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The door opens again and in come Jonah’s mom and dad, then Mae, the owner of the general store. They greet me with quick hellos, which I return, and they gather in the dining room. It’s not strange for Lana to have these meetings at the rink after hours. What’s strange is the people who come in next. The cult cousins—Sammy and Jeannie. Though, they could be here to visit Jonah since Sammy and Jonah are together now. “Morning, Sunshine!” Sammy beams.
“It’s night,” I respond, but they’re too busy moving along. She greets Jonah with a hug, and I expect them to leave together. Only they don’t. They sit in the dining area, where everyone else is, and just when my curiosity gets the better of me and I’m about to join them all, the door opens again. It’s Robyn this time—my grandpa’s favorite counselor at the clinic. My fear has me standing ramrod straight as she approaches. “Hi, Jace,” she says as she bypasses me, and what the fuck is happening right now?
I follow her to the dining area, glancing at each individual person. “What’s going on?” I ask no one in particular.
“We’re just waiting on a couple more people to start,” Lana informs. “And then we’ll be on our way.”
Eyes narrowed to slits, I face Robyn. “Is my grandpa okay?”
She checks her watch. “It’s after eight, so I’m sure he’s tucked into bed and already asleep by now.”
I turn to my best friend. “Jonah?”
Arm resting on the back of Sammy’s chair, all he does is shrug.
The door opens again, and I spin quickly toward it. Harlow enters with her dad, and she rushes toward me—the fastest I’ve ever seen hermove. “Sorry I’m late!” she huffs, and she’s holding a bunch of papers, but not firmly enough because they go flying behind her, and now Shawn’s on his knees collecting them all, and she’s cursing, and I whisper, “What the fuck is going on?”
It seems like forever before she gathers all the papers and sorts them in order, and then she’s standing in front of me, only inches away, neck craned so she can look up and… smile. The biggest, most carefree smile I’ve seen in a while. “Hi,” she says.
“Hi.”
“You should sit.”
I shake my head. “What’s happening?”
“I really think you should sit,” she urges while Shawn passes me, slapping my shoulder and mumbling, “What’s up, Jace?” He sits with the others, and I refocus on Harlow.
“I think I’ll stand,” I say, my voice low. “What’s going on?”
She steps away from me, as if moving to the front of an audience. I stand between her and the others. Then she clears her throat, states loudly, “You’re going to Texas Tech.”
My head drops forward, and I pinch the bridge of my nose. Try to breathe through my frustration. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what she’s trying to do… what everyone here is trying to do, but it’s not as easy as just saying the words out loud and manifesting them into reality. “Harlow…”
“I’m going to take care of your grandpa, Jace.”
My eyes whip to hers. “What?”
“I’m going to take care of your grandpa,” she repeats.
Someone grabs my shoulder from behind, and I turn to Jonah, who’s practically dragging me backward until the back of my knees hit a chair. “I can’t see,” he mumbles, forcing me to sit. I sigh, then speak to Harlow, and only Harlow. “It’s not that easy, Harlow, he needs?—”
“A lot of help and support,” Harlow cuts in. “And so do you, Jace, and that’s why we’re all here. Now please, just listen.” She holds the stack of papers higher. “I have all the information here, and I’ll give it to you at the end, but please shut up. Just for a little bit.”
The space fills with quiet giggles, but nothing about this is funny.
Nothing.
“Robyn was kind enough to give me her personal phone number, so I have access to her should I need it.”
“Twenty-four-seven,” Robyn adds, and I turn to her. Her smile is soft, the same way it always is, whether it’s directed at me, or my grandpa, or any of the other patients she’s treating.
Harlow continues. “I’ve been in contact with the doctor at the clinic—Dr. Williams. He couldn’t go into specific details about your grandpa’s medical condition, but after some pushing, he recommended a few specialists around here, and I spent today calling them, many times, until I found what I thought was the best fit for your grandpa. He has an appointment the day after he gets home. Obviously, we’ll go together, so you’re comfortable moving forward.”
“Harlow—”
“I’ll spend as much time as you want with you both over the summer, and once you go, Dad and I will move in. You said he needs twenty-four-hour care, and so that’s what I’m going to provide.”
My pulse races, my heart beating out of my chest. I can’t look at her, but I say her name, and it feels like too much of everything, all at once.