“You’re smarter than I thought.” She smiled into the phone. “Go study, ace the exam, and call me afterward.”
“I will. And congratulations. I saw the numbers on your crowdfunder.”
“I think of it as our crowdfunder. Love you, little bro.” She hung up feeling proud of what he was accomplishing. And what she had, too.
She tapped another number.
Her grandmother picked up on the second ring. A television murmured behind her, and dishes clinked together.
“Why, Josephine. How are you, dear?”
“Getting a little nervous about tomorrow.” Jo pressed her palm to her chest, trying to figure out how to say everything.
“What’s troubling you, chérie?”
“Blue’s back. He turned down the job in Chicago. And proposed to me on the beach this afternoon.”
“Well, it’s about time that man came to his senses.”
“I didn’t say yes.”
“No? Why not?”
“I told him I needed to think. I need to be sure.” Jo picked at a loose thread on her striped Cuppa Jo’s blouse. “But I think I know what I’m going to say.”
Her grandmother’s voice warmed on the other end of the line. “I believe you’ve known in your heart for some time. I will always support your decision.”
“There’s more,” Jo said. “My coffee launch and tasting for the crowdfunder is tomorrow. A lot of people are coming. Half the island, it seems.”
“I’m so proud of you, darling.”
Jo thought about how happy Maileah looked with her family around her at their welcome-home party. Maybe it was a little selfish of her to expect that, but she wanted that, too.
“Hugo has a final he can’t miss,” Jo said. “Would you let me come get you? I know it’s a lot to ask on a Friday, what with the ferry and the crowds, but I’d love for you to be there.”
“Oh, chérie, I wish I could,” Rose said, her voice cracking with emotion. “But I’m not feeling quite up to it.”
Jo stopped walking and sat on the step again. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.” Her grandmother’s voice was brisk, almost amused. “It’s just my age, sweetheart. Some days I have more energy than others, and I need to pace myself. That’s all it is.”
“Are you sure? I could come earlier, and we could take it slow.”
“Trust me, I will be there in spirit. Take lots of photos, would you?”
“I will, of course.” Jo’s eyes stung a little. “Have you talked to Mom lately?”
Hesitation crept into her grandmother’s voice. “I was planning to tell you after this event. Sylvie is in a drug rehabilitation facility in Mexico. She’s not allowed calls for a while, but I check on her. I’ll keep you updated.”
Jo’s heart sank, though that was a very old wound. “Maybe she’ll find her purpose this time.”
Rose’s voice strengthened. “Never lose hope, but your mother must do the work for herself. I know you love her, and so do I, but she mustn’t drag you down. I won’t let that happen to you.”
“I’m sorry Mom has put all this on you. I know it’s hard on you.”
“Everyone chooses their path,” Rose said. “Your mother has a good heart under all the drama that surrounds her. She has her struggles. I’ve tried to help, but ultimately the decision to improve is hers. I wish it were different, but I came to that understanding years ago.”
Though she wished the same, Jo accepted what she could not change. Just as Blue had problems in his family, so did she.
