The Tire Guy

By Mary Lewis

Randy jacked up his third car of the day, a Ford F-150 that need a change to snow tires. Lots of orders like that in November, though these days people delayed till after Christmas and got away with it. He put his wrench over the first lug nut, but it slipped. Damn, it was stripped, no flat edges for the wrench to hold onto. Why the hell didn’t the guy who tried to change his own tires stop at the first one that didn’t move? He looked up the name. Jason, a guy he knew in high school, went to some college in Illinois, now some kind of loan shark at the bank. Of course he wouldn’t know how to change a tire.

He’d run into this a few times, and knew what to do but for some reason it was pissing him off more than usual. Yeah he knew the reason. Last night Linda was bugging him right and left about getting some yard work done. Probably shouldn’t have said, why don’t you pick up a rake, you could use the exercise. Never tell a woman that, much pickier than guys about it, but damn it, she was gaining weight with her pregnancy, more than she should.

He found a bolt extractor socket and began pounding it over one of the stripped lug nuts. First time he’d used it he thought, what a great tool. Those ridges carve right into the nut to grab it so he could fit a socket wrench around the extractor and turn it along with the nut inside it. For extra leverage he used one of those long handled breaker bars, and it worked so slick he never bothered with the socket wrench anymore.

Wingnut walked over from the next bay where he had an Explorer up on the lift. He wasn’t exactly Randy’s boss, but he’d been in the business for twenty years, so he had something on Randy. Which was good most of the time, but sometimes he had this way of watching and grinning like he really wanted to shake his head. Like now.

“What is it Wingnut? I’ve got this.”

“Yeah, sorry, that should work.” Wingnut did his putting his hands through his hair thing, which he didn’t really but wanted to make you shocked that he might with those blackened hands of his. “Just taking a break, Sprout.”

Sometimes it was Green Stick or Larva. He liked nature.

Randy cranked the breaker bar and made the nut come loose, stood up and took it out of the socket, fingering the grooves in the stripped nut. Then he handed it to Wingnut. “We could have a collection of these.”

Wingnut tossed it to his other hand. “That’d be fun. Take them over to Sam’s for Christmas.”

“Yeah, that’s probably where Jason got his tires put on. Those guys love their impact wrenches.”

Randy picked up a rag to wipe his hands, not because they were dirty, but to have something to throw. The rag landed in a corner near the tool bench. Wingnut gave him a look and picked it up.

“Why in the dumps, Seeds?”

“What I said, those idiots who crank those lugs so hard no one can get them off, the guys who try and make a mess of them, snobs whose heads are so swollen there’s no room for anything useful.”

Wingnut looked out the bay to the sun on the parking lot. “We should feel sorry for them, don’t you think? Sitting at a desk all day with those ties strangling them.”

“Sure, never a chance to get their hands dirty.”

Randy went back to the next nut. “This guy stripped every damn one of them, can you believe it?”

“OK man, you don’t have to tell me what’s really wrong.”

Wingnut should have been some kind of shrink, the way he could get it out of Randy. But not this time, even after he said, “We’ve all had women problems.”

“Damn it man, don’t you have something to do?” Randy grumbled, still kneeling at the tire.

“Sure, just thought you’d like to talk. Or maybe just come over and take a look at this.”

Wingnut’s way of teaching, not bad really, so Randy stood up and walked to the underside of the Explorer.

He’d need to say something, like a good student. “Rusted out pipe, in front of the muffler. Heard this one on Main the other day, so loud Linda and I had to stop talking. Is that Wilson’s?”

“Lives two blocks away from his hardware store.”

A clue, his job to figure it out.

“So something to do with a short trip.”

Wingnut nodded.

Randy stared at the pipe, imagined starting up the car, getting to the store before it was warmed up.

“So, moisture from the exhaust condenses on the pipes.”

Wingnut did not fill in for him, but started poking around in the tie rods, not because there was anything wrong with them.

