It was the end of the day, and he lowered the garage door into place. Jen had gone home, and Tyler stepped into the shop. He tapped his phone and asked, Hey, what's going on? A minute later, a message popped up. Can't talk now, Rachel had said, and Tyler shoved his phone into his pocket.

He went to the front door, and flipped the sign around to CLOSED. In the bathroom, he grabbed his water bottle, and wondered what it would be like to have a girlfriend who could talk any time she wanted. Who didn't have to live under the autocracy – was that the word? – of her parents. Who could go out Friday nights and not have to worry about running into someone her daddy knew....

Mike and Lee stepped out of the office, and locked the door behind them. "Hey, can you drive me home?" Tyler asked, and Mike said, "Why?"

"'Cause I don't feel like walking."

"I guess," Lee said, "but you'd have to ride in the back," and Mike asked, "Is that legal?"

Tyler pulled out his phone, and opened a browser to find out. Is it legal to ride in the bed of a truck.... "Yeah," he said. "As long as you're at least eighteen."

They left the shop, and walked to the truck. Tyler set one foot on a tire and hopped into the back. Little remnants of chicken feed and cow feed were scattered all over, and he set his water bottle between his legs. A minute later the doors slammed and the motor started, and as the truck bumped along the road, he held on with both hands. 

They got to Rosella, and stopped at the curb. Tyler vaulted to the ground, grabbed his water and said, "Thanks, you guys." He walked down the driveway and in the kitchen door.

His grandma stood at the stove, and eggs were scrambling in a pan. "Well, how was your day?"

"Fine," Tyler said. He went to the sink, and turned on the tap. As his bottle filled, he looked out the window. Sticking his water into the freezer, he asked, "What are we going to do about that branch?"

"I don't know," his grandma said. She went to the sink, and glanced into the yard. "I guess you can find some tool in the basement. Saw it apart."

"Are you supposed to do something to the tree where it broke?"

"Maybe, I don't know. After we eat I'll get on my phone and look it up."

She went back to the stove, and Tyler stretched and left the room. He stepped down to the basement, and switched on the light. His grandfather's workbench stood against one wall, and between hammers and wrenches and jars of old nails, he saw a rusty hand saw. That might be a good way to work out his aggression, but an axe would be so much more fun. He opened a drawer and found what he wanted. He picked it up in one hand and felt like Paul Bunyan or something... Johanna from The Hunger Games. He carried the axe back up the stairs and out the door.

The yard would be more sunny and hot from now on – that branch had really provided a lot of shade. Tyler grabbed one leafy end and pulled it over. Raising the axe above his head, he chopped it into the wood. It didn't go completely through, and he struggled to pull it back out. He swung the axe again, letting it slide forward in his hand. There was something so awesome about that method – if it didn't leave a big blister in the center of his palm. He chopped into the branch again, and a piece fell to the ground.

He split the wood, again and again. The sun shone into his eyes, and he started to think. He thought about Paul and Amy Matthews, and wondered how anyone could do that to their own kids. How they could leave bruises all over.... That might be why Rachel was so timid all the time, and Christian was probably messed up in more ways than Tyler could even comprehend. He got more and more angry, and hated their fucking guts. He used all his strength, and with a loud thwack, the axe cut through the branch.

He dropped it to the ground and stood back to rest. Sweat ran down his body, and he pulled up his shirt to wipe his face. He crossed the grass to the house, went into the kitchen and opened the freezer. As he drank from his water bottle he asked, "Can't you find another church to go to? Paul and Amy gross me out."

His grandma laughed. "Why?"

"'Cause they're sick people."

"Because they don't want you to see Rachel?"

"No, because.... They just are."

Stepping around the cat, Tyler went back outside. He set down his water and walked back to the axe. Grabbing it from the ground, he threw it... and - "Oh god, god," - a sliver of wood cut into his eye.

He had the instinct to touch it, but that might push it in further... he ran back to the house.

"I hurt my eye," he said, swinging through the back door. He hurried to the bathroom, and switched on the light. He stuck his face close to the mirror, and his grandma stepped in behind him. "Come here, sit down." She pushed him onto the edge of the tub.

"Oh my god, should I go to the hospital?"

"I don't know. Just calm down. Breathe."

She left the room, and came back wearing her glasses. "Let me see. Look up." Tyler looked to the ceiling, and she said, "I see it. I can get it out.... It just barely missed your eyeball."

He held still, and tried not to blink. Her nails appeared in extreme close-up, and she slowly pulled the splinter from his skin. "There," she said, and rinsed her hand in the sink. "Does it hurt?"

Tyler stood up, and looked in the mirror. He opened his eye as wide as he could. "It hurts a little, but it's all right." He pulled a towel off a hook and wet it in cold water. He rubbed his eye, and his grandma said, "Just forget about that tree for now. Leave everything alone out there until you get a pair of goggles."

"Yeah, I guess I should."

Holding the towel to his eye, he went to the couch and lay down.

He looked at the ceiling for a while, and then pulled out his phone. He hit his screen and tapped the word Mom. I hurt my eye, he told her, and it rang a second later: What happened?

I was chopping wood and I got a splinter close to my eye. But I think it's ok. 

Do you need to go to the hospital?

No I think I'm ok. 

His phone rang again, and he saw Rapunzel's name. He tapped his screen and read: I have some extraordinarily good news. 

Tyler turned over to his side and asked, Oh, what?

My parents are going to a conference in Rolla. They'll be gone from Friday night to Sunday morning. Christian's going with them. And Micah and Josiah are going to stay at my grandparents' house. 

Wow, that is good news. 

It rang again, and his mom asked: Did it hit your eye?

No just really close. I'm ok. Then Rachel said: So we can have two nights together. 

Which is twice as good as one night. 

His phone rang again, and it was his mom: What? she asked.

Ummm... oops. 

Which is twice as good as one night, he told Rachel. And to his mom: Nothing. My eye's ok. 

What will you tell your grandma? Rachel asked. 

I don't know. I'll think of something. 

She called from the doorway: "Dinner's ready if you feel like eating."

"Okay."

Laying down his phone, he went to the bathroom, and glanced in the mirror again. There was a red mark just above his lower lashes, but his eye was okay. He went back to the kitchen and pulled out a chair. 

"Paul Matthews won't be preaching this Sunday," his grandma said, looking at her phone. "He's going to some kind of conference. Robert Vaughan is preaching instead." 

"Yeah, I know." Tyler took a drink of water. The table was set with eggs, and toast, and a plate of orange slices. He thought for a minute, and then he said, "Look, I.... I might as well just tell you...."

"Tell me what?"

He sighed. "Rachel and I have still been seeing each other. Secretly."

"Oh," she said, and sat down. "You have?" 

"I mean, I don't see anything wrong with it. She's eighteen. She can do what she wants."

He spooned dinner onto his plate, and picked up his fork. As he ate, he thought. "The only thing about it is that we can't really go out in public. Because she's too afraid that she'll run into someone her parents know."

"Well, what have you been doing together, then?" 

"Well, this weekend I'm going to her house. No one else is going to be home." 

"The whole weekend?" 

"Yeah, the whole weekend." 

"Well...." She looked down at her plate. "Well... if that's what you want." 

"What's wrong with it?" 

"I didn't say there was anything wrong with it." 

"I'm not going to break up with someone just because her parents are nuts." 

"Well," she said. "Okay." 

"It's their problem, not mine. Not Rachel's." 

"Well... all right. You do what you want." 

"Yeah, I am. I'm going to."

"Okay, but put your fork down for a minute. Let's pray before we eat."