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ChapterNineteen
Luke
The first hour of the drive to Corning is silent, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s still early, the sun barely cresting the horizon. We woke up at six and were on the road by seven.
I insisted on driving, in case she wanted to sleep, but so far, she’s been staring out at the slowly brightening world outside her window.
“Are you hungry? I brought some granola bars.” I tilt my head in the direction of the bag in the back seat.
“I’m okay. Thanks.”
Well, that conversational gambit went nowhere. I frown. Her face is drawn and pale, the thin skin under her eyes smudged a light purple. I had hoped to distract her from the worrying thoughts dancing behind her eyes, but so far nothing’s working.
I’m racking my mind for ideas on how to provide some diversion when she speaks.
“You said it will be your parents, Granny Bea, and your sisters at dinner?”
I squint into the rising sun. “And my nieces and nephew.”
Mindy pulls my sunglasses out of the center console and hands them to me. “Your sisters are both married?”
“Thanks.” I slide the sunglasses on. “My sister Vanessa, she’s only two years older than me, she’s not married. She’s a massage therapist and lives in Boston. Lynn, the oldest, is six years older than me. She’s divorced, for a couple years now. She has three kids, but her ex-husband, Daniel, will be there, too. They own a restaurant together and all still live in town. It was an amicable split.”
“That’s unusual.”
I nod.
“Full house, then,” she adds.
“It usually is.” The last time I came home was Christmas, nearly a year ago. I can’t believe it’s been that long.
“How old are the kids?” she asks.
I think about it for a second. “My nephew, Adam, is twelve, Diana is nine, and Cassie just turned four.”
A smile ghosts over her mouth. “Those are good ages.”
My eyes dip to her bottom lip, wondering for the umpteenth time what it might taste like. “Yeah. They are a handful, but they keep things interesting.”
She looks back out the window and another silence descends.
After a few minutes, she shifts in her seat, her knees angling in my direction. “Your parents are still married?”
“Yep. Over thirty years.”
“That’s incredible.”
“They met in high school.”
“Wow.” Her gaze is a physical stroke against my jaw line. “My mom took off shortly after the twins were born”
The twins.Jake and Aria.
I glance over at her. “How old were you?”
She waves a hand. “I don’t know. Six or seven.”
“That’s young.”
