She thanked him, and I could’ve sworn there was a blush on her cheeks. Even in his late seventies, Pops was charming.
“Just one last thing, Addy. Would you come to the meeting with me tomorrow? Normally Jillie would, but Rachel has an appointment.”
“Yes, Pops. Of course.”
We shared a brief smile before he got up from the table. “Why don’t you drop me back at Jillie’s and go to the beach? I’d like to rest for a bit.”
The silence on the ride back to Jillie’s condo was heavy. When we parked in their driveway, Pops clasped me on the shoulder but didn’t look me in the eye as he said, “Thanks, Bud.”
My throat was too tight to respond.
6
IRELAND
“Miss Sewell?” Director Links asked when I failed to respond to her spiel. “Are you there?”
I swallowed hard and slipped into the dark dance studio for privacy. “Yes, I’m sorry. I’m here.”
“We’ve set the meeting for tomorrow morning at nine. Does this work for you?”
No.“Yes, of course.”
“Perfect. It’ll be the usual team meeting first to discuss the roommate and any concerns. Then we’ll have a meet and greet for Mr. Sewell and Mr. Smith to see how he and your dad get on. Sound good?”
No.“Yes, ma’am.”
“If everyone is agreeable, you’ll need to meet with the finance department afterward to sign off on the new pay structure.”
The call had finally come. They’d found Dad a potential roommate, but what I hadn’t conceptualized was that it also meant our bill would go from wildly ludicrous to just plain outrageous.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll remember.” I was proud of how even my voice was, if nothing else.
“Good. See you then.”
I stared at my phone for a long while after she hung up.
There wasn’t enough Play Doh in the world for me to get these demons out, and the next best thing to do would’ve been to call someone. To talk it out.
But I’d learned my lesson with that. I couldn’t,wouldn’t,put myself through it again.
Last year’s soundtrack was a constant shuffle between“Let us know if you need anything,”which meant nothing, and“That’s just terrible, what a shame,”which meant even less. Memory disease was volatile and unpredictable, especially Dad’s. The people he’d considered friends let his outbursts ruin their friendships instead of looking closer, and I guessed it was easier for them to cling to resentment than reconcile with a man who may or may not remember them.
Sasha, my old college roommate and business partner, had technically been my closest friend, the person who should know me best, but even she’d sung the tune of“Tell me if you need me”that was the only song our small town in Northern Alabama seemed to know.
But to be fair, I hadn’t known what I needed.
Still didn’t.
Except for a bed.
I scuffed my shoe across the gaffer tape on the studio floor as I thought about Liem. He had literally just told me to text him. But he’d also said he was going on a date.
Maybe I’d text him tomorrow to see how it went, and if it felt right… maybe I could bring this up with him.
If nothing else, hearing about his dating life would be a good distraction.
The decision unfroze me, and I walked out of the dark studio. There was one thing I could allow that I’d denied myself for months.
