Charlie’s shoulders slumped. “He’s never gonna say yes. He says we’re too busy, and pets make a mess.”
The dejection in Charlie’s tone killed me. I thought of all the times I’d begged for a dog. But they shed and might’ve left hair on the floor of the museum disguised as a house. It hadn’t been possible. Not for a second. Maybe I could broach the subject with Lawson once things were a little more under control at the Hartley house.
Flipping on my blinker, I turned into the high school parking lot. There were still a fair number of cars around. I saw two groups practicing soccer in a far field, some runners from the cross-country team stretching, and a handful of students heading from the main school building to vehicles parked in the lot.
My hands grew clammy as I pulled to a stop in front of the school. This would be my first time around Luke without Lawson present. Part of me hoped that not having his father around would help Luke’s acceptance of me, but another part feared his behavior would be far worse.
I put the SUV in park and gripped the steering wheel as we waited. I was five minutes early, not wanting Luke to think I’d forgotten him if he got done before we planned.
“Luke’salwayslate,” Charlie grumbled.
“Actually, we’re early. And it’s okay if we have to wait for a bit. He’s working on his schoolwork.”
Charlie let out a harumph that made him look and sound like a tiny grandpa. “Doubt it. He and Dad are always fighting about his grades.”
I worried the corner of my lip. One thing had been clear in the few interactions I’d had with Luke. He was in pain. Some might think he had an attitude problem or was just a typical teen, but I knew it was more than that.
There was real anger stewing in Luke. And anger like that only came from one thing: hurt. Something was causing him pain. I hated the idea of it. I’d only known the boy for a single day and wanted to fix it. But I knew he’d never open up to me the way things were now.
One step at a time.
And the next one was to simply be here. To not let him get a rise out of me.
Charlie kicked the seat as we waited. I asked him questions about his favorite frog and lizards—I’d need to look up reptile facts to keep him entertained.
A beige minivan pulled in front of me and parked as the minutes ticked by—fifteen past when Luke had said to pick him up.
My stomach churned. What if he’d already left? What if I’d lost Lawson’s son on my first day of work?
My mouth went dry as I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
Then the school doors opened.
Luke walked out, clad in a black tee and black jeans, a backpack slung over one shoulder. A girl kept pace next to him and was his complete opposite. Golden-blond hair where Luke’s was so dark it looked almost black, a petite frame next to his tall one. She wore light blue jeans and a floral top and beamed up at him.
She smiled at Luke as if he’d hung the moon. But the real miracle was how he looked ather. His mouth curved with the hint of a grin. It was the most positive emotion I’d seen out of him yet. His whole body tilted slightly in her direction as if she were the sun, and he orbited around her.
A woman got out of the minivan in front of me, not looking especially pleased. “Violet. We need to go.”
The girl’s head jerked up, but then she quickly nodded, giving Luke a quick wave and hurrying toward the woman.
I rolled down the passenger window to flag Luke down. His hint of a smile disappeared, replaced by that familiar deep scowl.
Instead of getting into the front seat, Luke opted for the back. The message was clear. I was the help and nothing else. He slammed the door behind him to punctuate the statement.
“How was the study session?” I asked.
Luke didn’t answer; he simply glared at me through the rearview mirror.
I fought a sigh as I started the engine. This would be a marathon, not a sprint, but what Luke didn’t know was that I’d had to live through what felt like a lifetime of agony. A few death glares from a teenager were nothing.
* * *
Charlie watchedme from his perch at the kitchen island as I pulled an array of ingredients from the cupboards and refrigerator. “Whatcha making?”
His voice held a bit of skepticism, and it echoed the doubt rolling around inside me. My mother’s words swirled in my head.“Enough with these juvenile eating habits. It’s embarrassing and ridiculous. Eat something normal for once. You’re not five.”
I rested my hands on the counter, squeezing the edge. “I was thinking mac and cheese and a salad with roasted chicken. Do you think everyone will like that?”
