My bedroom door is cracked open enough that I can hear them greet each other, but I turn the TV in my room down (I just installed it tonight so I don’t have to keep watching television in silence while Justin works at the kitchen table) so I can listen to the rest of their conversation.
“I thought the whole drive over about what you said earlier this week.” Summer’s voice is animated, and she’s a little out of breath from either talking too fast or climbing the four short steps up to his front door.
“What did I say?”
“That I just needed a warm body to take with me to my family parties so my family would get off my back about us.”
“Okay.”
“But it’s not just about having someone there. It wasn’t enough that you came to Thanksgiving dinner tonight. My mom was still bugged. She just won’t let it go. I need more than a warm body. I need somebody who’s going to interact.”
“Summer, if this is about today, you know I had to work, and I thought you were cool—”
“Justin, I’m not mad at you.”
“You’re not?”
“No. In fact, I think you’re right about how we can solve our problems.”
I lean forward, becoming more and more interested in this conversation.
“I just need Caleb to come with me and pose as you. It solves everything.”
My mouth drops open.
“That’s what I was saying.” Justin isn’t even trying to hide how thrilled he is about this.
“I mean, it was so great Wednesday night. I wasn’t alone. My family was satisfied. I didn’t have to defend you or explain why I’m still with you when you never come around. Everyone was happy. And then afterward, I got to come here and spend time with you, and we didn’t have to fight. It was just like old times. Easy.”
“I know. I felt the same way.”
“But when you left early tonight, all of my family’s old opinions about you resurfaced. And my mom thinks I’ve lost the light in my eyes. It’s exhausting, you know?”
“Yeah, I’m sick of it too.”
Justin completely breezes past her mom’s concerns. It’s baffling.
“So I think we should do it. I think we should just have Caleb be your holiday stand-in. It will solve all our problems these next few weeks when you have to work while my family has so many demands. And then after the holidays, when things calm down, you can come as yourself.”
I think Summer’s being a little too optimistic about how seamlessly this will work out for her.
“Alright.” Justin laughs. “Let’s do it.”
“Do you think Caleb will?”
Finally, someone who’s asking the right questions.
“I don’t know. He told me the other night that he would only do it that one time.”
“Well, is he home? Should we ask him?”
“He’s home, but the sale goes live in thirty-five minutes. It’s crunch time for me.”
“Yeah, sorry. This is bad timing.”
“He’s back in his room. You can go ask him if you want.”
She’ll never come back here alone.