“But it wouldn’t condense there if the pipes were hot.” Randy liked fixing autos because there was a reason for everything. He stood back from the car, arms akimbo. “So what’s the guy going to do? Drive out into the country to warm up his car before he makes it two blocks away?”

“Guess he could walk.”

“Or get one of those old people scooters, is he ready for one of those?”

This was good, it was taking his mind off of Linda, without having to talk about her. But he knew Wingnut wouldn’t let it go and at lunch he tried again.

“So how’s Linda doing these days? Those early months are sometimes harder than later when everyone knows.”

Wingnut had three kids, so he’d know.

Randy munched on his ham sandwich, thinking how he had to slap it together at dawn, and forgot the mustard. “She’s got some morning sickness, can’t bear to cook right now.”

“That’ll go away. Don’t worry.” Wingnut always had something different, today a bowl of soup in a thermos, some big hunks of sawn off bread. With all those kids Cheryl still managed to put it together for him every day.

“OK I won’t.” He put both elbows on the table, like that would help. “She talks about becoming a dental hygienist.”

“Good move, they make more than Walmart clerks.”

“But she’ll have a baby to take care of.”

“Well, you had something to do with that.”

A smile came out of him, not that he wanted to show it. “You got that right.” He went for a can of pop, and leaned against the counter of the little sink. “She used to make a different dish every night, coaxed me to the bedroom before dinner.”

“Jeez Randy, you saying the bloom is off at twenty-two? This whole family thing must be freaking her out as much as it is you. But don’t forget she’s got more hormones than ever right now.”

He wanted to stop talking about it, but then why didn’t he get up and walk around the block the way he usually did at lunch time?

“I think there’s something else on your mind man.”

“Look, Wingnut, I’m glad our man won, and he’ll bring prices down but you know I think more about healthcare with a baby coming. We’re on Obamacare and he says he’ll get rid of it.”

“And replace it with something better, so don’t worry about that. Is this Linda talking?”

Randy came back to sit at the table opposite Wingnut. “Yeah kind of. She’s needing it now more than she ever has. Dr. appointments up the whazoo.”

“Careful with your language man, hope you don’t talk like that to her.”

Wingnut spooned into a jar of yogurt Cheryl made, with real strawberries that he could see through the glass jar. He let his spoon go into the white and red. “You OK Randy?”

“Just thinking about the future.” He liked watching the spoon sink, but looked up. “Hey Wingnut, did you ever think about starting your own shop?”

Randy was surprised that he answered right away.

“Long time ago, but I’m glad I didn’t. I’d have to think about hiring, payroll, inventory, taxes, a whole lot of things I don’t have to do now. Just want to fix cars.” He screwed the cap of his thermos on with such focus it looked like he was lining up the marks on a crankshaft for a timing belt. “But I’ve thought about getting into EV repair the way things are heading.”

“Really? They’re a totally different kind of beast.”

“I’d have to train, but might be kind of fun.”

Randy watched him bring the spoon up from the depths with a load and take it to his mouth.

“You could survive on Cheryl’s job while you make the switch.” His wife worked in real estate, sold some of the priciest houses in town.

“I don’t know how she does it, with the kids and all.”

“Used to be one job was enough for a family. My grandpa worked at the seed company all his life and raised a family of four. What the hell happened?”

“I don’t know Randy, my dad was a mechanic all his life, in a shop that had healthcare.”

“My dad says the liberals destroyed this country.” Randy rested his arms on the table, cupping his pop can, and snuck a peek at Wingnut.

He leaned back in his chair and did that eyebrow lift Randy could never figure out how to do. “A little extreme, don’t you think?”

“C’mon Wings, they don’t give a damn about people like us.”

“Not so sure about that man, I liked those tax credits for my kids.”

Nelson, their boss was standing in the door, listening. “I’m with you Randy, those city liberals have no idea what we go through. And they love their illegals.”

He poured a cup of coffee and emptied a sugar pack into it, stirred with one of those wooden sticks, pulled out a chair and made it creak when he settled into it. “Good to know our leader is going to push for more drilling, keep us in business.”

