Page 66 of See You at the Sunset

She turned and kissed Henry’s chest over his heart. Then she rested and let his steady breathing lull her to sleep. She’d decide tomorrow what to do.

Tonight, she’d go on pretending that it didn’t matter.

26

“I have all your medication lined up here in the daily dispenser. On Sunday nights, you just have to refill each one for the upcoming week. And I set a reminder on your phone that will go off each morning. Over here, I moved the pots and pans to the lower cabinet so they’re easier to reach. But make sure that if you turn on the stove, you don’t leave it. You stay here—”

A hand came to rest on Henry’s back. It was warm and comforting. “Hank, leave it all here for now. Grab your keys. Let’s go for a drive. I only have you for another day. Let’s make the most of it.”

Henry dropped his head to his chest and let out a breath. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. Let’s go have some fun.”

Henry knew he was going overboard. Everyone had told him so. But all of this was more for him than it was for Dennis. His granddad could ignore all of his instructions once Henry went back to New York. But he felt helpless to take care of him from far away, and this made him believe he was at least doing something.

Leaving was going to be harder than he had anticipated.

“Okay, Granddad. Where do you wanna go?”

“Let’s go see the dinosaurs.”

It was such a silly thing. What had started out as a marketing ploy, a way to get people off the freeway to a local restaurant twenty minutes outside of Palm Springs, had become an art installation of huge dinosaurs painted in neon greens, sky blues, and bright pinks. They were rotating canvases of sorts for artists to come and recreate over and over again. One wore a rainbow T-shirt during Pride month. Another hadI??CAon its chest. One had daisies painted on its huge body.

Henry had been humorless as a kid, not having many things to laugh about, lacking opportunities to be carefree growing up. But the dinosaurs, over-the-top, colorful, playful, and ridiculous in a way that no one could avoid their charm, were the one thing sure to lift Henry to a place of joy.

It struck him that these were exactly the things about Jia that he liked so much.

They got into Henry’s rental car. “Seat belt,” he reminded Dennis.

“Henry, I’ve lived in California my whole life. You think I don’t know a seat belt?”

“Sorry,” he said back. He was glad Dennis called him out on his shit. Henry needed more of that.

Jia’s voice rang in his head.They deserve respect. Don’t infantilize them. They’re wiser than we are.

She was everywhere. She’d taken residence in his head. Maybe even snuck into his heart as well. But he couldn’t let himself think about that. Not while both their futures were so in flux.

“Let’s listen to my audiobook on the way,” Dennis suggested.“I have Book Club this weekend and need to finish it.” Henry set his granddad’s phone up to the car’s media system, and the two of them listened to the recording on the way.

Nations, wars, nor national disasters can keep me from you. It but your resistance to receive love...The narrator’s words stirred a discomfort in his chest. Henry quickly reached out and turned down the volume. He felt Dennis’s eyes on him, but he kept his gaze on the barren desert road ahead. Why these words hit home was not something he wanted to consider right now. But Henry made a mental note to ask his granddad the book’s title for later. He might like to find out how this story ends.

Henry’s favorite dinosaur had always been the one that stood the tallest, the proudest, the most intimidating: the T. rex. Today it was painted an emerald green with a red heart on its chest that saidI love you.

“Go stand in front of it so I can get a picture,” Dennis said. He fumbled with his phone trying to open the camera and then looked down his nose at the screen, squinting without his glasses. The sun had already hit a peak, and Henry could see the waves of heat bouncing off the ground. He waited patiently for Dennis to get his shot.

“Would you like me to take one of the two of you?” a woman asked. She was with two kids who were running around and screaming their heads off.

“That would be great. Thank you. My grandson is visiting from New York. He’s a big-shot lawyer out there.”

Henry rolled his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. Dennis just couldn’t help himself.

“That’s amazing. You must be so proud,” she said.

“Oh, I am. But not just because of his job. I’m mostly proud he turned out to be a good man. He’s my best friend.”

Dennis walked over to Henry under the shadow of the T. rex and wrapped his arm around his waist. Henry swallowed back the emotion swelling in his throat.

“Smile,” the woman said.

Henry had to make sure his grandfather sent him a copy. He’d never been a sentimental man. But this picture with his granddad was one thing he knew he’d want to take back to New York with him. One thing he’d want to keep forever.