Page 129 of Never Say Never
“Bye Rook, don’t miss me too much.”
He laughs. “Bye Avie baby, text me so I don’t.”
I’m out of the car, and heading to Sarah’s front porch, when I hear him roll down the passenger-side window.
Flipping my head back in his direction, I see he’s sticking his head out of that side.
And then he leaves me for a week with one last thought…
“The one thing I’ll never be sorry for, Avery, is this time with you.”
I’mall packed up when Mom asks to call me. I don’t even reply, just buzz her right away.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Hi, Mom. I’m going to put you on speaker, okay? I’m just packing for the trip.”
“Oh, I don’t want to keep you from that.”
“It’s okay, I just got back from Rawley’s, so…” Oh crap, Mom is theoneperson who shouldn’t think I’m sleeping over at his house.
“Rawley’s? I thought you’re staying with Sarah.”
“Well…”
“Avery?” She put two and two together fast, I guess.
“Yeah, Rawley and I…” I’m stumped on how to describe this to mymother.
“Like, you’rereallytogether? The fake relationship became real?” She sounds a little excited, sheesh.
But I don’t want to lie to her. There’s enough lying happening in other ways.
“No, we’re just having fun. It’s casual.” Hopefully she’ll catch the drift without more detail.
“Oh.” Yeah, she did.
“Two twenty-one-year-olds and all that.”
“Okay.”
“Can we not talk about this anymore?”
“Fine by me.”
I zip up my main duffle. Multitasking at its finest. “What did you want to speak about?”
“I was talking to Dad, and we’re thinking of coming to your next game in Boston. Is that all right?”
“Of course. That’d be great.”
“Perfect. We’re excited to see you again.”
Her question reminds me of the one of my own that’s been nagging at me.
“Is something going on with Dad? He’s seemed, I don’t know, mellower? And really supportive?” That’s a weird word to use for your own father, but there’s definitely been a shift in that department.
She takes a couple of moments to respond. “Well, yeah. With Jamie about to start his senior year in high school, I think it’s finally hitting him that we’re going to have an empty nest here.”