“But you know those wells will run dry someday.” Maybe Wings really would look into EV’s.

“Not while I’m alive.”

“You might have to use your AC more though, Nelson.”

“Sometimes I wonder about you Wingnut.”

Wingnut kept on with Nelson. “You might have trouble pulling trout out of a river that warms up.”

“Mr. Doom and gloom W, that’s what we should call you.” Nelson’s grin so wide there was barely enough room for it on his face.

Randy went to the cupboard for a bag of chips, and stood by the door.

Nelson’s chair complained when he twisted around to see Randy. “So, Randy, what do you say?”

Randy crunched a few chips before saying, “Good entertainment listening to you two.”

Wings did his eyebrow again, because he knew it bugged Randy. “Staying neutral are you?”

“I also like fish, but it doesn’t have to be in a cold stream.”

When Nelson went back to his office, Randy sat down again and said, “Hey, Wings, how about you let me help you with your next transmission job.”

“Better to master brakes and suspensions first.”

“I’ve changed so many tires a stack of them would reach the moon.”

“Sure it would. But Randy it’s up to Nelson. He’ll probably say he needs you where you are.”

“Wings, I need a raise, I’ve been working here two years without one, and can do a lot more than when I started.”

“Yeah, with raises you usually have to ask.”

“Well what if you put in a good word for me?”

Wingnut put his thermos back into his lunch pack. “Might could do, we’ll see.” Then he went back to the shop.

That afternoon Randy had no lug nut problems, but after four more cars his eyes spun like an off balanced tire.

He got home before Linda, plopped down in front of TV with a beer and peanuts. About an hour later she came through the door. 

“Come here sweetie, and give me some of that fresh air you brought in.”

She took off her jacket and sat next to him, that layer of cold air still around her. He put his arm around her. “Snug in, I’ll warm you up.”

She settled into him on the sofa so their bodies fit together, her head on his shoulder. “I love making you warm.”

“Good day at work?” With her mouth against his shirt, it came out as a mumble.

“Had to use the extractor socket more than I’d ever done.”

“Like I know what that is. But sorry baby.” She kissed him.

They ate frozen dinners in front of the TV, something to do instead of talk about last night.

But when she went to the kitchen and he asked for another beer, her frown from last night appeared before she made it go away with a smile.

He knew he needed to say something. He took a swallow from the can she gave him before she sat down and picked up her plate again.

“Sorry you can’t have a drink.”

“Yeah, well, I’m growing a baby.”

“And I appreciate that.”

“Do you?” She stared at the screen but did not laugh along with the sitcom.

He put the can down. “Look, I know you’re worried about money and health insurance and what it’ll be like with the baby.” He was about to say, “I am too,” but instead said, “But things will get better now for us with our side back in office.”

“I hope you’re right but lately I’ve been wondering how.”

“Tariffs will lower prices, we’ll have a better health plan, lower fuel prices.”

“Sure but will all that make a better world for our kid to grow up in?”

He’d heard her talk like this lately, since she started to go out for lunch after her fitness class. He put his plate aside, and snugged next to her again, but did not put his arm around her. He had a feeling she wouldn’t like that right now.

“We’ve got each other, we’re young and healthy.”

She dipped her roll into the gravy on her plate, and nibbled it.

Randy rubbed his neck, suddenly tense. He could get up and say he needed Tylenol, but no, he had to stay there.

“It’s already hot in the summer,” she said, “what if it gets worse every year?”

“We’ll have AC.”

“And not go outside.”

She loved the out of doors, more than he did. Walking in the woods, dangling her feet in a nearby stream.

“It’s gonna get worse if we keeping burning fossil fuels.” She stuffed the rest of her roll into her mouth so it was hard to hear what she was saying, almost like she didn’t want him to hear. “And species are dying off.”

Had to be those liberals in her class.

“Linda, I’ve never heard you talk that way. What’s happening to you?”

Linda grabbed the remote and flipped off the TV, went to her desk and picked up some papers.

