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One side of his mouth lifted, telling of his relenting worry. “I’ll be on time.” He rolled his eyes in the most adorable way.
“And so will I,” I assured him. “Now, you have the number to the hotel where I’ll be staying. And remember our secret—”
“I know. Don’t tell anyone you’ll answer for me.”
“Yup!” I enunciated theP. “You and only you.” Then I elbowed him gently. “You’re going to have a great time. Your grandmother will get you to school on time and pick you up. Then you’ll make that special visit on Friday. So, she’s picking you up early.”
Scott’s nod still consisted of dejection, making my tummy toil. I offered him my fist.
He returned it with a gentle pound. “Can you, at least, let me know when you land up there? It’n it cold up North?”
With my chin resting on my mounted fist, I nodded. “Just got cold, which is strange. October’s the best flex for those last days of summer temps, although it isn’t summer.”
“You miss it?”
“Miss what?”
“New Jersey,” Scott clarified. “I mean, I know we’re in North Carolina and all, but Raleigh ain’t the country.”
I smiled even broader. “No, it’s not. Raleigh is mildly metropolitan. But my hometown, East Orange, is a lot different in pace…and culture.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Which was?”
“Do you miss it?”
Taking in a deep breath, my eyes drifted, and I considered that for a moment. Honesty. It was my new approach to the people in my life. Swallowing, I admitted, “Lately, I have been.”
“See! Shit, man!” Scott curled over his lap, yanking his blonde hair at the skull.
“Scott…” I warned him.
“I’m sorry. I really am, but something just feels off.” He lifted and shook his head.
“Look at me,” I demanded, voice controlled. The torment in his eyes jumpstarted my anxiety about this trip. “Like last year, the one before, the one before that, and so on, I’ll be back. I promise, Scott.”
I saw it. Scott, a thirteen-year-old who’d lived through more trauma than I could imagine, braved himself for the worst. Scott needed endless reassurance after the week we’d had. I knew nothing about this role, had no manual for it.
Reaching into the backseat, I heaved my purse into my lap. I pulled out the cash I’d set aside for Scott and handed it over to him. “This isn’t for you to ball out with. It’s for you to not go hungry or thirsty. It’s for your independence. If they offer, let them pay. If you’re in need and they don’t offer, you pay for yourself. You hear me?” He nodded. “And you know how to use myUberaccount for emergencies. You have your key to the house, and I am accessible to you—”
“Yeah, yeah.” Scott took the folded cash from my hand. “And only me. Let’s just keep it that way. Be safe, and for chrissakes, get back home.”
When the door was closed, and he pulled his suitcase from the backseat then slammed that one, my heart lightened a little. Scott was displaying normal hormonal acts of a teenager I could identify and appreciate. I watched him approach the house. His grandmother answered the door, allowing Scott inside. Her little, wrinkled, porcelain arm with the “lunch-lady loose wing” jiggled as she waved. I returned her greeting before drawing in yet another deep breath and pulling off.
I’d made it to the airport on schedule. Checking the time, I had twenty minutes before boarding, and my agitation had been spiking since I parked my car in the lot. With my larger suitcase checked, and only so much time before takeoff, I felt restless. Glancing around like a lost child, I saw a bar. Given the amount of people inside the restaurant, I knew it was open. Rolling my carryon inside, I got the attention of a waitress right away.
“Mauve. Premium—vintage,” I corrected myself.
“Sorry.” She tapped her device. “We only have silver and gold here. V.S. and V.S.O.P.”
I nodded, understanding. “Gold it is.”
“Got it.”
“Double on the rocks.”
“Is that all?” I nodded, biting my lip. “Okay. Give me just a second, and I’ll have that right out for you.”
