They all stood, gathering up blankets and pillows.
“Gavin,” Mr. Weston said before he could follow everyone into the house. “Help me with the mattresses?”
Lila took the comforter Gavin held and mouthed “sorry.” When she turned toward the house, he bent down to release the air from the closest mattress. Mr. Weston hooked a pump into one of the others to quicken the process. The back door shut, leaving them alone. Gavin’s heart raced as he waited for the lecture he was sure to come.
When Mr. Weston sat on one of the mattresses with a sigh, Gavin looked up to see him holding his face in both hands. Gavin didn’t know what to do. He glanced to the house and back. With careful steps, he moved closer and sat beside the man who was always there more than his own father.
“Sir?”
Mr. Weston let out a quiet chuckle and raised his head. “Gavin, I have known you your entire life. I was literally at the hospital the day you were born. I think you can call me Robert.”
Gavin opened his mouth but was cut off.
“My baby girl is having brain surgery tomorrow.” The grief in Robert’s voice cut through Gavin.
“She’s going to be okay.” She had to be.
Robert turned his head to look at him. “You’re not worried she’ll forget?”
Gavin hesitated. He wanted to comfort Robert, but instead, he whispered, “I’m terrified.”
They sat in silence—the only sounds coming from the pump, the air whirring from the other mattresses, and some birds in the trees behind them. The kitchen was barely visible through the glass doors because of the bright sun, but Gavin could just make out Lila dancing around with Kaley and Beth Ann while her mother laughed from her spot by the stove. Dylan sat on the counter watching and probably sneaking pieces of whatever food Mrs. Weston was making.
Robert reached over and flipped the pump off. He stood and held out a hand to help Gavin up. Once he was on his feet, Robert put an arm around his shoulders. “Come on. We’ll deal with the rest of this later.”
Gavin nodded, still unsure what to stay.
“After breakfast, we were going to ask for some family-only time,” Robert said as they neared the door.
Gavin froze. He didn’t think he’d have to say goodbye so soon.
Robert moved face him, blocking his view of everyone else. “But I think you should stay.”
His eyes snapped up to the man’s. Relieving breath filled his lungs. “Thank you.”
“You really do love her, don’t you?”
“More than anything.” There was no hesitation. He didn’t even need to think it through.
Robert smiled and led Gavin inside, who immediately walked to Lila and twirled her into his arms.
“Everything okay?” she asked, leaning into him.
As her mom began bringing food to the table with the others, Gavin tightened his arms around her. “Perfect.”
Breakfast lasted longer than it should have. It seemed no one was ready to leave, and the Westons didn’t say anything despite Robert’s earlier words. The sight of Lila sitting so at ease, when just the week before she’d been too closed off to speak to most others, filled Gavin with happiness. As Lila laughed at Dylan and Beth Ann arguing over the trip to New York he was planning, Gavin scooted closer and put an arm over the back of her chair.
“I don’t understand why I can’t just crash on your couch,” Dylan said, pointing with his fork.
“Because I don’t have a couch.” Beth Ann grabbed his fork and put it on top of her plate before stacking it on his. She reached over to take a few others to the sink. “I live in a dorm.”
Dylan picked up some empty cups and joined her. “Fine, then, we can share your bed and cuddle. I call little spoon!”
She didn’t respond. She let out a huff as she walked back to the table to grab more dishes. Mrs. Weston tried to stop her, but Beth Ann insisted. When Kaley reached over and put a hand on Lila’s arm, Gavin’s eyes snapped down. And just like that, the happiness was zapped from him.
Wiping a tear from her cheek, he pressed a kiss to the side of her head and held her close. But he stayed quiet. There was nothing more he could say to ease the fear. Their friends continued to bicker and tease each other as they did the dishes. Beth Ann blew a handful of bubbles at Dylan, and Lila let out a soft laugh.
“Think they’ll ever admit their feelings?” she whispered, her words echoing his from the night of her graduation party.
“Eventually, they’ll have to face it.”
She nodded against his shoulder before sitting upright. Her soft lips met his for just a moment, then she was up and running to pull the sink nozzle from its place. A bright smile replaced the tears as she sprayed her friends.
“She’s going to be okay,” Kaley said, standing beside him.
He stood too, looking at the Westons. With a nod in their direction, he joined the chaotic water fight they never would have allowed before.
Lila’s Summer Bucket List
Sleep under the stars
Attend a party
Get a tattoo
Use fake ID to sing karaoke in a bar
Stand under the lights on the football field
Go on a date ❤️
Sneak out of the house
Visit the baby goat farm
Go to Chicago
Midnight swim
Spend a day in bed watching movies
Stay up to watch the sunrise
❤️ Be kissed in the rain
Run through the halls of the high school
Conquer a fear ❤️
Paintball
Try something new
Dye hair pink
Sneak into movie theater
Climb water tower
24
Monday
Gavin shut off the alarm as soon as it started beeping. His hand went back to Lila’s waist. She stared at him in the dim morning light creeping in through the curtains. They’d both been awake for a while. Neither said a word; they simply laid together. She still couldn’t believe her parents agreed he could stay.
Lila pulled herself closer, wanting to stay there forever. Her heart raced, and her
