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“What are you doing here?” A man’s voice asks, sitting down in the seat next to me.
I fumble to get the textbook and notebook out of my bag, and when I turn to introduce myself I laugh. “Of course it’s you.”
He smiles. “What a small world. How are you healing up?”
I pull up my shirt and he doesn’t cringe.
“Glad you’re alright.”
The professor approaches the podium and all the conversations cease. He starts going over the syllabus for the next twenty minutes, which is really basic. I have never understood the need to read it aloud to students. It wastes an entire class to go over something that we can just read on our own time.
Thankfully, after he goes on and on about it, he asks us to sign one of the copies on our desks and pass them forward. So, I pull out my black Velocity pen and scribble my signature at the button of the third page.
Theo grabs the paper and combines it with his, handing it to the gentleman in front of him.
“You know, it’s nice to have someone I know already in this class. It’ll be easier to find someone to study with. I mean, if you want to.”
Is he trying to be sly about the question?
“I’m not sure this class is going to require study sessions, but we will see.”
The professor dismisses the class early, but Theo doesn’t budge. He takes his sweet time packing up his stuff into his backpack.
“So, would you ever be interested in going out with me sometime?” He doesn’t make eye contact with me, almost like he’s afraid of rejection.
“You’re probably a great guy, but I have a lot going on right now, and just don’t think it’s the best time to start dating.”
He’s cute, but I need to focus on getting everything straight for Jerry. I’m already behind because of the crash. Plus, I need to finish this semester without any distractions.
“Okay, well if you change your mind, you know where to find me. See you later.”
I get myself out into the aisle, and out of the lecture hall. Did I hurt his feelings? I’m not sure that’s something I have time to worry about right now. If things were different, maybe, but they aren’t.
My legs practically sprint across the quad to my car. It’s like a thousand degrees when I get inside, and I blast the air conditioning. Texas summers are horrendous. If I didn’t have this job, I would consider moving somewhere else.
Today is the day I can finally go over to Jerry’s house and try to get things worked out. It has been a whirlwind since he passed, but I know that he has his wishes somewhere in his office. As I get onto his street, my heart starts to race. I haven’t been on this side of town in a while, but he hasn’t been in town.
The brick home is just as I remember it. The red door with an iron knocker. His car is still sitting in the driveway.You can do this. He has a filing cabinet he keeps all his important documents in, and I’ll need to find his will to find out what he wanted to do with the house.
The door creaks open, and I go straight to his study. He is a retired stockbroker, and this is where he spent most of his time. His desktop still turned on to the last website he visited. I open the filing cabinet and find the folder that’s labeledAfter I Die. It clings to my chest as I take a seat in his office chair and open it.
The first page inside is a document stating to call his attorney before proceeding. My grandpa was always a forward thinker, and he probably had all this planned out for decades.
The number rings to an office, and a receptionist answers.
“Can I speak to Phillip Mosley, please?”
“May I tell him who is calling?”
“This is Jerry Marrow’s granddaughter.”
She puts me on hold and an older gentleman picks up the phone. “This is Phillip. Who am I speaking to?”
“It’s Felicity, sir. We met a couple of times at my grandfather’s house.”
His voice falters. “Are you okay?”
“He passed and his papers say to call you.”
