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“So are you,” I said.
“But you wanted to buy a dual monitor for your web design business.” Her lip quivered. “Mom leaving really fucked up your finances, didn’t it?”
“It’ll be fine,” I lied. “Better than fine. Whatever furniture you want, you get, but…”
“We probably won’t be able to go to New York for my sixteenth birthday.” Her shoulders slumped.
“Probably not,” I said. “But we’ll make it happen at some point.”
She blinked watery blue eyes at me. “Really? Or will something else derail our lives before we get to go?”
“Who knows,” I said. “But that’s the fun of it, right? The roller coaster of life?”
“Roller coasters make me puke.”
“That was only once at Six Flags, and it was because I let you have an entire funnel cake first.”
“It’s weird, you know,” she said.
“What is?”
“All my best memories are because you made them happen. Not Mom. You.”
“You’re killing me, kid,” I groaned. “Seriously. I’m going to start crying any minute now.”
“Tears make me uncomfortable,” she teased.
“Then I’ll make sure to bawl.”
She laughed, but the look on her face said the moment was impactful.
“Come on, let’s go pick out some cheap furniture that Duke and Savage have to put together.”
I locked up the house and we headed down the front walk that was lined with blooming yellow and pink flowers.
“Where were you this morning?” Waverly asked as she buckled herself into the passenger side of my car.
“What do you mean?”
“I rolled over early and you weren’t there. And you definitely werenotin the bathroom at the clubhouse.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling my insides heat. “I was hanging out with Duke. I couldn’t sleep.”
“Hanging out, huh?”
“Why do you say it like that,” I demanded. “Wewerehanging out. I don’t have to defend myself to you.”
“Who’s defending?”
“Have you called Jessica?” I asked, deliberately changing the subject.
“No, I’m mad at her. Are you going to call her parents?”
“Yes,” I said automatically.
“Her parents won’t let us hang out if you do that,” she pointed out.
“It’s probably for the better,” I said. “You guys should chill out for a while. We’ve got a lot of stuff to get sorted with Mom gone…”