“See this Randy? An application to community college for being a dental hygienist.”

“But the baby.”

“Yes, for us and the baby.” Her eyes were enormous when she was using them so hard.

He dared to look at her but had to clear his throat because some piece of green bean was stuck there. “You’d be going to school when you have a baby to take care of.”

“ ‘We’ you mean. ” Her voice like it wasn’t her own, rough, deep.

“Of course. But how will we manage?” He kept sitting, not ready to come to her.

But she came to him, in short steps, and stood right in front of him, looking down. “Childcare of course, like everyone.”

“That costs plenty, plus the money going out for your schooling.”

She sat down again, her eyes on the same level as his. “Think Randy, there are ways. We can get a loan, especially with interest rates going down.”

He knew he should stay there and talk it out, but his legs couldn’t stand sitting anymore, and he sprang up, grabbed his plate and marched into the kitchen. There he put his hands on the sink and pulled back to stretch the cramps out of his arms. Why couldn’t they just go on as they were? Him with the major job, hers a supplement.

Linda came in, and hugged him from behind. “It’ll be a big help, Randy, and give me something to do I can be proud of.”

He wanted to melt into her, but said, “Digging around in people’s mouths?”

She let go so fast he nearly fell down, and stomped so hard he felt the vibrations through his feet.

“I know what you’re afraid of, that I’ll make as much as you.”

He was pretty sure, not, but maybe. “No of course not.”

“Liar.”

“I don’t think you’ve ever called me that.”

“It’s because I’m mad.”

“I can tell.”

“That’s it isn’t it?”

“Linda, no. I don’t know. I just feel like I’m losing you.”

She came back and placed a hand on his, that was still clutching the sink edge. “No my dear one, you’ve got me. Don’t worry about that.”

There was so much more to say, but luckily they didn’t, because Linda said, “Let’s go back to watch the end of that show, see if it can make us laugh.”

So they sat there in the living room, side by side, not as close as before. But when he heard her laugh, he did too.

The next day on his way past the bay he saw the light of a flashlight poking about under a chassis, but Wingnut’s head was in the dark, so his voice seemed to come out of the bottom of that car. “So how did it go with Linda last night?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You said she wanted to go back to school, thought it might have come up.”

“Oh it did, she had the papers and everything.”

Randy expected more questions, but instead Wingnut said from the darkness, “I talked to Nelson last night.”

Randy dropped his wrench. “That was fast, thanks.”

“I suppose you want to know what he said.”

Randy laughed, no need to say anything.

“You know our boss, he’s very direct sometimes, hard to figure at others. This was a hard to figure time.”  Wingnut moved over to the tool bench, where he sorted through the cans of penetrant oil.

Randy waited.

“So, I think you should go in there and ask for a raise.”

“Like today?”

“Why not?”

“Maybe he’d say no way or want to fire me.” He’d almost forgotten about the wrench, until he realized his foot hurt.

“A guy like you? Who’s always on time for work and does a decent job, getting better at it all the time? He’d be crazy to do that.”

“Still.”

“Just do it man, you’ve got nothing to lose.”

“But if I don’t get it, I don’t know what to do.”

“C’mon Randy, it’s not that hard to figure out. Go work for another shop, or let him know you’re thinking about it. Worst that can happen, you stay where you are.”

“With this crummy pay.”

“You could be looking around.”

“Yeah I could, couldn’t I?”

After lunch Randy passed by Nelson’s office, and looked through the long window next to the door, to see if he was busy. Not on the phone. He stood there, chest rising up and down to let him know he was nervous. Then he knocked.

“Come in my boy.”

Randy stood in front of his desk, thinking he should probably have washed his hands better, and rubbed them together.

“Be proud of those hands, that you get them dirty. A lot of people don’t.”

Nelson didn’t invite him to sit down.

“So what’s on your mind?”

The direct Nelson. The let’s get on with it Nelson.

“I was thinking, with the baby coming we’ll have a lot more expenses and…”

“Yes, I know that you deserve a raise Randy, and you’ll get one, but I can’t afford to give it to you for a few months.”

