Something inside him cracked wide open. The years of running, of pushing people away—it all felt so heavy. He let out a breath, unsteady and uncertain and right on the edge of agreeing with them.
“I’ll drive with you,” Kate said, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. “I’ll drive for you. Whatever it takes, but you are going to make that appointment and get into the Culinary Arts program.”
For a moment, hope surged. Then he looked down at muddy, wet clothes.
“I’m a mess.”
“You can change in the van first,” Eli said. “No more excuses. Just try. Just give yourself that chance.”
Then, slowly, he nodded.
Kate’s smile was small but full of relief. She wrapped him in a quick hug—warm, steady, safe.
As they hustled away, he turned back and took one more look at the gravestone, silently thanking her for whatever hand she’d had in this small miracle.
He heard it in the breeze, rustling the spring buds in the trees. A voice he loved saying words he treasured.
You were made for more, Jonah Lawson.
Maybe he was.
He looked down at Kate and smiled. “Let’s run. And let’s break some laws.”
She laughed and picked up the pace. “And let’s win the day!” She sprinted ahead, her wet hair flying.
He turned and looked at Dad, who was grinning ear to ear, staring at Kate like…like…yeah.
These two loved each other. They might not know it yet, but Jonah did. And maybe Mom did, too.
August 2, 1990
Tessa Wylie is the most magical person I have ever known!!! I don’t care if that sounds dramatic, it’s TRUE. Tonight, she danced at sunset on the beach like she was the coolest person alive. And for the first time in my entire life, I was part of it. For like two whole minutes before my mother RUINED EVERYTHING.
We were all down on the sand after the ’rents took us to a nice dinner at AJ’s. Eli brought his BoomBox and of course the absolute best song in the world starts playing—“Vogue.” And Tessa was wearing this adorable pink skirt with a white tank top—so cute—and she starts dancing on the sand like she’s Madonna herself.
Everybody was clapping and she grabs my hand and says, “Come on, let’s Vogue!” right with the song.
I wanted to say no. I DID. Because I know better. I know what my mother thinks about acting silly, about being too loud, too much. But the thing is… I didn’t want to stop. Tessa made it look so easy, so fun, like the happiest thing in the whole world. And for those two minutes, I felt like someone else—someone wild and free, someone who didn’t hear my mom’s voice in her head all the time, warning her to be careful, to be good, to be a perfect Southern lady.
But then it happened. Tessa, being Tessa, got a little too playful. She grabbed a handful of watermelon from the snacks on our blanket and smushed a piece onto my nose. It was funny! It was nothing! But before I could even wipe it away, I felt her presence clouding the happy mood.
And then I heard the dreaded three words:“Vivien Leigh Lawson!”
I FROZE.
Mom was standing right in front of me—how does she do that? How does she just appear when you least expect her? And, whoa, she was mad.
I dropped Tessa’s hands so fast it was like they burned me. My heart was THUMPING.
Mom looked right at my white dress, which had a big, sticky, pink stain on the eyelet lace top.
She didn’t care that everyone was there. She just spat the words at me. “That is a brand-new dress, Vivien. I just bought that for you. And you let her?—”
And then Tessa just jumped right between us and said, “She didn’t LET me! I did it!”
Oh my gosh, I thought I would faint right on the sand. WHO INTERRUPTS MAGGIE LAWSON?!
But Tessa keeps going because Mom, of course, was speechless. “It was a joke, Mrs. Lawson. It’s just a little watermelon. It’ll wash out.” She even rolled her eyes (ROLLED THEM AT MY MOTHER!!!). And then, I swear to God, she said, “It’s a dress, not the Declaration of Independence.”
