short stories

“Wow.”
Jane stared at the dilapidated old barn standing lonesome in the abandoned field. It looked nothing like the structure she remembered from her childhood.
“Let’s go in,” Tom said.
“Is it safe?” she asked.
“Come on,” was the only reply.
She followed him in through the gaping doorway. The cool afternoon air turned humid and musty.
Jane looked around, at the rotting wood and empty stalls. A skeleton of a memory.
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “It’s so different.”
“You haven’t been here in years,” Tom said.
“I guess not.”
She joined him in the center of the barn, in the square of light pouring in from the upper window.
“Look at that beam,” she said. “That’s where we jumped from, into the hay. Remember?”
“I remember,” he said.
“Remember the rats scuttling away when we landed? I don’t know why that didn’t bother me. I could never do that now, could you?”
“We were braver then,” he said quietly.
She let that sit for a moment.
Then, “Well, it’s rotted now. No jumping anymore.”
He kicked at a clod of dirt. “Nope. No anything anymore.”
He looked up at her and grinned.
“We did more than jump in that hay,” he said. “Remember that?”
“I remember your dad catching us,” she said, returning his smile. “I was sure he’d tell my folks.”
“Instead he sat us both down and gave us ‘the talk,’” Tom said.
“That was worse! I wanted to die.”
They laughed. Some of the tension she had felt since he called her dissipated.
“Tom, why did you bring me here?” she asked him.
The smile vanished. He shrugged. “Thought you’d want to see it before it was gone. This hasn’t been a working farm in years, we’re selling off most of the land. Need to tear this old thing down first.”
“I heard about the farm. Sorry. I know it meant a lot to your dad.”
“Meant a lot to me, too,” he said.
“I know that,” she said. “Obviously, I know that.”
They were quiet again for a moment.
“We’re fine without the farm,” Tom said. “Elaine telecommutes three days, and I do consulting for some of the corporate farms, so one of us is always home for the kids.”
“Good. That’s good, then.”
“How’s New York?”
“It’s good. I just showed in a gallery, that was exciting. Alex made partner. We’re thinking first kid in the next year or two, maybe.”
He didn’t meet her eyes. “That’s great. Life’s good all around, then.”
“Don’t,” she said. “It was your choice.”
“Me in New York,” he scoffed, still not looking at her.
“I’d better go,” she said. “My folks are making dinner.” She walked away from him.
“Wait, Jane…” he said.
“Thanks for calling, Tom,” she said as she crossed the doorway. “I’m glad I got to see the old place one last time.”