“No.” I frowned, squinting at her as I shook my head. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Theo,” she repeated. “You know who I’m talking about. That pretty guy who rolled into town on a beat-up motorcycle with nothing but a backpack and a billion-dollar smile.”
“Isn’t the phrase amillion-dollar smile?” I asked, knowing it was probably irrelevant, but my brain felt like cotton candy right then. “You know what? Never mind.”
“I’ve done some asking,” she said, finally twisting to grab a box of cereal and unceremoniously dumping it in her cart. “He’s available.”
“Available for what?”
She let out a dramatic sigh, as if she couldn’t believe she actually had to explain this to me. “It means he’s currently romantically unattached, Raquel, but if you want me to put it bluntly, he’ssingle.”
“Oh.”
Peering at me over the rims of her horn-rimmed glasses, she huffed out another breath, clearly getting exasperated now. “Youare also romantically unattached and you’re both young. You should ask him out.”
“Oh, okay. Yeah.” My eyes widened when I realized what I’d just said. “I mean no. I’m not asking him out. Both of us being young and single doesnotmean wehaveto get together.”
I shook my head, trying to figure out how I was even having this conversation right now.
Frieda’s sharp eyes narrowed, her gaze skimming across my face. “Are you alright, kiddo? You’re looking a little pale.”
It had only been the barest, most basic of questions, but I still almost broke down and told her everything. I just couldn’t do it because Averyhadto be the first to know. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
It wasn’t the most convincing lie I’d ever told, but at least she didn’t call me out on it. Instead, she tossed another box of something into her cart, then reached out and patted my shoulder. “Take an old wise woman’s advice and ask the pretty boy out before somebody else snaps him up, would you?”
I nodded absently, turning back to the shelf and realizing I had no clue what I’d been after in this aisle anymore. Frieda strode away and I ended up half-following her, grabbing a few more things Dad liked before driving back to the shop.
He lived in a house at the edge of the property, and when I walked in, he was asleep in his recliner, news anchors murmuring on the TV in the background. I carried the groceries inside and filled his fridge, desperately trying not to think too far ahead.
There were so, so many decisions to be made, and honestly, I didn’t even know where to begin. Eventually, I started dinner because at least that gave me something concrete to do, but every time I glanced over at him, fast asleep in his favorite chair, my heart cracked all over again.
He looked exactly the same, and yet, everything had changed. A painful lump took shape in my throat, disbelief cascadingthrough me like a merciless wave, but thankfully, with the stew now simmering on the stove, I could get on with the next thing on my mental to-do list.
Telling Avery.
His truck was parked outside the shop, which meant he was still there, and that meant I couldn’t put it off any longer.
Future care. Fucking hell. How am I even supposed to start this conversation?
I still hadn’t figured it out by the time I walked into the shop, where Avery and Theo were hanging out near the front desk, laughing about something involving fire. Soft country music played from the radio in the office. The smell of oil lingered in the air.
Everything here was the same too, and at the same time, nothing would ever really be the same again. I honestly couldn’t get over it.
No balls of lava had dropped from the sky when the doc had given me the news. The grocery store had still been there, the same savings being offered as every other Tuesday. Frieda had been completely normal and even Dad’s workshop was exactly, precisely the same as it’d always been.
How is any of that possible? How dare the world just… keep going like this?Seconds away from shaking my fist at the heavens like some deranged bag lady, I drew in a deep breath and bottled up the urge to rant and rave.
Avery and Theo both looked up when I came in, and immediately, I knew they could both tell something was wrong. Avery straightened, his face growing ashen as he stared at me. “What did the doctor say?”
Fuck, this is going to make it desperately, horrifyingly real, isn’t it? Fuck.
Every trace of humor and laughter vanished from Theo’s face as he slid off the stool he’d been on to give me space near the counter. “Raquel?”
I swallowed hard, but the lump in my throat was still there, only growing bigger and sorer as I focused on my brother’s gray-blue eyes. “It’s Alzheimer’s. Early onset.”
Avery blinked slowly, his lips parting like he wanted to say something but couldn’t quite form the words. I understood completely, so I carried on without being asked, sharing what the doctor had told me what felt like years ago.
“Apparently, we caught it early, but there’s no telling how fast it’ll progress. I’ll make another appointment and the doctors will monitor him, but obviously, there’s no cure.”
