Chapter 11 #2
I zone out for a minute to think, fidgeting with the cuff on my hoodie.
Zander is nice. I’m still guarded around him, but I think that’s normal, given we just met.
He’s gone out of his way to try to make me feel comfortable so far, and he was great with Jake.
Would it be easier with Sue there? In a way, yes.
She knows me and would be a buffer for me.
But would it be a new beginning if she came with me?
Or would it just make it harder when she leaves?
Knowing myself, I’ll cling to her if she’s there, and be less likely to interact with Zander and my new home.
Short term, I’ll be more comfortable, but it won’t force me to start fresh like everyone seems to think I need to do.
I’m not ready to leave, but when I do, I think I should go alone. Might as well rip off the band-aid.
“Do you need to talk through what you’re thinking, Summer?” Sarah brings me out of my musings to focus back in on the room.
“No, I’m good, I think?” I look over at Zander and Sue. “It would be best to make a clean break when leaving.”
Sue grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. “I think that’s best for you too, sweetheart.”
I notice Sarah break out in a big grin in my periphery. She looks almost giddy. “What’s that smile for?”
“You talked everything out in your head and decided, Summer.”
My eyebrows scrunch down. Uh…of course I did. Everyone does that, don’t they? “Is that new?”
“Yes. You usually need to talk things through and require input from others. That is perfectly fine, but you’re trusting yourself more now, if you can do that in your head.”
“Huh.” I never realized making decisions by myself had become obsolete.
Zander looks a little confused but says nothing.
“That’s one decision down. The invitation is still open if anyone changes their mind.
Next up, do you have any idea when you’d like to fly to Charleston?
You have almost two weeks to choose from.
We should aim to be back the Friday before school starts, to handle matters at the high school.
We can stay here until then or split our time between Virginia and South Carolina. What do you think?”
“What about your work?” He’s already up here with little notice and missing time. I don’t want to be selfish and demand he stay the entire two weeks here if he needs to get back.
“My guys can take care of things. They know I’m meeting my daughter,” he smiles at me. “I’d need to make a few calls and stay up to date on emails, but that’s it.”
I think it over. There’s no avoiding this move, and I’m not dreading it as much now that I’ve met Zander.
He easily makes any situation lighter for me by being a goofball.
I think not seeing Jake is my biggest obstacle right now.
“Can I get back to you on that? I need time to think. I’ll tell you tomorrow. Is that okay?”
“Of course. That’s fine, Summer.”
“How about we head to the kitchen and try the fruit tart? It should be set by now,” Sue offers.
“Now you’re talking, Sue. I can’t wait.” Zander stands up and moves towards the kitchen, following her.
I look back down at Sarah. “Sorry, I guess I didn’t need to bother you with this.”
“It’s no bother, Summer. I’m happy to be included. Why don’t you grab a slice of that fruit tart, and we can talk later if you need?”
“Okay, thanks, Sarah. Bye.” I wave and end the call, closing my laptop, leaving it on the coffee table for now.
I think over the revelation that I don’t make decisions anymore.
I know I’ve been in survival mode since the accident, but I didn’t realize that had become my life.
I should have. Maybe things are changing…
I head towards the kitchen but stop in the doorway to observe. Zander is cutting the fruit tart into slices while Sue boils some water for tea. “Are you sure you aren’t British, Sue?” Zander jokes. “There’s a lot of tea in this house.”
“How do you know I’m not a Southern lady instead?” Sue sniffs, as if offended.
“We may drink tea in the south, but it’s ice cold sweet tea, not hot, Sue. It’s too damn warm most of the year to drink it hot.”
She chuckles. “I’m Virginia, born and raised Zander. I just prefer tea to coffee.”
“Does Summer have any favorites? I’d like to stock them in the kitchen for her,” Zander asks as he grabs his phone from his pocket.
“She does.” Sue looks over and winks at me as Zander taps on his phone.
“Okay, I’ve got a list open. What do I need to buy?”
“Mint tea, chamomile tea, and green tea. She also prefers cola to other sodas. Homemade hot chocolate. Other than that, just water.”
“Homemade hot chocolate? What do I need to make that?”
“I’ll give you my recipe before you leave.”
“Okay, that works. What about snacks?” He looks up at her. He seems serious about getting things I like. It’s kind of sweet.
“Let’s see, we mostly eat baked goods around here. Summer likes fruit, though.”
“What kind of fruit?”
“I don’t know of any fruit she doesn’t like.”
“Got it,” he says. “I’ll get the guys to pick these up before we get back,” he mutters to himself.
Sue smiles at him. “Summer, do you want to grab the plates and forks?”
Zander whips his head around to see me standing in the doorway. “Sorry,” he says without remorse. “I wasn’t trying to exclude you. I wanted to ensure you had things you liked at home.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind.” We get everything set up at the table and dig in. As usual, the tart is amazing. Tangy but sweet.
“Sue, this is amazing! Summer, any objection to Sue sending us weekly care packages?” He jokes.
Sue laughs as they talk about random things, and it’s…nice. With Zander’s help, we finish the entire fruit tart. “Well, ladies, I thank you for the snack and conversation today. My belly is happily full. I’ll leave now, so you can enjoy your day. Perhaps I can take you ladies to lunch tomorrow?”
Sue looks over at me, and I nod. “Why don’t we meet you at noon at the 50s diner on Main St.?”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll see you ladies tomorrow.” He waves and heads out.
We clean up the table, and I do the dishes. As I’m drying the plates, Sue reenters the kitchen with her purse and jacket in hand. “I’ve got a few errands to run, sweetheart. Are you fine staying here alone for an hour?”
“I’m good, Sue, go ahead,” waving my hands towards the door.
Once the kitchen is clean, I take a seat in the couch corner.
I’m not sure what to do with myself now.
Sitting around will make me overthink things and get nervous, so I decide to turn on a random movie.
Should be enough distraction to consider when to move and sort out my feelings without panicking.
Sue comes home in a little over an hour. “How are you doing, sweetheart?”
“Okay, Sue, just sorting in my brain.”
“I’m going to make some brownies for the reading club tonight. Want to help?”
“Sure.” We gather ingredients and decide to make a double batch for home as well.
Baking with Sue will be something I’ll miss greatly.
I’m sure Zander will benefit from my skills once we move, though.
Although I assisted Mom in the kitchen as a child, baking wasn’t her forte.
I could cook many dishes on the stove and in the oven, but our snacks came from the grocery store.
Once the brownies are on the cooling racks, I help Sue with dinner and cleanup. “What are you planning for this evening, sweetheart?”
“Just some laundry. I’ll probably clean out the school stuff I have here too. Can I use the scanner in your office? I’ll save all my notes and assignments in the cloud in case I need them later on.”
“Of course you can. That’s a good idea. Less paperwork to move around with you. Are you still contemplating the timing of the move?”
“Yeah. I'll go before school starts. I should spend time in Charleston and learn my way around.”
“That’s smart. I’m sure Zander would love to show you around,” she smiles.
I take the rest of the night to get all my school stuff sorted and finish my two loads of laundry for the week. It would be only one load except I separate lights and darks. My wardrobe is still ridiculously tiny over a year after the accident.