Chapter 10
Wednesday is a snow day, probably the last of the school year, so Sue and I bake up a storm in the kitchen.
I clear off the walkway and doorstep around dinnertime after the snow finally stops.
Sue has an arrangement with a plow driver to clear the driveway after heavy snowfall, so we don’t have to worry about that.
I’ve always loved the end of winter storms. It seems so peaceful, like the world is sleeping, and it’s so quiet outside.
The only sounds are the crunching of snow underfoot and the swish of the shovel.
There’s no traffic or people to be heard.
I get a text from Zander that evening saying he booked his flight and a hotel.
He bought a one-way ticket so we could decide together when I was ready to head to Charleston with him.
He arrives Friday morning around noon and wants to check-in early to his hotel room and then meet up after school, if I’m okay with it.
Since that’s when I normally visit Jake, I ask him to meet me there and give him the address.
Might as well get all the introductions done at once.
Sue offers to pick me up from school that day and drive me over to the care facility.
On Thursday, I get another text from Zander saying Mary requested a meeting with him Saturday morning to sign some paperwork. His call with Sarah went “really well” and he wants to meet Jake during his visit.
Before I know it, it’s Friday. My last day at this school. It’s definitely a silver lining in all of this. I certainly won’t miss all the bullying. Zander sends me a selfie during the first period, standing at an airport, holding a coffee and smiling.
Zander: An exciting day! I can’t wait to meet you!
After lunch, I get another text from Zander that he made it into town. After classes, I grab everything from my locker and head to the main office, drop off my textbooks, and get my transcripts. Sue is waiting for me at the curb when I get outside. I wave and get into the passenger seat.
“So how was it?” Sue asks as she pulls onto the main road.
“You know, I’m feeling pretty good about never going back there, Sue.”
“I don’t blame you, sweetheart. There were some horrible people there,” she replies, shaking her head. “Oh, your package arrived. It’s on the backseat.”
“Great.” I twist my body to reach into the back and grab it. I open the box and grab the phone holder. “Wow, it’s bigger than I thought.”
We drive over to the care facility, and the relief I was feeling at being done with that high school is quickly fading the closer we get, as my palms begin to sweat. “I’m really nervous, Sue.”
“I’m nervous too, sweetheart, but the introduction will be over in a flash. Zander is probably as nervous as we are. Have you heard from him today?”
“Yeah, I got a selfie from the airport this morning saying he was excited and another one at lunchtime saying he got here okay.”
“I’m not surprised,” she smiles. “He seems like a good man.”
Too soon, we pull into the parking lot of the care facility. There’s a large SUV parked beside the door I’ve never seen before. “That must be him.” Sue comments. “Come on, sweetheart, grab your phone holder and let’s go meet your future.”
I take a deep breath and get out of the car.
One moment at a time, Summer. Sue opens the door for me as we head inside.
I’m shaking all over, but it’s not from the cold weather, and my stomach is doing little somersaults like an acrobat.
You can do this, Summer, I keep telling myself.
Glancing up, I realize Mal is not at the desk.
That’s unusual. I look around and shrug my shoulders at Sue.
I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans, sign in, and press the buzzer.
It’s only a few minutes before I hear Mal coming up the hallway towards the desk, talking away. Following behind her is my father. I gulp as Sue comes to stand beside me and squeezes my shoulder.
“Hello Sugar. How are we doing today?” Mal smiles, wearing a bright pink scrub set today.
I think I say “hi” to Mal, but I can’t take my eyes off Zander. He’s tall, like over 6ft tall, with broad shoulders, and comes to a stop a few feet in front of me. He’s wearing a black wool coat and a black scarf with jeans, and he has a huge smile on his face, looking back at me.
“Summer, it’s so amazing to meet you in person,” he says. “I can’t believe you’re here, standing in front of me.”
I shuffle my feet back and forth. Gah! This is nerve-wracking. “Hi Zander. Nice to meet you too.”
Sue holds out her hand in offer. “Hi Zander. It’s lovely to meet you. I’m glad you found the place all right.”
Zander shakes his head back and forth, seeming to be in a daze as he tears his eyes away from me to look over at Sue and takes her hand.
“Hi Sue. It’s lovely to see you. I’m a hugger.
Can I give you a hug?” He wraps his arms around Sue in a tight hug.
“Thank you for being there for Summer in my absence. I’ll be forever grateful to you. ”
“It was my pleasure,” Sue reassures with a hitch in her words. They pull apart with glassy eyes, smiling at each other.
