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“I just got back in town a couple of days ago” I stand at the bottos ended the last tiet any closer to ood mood I’ve put on thirty pounds of hts dirty, and I’d really rather not be sporting a black eye ot a feeeks before I start, but ht I’d stop by and see if you wanted to get some catfish for lunch”

“Already ate,” Parker says, notfrom his chair “Is that all you want?”

Soreunion

Good thing I wasn’t expecting one

I force a sured I’d pick up the boat while I was here”

Parker grunts He looks older than the night I left, and certainly older than his forty-six years He’s lost weight and his sunbaked skin hangs loose on his sharp face, e the shadows beneath his eyes But otherwise, he’s the sa black hair perpetually in need of a cut, same thin lips and lanky frame, same expression of sour amusement when he looks at his only nephew

I’ out of his chair to welcoetting off his ass to attend le one of theh, and that’s only five miles down the road

Back when I was an eighteen-year-old kid, still secretly longing for approval, or at least so at the top of my class, that had hurt

Now, knowing my uncle isn’t interested in my life is a relief

I made a ed fro embarrassed if our paths happen to cross in town

Parker doesn’t go to town often, but when he does, he’s usually drunk and looking to get into trouble with his loser friends down at Buddy’s

“Don’t knohy you’d need the boat,” he says after ahis thumb across the stubble on his chin “Didn’t think a fancy doctor like you would have ti”

“I don’t start work until the middle of June I took some time off after my residency”

“Ain’t that nice” He bares his teeth in another srin, like my success is a hysterical joke only he can fully understand “So to take soot friends out on the lake to celebrate?”

“I’ later this afternoon,” I say, refusing to give hiay friends, and he knows I hate it when he talks that way But I’ else I refuse to give him the satisfaction