Paul sat on the top step of his porch, doing some math in his head. They’d lived slim the last week, eating lots of noodles and rice, but his mom would start her new job tomorrow and he could breathe a little easier. And now that she was planning to add to his savings account again, he felt a growing sense of possibility.
Most of his money had always gone to help pay the bills, and he hadn't managed to save much for school. She had cleaned out his savings account last time they got behind, which had been fine with him, but also left his head spinning with worry. He liked to have his own funds, and though he kept a stash hidden in his room, he would be glad to see that savings account grow. He tapped a rhythm on his legs, restless.
Malcolm’s truck hurtled down the street toward his house. The moment the truck lurched into park, Malcolm hopped out and slammed the door, his face lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Take it easy, man. You’re going to throw the mower off the trailer.”
Malcolm flung himself onto the step beside Paul, slapped his hand down on the concrete, and then ran both hands through his hair and down his face. “She’s coming back.”
“Who?”
“Fay. She’s coming back to Juniper. To live.”
“She’s moving here?”
“Yeah, man. She and her mom. She’s going to our high school. I can’t believe this. She could have calculus with me.”
Paul leaned back against the railing, and slugged his friend on the shoulder. “Good deal, dude. When’s she coming?”
“I’m not sure exactly. It depends when they find a house. But it could be really soon.”
“Wow. That’s great! This is going to be good for Celia, too.”
Malcolm nodded. “That, it will. I can’t wait to talk to Abe. Let’s go by Heidi’s before work and see if Celia’s heard the news.”
“Celia’s not there. She has the evening shift. She wants to work all the good weekend hours she can.” It was why they hadn’t gone on their date yet. Her parents wouldn’t let her go out on a school night, and he worked early on Saturdays and Sundays, while she worked the late shift.
They headed across the yard and climbed in Malcolm’s truck. He still had an energy to him that even Paul couldn’t match. He’d probably mow five lawns in the time it usually took to mow one.
“So, you keep up with Celia’s schedule now?” Malcolm asked.
Paul grinned and rolled down the window, letting the warm breeze hit him in the teeth. “She is voluntarily spending time with me.” He didn’t want to say more. He and Celia were on the edge of something, just nearly ready to tip over. Words might give it too much weight in one direction or the other. He stuck his head clear out the window, and let the wind roar past his ears.
The next morning, Paul stepped into Heidi’s, the air thick with grease and the scent of hamburgers. It was early— two entire hours before school started and just a few minutes after Heidi flipped over the sign and unlocked the door, and the place was empty. He sat at his favorite table, and tilted back in the chair, balancing it on two legs. He’d woken up with Celia’s face in his mind, and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. He also wanted to get up and see his mom off to work—to make sure she woke up in time.
A minute later, it was Abe who came through the swinging door into the dining room. He pulled out the chair opposite Paul, and sat down at the table. He mimicked Paul, leaning back in his chair, and looked him in the eye.
“Hey, Abe, how are you this morning? Glad your cousin’s moving back?”
“I’m fine, and yes I’m glad. Very glad.”
He didn’t sound all that glad. Paul looked around the empty room, trying to figure out Abe’s serious mood. “You work here now, too?”
A tiny smile appeared, which he smoothed away immediately. “Celia let me come in with her.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
Paul furrowed his brow, hoping something wasn’t wrong.
“You’re seeing my sister,” Abe said. He dropped his chair back to four legs and moved his hands to the tabletop, tapping them on the ancient Formica.
“Well, I’m trying to.”
Abe lowered his voice. “She gets her feelings hurt pretty easy. Did you know that?”
So he was doing the protective brother routine. Paul fought against the smile that wanted to emerge. It was sweet, but Paul did take him seriously and he wanted to make sure Abe knew that. He appreciated the care Abe had for Celia, and he also figured there was a lot Abe could teach him. “I did know that. I’m not sure how many people realize that about her.”
He nodded. “Some people think she’s kind of...hard, I guess.”
“I don’t think that.”
“Good, because she’s not.”
Paul studied this kid sitting in front of him, who fidgeted in his seat but still looked Paul in the eye.
“Ronan was a big jerk and a creep,” Paul told him, hoping to help him along to where he thought this was going.
Abe looked out the window. “Well, yeah, but...” Here he paused. “I just wanted to tell you that she doesn’t like it when anyone yells, but I think she expects it. She thinks everybody does it. She might try to pick a fight with you, to see if you fight back. You know, to see if she’s right about fighting.”