“Oh my lord, now we’ve got to stop the waterworks or y'all will ruin my makeup,” Mal interrupts, with a tissue in her hands dabbing under her eyes.
I smile as Sue laughs and hands Zander a tissue before she wipes under her own eyes.
“I swear I’m not usually a crier,” Zander jokes.
“You’ve got a good one here, Sugar. He got here about 20 minutes ago and introduced himself. He wanted to see the facility and learn all about me and this place. Handsome too,” she winks at Zander.
“And you’re a flirt, Ms. Mal,” Zander chuckles.
“Oh, psh, you. Flirting keeps me young.” She looks over at me. “Is that a phone arm you’re holding, honey?” Mal points to the black piece of metal in my arms.
“Oh yeah. It came in today, and Sue brought it with her when she picked me up from school.”
“Well, no time like the present to test it out. Let’s head on back there. Who’s coming?” She looks at Sue and Zander.
“I’d like to, if that’s okay?” Zander asks, looking at me for permission.
That’s…considerate of him. I swallow and nod my head.
This is it. What will he think of me and Jake?
How will he respond to him? I refuse to step away from Jake.
This could make or break our budding relationship.
The butterflies swarm around in my stomach again, and I can feel myself vibrating like a cell phone left on the counter.
“I’ll wait here, sweetheart. You go on,” Sue says, giving me a gentle push forward.
Mal, Zander, and I walk down the hallway to Jake’s room. Mal talks a mile a minute as usual, which is a particular relief today, as I have no idea what to say to Zander.
“Here we are,” she announces as we enter Jake’s room. “Jake, you’ve got some people here. We’re gonna test out this phone holder on your bed before y’all get to your visit.” She turns to me. “Sugar, let’s try out the bed clip first. I’ve got your phone right here in my pocket.”
Glad to have something to do, I walk to the headboard with the holder.
“Hi Jake,” I whisper. I straighten out the holder to inspect the clamp and nearly drop the thing with my palms so sweaty.
Focus, Summer, I tell myself. The clamp portion is like a vice, so I unscrew the bolt until it slips over the headboard rail, then tighten it up.
I straighten out the arm portion and bend it over Jake’s head.
I am happy to find there’s plenty of length.
“Here, Sugar, attach your phone to the clip to make sure it holds okay,” Mal tells me, holding out the phone to me.
I snap the phone into the clip and stand back.
“That’s gonna be perfect, honey. I’ll grab your phone back, and we’ll bend this arm up out of the way and leave it attached to the bed. Now, would you like to do the introductions, or should I?”
I look over at Zander, leaning against the wall by the door, watching us. He smiles kindly when he sees me looking at him. Pretending to be brave, I respond. “I got it, Mal, thanks.”
“You know the drill. I’ll see you soon,” she says, heading back into the hallway.
I grab Jake’s hand in my sweaty palm. Please be the man I’m secretly hoping you are. I’m so nervous I can’t control the shaking, like I’m outside in January in my underwear, but I turn to face Zander. “Zander, this is Jake. Jake, this is my father, Zander.”
Zander walks to the other side of the bed, looking down at Jake, taking his other hand.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Jake. I understand you’re Summer’s best friend, so I’m sure we’ll become good friends as well.
I promise you I’ll take excellent care of our girl while you’re resting,” he says, then looks up at me and smiles.
There’s a waterfall cascading down my cheeks from that short and sweet interaction. He spoke to Jake as if he were having a regular conversation with someone and used the term ‘our girl.’ I turn away and grab a tissue from the bedside table to wipe my cheeks.
Zander seems to understand that I need a minute to compose myself. “I’ll head back out front so you and Jake can talk now, okay?”
“Yeah, thanks,” I squeak out.
He gives me a nod, squeezes Jake’s hand, and walks back out of the room.
I crawl into bed with Jake and wrap myself around him to let out the nerves and anxiety I’ve been feeling all day.
“Jake, I might like him,” I whisper. No more words are needed right now.
I listen to his heartbeat under my ear and breathe in his smell as silent tears trickle down my cheeks like raindrops on the window.
After I feel settled, I get up and sit in the armchair and tell Jake about everything that’s happened since my last visit and how happy I was walking out of that hellhole of a school for the last time.
Mal comes back with a little gift bag in her hands. “You doing okay, Sugar?”
“Yeah, I’m okay, Mal,” I say, giving her a sad smile.