Randy nodded and turned to leave but then thought about what Wingnut had said. “I understand Mr. Rawls, but that’ll put a real pinch on me.” He wanted to wipe away the sweat at his hairline, but kept his hands together.

“Sorry, Randy, that’s all I can offer right now.”

“Then, I’ll have to look elsewhere.”  It was not a word he used and it felt funny in his mouth. But he didn’t add anything more. And opened the door to leave.

He heard Nelson’s chair roll back, “Wait a second son.”

Randy turned back, and Nelson was standing, hands on the desk as though he needed them for support.

“I need a good tire changer, Randy.”

“I do a lot more than that and I don’t want to be the tire guy forever.” Randy felt something rise in him, as though from roots that went down through the floor. “And I need a raise now.”

Nelson slowly descended to his chair again, a smile on half of his face. “I was like you at your age. You’ll do fine whatever you do. But I hope it will be with us for a while.”

Randy lifted his head in a kind of reverse nod, and put his hand on the door. “I’ll have to think about that, Dad.”

On his way back to the tire balancing machine, he passed Wingnut again. “How’d that go?”

“He said next year.”

“Ah, and you said?”

“I need it now, and then called him Dad.” Randy smiled, and wondered what Nelson looked like when he said that.

Wingnut looked him straight in the face as though he was searching for something hidden there. “Yeah, he used to call me son.”

“When did that change?”

“When I asked for a raise.”

It was a good thing he knew how to balance tires so well it didn’t take much attention, because it was hard enough figuring out what his next move should be. Quit and walk out the door? Wait till he found another prospect and then quit? Start making calls to other shops? But all this changed when he got a call from Linda

Her voice hard to hear, distant and faint. “Hi honey, I’ve got these awful cramps, and the clinic says I should come in. I don’t think I can drive.”

A shiver traveled along his shoulders. “I’ll come and take you.”

He left the last wheel on the machine, told Wingnut he had to go, and  went out into the November sun that cut clean lines between light and shadow on the buildings along the street.

He picked her up at Walmart, and took her to the ER. But they had to wait for half an hour and fill out a lot of forms, while Linda kept clutching her stomach.

“Why do they call it an emergency room?” he said, mostly to himself. This was worse than if it was his pain, because he couldn’t do anything about it.

He jumped out of his seat and went to the desk. “My wife needs to see someone right now.”

The receptionist, an older woman with glasses hanging on a chain said, “Please be calm sir, we’re getting ready for her.”

“She needs to lie down, have someone look at her. She’s pregnant for God’s sake.”

The woman smiled at him and held her hand up. “Just a moment.”

In a few minutes a tall man in scrubs came out and sat next to Linda. Finally, a doctor. “Please tell me where it hurts.” She pointed to her whole abdomen. “When did it start?”  “About two hours ago.” Is it a sharp pain or a dull one?”

Randy couldn’t stand it anymore. “Sharp, can’t you see?”

He ignored Randy and kept on with the questions.

“Any bleeding?”

Linda nodded.

Randy said, “You didn’t tell me that.”

“How much?” The doctor said. At least he was getting to her.

“Shouldn’t she be in there?”

“As soon as the room is ready the doctor can see her.”

“Aren’t you a doctor?”

“Sorry, should have introduced myself. Domingo, registered nurse.” He gave Randy an even look.

Randy drew in his breath. It was still a surprise to him that a man would want to be a nurse. Especially someone who looked like he could run a marathon and bench 300 pounds.

“How far along is she?”

“I don’t know, a couple of months.”

“Ten weeks.” Head down, curled in on her pain, she whispered.

“Are you the father?”

It took him off guard so much he didn’t answer right away.

“Are you?”

“Yes, I mean, I think so.”

Did that A hole smile?

Linda shot out. “What the hell Randy!”

Randy put his arm over her shoulders. “Sorry honey.” Then to the man nurse, “Of course I am.”

