Mary Clare was excited to see Jesse again and share her news. It was still too premature, but what if she got a job teaching at Blessed Trinity here in town? Could they make a serious go at this relationship thing? Eager to see him in person, she drove out to the trailer.

Smoothing a hand over her hair and trying to suppress a smile, she lifted her hand to knock. A woman she had seen once a long time ago opened the door with a solemn expression. “May I help you?”

Mary Clare tugged on the hem of her shirt. “I was looking for Jesse.”

Half of the woman’s mouth cocked in a knowing grin. “Not home. Can I say who’s stopping by?”

“Yes, Mary Clare—”

The woman’s cold expression immediately softened. “Of course, Mary Clare. I’m Lynne, Jesse’s sister.” The woman’s eyes lifted toward the road, then settled back on Mary Clare.

“Nice to meet you,” Mary Clare said.

Lynne stepped back. “Would you like to come in?”

Mary Clare didn’t want to intrude. “No, I’ll give him a call. I should have done that initially. I just wanted to talk to him in person.”

“He’s at the garage.”

“Oh…” Mary Clare reached out and grabbed the railing on the stoop, taking a step backward. “I should have realized. I’ll give him a call.”

She’d started to walk away when Lynne called out after her. “Dad had a rough night.”

Mary Clare turned around and furrowed her brow.

“Dad wandered away while Jesse was out. He’s determined to move him into a home. I hate the idea, but it’s probably best.” Lynne spoke like she needed someone to confide in.

“I’m really sorry.” Did Lynne know that Jesse had been out with her when this happened?

“Jesse plans on shutting down the garage and returning full time to his business.”

“Oh.” A buzzing sound filled her ears.

“He stormed out of here this morning right after I got here.”

“Maybe I should give him his space.” Mary Clare twisted a strand of hair around her finger.

“I think maybe you’d be good for him. I’ve never seen him as happy as I’ve seen him since he started hanging out with you. Until…of course…this new change with my dad. He’s never wandered at night before.”

Mary Clare shoulders stiffened, surprised by his sister’s candor.

“Just don’t take offense if he’s short with you. He doesn’t do well with change.”

* * *

Jesse sat in the office of his father’s garage. He had sat in the same spot hundreds if not thousands of times since he was a little kid. He had to finish replacing the brakes on the car in bay one and then officially close the shop. If they were lucky, maybe the building would sell quickly and that money, too, could go toward his father’s care.

He opened his father’s desk and began absentmindedly sorting through the papers. Under the bottom of a stack of old report cards he found a photo of his family during happier times. He plucked out the photo and stared at his mom. Had she already been planning her escape behind her bright smile?

It didn’t seem possible.

Would she want to know his dad was slowly drifting away from them? Maybe it would do his dad some good to see the woman he was constantly asking for. Would she actually come if he called? If he could even find her. He knew his dad had her number in his old-fashioned address book somewhere in this office.

With his pulse thrumming in his ears, he found the address book and opened it to “S” for Sandra. He stared at the number. Then in a flash of bravery, he dialed it. As the line connected, the only reason he didn’t hang up was because he was fully convinced the number was old. “No Sandra here, sorry.” Click. Then he could go about his business and forget this crazy idea.

“Hello.” A woman’s voice, gravelly from smoking. His mother had been a smoker.

He cleared his throat. “I’m looking for Sandra.” Time slowed down and the panel walls pulsed.

“This is Sandra.”

His mind swirled. He should have thought this through. “Um, hello, this is…Jesse.”

“Jesse?” the woman whispered, an air of disbelief lacing through her tone.

“Yeah, your son.”

Silence stretched across the line and he debated hanging up. But she’d probably call him right back. Maybe. And he didn’t want to risk it.

“How are you?” she finally asked.

“I’m calling to let you know Dad is sick.”

“Oh?” He had trouble reading any kind of emotion in that single word.

“He asks about you all the time.” He coughed to hide the crack in his voice.

“Jesse…” He could already tell his mom—no, Sandra—was going to shut him down, so he needed to say what he had called to say.

“He has Alzheimer’s and he seems to think you’re at the grocery store or at work. I thought maybe it’d be good for him to see you before he gets worse.”

“Oh, Jesse,” Sandra said on a long sigh. “He doesn’t want to see me. His mind is just playing tricks on him. His father had Alzheimer’s, you know.” Her tone was more conspiratorial than compassionate. “It’s a horrible disease.”

Yeah, duh! He wanted to scream into the phone to the woman who had run out on all of them. She should have never left. She should be here now. For his dad. For his sister.

For me.

“I suppose it was a dumb idea. I’ll let you go.” He pulled the phone away from his ear. He heard his mother call out to him. He put the phone back by his ear. “Yeah.”

“How are you?”

“Fine.”

“Good to hear. I imagine you’re married with kids now?” There was a hopeful note in her voice.

“If I said I was, would you come visit?” Jesse didn’t even try to hide his bitterness.

“I lost that right when I walked away from you, your father and your sister.”

“Yeah, you did.” Jesse plowed his hand through his hair, realizing his lack of sleep and stress had landed him in the middle of a conversation he no longer wanted to have.

“I’m sorry your father is sick.” He could hear her breathing over the line. “I’m sorry for a lot of things, but none of them that I can change.” She sighed heavily. “After I realized how much I upset you when I reached out to you when you were eighteen, I promised myself I’d never interfere in your life again. You really don’t want me to come to see your dad. You’re grasping at something in the past. Something that’s gone.”

Jesse ran his hand over the image of his family he had found in the drawer. Smiling faces from a lifetime ago.

“You need to forgive me and move on,” she said, her voice breaking for the first time. “Don’t let my poor decisions shape your future. Your dad was a wonderful man. I’m sure he raised you to be the same.”

Jesse heard someone in the background asking Sandra who was on the phone. “No one,” she said. Jesse wasn’t sure why it felt like a knife to the gut.

“I’m sorry I bothered you.” Jesse bit out the words.

“I’ll keep your dad in my prayers.”

Jesse pulled the phone away from his ear and tossed it on the desk, wondering why he had thought that would be a good idea.

“You okay?”

Jesse spun around on his chair to find Mary Clare standing there. He froze in place, fearing if he got up, embraced her, he might release all the emotion he had been holding back.

“I heard about your dad. I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Jesse shook his head. “I’m going to close up the shop and get back to my motocross business. It’s the only way we can afford my dad’s long-term care. It’s best for everyone.” Holding the arms of the chair, he pushed to his feet.

Mary Clare walked toward him with her arms out and pulled him into her embrace. He buried his nose in her hair and wished he could rewind the clock, if only for twenty-four hours, so he could share another evening with her.

He took a step back and glanced down and played with a strand of her hair. “I’m sorry our summer of fun had to come to an abrupt end. I was just about to call a friend in California to hook me up with an apartment. My old one is still rented out.”

Her bright blue eyes flashed as if he had surprised her. “Of course, no problem.” Her voice faltered.

He searched her face. It seemed she wanted to say something, but was holding back. He kissed her forehead. “I’m going to list the shop. Thought I’d do a little cleaning up first.”

Mary Clare smiled tightly. She suddenly seemed stiff. “Speaking of that, my mom sold the house.”

“Looks like we both have a lot of changes on the horizon.” He frowned. “I wish things could have been different.”

“Me, too.” She crossed her arms over her chest and took a step backward. “I’ll let you get to it.” She turned to leave and he couldn’t help but think the best thing to happen in his life was walking out the door.