Page 56 of Love Felt Like This

Dad, moving on from the usual sibling battle, asks, “So, how long does it take you to get up here?”

Griffin shrugs. “Only an hour.”

“An hour!” Mom’s eyes widen as she sets down her glass.

“Yeah, it’s not too bad.”

Mom gasps. “Not too bad?!”

“Climbing the mountain can be tough. Ear popping isn’t fun, but we’ll be fine.”

Nana shakes her head, cutting into her chicken. “Well, that won’t do.”

“I agree,” Momma says.

Nana nods. “That’s too far away. We have an apartment out back. You can stay there.”

Silence engulfs the room. My lips part in shock.

That apartment is her house. Grandpa’s house. Nobody’s stayed there since she moved into the room across from mine.

And that means Griffin will be in my backyard. Twenty-four seven.

I barely know the guy. We barely know him.

I mean, yes, this entire thing was kinda my call, but that’s beside the point.

Nana peers up at me, then to the rest of the table. “Oh, please. Like it wouldn’t make more sense anyway. That poor girl’s ears popping? I’d be crying all the time too.”

We all look to Ava. That’s when I realize that maybe Ava’s face likely isn’t red from the cold. My heart sinks.

Griffin tongues his cheek and shakes his head. “Thank you, but I can’t ask that of you.”

“Good lord,” Nana croons with an eye roll. “Navigating those winding roads in the dark? No. I won’t have it.”

Griffin swivels his eyes to me. Both eyebrows are pinched in. Is he concerned? Bothered? I can’t fully read him yet.

My dad gestures with his fork and says, “You know what? That’s a great idea, Nana. Griffin, you should absolutely move in. We’d love to have you and your sister.”

“Right, you shouldn’t have to care for her alone,” Nana says.

“Where is your mom, by the way?” Rob asks Griffin.

“Robert,” Mom snaps.

He winces. “Oh, sorry, I just—”

“Ava’s mom passed,” Griffin says. “A year ago.”

Ava’s mom.

The table goes silent again, but this time it swallows us up. I want to crawl out of my skin. Mom stares. Dad does too.

I assumed Griffin and Ava’s mom had broken up, or she wasn’t in the picture, or…not that Ava’s mom had passed. My stomach ties into knots. How did it happen? Were they together a while? I don’t remember him publicly dating anyone. Maybe they were secretly high school sweethearts.

I finally break the awkward quiet. “I didn’t know that, Griffin. I’m so sorry.”

Griffin’s jaw tenses. “It’s fine. Really.” Utensils clank on plates. The record croons. He clears his throat. “Um, so, the house out back…?”