“It could,” she argues weakly. “I hate to think that you could have another person in your life who loves you. You deserve that, Wilder.”
She and Cash sure love to tell me what they think I deserve.
“I love you,” I say to her. “You’re all I need, Ingrid. I don’t need anyone else.”
“But what if—”
“What if what?” I challenge with a raised eyebrow. “What if I call up Elowyn, ask her how things are, she tells me how horrible Margot is doing, and then what? I show up at the funeral like I’m part of the family? I don’t know these people. They’re… they’re strangers. They’ve always been strangers.”
She sighs. “You might regret it one day.”
“I doubt that,” I return.
“I’m not saying you have to go to the funeral. I’m just saying it never hurts to be there for someone who needs you.”
“What about all the times I needed my dad and he wasn’t there.”
Ingrid’s warm fingers find my jaw. “This has nothing to do with your dad or Margot. It’s about Elowyn. Even if you’re pissed at your dad, Elowyn was always an innocent bystander. You don’t want people to judge you by the choicesyour father made. So, why are you doing it to her?”
The words hit like a slap to the face.
I’ve spent years trying to ignore the whispers around town. The pitiful looks. The hushed words wondering if I’ll be just like him. If I’ll keep a child a secret. If I’ll leave the family I built in public for the one I built in private.
I’m doing the same thing to Elowyn.
I exhale. “Fine. I’ll call her.”
“Now?” Ingrid returns instantly.
“Now.”
She hops up from the towel and motions to the water. “I’ll be close by if you need me.”
My heart pounds as I watch her walk toward the restless ocean.
I fish my phone out of my pocket and click on Elowyn’s latest message.
She’s on hospice. They give her two weeks max.
I’ve never been great at comforting people when things are hard. My dad taught me how to deal with it. Just ignore the problem and move on. Let everyone else clean up the mess.
But is that who I really want to be?
Someone who runs every time things get hard?
I take a deep breath and hit the call button.
I’m not sure what to expect. Part of me hopes she doesn’t answer.
The other part? I just want to get this over with.
“H-hullo?” I hear.
“Elowyn,” I say.
“Wilder?” She sounds surprised. Shocked, even.
“Uh… how are you?” I ask, then instantly feel like a jackass. She’s not doing well. Her mom is dying.
