Chapter 26
Chapter
For the past two years, Adam and I have always gone back to Long Island to celebrate his dad’s birthday. Although Ford and I haven’t bonded the same way Audrey and I did, we still have a special relationship that I’m very grateful for.
After we pick up the rental car, Adam clears his throat just as we get on the highway. “Robby’s been talking about pulling together some people to open up their own restaurant.”
“Oh…wow,” I say, surprised at the idea and not entirely knowing what that would mean.
Opening up a restaurant feels like one of those things you hear about people doing, but who actually knows anyone who’s done it themselves?
Adam’s focus was always on what place in the city was hiring, what was the next position he could move up to.
This is an entirely different conversation that I don’t even think he’s ever entertained. “Are you one of those people?”
“He brought it up to me, but I don’t know…” He sighs. “It’s a whole other side of the business I don’t really know anything about.”
“But you’re thinking about it,” I say, sensing his tone. When you spend every day with someone for as long as Adam and I have, it doesn’t take much effort to read between the lines.
“I am,” he says, and taps the steering wheel. “He wants to introduce me to a few investors, just to learn more and ask some questions.”
“You should do it!” I shift in my seat to face him.
“Yeah?” he says.
“Yeah!” I encourage him. “I mean, it doesn’t hurt to learn more. And regardless, even if nothing comes out of it, I’m sure knowing the ins and outs of the business can always help you in the long run.”
A sincere smile takes over Adam’s face and then he grabs my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Can you imagine if you owned your own restaurant?” I throw my head back onto the seat. “That would be…”
“Fucking nuts?” he says.
“Fucking nuts!” I laugh. “What kind of restaurant would you open if you could?” I ask. It’s actually something we haven’t talked about, and I don’t know the answer.
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I’ve always thought it would be cool to have a little hole-in-the-wall in Brooklyn or the East Village, something that only locals ever go to.
” He pauses for a moment, like he’s about to say something he’s never said out loud.
“But it would be pretty crazy to have one of those places we could only dream of affording to eat at.”
The concept feels strange. Talking about owning or investing in restaurants is something that adults do, and on some level, I still feel like Adam and I are kids and fresh out of school.
“You should go for the dream,” I say.
“June!” Sarah runs past Adam and almost knocks me off my feet with a hug. Her dark hair now cut to her shoulders with blunt bangs sweeping over her face makes her look five years older than she is. “Thank God you didn’t have a show today. I feel like it’s been years,” she says.
“Yeah, if you didn’t come, I don’t think I’d be invited.” Adam pinches my side.
“Have you gotten taller?!” I hold Sarah at arm’s length and look at her from head to toe. She’s got a good four inches on me. Although it’s not a surprise considering the Harpers are all at least six feet. “It’s only been like four months.”
She shrugs. “Maybe you’re getting shorter?”
“How much shorter can she get?” Adam says.
“I hate you both,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“There they are!” Ford comes down the stairs, and it doesn’t go unnoticed that he wraps his arms around me first, so I playfully stick my tongue out at Adam. “How are you, kiddo?”
“I’m good, I’m good!” I hand him a small gift bag. “Happy birthday!”
“Oh my—” He looks at Adam. “Did you put her up to this?”
“I had nothing to do with this.” Adam puts his hands up. “And happy birthday, Dad,” he says, and gives him a hug.
“June, how’s the show going? You know, I was telling Ad I want to watch it again.”
“You mean you tell me every other day.” Adam takes off his jacket.
“It’s great!” I say. “But not much has changed since the first time.”
“You know, I didn’t realize how much I love the theater,” Ford says. “The singing, the dancing, the night out on the town. Sarah will be my date.”
“What if I want to bring an actual date?” she says, and Adam shoots her the typical older-brother look. “What? I’m almost eighteen.”
“No dating until you’re at least twenty-five,” he says, and she rolls her eyes.
“Ford, I think you’re going to like your birthday present,” I say.
He opens the gift bag and pulls out a red velvet box, inside of which are two black cuff links with gold trim and engraved music notes.
“This is…” The look on his face makes my heart burst. “You two, this is too much.”
“Not at all,” I say, shaking my head. “Now you have something to wear every time you come into the city.”
“There’s more.” Adam nods toward the envelope inside the bag.
Ford sets the contents on the side table and opens the card, pulling out two vouchers. “What’s this?”