He stayed with them until the examining room was ready, which felt like another hour, but was probably a lot less than that.

Domingo helped her onto the bed, gave her pillows under her legs and back, a washcloth for her forehead, and her pain seemed to go down a little.

Another nurse came in, a small woman a head shorter than Domingo. “Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner, broken leg from a tractor turnover.”

Why would she say what it was, except to impress them. And now Randy kept thinking of that poor bastard.

She pressed against Linda’s abdomen, had a look inside, asked more questions about bleeding. Her name tag said Dr. Angela something. He was glad he hadn’t asked where the doctor was.

Then they wheeled her out to get an ultrasound and the doctor disappeared.

“Is she having a miscarriage?” Randy asked.

“We don’t know yet.” This from Domingo.

“Will they give her something for the pain?”

“Probably Tylenol.”

“This is worse than a headache.”

“Opioids could hurt the fetus.”

Jesus that was his kid.

“Look why don’t you go to the waiting room, we’ll get you as soon as she comes back.” Domingo led him to the swinging doors.

Randy paged through Field and Stream, but though there was this great article about new kinds of flies, no way could he get into it.

“Mr., ah Randy? She’s back.” Male or not, he was glad to see Domingo.

The question on his face must have been enough.

“She’ll be fine.”

His body could have crumpled right there, from all the muscles that stopped holding him up. But a few were left and he made it back to the examining room.

“Linda, how are you?”

“The heat pad feels so good.”

Randy had to remember that the second nurse who came in was really Dr. Angela. “She’ll be fine. But we have to keep watch. I’m sorry but she’s having  miscarriage.”

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry.”

“I know, our baby.”

He put his cheek next to hers and didn’t know whose tears they were. He wanted to hug her, but she was too tender for that.

“I love you so much.” He wanted to say, do anything you want, like the hygiene school, but that would sound so lame. “I just want you to get through this.”

“So how long will it take?” He asked the doctor.

“Usually a couple of days, and we could send her home, but with an open cervix there’s a possibility of infection, so we’ll keep an eye on her here.”

“Can you help it along?”

“Yes, but we have to wait till the heartbeat stops.”

“Will it?”

“Yes, it’s not a viable pregnancy.”

“Then why can’t you help her now?”

Dr. Angela turned away to do something at the sink. Why did it take so long?

When she turned around her mouth was in a line so tight he was surprised that words could come out. “Because we live in Iowa.” 

All that political talk about abortion, is that was this was?

“But this isn’t an abortion.”

“The state says if there’s a heartbeat we can’t give her the medications used to eliminate a fetus.”

“So we have to sit around and wait while she’s in pain?”

The doctor went over to Linda and put a hand on her forehead. “We can help her deal with the pain, but it’s the possibility of infection that we’re watching for.”

Randy had this wild thought. “I’ll take her to Minnesota.”

Dr. Angela seemed to grow taller as she came next to Randy. “Don’t move her in her condition, unless you want to risk infection.”

“Why is that so bad?”

Domingo from his place by the counter turned around. “It could lead to sepsis.”  

That didn’t sound good, he knew what a septic tank was.

Domingo kept on. “That’s when the infection gets into the blood. And goes all over the place.”

The doctor nodded. “Just let us watch her for a few days.”

He wanted to ask her some more questions but she had to go back to that poor guy with a crushed leg. So all he could do is ask Domingo.

“Look, Domingo, who’s to know if there’s a heartbeat anymore? There’s no chance for it anyway, right?”

“Yes, Mr., Randy, but if we don’t obey the law, they could take away our license. Don’t worry, women get through this all the time.”

“Yeah but how often is it this bad?”

Domingo looked at the ceiling as though that’s where the answer was. “I’ve seen one or two that were tough.”

“Over how long?”

“A few years.”

He was making it sound better than it was.

“Look, we’re talking about a dead baby sitting there that could kill my wife.”

“It’s not dead yet.”

“But it will be.”

Domingo had no answer for that. “Look we’ll just have to wait it out. You should go home and get some rest.”

