Chapter 27
Summer
After an uneventful flight, Zander pays for an SUV rental and drives up to Sue’s house as I text all the guys that we made it safely. They are studying at Seb and Nick’s condo today without Alex, who is with his father.
A wave of stress washes over me with a familiar tightening in my chest as Zander drives through town.
It's a conditioned response to this place. It soon fades as we smoothly pull into the familiar comfort of Sue’s driveway.
She comes out of the side door with a smile on her face, and I quickly hop out and give her a big hug.
“I missed you,” we both say at the same time.
I chuckle as Zander gets a hug next. She ushers us into the house, where tea and scones are waiting for us.
“Oh, I missed your cooking, Sue,” I say, devouring a scone.
“You’re an excellent baker too, darling,” Zander says to me.
“Thanks, but food always tastes better when someone else makes it,” I reply.
“That’s true, sweetheart,” Sue nods. “So, what plans do you have for today?”
Zander looks at me for an answer. “I’d like to spend the day with you, Sue, but I did order flowers for Mom and Lily bee, so it’s a trip to the gravesite later since the florist is closed on Sundays. Tomorrow I’d like to spend time with Jake.”
“That sounds good, sweetheart,” Sue smiles. “We can visit and have lunch here, then head to the florist, perhaps.”
We do just that, filling each other in on things we haven’t discussed over the phone or text.
After homemade soup and sandwiches, Zander drives the three of us to the florist and gravesite.
Stress develops again, but I push it aside to be present in the moment.
I introduce him to Lily bee, and the three of us sit on a woven blanket, while I recount memories and share stories from my life.
I’m sad, of course, but also enjoying sharing with Sue and Zander.
Although I rarely mention them, it’s vital to keep their memories alive by recounting the unique experiences that shaped their lives.
We must stay for the better part of an hour before I’m ready to leave.
Going back to Sue’s house, we settle on the couch, continuing to tell stories.
It’s relaxing and peaceful. Sue is skipping book club tonight, so she suggests the diner for supper, and Zander and I order the same meals we had the first time we ate here.
I feel a twinge of tension in my shoulders while we eat, but I can ignore it.
It feels like both a lifetime and no time at all since I lived here.
After dinner, we watch a few episodes of Gilmore Girls as I show her the photo album Bay got me, before leaving for our hotel. We agree to have breakfast here before visiting Jake in the morning.
Sue has my favorite waffles ready when Zander and I arrive in the morning with tea.
She surprises me with a waffle maker for my birthday and a laminated copy of her recipe.
I’ve really missed eating them, so I’m excited to make them when we get back home.
It’s amazing to think that South Carolina truly feels like my home after a few short months.
Sue remains at her house, promising to come see me later as Zander drives me to the care facility.
I’m so happy to see Mal when we get there. She hasn’t changed a bit and tells me Jake had a fresh haircut on Friday for my visit. I sign in quickly before we follow her back to his room. Zander says hello before the three of us sit and chat for a while, then they leave me alone with Jake.
I crawl into bed and wrap myself around him, laying my head over his heart and taking a deep breath.
He’s still part of my home, and I don’t think that will ever change.
His appearance is identical, naturally, but I expected a noticeable difference.
I don’t know why, really. I guess I’ve been worried about him being here without me.
I fill him in on my birthday and exams coming up, as well as the visit with Sue.
I must fall asleep at some point, because I open my eyes to see Zander smiling at me. “Sorry. I was more tired than I thought.”
“No worries, darling. It’s after lunch, so I picked up some food. Sue is here as well. Can we join you?”
“Yeah, of course,” I nod, getting out of bed.
“I’ll be right back with the ladies and food,” he smiles.
I pull a chair up beside Jake and drink the water Mal must have left for me. Zander, Sue, and Mal join me, with Sue carrying a cake. “I couldn’t not bake you a small birthday cake, sweetheart. I thought we could all share it after lunch.”
“Thank you, Sue,” I smile. Zander gives each of us a plate of Chinese as we sit and enjoy lunch.
Mal keeps us entertained with stories as we eat, and when we are done, Sue cuts up the cake and serves us each a slice.
It’s a sponge cake with fresh berries and lemon frosting.
“Sue, is this a new recipe? It’s so light and refreshing,” I compliment.
“It is, sweetheart. I’m glad you like it,” she smiles. She cuts an extra slice to leave here with Mal and promises to wrap the last two slices up for me to take back home.
Zander lets me know we have an hour before we have to leave, so I chat with Jake for another half hour before giving him a kiss goodbye while shedding a few tears. It’s always hard to say goodbye, but I’m so happy I got to see him.
After saying goodbye to Mal, Zander drives us back to Sue’s so I can get the cake and say our goodbyes too.
The flight home has some turbulence, but we get to Charleston in one piece. I text the guys we are back before we leave the airport. They’ve been at Alex’s house studying most of the day.
When we get home, I check the garden before recutting my bouquet from Friday. I shower, then do laundry, put away gifts, and finally spread out my books to study.
Zander checks on me after a few hours with a sandwich and a piece of E’s birthday cake.
I have one exam tomorrow morning in AP History.
Tuesday morning is AP Biology, and AP English is in the afternoon.
Wednesday is my final exam in AP Chemistry.
I don’t have an exam in gym class. It’s a simple pass or fail, and since I met qualifying times and competed in the meets, I get a pass.