“Two season packages for this year.” I beam. “You get to see seven shows and bring any guest you want with you.”
“Oh my…” he says, looking at the two vouchers in awe. “Thank you.”
“It was all June,” Adam says. “She got them months ago—Ihad to practically force her to wait to give them to you.”
Ford gives me a big hug and whispers in my ear, “She would have loved this.”
“I know,” I whisper back.
Adam takes the keys to Ford’s truck and says he’ll be back in twenty minutes with the food, but I know he’s also picking up a cake from Dortoni, the best bakery on Long Island.
Sarah gets a call from someone she claims is a girlfriend, but I see the name Justin on her screen as she heads up to her room.
Ford and I end up sitting on the couch watching reruns of Seinfeld, and during commercial breaks, my eyes wander to the rest of the house.
Everything looks exactly as it did the first moment I stepped inside.
Not a picture has been moved from the walls, and while flowers have been swapped out through the years, the vases always keep their same spot on the tables.
When the episode ends, Ford walks over to the kitchen and comes back holding his laptop, with his glasses sitting on the tip of his nose. He asks if I can connect his Netflix account, which really means just signingin.
“Thanks, June, you know I know nothing about all of this.” He falls onto the couch as if he’s been running a marathon and passes me the laptop.
“Why didn’t you ask Sarah?” I ask, pulling up his account.
“It’s always a big deal for her. You know kids.”
Maybe it’s because I grew up without a father, or because Ford is one of my favorite people, but I never understood that sentiment. After logging in to Ford’s account, bookmarking it, and clicking remember password, I hand the laptop back to him.
“There, all done,” I say.
He adjusts his glasses. “I’ll never understand any of this.”
“And you’ll never have to,” I say. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“I’ll also never understand why you and Adam aren’t together.” He looks atme.
I let out a little laugh under my breath. “Ford.”
He’s joked before about the idea of Adam and me dating, and it was always met with an eye roll on our end. The only difference now is that Adam isn’t here, and it doesn’t feel like Ford’s joking.
“Just explain it to me again,” he asks, like he’s trying to understand a math problem.
I shake my head. “I don’t think Adam would want me to—”
“Adam’s not here.” He waves a hand. “Think of it as my birthday gift.”
“I already got you a birthday gift.” I raise my eyebrow.
“Come on, and don’t feel like you have to be nice just because I’m his dad. You’re just as much family.”
I smile, because hearing that is something I’ll never take for granted.
Maybe knowing I have a family now makes everything more complicated.
“I don’t know, Ford. Things are pretty good between Adam and me the way they are.
Why ruin it?” I say, because it’s the truth.
Adam and I are great together, and neither one of us has plans of leaving, so why fix something that isn’t broken?
“What would be ruined?” he asks.
“Adam’s my best friend, there’s so much history there…” I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. “What if we broke up or something? I wouldn’t want to lose that. Or you and Sarah.”
He nods, processing what I’m saying. “Can I give you some unsolicited advice?”
“Always,” I say with a smile.
“You’re going to lose it either way.” He looks at me with intent, and my skin prickles as if I’m full of tiny balloons that are being popped.
“Either you or he is going to find someone else,” he says like he’s reading it from a crystal ball.
“You’ll go your separate ways, naturally, and you’ll lose it.
Or you both take a chance on this, you break up, and you lose it. ”
“Those don’t sound like great options.” I let out a breathless laugh.
“Option three is it works out and you get something so much better. All I’m saying is life is short.” He places his hand over mine, and my throat begins to swell. “There’s no way to preserve anything forever. Trust me, I know. You win, you lose…but you can’t do either unless you take a chance.”
Monday is one of my favorite days of the week because we don’t have any shows. It’s the best time to do errands, make any doctor appointments, and relax at home while the rest of the world starts their nine-to-fives.
As I’m walking down Bleecker with a tote bag full of groceries, my phone starts ringing, and I dig to the bottom of my purse to see a 323 number I don’t recall having saved.
“Hello?” I answer, anticipating a telemarketer on the other end.
“Hey, June?” the voice says back tome.
“Hi.” I frown. “Yes…Sorry, who is this?”
“It’s Liam, from Marie’s Crisis Café.”
I’m caught off guard, for two reasons. One being that it’s been two months since I gave him my number, and the second being that he’s calling instead of texting.