“Annie, may I speak with you for a moment?” Ellen asked.
I pretended to drop my sunglasses under the chair, stalling my departure.
“I’m glad you came tonight,” Ellen said. “You were very brave. But because you’re fifteen, I’ll need to speak with your mother before you attend another adult session.”
Annie’s shoulders stiffened. “Yeah, okay. She won’t want me to come here.”
“I cannot say I totally disagree. You deserve support that’s meant for you,” Ellen said. “There’s a teen grief group that meets here on Wednesdays. Other kids your age. Some who’ve lost parents. Some who’ve lost siblings or friends.”
“Do I need permission from my mom for that one?” Annie asked.
“No, you can just show up,” Ellen said.
Annie glanced over and caught me watching. For a moment, we simply looked at each other. I nodded to convey my support, but I wasn’t sure she took it that way.
She shifted her gaze back toward Ellen. “Okay, thanks for letting me stay tonight.”
“Again, I’m glad you came,” Ellen said.
Annie left. I shoved my sunglasses in my jeans pocket and strode across the room, hoping to catch up with her.
“Thanks, Ellen,” I said, before heading out the door.
I caught Annie at the top of the stairs. “Annie.”
She turned to look at me. “Hi, Dorian.”
“Hey. Just wanted to check in with you. I’m sure you didn’t expect me to be there.”
“No, I didn’t think anyone I knew would be there.” She looked down at her feet, clad in tennis shoes. “I don’t want my mom to know.”
“I’ll keep my mouth shut. But why?” I had to ask.
Annie lifted her shoulders and sighed. “She doesn’t think anything like this would help, so she just, full-stop, rejects the idea.”
“I can understand that. It took me months to get up the courage to come here.”
“Is it helping you?” Annie asked.
“It is, yeah. Just being with others who understand but don’t try to fix anything provides a lot of comfort.”
“Yeah, I felt that tonight for sure.”
“Do you think you’ll go to the teen one?” I asked.
“I think so. As long as it doesn’t interfere with soccer practice.” She smiled up at me. “Thanks for keeping my secret.”
“Anytime.”
I watched as she sprinted toward a parked car, realizing too late that it was Seraphina who waited for Annie. She had agreed to bring her. Interesting.
I held up a hand in greeting but didn’t walk over to say hello. It felt weird to do so, even though Seraphina and I were good friends. I’d met her through the bookstore, where I carried her books and hosted signings. She’d mentioned one time how she thought Delphine and I would make a great match. I’d quickly dismissed the idea, even though I couldn’t deny an attraction toward the terrifying Delphine Delacroix. Regardless, I knew Delphine had zero interest in the likes of me.
Seraphina returned the wave as Annie got into her car. They drove out of the lot and disappeared down the street, but Istayed another moment, breathing in the sea air, thinking about how hard life could sometimes be. And lonely.
3
DELPHINE