Paul swallowed. Abe was talking about their dad, not about Ronan. Something Fay had said ages ago suddenly made sense—Ronan had been a symptom of the problem, not the root of it. Fay had known that, but he was stunned that Abe knew it too. “I would never yell at her. If she tries to fight with me, I’ll just hug her or something.”
A smile climbed out of Abe’s concern, and grew up his face like a vine. He chuckled, and shook his head. “She wouldn’t know what to do if you did that.”
Paul chuckled. Abe didn’t know how right he was.
Abe sighed. “I hope you’re not mad that we had to have this talk. I like you, Paul. I just needed to be sure.”
Paul had to fight his smile again. This kid. He reached over and ruffled his hair. “Abe, you’re a good dude.”
He shrugged, and for a moment, Paul saw a lot of Celia in him. A little bit of swagger came out as he draped an arm over the back of his chair.
Celia came out of the kitchen then, apprehension on her face. “What are you doing, Abe? I said you could come with me as long as you promised to stay in the kitchen. Heidi doesn’t want you wandering around the dining room.”
“He’s not wandering,” Paul said. “He’s my guest. What do you want for breakfast, Abe? My treat.”
He glanced at Celia. “I don’t need to eat. I had two muffins in the back.”
“What about bacon? You can’t say no to bacon.”
Celia rested her empty tray on her hip. “Abe, go get the two of you some orange juice.”
Abe slid out of the chair and dashed back through the swinging door into the kitchen.
Celia stared at Paul, her gaze heavy.
“What?” he asked.
“You don’t have to entertain my brother.” Her shoulders were tense, sitting up high near her ears.
“I’m not. He’s keeping me company. I like having him around.”
“He’s not bothering you?”
“Of course not. But even if he was, it’s not your job to keep me from being bothered.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean by that?”
“Just what I said.”
She tore off a sheet of paper from her pad. “What do you want to eat?”
He waited for her to meet his eyes.
She watched her notepad, pen poised to write. “Eggs? Pancakes?” Finally she looked up at him.
He smiled, but she didn’t smile back. “Biscuits and gravy. And the bacon for your brother.” She turned to leave, but he grabbed her by the elbow. “Hey. Are you okay?”
She focused her gaze on a spot above his head. He still held onto her forearm. It felt soft and thin in his hand. He moved his thumb against her skin, marveling at the softness. He heard her inhale quickly. “I’m alright. Just, be extra nice to Abe, okay?”
“Of course. How could anyone be anything other than kind to that boy?”
She flattened her lips as she looked at him, her eyes turning watery. “You’d be surprised.” She swallowed and turned to go back to the kitchen. Then she brightened suddenly and turned back, a big smile on her face. “Oh, guess what?”
“Fay’s coming back?”
She sighed. “Malcolm told you, didn’t he?”
“If he hadn’t used words, I’d have been able to guess by the way he floated off the ground all day long.”
“I wanted to tell you.” She pouted.
Paul reached out and lightly flicked her protruding bottom lip. “I don’t have many details. Tell me what she said.”
She proceeded to tell him all about the conversation they’d had, and how her Aunt Olive was looking at a house just a few blocks away, and how Heidi gave Fay her job back, and how hoped they’d both join the cross country team. She talked until Heidi poked her head out the swinging door and held her hand over her head and snapped her fingers. Some customers had walked in while she was talking. Celia snickered and went back to work.
Abe bounded back to the table carrying two glasses, and set Paul’s down in front of him. Some juice spilled over the side of the glass and made a large puddle on the table. Paul grabbed his napkin to mop it up. When Abe noticed, his eyes widened. “Oh no, I’m sorry! I’m so stupid and clumsy.” He stood up as if to take Paul’s glass.
“Hey, chill out. No big deal, it’s just a little spilled juice.” Paul smiled at him and took a swig.
Abe sat back down, breathless. “Yeah. Okay.” He took a nervous sip of his own juice, his eyes darting around the restaurant, as if checking to see if anyone else saw him spill the juice.
Paul wanted to hug him, and tell him the things he knew to be true—that he was good and strong and smart. Abe wouldn’t welcome it, so instead Paul ruffled his hair again and punched him on the shoulder, and asked him if he’d been fishing lately.