Go home? How could he do that? Call someone? No, his parents didn’t even know Linda was pregnant. And they both celebrated when that supreme court case came through. His buds down at the sports bar? They didn’t know how to talk about women problems. Wingnut? But Randy didn’t have the energy.

He did go home though, so worn out his body went to sleep before he did.

The next day he went back to the hospital, and the two of them talked about the future, his and hers and theirs together. He told her about asking for a raise.

“That’s great Randy, whether you get it or not. You need to stand up for yourself.”

“And you, we’ll find a way to get you that training. Maybe put off trying for another baby for a while.”

He had to admit, though not to Linda, that not having a baby now took the pressure off. As for Linda, she was anxious to get this over with, especially after the second ultrasound, where they still detected a faint heartbeat on the dying kid inside. He couldn’t imagine what that would feel like.

On the third day, he came in because the hospital told him to come right away. He’d barely been to the shop, just to tell them what was up, do a tire change or two to think about something else.

Domingo was there again, and this time he seemed like an old friend, but he had bad news. “I’m afraid she’s got an infection, and we’re treating her with antibiotics, but it’s gone septic.”

Half-conscious with tubes and needles and bags hanging down, a monitor bleeping.

He held her hand with that thing clipped onto her finger, and barely got a squeeze.

“What’s causing all this?” His voice felt so weak.

As if from a distance, Domingo’s voice, “The fetal material still inside.”

“Material? Then no heart beat.”

“Right, we can clean her out now.”

They did something called a D and C. And after that she got better but it took a week. He took off another just to be with her at home, in case. Until she threw him out.

“Go back to work Randy, I’m fine. And you’re driving me crazy with all this attention.”

It felt so good to hear that, he wanted to stay home for yet another week. He gave her a hug.

“You don’t have to be so careful honey, I’m a lot better.” So he gave her a bigger one and they cuddled in front of the TV until he fell asleep and she nudged him awake to go upstairs.

So he went back to work the next day.

Wingnut was there when he came through the door. He held his arms out, the first time he’d ever done that. It was a nice bro kind of hug with patting on the back.

“How you doing Randy?”

“You mean how is Linda doing.”

“Both.”

“She almost died man.”

“Must have been tough.”

“You know why? Because of that stupid abortion ban.”

“Thought you were against abortion Randy.”

Randy put on his coveralls in the break room. “I was, but look where it got us. That stupid law nearly killed her.”

“It’s too strict, but there needs to be some restraint.”

“No, man, let the woman decide, I’ve really changed my mind.”

Randy marched right into the shop to start his usual work on some tires, and Wingnut followed to work on a Taurus needing strut replacements.

“I get that Randy.”

It sounded like he wanted to say more but instead Randy took it up. “I may be looking to be one of those damn liberals.”

“Just because of that?”

Another stripped lug nut. But he knew what to do. “Linda says we’ve got to stop burning fossil fuels.”

“So she’s one already?”

“Had to do with thinking about the future of our baby.”

“But now?”

Randy could hardly believe he said that. “That’s mean, man.”

“You’re right, sorry.”

While he was balancing his umpteenth tire of his life, Nelson came in. He was afraid he’d try one of those hugs that felt fine with Wingnut, but his boss put out one hand.

“Sorry about all that Randy, wish I could do something to help.”

“Thanks for giving me all that time off.”

Then came the pat on the back, but no “son.” “Not at all Randy, you needed it.”

When he turned to go Nelson said, mostly to the door in front of him, “By the way, I’ll tell Shirley to up your pay starting next week.”

Randy was so surprised he left his tire unbalanced, and ambled in to see Wingnut.

“Guess what.”

“How about that.” Wingnut didn’t even have to be told.

“But look what it took.”

“Congratulations.”

“Yeah I guess so.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’ll keep on working, but could be I’ll start looking around a little sooner than I thought.”

At the end of the day, he spent more time than usual cleaning his tools, and especially his blackened palms. Linda said they were sexy, but had no objections when they were the color of real skin.