Bad news: my wife calls me Friday night with some vehicular spookiness.
“I think my check engine light is on.”
“Any other lights?”
“No.”
“Is it flashing?”
“Nah.”
“Is it running fine?”
“Yeah, seems normal.”
“Okay, we’ll look at it later.”
The conversation ends and my horrible mind runs rampant. Oh God, I think to myself. Can’t I go more than three weeks without something on my house or cars breaking? What if it’s the 02 sensors or the catalytic converter like her last car? And did I leave the stove on this morning?!
Yesterday, we go to AutoZone. A nice young lady plugs in their code reader. We go back inside.
“What’s the word?”
Her eyes stay affixed to the screen and she lets out a is-my-shift-over-yet sigh. “Huhhhh P0456, evap code probably a loose gas cap—”
“Yes!!!”
My wife and I high five. The girl was startled at our sudden burst of life.
“Thank you!”
“Yeah...”
I open the gas door and tighten the cap. “If we’re lucky it’ll go away next time you drive to work,” I tell that lady who married me for some reason.
And the good news: the light is indeed now gone.
