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Carly scooted down in her seat and propped her knees against the dash. “Whatever, Mom. You don’t want to be a spinster forever.”
“Well, maybe not forever,” she said in an exaggerated voice. “But I’m not in any hurry.”
MR. DAVIS WAVED A HAND from his place at a table when Anita walked into the dining room with Carly. Anita smile as Carly increased her stride and called out, “Hello, Mr. Davis.”
She wasn’t sure what exactly had connected these two so quickly, but she was grateful for it. Who would have thought her daughter would be sharing her friendship woes with a war vet. But that was what happened when they were halfway through a Scrabble game.
“Have you heard of the phrase, there are friends for a season and friends for a reason?” Mr. Davis asked, pausing before he took his next turn.
“No,” Carly said, tilting her head. Today she wore a high ponytail with one of the scrunchies she’d made herself. The bright pink fabric matched her nearly fluorescent pink T-shirt.
Mr. Davis’s expression was somber when he replied, “You don’t have to regret a friendship, even if it ends badly, or even if you’re sad about it not being something more. Friendships help us grow as a person and they also teach us to be better friends down the road.”
Carly’s eyes brightened. “So if Evie and Samantha keep me out of their friend group, then I should be okay with it?”
“I believe so.” Mr. Davis laid out the next word on the Scrabble board. “They were friends for a season, and now it’s time for you to find another friend. You’ve outgrown the antics of skipping classes or raiding kitchens. I can tell you’re a serious student, and you have a bright future to keep in mind.”
He laid out the word, petri.
“Petri?” Carly said. “Like a petri dish?”
“Exactly,” he said with a nod. “See, you’re already smarter than most kids your age.” He glanced over at Anita. “I’ll bet your mother had good advice about your former friends.”
Carly didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, she said those girls aren’t my real friends if they don’t care about getting me in trouble.”
“Your mother is a wise woman,” Mr. Davis said, then threw her a wink.
Anita couldn’t help but smile.
Then he started in with a story about his high school days, talking about his friends, including Susan.
It was at that moment Wyatt arrived.
Anita immediately noticed his frown at the mention of Susan. It was none of her business, not really, but it still made her wonder. Had Wyatt ever done any investigating into Susan? Maybe looked for her name in phone books? Checked old high school records?
“Hey, Gramps,” he said in a friendly tone, although his eyes darted from Carly to Anita. Had there been a quick furrow of his brows? He hugged his grandpa, then settled next to him. “Looks like your favorite visitors are here.”
“Ah.” Mr. Davis waved a hand. “You’re my favorite. Carly is a close runner-up, though.”
Wyatt’s smile remained in place, but there it was again. A pull of his brows. Anita hadn’t imagined it after all.
Was their visit bothering him, or was it something else?
“I was just telling Carly how to navigate friendships,” Mr. Davis said. “It’s been a while since I was in school myself, but there are some things I’ll never forget. I guess it might be unusual, especially in my day, to have a girl as a best friend. But Susan was just that.”
“Yeah, that’s nice, Gramps,” Wyatt said, dismissing the conversation thread altogether. He slipped off his suit jacket and set it on the back of the chair before sitting down. Both times Anita had seen him, he’d been wearing a suit. Did the man never dress down before coming to visit his grandpa?
“Paula said she’s coming to visit today,” Wyatt said.
Mr. Davis clapped his hands together. “Wonderful. I thought she couldn’t get away.”
“She was able to get the day off from the hospital.”
Mr. Davis looked over at Anita and Carly. “Paula is Wyatt’s little sister. She’s a nurse. Did I tell you that?”
“I don’t think so,” Anita said at the same time that Carly shook her head.
“What kind of nurse?” Carly asked.
