"Somewhere Along the Line" by Mallory Thomas

Daddies and Mommies do all kinds of things to make ends meet, and some have an easier time of doing it than others. In order to make those ends meet, people work. Sometimes you drive or walk to work. Sometimes you take public transportation. All means of getting to work have their advantages and disadvantages. Taking public transportation means saving on gas and parking. It can also mean not fighting traffic jams. If you're lucky, you can find a "train friend" who can help you pass the time on your commute. Sometimes that "train friend" could be a connection that goes beyond a train ride. I know people who started as "train friends" and ended up married!

Riding the Subway

If you can't find a "train friend", there are other ways to pass the time. When I was in college, a train ride meant a chance to catch up on some reading for a class. You could also work on a crossword puzzle or just listen to some music. Put some buds in your phones and give the universal sign that you are not looking for any conversation on this particular journey.

There are lots of stories that focus on the subway. Some can be funny. Some can be scary. Sometimes it can be a love story that can be both funny and scary. Sometimes, just like in life, the story can end in a not-so-happy way.

Romance on a Train

"Once this high wears off, I am sure I'll float back down to the realization that nothing has changed between us. No cocktail of brain chemicals could convince my right mind that any real relationship with Hames Newhouse is a good idea."

"Somewhere Along the Line", a book by Mallory Thomas, begins simply enough on a subway line where Piper Paulson gets to work every day at a local nonprofit. Her job is a contrast from her former job at a for-profit Corporate America job that ended horrifically, along with a relationship with a man who proved to be less than scrupulous in romance and in love.

Riding the same train is James Newhouse. James is a successful banker, thank you, who doesn't have time to deal with anyone outside of his job. He's a man who knows finance, and he knows a good deal when he sees one. So, when he realizes the chance to save some money every day on a Family Fares commuter pass, he convinces the frugal-by-necessity Piper to participate in a little white lie by pretending to be married in order to secure a discounted train pass. Everything goes according to plan until they are faced with the prospect of testifying at a trial after an incident on the train. Will they be asked about their "marriage"? Will they be caught by the subway authority for lying on an application after trying to save some fare money? There are many questions James and Piper face, and that's just the ones about the train. There are also complicated situations for Piper involving prospective donors. She's already lost one job. Could she survive a situation where she could be personally responsible for losing what could be a big donor for her company?

"... James says this as though he's rattling off a list of items he needs from Home Depot and not like he's proposing we commit transit fraud (is that a thing?) by falsifying our relationship to the state government. He looks as unfazed as I look incredulous."

"SAtL" starts innocently enough. Two people riding the train and striking up a conversation. That innocent train ride can be anything but when it gets derailed by unforeseen circumstances. Throw in an unintended attraction, and that train ride can soon be a wild ride that makes for some steamy scenes in the bedroom. Some of us are lucky enough to just take a normal train ride to and from work. We can get home, pour ourselves a drink, and unwind from the day. Unwinding from the day can have a friend like Sami, who comes in clutch for Piper whenever she has a hard day at the office or just wants to talk about the dashing man who shares the train with her every morning. If there is a bad day at the office, at least there's a nourishing breakfast of sausage balls she can count on to get her through the stressful mornings of commuting and fundraising.

Life can be Complicated

Life can be complicated. It takes a lot for Mommies and Daddies to make it through the day. Sometimes they can vent and confide with a Sami. Sometimes they can unwind with a good book that is filled with a little intrigue and wonder what will happen to the beloved main characters as they negotiate their way through transit lines, legal implications, and physical attractions. It's not an easy thing trying to get to and from work. Parenting means the end of a workday only means going home and facing a new set of challenges. It's what we as parents do. Sometimes it makes for a funny story and sometimes it makes us question what made us want to do it in the first place. 

photo: mbta.com