back of my hand."

"Right. Well, I'm at campsite 20. What do you think, six o'clock?"

"Sounds good," Reuben says. "I'll see you then?"

"Perfect."

"My car's right around the corner," Lulu says.

I walk the women back to the car.

"Well, this isn't exactly my car. It's our dad's car. We hitch it on the back of the RV,” Lulu explains to me then turns to Meadow. “Anyways, he let me drive it because he knew I was coming to get you, which by the way, he has opinions about."

Meadow smiles. "I'm sure he does." Lulu gets in the car, leaving Meadow and I on the sidewalk. "I want to give you a hug," I say, leaning in, "but I feel like your sister is watching and everyone in town passing us is watching and..."

Meadow smiles. "It's okay, Reuben." She leans in, kissing my cheek. "I'll see you tonight at 6:00."

"I can't wait," I tell her, meaning it. Then she gets in the car and her sister drives her away and I'm left standing there alone on the street that I've walked my whole damn life. Suddenly that bounce in Lulu's step isn't reserved just for her. As I cross the street to my truck, I feel like I could skip, jump, fly because of Meadow. I swear to God, that girl is the one I've been dreaming of.

6

MEADOW

Lulu pulls the car away from the street and immediately squeals.

"Oh, my God. Meadow, who in the heck is that guy? He is tall, dark, and handsome. And his smile..."

I laugh, shoving her as I buckle up. "I think he can hear you."

"So?" Lulu says. "He was a major hottie."

"A major hottie?" I shake my head. "I don't think I've ever heard you talk like that."

"Well, maybe because I've never seen a guy like that. Does he have any brothers?"

I smile. "Actually, yeah. He has four, and two sisters."

Lulu drops her jaw. "Are you fricking kidding me?"

"No, I'm not. He has a big happy family who are from Home. They're the Rough family."

"The Roughs, like the Rough Valley Campground? The Rough Mountain? The Rough..."

"Yeah, exactly," I say.

"Tell me everything," Lulu insists, and so I do. I explain how Reuben found me in the woods after I fell, how he carried me back to his adorable A-frame cottage, how he made sure my ankle wasn't broken.

"Honestly," I say, "he is incredible. Like, too good to be true."

"So, what's his flaw? Why is he single?"

I bite my bottom lip. "He's a single dad."

"Ooh, really?"

"Yeah. I guess he was married when he was really young, and they had a little girl. She's five. I met her."

"You met her?"

"Yeah," I say. "She happened to be walking in town with her aunt getting drinks and..."

"Okay," Lulu says, nodding more slowly now. "But his wife died?"

"Yeah," I say. "A car crash. He's been through so much." I look out the window. Everything inside of me feels lit up, both over the sadness of his story and the intensity I felt when I was in his presence. Everything felt so good, so big, so much.

"Are you okay?" Lulu asks. "Sorry, I know I was coming on strong and being all excited, but now the mood seems to have shifted and I don't want to get this wrong. Do you actually like this guy? Like, like him, like him?"