“Hey,” Tyler says, lunging forward. He snatches the keys from Jamie’s hand and holds them up, scrutinizing them before he shifts his gaze back to his brother. “She gave you the Range Rover? What the hell? Mom never let me drive it when I was your age. Didn’t she buy you that BMW? Where’s that?”
“Uh, I totaled the front bumper last week,” Jamie admits, dropping his eyes to the floor of the terminal as color rises to his cheeks. “I hit a street light. It’s at Hugh Carter’s garage right now, so you can tell Dean to fix it up real nice for me and then throw in a discount while he’s at it,” he jokes, but neither Tyler nor I laugh.
We exchange a sideways glance, our smiles faltering. Tyler runs a hand through his hair and sighs just as there’s an announcement over the intercom. It allows for us to be silent for a moment without Jamie wondering why we’ve gone quiet. Perhaps we should mention the fact that Dean no longer wants to deal with Tyler and me and that I don’t think Dean or his dad will be offering discounts to our family on our car repairs anytime soon, but it just doesn’t feel like the right time.
“Let’s get going,” Tyler says, shrugging the strap of his duffel bag further along his shoulder as he nudges Jamie forward, nodding toward the exit. “I wanna see these shitty driving skills of yours.”
“Better than yours,” Jamie mutters, but he’s still grinning as he grabs the keys back from Tyler. He dangles them from his index finger and I notice that there’s a photo attached amongst the collection of key rings Ella has added over the years. It’s only a small photo, one of Tyler, Jamie and Chase when they were much younger. I bet Ella can’t wait to see her eldest son. I can picture her already, probably pacing the house as she waits for him to return.
As Tyler and Jamie head off, Tyler’s arm slung over his brother’s shoulders, I wheel my suitcase along behind them. I slowly exhale, finding myself smiling almost sadly. It’s hard to believe that Tyler’s been gone for an entire year, and honestly, I’m not quite sure how he’s managed to cope with being on his own for so long. Sure, he might have smoked weed again over the past year, but not anymore. It’s comforting to know that he’s here again. That he’s home.
“Hey, have I ever hit a street light?” Tyler shoots back at Jamie, his tone light and playful. “Never, because I’m the better driver.”
“Really?” Jamie asks with an air of sarcasm. “Because your car arrived last night and you definitely need some new tires. What the hell did you do to them?”
“You can blame Eden for that,” Tyler murmurs, glancing over his shoulder at me. He smirks and I glare back in return, pushing the back of his shoulder.
We head out of the terminal, making our way across the roadways to the Terminal 6 parking structure, following Jamie deep inside the lower level until we spot Ella’s car. It’s wedged into a tight spot and Tyler immediately clucks his tongue in disapproval as Jamie pops the trunk.
“What?” Jamie demands as he folds his arms across his chest in agitation, lingering by the door to the driver’s seat.
“Shit parking skills too,” Tyler comments. Throwing his duffel bag into the trunk, he turns around and takes my suitcase from me, still smiling as he places it inside. It still weighs a tonne and I couldn’t even pull it off the baggage carousel on my own without his help, let alone lift it, so I say thanks and then slide into the backseat.
Tyler slams the trunk shut again with a thud before both he and Jamie climb into the car, throwing several more remarks at one another while Jamie starts up the engine and begins the difficult task of navigating his way out of the airport grounds. Kudos to him for offering to pick us up, because if I were him, I’d have definitely said no. Far too many looping roads. Far too easy to end up on the wrong boulevard.
Nonetheless, with Tyler’s help, Jamie manages to get us onto Lincoln Boulevard, heading north straight for Santa Monica. It’s the easiest route back to the city. I relax in the backseat as he drives, slumped against the leather while I gaze out of the window. It feels strange being able to see what’s in the distance. It feels odd not having buildings and skyscrapers towering over us. By now the sun has slowly begun to disappear, the sky a gorgeous orange. The radio is playing quietly in the background as Tyler and Jamie talk softly for the majority of the ride, catching up on a year’s worth of conversations and laughing every few minutes. I keep out of the conversation and instead fumble around with the AC in the back so that it’s directed straight at my face, and then I cross my legs on the seat and close my eyes, resting my head against the window. So peaceful. So chilled out. So California.
Twenty minutes later, just as we’re arriving into Santa Monica, my attention is grabbed when I hear Jamie say, “There’s something I need to tell you. But later.”
“Why not tell me right now?” Tyler asks. Slowly, I peel open my eyes slightly, not moving an inch as I listen.