“Then why aren’t you living there?” Staci tosses over her shoulder as they head toward the door. Once they get there, she waves goodbye to us.
“As I’ve said many times, I broke up with her, but she refuses to accept it,” Brooks continues. “Why don’t you mind your own business?”
“I would, but since your nasty gym socks are taking over my house at the moment, this is my business.”
Their voices disappear when they shut the front door behind them.
Dax scrolls through his phone, indifferent about his friends’ quarrel.
“They do that often, I guess?” I point toward the front door.
He tucks his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. “Yes. It’s like working with a divorced couple still fighting over their belongings. Neither of them even cares about those things, but they want to spite the other.”
“Sounds like an interesting work environment.” I hold my hand out for his beer, and he passes it to me without missing a beat.
“Fantastic.”
I smile around the bottle, then take a sip. “It’s good to be home.”
“And it’s damn good to have you here.”
Three
Dax
“No drinks tonight,” Staci says on the other end of the phone after the barbecue. “I got called in to the hospital for a minute, and shit-for-brains is dealing with Kelly drama. I think she moved her niece into their house.” She snickers, and a door slams on her end.
“Sounds like he found a real winner.”
“Like the rest of them. Seriously, where does he find these morons?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
Chatter fills her end, and I assume she just stepped into the hospital. We agree to a rain check for drinks and hang up.
I should go home and take a breather. It’s been a long day, but instead of doing the sensible thing, I send Clara a quick text that I’m heading over. I start my truck and pull out of Willow’s driveway, despite my racing mind to go home.
I need sleep.
Water.
Exercise.
I need to expend all this nervous energy coursing through me like the time I went swimming with sharks. It was the summer before medical school—my last hurrah with a few buddies.
I didn’t want to leave Willow, but she insisted she was fine. By that point, she had become used to her disability and even stopped cursing it so much. A nurse came by once a week or so, and we’d become friendly with our neighbor who often checked in on us. Clara’s mom, Helene, helped too. She and her ex-husband did as much as they could for us, which was a godsend.
Now, Willow is an adult. Married with a house and a job as an accountant. It’s not the exciting career of being on Broadway that she always wanted, but it makes her happy. I think the stability and normalcy intrigue her.
After our world was turned upside down all those years ago, I didn’t blame her for wanting something like that. She had a lot of dark days herself, and her work makes sense. It keeps her calm. I, on the other hand, went in a totally different direction and dove headfirst into chaos.
I knock on Clara’s door, taking note of the chipped paint job, and rub my thumb over the wood panel around the doorframe. There’s shuffling on the other side before the door opens.
“Hey,” she says, and her presence instantly jolts my body awake.
“Hey.” I drop my hand. “I’ll bring some paint over soon, and we can paint this frame.”
“What?”
“The frame. The paint needs to be touched up.”
“You never stop, do you?” She shakes her head, her lips twisting upward. It’s the same amused smile she always gave me when I got competitive over Wii sports.
“What do you mean?” I brush past her to get inside, and her perfume wafts around me.
“You’re always there to help, offering a hand like the friendly neighborhood doctor.”
“Well, it does make me popular.” I wink.
“Tell that to your stupid couch.”
I lean my hip on the back of her couch that’s facing the fireplace. The coffee table is covered with various picture frames and a pile of books. A few labeled boxes are stacked in the corner too.
“Dax!” Jacob runs out of his room, his wavy hair dripping wet. “Want to see my room?”
“Of course, I do.”
He yanks on my shirt, pulling me toward his room. Once inside, he holds his arms out to show me his palace. “My mom still needs to help me put the bookshelf together. It’ll go over there.” He points to an empty wall on the left, then continues to the rest of the room. There are posters of Spider-man and other Marvel superheroes, and above the bed, his name is spelled out in wooden block letters.
Jacob pulls a few toys out to show me, and Clara pops her head in to remind him it’s almost time for bed.
“Five more minutes?” Jacob pleads.
“What good will that do?” Clara comes in with hands on her hips.
“Dax and I are talking.”
She grins. “You and Dax can talk soon. We’re going to the Harvest Festival next weekend, remember?”
“I want to ride all the rides.”
“We’ll see. Sleep now.” She goes to kiss him on the forehead, but he jerks away. “Don’t run from me.”
“Mom…” he groans.
I sit back, doing my best to cover my grin, watching their push and pull. Hard to believe Jacob is already ten years old. Every time I see him, it feels like he’s three inches taller.
In the past, I saw him every few years but not anymore.
I’ll be here, as Clara’s friend. As Jacob’s friend. They’ll be here instead of thousands of miles away. We’re not only in the same zip code, but we now live a short mile apart.
I’ll get to watch Jacob grow up.
My chest swells with relief.
“Love you, honey.” Clara nudges me out to the living room, shutting his door behind her.
She yawns, her squinty brown eyes adorable.
“You’re tired.
