hugged him, her tiny frame wrapping around his tall one like a vine around a pole.
“I don't think this is something you can fix by yourself, honey,” she said quietly. “I know that we will help you through this though. You aren't in this alone. We all know how much you love Tyler. We all love that kid too. We will find a way to get him to where he belongs.”
Everyone nodded, murmuring similar words. It felt like so little.
“Have you talked to your mom about this at all?” Andrew asked as he fished in Eli's backpack for a beer. He found one and tossed it to Luke before pulling another one out for himself. He looked at Britney, his eyebrows raised as he opened the bag for another. She shook her head no as she released Luke but still keeping near him, so he turned to me. I nodded and he tossed one carefully to me, leaving the bag open leaning against the wood pile.
“Like she listens to me. They both see me as a child. It's frustrating as hell,” he said popping the top, but instead of drinking he just stared into the can.
“What about the lawyers?” I ventured, playing with the cold can. The weight felt good in my hands, but I had no intention of opening it.
Luke shrugged noncommittally. “My dad's lawyer said if we want to appeal, we need to prove a more stable home life, a better family structure or something. I wasn't paying much attention at that point.”
The silence hung like a cold mist between us. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't pleasant either. We all were just looking for the right words to say. Looking for words that would make this better, but not finding any.
“Thank you guys for being here today. It means a lot,” Luke said quietly. A cloud crossed in front of the sun, making the sunny yard suddenly gloomy. He looked around at everyone, the corners of his lips curling up in an attempt of a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Britney hugged him again and then sat down next to me.
“Anytime, bro. Anytime,” Eli replied setting down his can on the ground. He smashed it with his foot, the metallic crunch punctuating his sentence before diving into his backpack for a second. I played with the can in my hands, feeling the cool metal slide against my skin. I didn’t want to open it, I didn’t want the responsibility that came with it. Too many memories.
I caught Andrew looking at the can, unopened in my hands. His dark eyebrows twitched together, curious. I set the can down next to me on the wood, hiding it from his line of sight. I turned to Luke, ignoring the questioning look Andrew shot towards me.
“Luke, you know we'll help you out anyway we can. We are here for you,” I smiled at him. He gave a halfhearted smile back, tossing his empty can to the ground and stuffing his hands deep into his pockets. He kicked the empty can towards a tarp covered pile. It pinged hollowly through the small space.
Britney stood up and starting walking towards Luke. “I'm really sorry Luke, but I have to get to work. My shift starts in a little bit. Come by though, and I'll get you a drink or two on the house,” she said, giving him a hug. He held onto her, drawing off her strength. I could see her whisper into his ear, and he pulled her in closer before letting her go. She waved to the rest of us, hoisting her purse onto shoulder as she disappeared around the corner of the hardware store.
Luke paced between the lumber pile and the back of the building, kicking the aluminum beer can every time he passed it. It made a strange sort of clock as Eli, Andrew, and I sat there, counting the number of metallic pings. The sun began to set behind the mountains, sucking the rest of the day's warmth with it, but turning the sky brilliant shades of orange and gold. I messed with my jacket, wishing that I had worn a heavier one. Eli's phone began to sing some sort of rap song, but he picked it up before I could recognize any of the lyrics.
“Hey... Yeah, I'll pick up some milk on the way home. Be there soon,” Eli clicked his phone off and picked up his backpack. “Luke, man, I'll see you tomorrow. Tyler will