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"Because I'm gone."
"You sound like dad."
"That's cause dad's right about some stuff. I'm reading. Thank you. I'll call you back in a minute if you want me to, but I'm concentrating on this. I love you."
"Love you too," she said.
And Beau hung up and turned his attention to the note.
As he read, he concentrated on every word.
Holland's note was sweet, kind, and humble.
He felt assured by her words, and his heart went to her. He felt physically tugged—like there was a magnet in his chest and some giant, magnetic claw was about to pick him up and transport him back to Arkansas. He wanted to protect Holland from everything in the world, but right then he wanted to save her from the pain of thinking he hadn't responded to this letter.
He hated that he hadn't found it until now.
He knew he had to call her right away.
Chapter 14
Holland
It was my birthday, and I knew it was going to be quiet, but I didn't know just how quiet it would be. My mom texted me that morning saying that she and everyone else at her house sends their wishes. My dad and stepmom forgot completely. There would probably be a card in the mail from them when I got back.
My mom's message was a ten-word text, and it was literally the only birthday wish I got all day. Even my friends forgot. Out of sight out of mind, I figured. I did my best to know that people got busy and had lives, and I tried not to take it personally. I would have surely gotten a few social media wishes if I had been keeping up with my personal profiles instead of my business ones. As it stood, I didn't even know how to log onto my personal account anymore. I got through the day fine, but that evening, I felt tired and lonely, and the weight of a ton of emotions hit me at once. I was emotional even though I tried not to be. I had been able to hold it all day, but toward the end I went for a walk in the woods to clear my head and let myself cry.
I ran into Hope on my way back, and she offered a shoulder to cry on. I felt somewhat better afterward, but I wished it hadn't happened. She was sweet about it and she identified with me, but I felt bad for encountering her in that state.
I thanked her, and I was smiling by the time I told her goodnight. It was still mostly fake, but she seemed satisfied with my mindset, and we left each other with hugs and an exchange about Ralphie. She wished me a happy birthday as we parted ways.
I went back to the room and worked. I wanted to space out and watch TV, but it felt better to occupy my hands and mind with work. It was late, and I didn't want to make mistakes, so I worked on the tedious but mindless job of adding hardware and grommets to collars. I was still doing it later that night when my phone rang. I had been listening to music, but the sound over the speaker switched over to my ringtone. Ralphie was passed out on a rug near my feet, and he picked his head up when he heard it.
One glance at my phone, and I saw Beau's name. My muscle twitched, and I dropped my phone. It fell to the floor with a clatter, and I scrambled. Ralphie scrambled, too. It only took a couple of seconds for me to pick up my phone and push the button to answer it, but it felt like an eternity.
"Hello?" I said.
"Holland?"
"Yeah. Hey. Beau?"
"Yeah. Hey. Hey, Holland."
"Hi," I said. "I dropped my phone. I didn't know if I would pick it up in time."
"Oh, no. Did you crack it?" he asked.
"No, it's fine. How are you? How's Japan? How are you doing?"
"I'm good. We're about to leave to go to lunch with my friend's dad. We're staying in this building with a restaurant at the top, so it's just a matter of walking upstairs, but I'm warning you that they'll be in my room soon."
"A restaurant at the top? That sounds luxurious."
"You have no idea," he said dryly.
"Is it almost lunch there?"
"Yeah."
