𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 ✰ 𝘤𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 ✔

| three |

gif;  andrew romine, detroit tigers (in media)

Detroit, Michigan

the same day

As soon as I learned the news that I would be moving to Tampa, I was allowed to leave early, and with the quick turnaround, I gave thanks to all my operator workers, and left.

I was excited to start my new job, as it was the start to my new beginning, however, I was scared. Michigan had been my home for 22 years, and leaving would mean leaving my family and my friends. I knew nobody in Florida, and that honestly made me anxious.

I walked into the house, where my mom, Kevin, and Andrew were moving around like busy bees.

"Dustin, you're home early." My mom remarked, squirting Lysol on the kitchen counter.

"Yeah. Did you finally get fired?" Andrew smirked.

"No." I shook my head. "In fact, I have something to tell you."

"Let's hear it, Dusty Rose." Kevin put an arm around my mom. Gross.

"I got the opportunity to intern at a hospital."

"Oh, honey, this is great!" My mom ran and hugged me.

"Mom, I wasn't done."

"Oh." My mom walked back towards Kevin.

"However, the job I got requires me to move to Tampa, Florida."

"Ah, Florida." My mom sighed. "You get to live by a beach. How wonderful."

"When do you start?" Andrew asked.

"That's the thing. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Everyone replied in shock.

I nodded. "Yep."

"Well." Kevin shrugged. "How 'bout you start packing, then." He then laughed, which I found quite bothersome.

"We have a game at 2:00." Andrew says. "But after it finishes, I'll get Ian, Nick, and Miggy together and we'll all have dinner."

"Can we go to Texas Roadhouse?" I ask. My mouth was drooling just thinking about their buttery rolls.

"Sure." Andrew pats my back. "Congratulations, Dustin. You deserve the best."

"Thank you."

•••

"Jack, sweetie, don't throw the peanuts on the ground!" Tess Kinsler warned her son as we were sitting at Texas Roadhouse, waiting on our seats.

"Hon, you're supposed to do that here." Ian pats his wife's back. "That's why this place is called Texas Roadhouse?"

"Right." Tess nodded. "I haven't been here since we lived in Texas."

"Nah." I hop into the conversation. "It's Tess's clean-aholic gene."

Ian laughed. "Nice, Dustin."