JT Johnson

''Shit, kid.

You, uh... Why are you here?

You got any cash?

Can I bum some?''

I looked past her into the house that seemed sickeningly yellow.

I thought it over, letting my words form carefully before I motioned behind her head and into the house.

i'm here to see nona she nodded the movement jittery and fast she had started bouncing lightly from foot to foot her fingers tapping against her hip the words so when did you get out of rehab clawed at the back of my lips suppressed only by the need to see nona i knew arguing with her would prolong it stop it even mom shifted back and forth her shoulders shrugging sorry you'll have to come back later she's asleep

I frowned, inching forward, testing how firm she would be on denying my entry.

I drove two hours, Mom.

Let me in.

I'm tired.

She blinked, fingers digging into her shoulder before she backed up a few steps, the door swinging idly as I stopped it.

Sure, yeah.

She's sleeping, though, so...

The house smelled different.

New odors.

Bad odors, mingling with the ones I had grown used to as a kid.

Nona had always had bugs.

but we tried to keep the house as clean as we could.

I glanced at the dirty bags on the floor in front of the couch, only then seeing the pair of dirty work boots still connected to the oil-stained jeans of the man slumped deeply into the place that was usually Nona's spot.