Page 26 of Let's Pretend I'm Okay

Grandma shook her head. “It’s just us. This is my grandson, Daniel.”

The officer smiled at me, but I could see the wheels turning in his head as he took in our run-down home. The grass was tall, and the gutter needed to be fixed. Not to mention the poorly patched roof.

“Ma’am, I’d like to speak with Daniel for a moment.”

Grandma nodded. “Don’t cause any trouble,” she told me as she went inside.

Then the officer sat down on our porch.

I refused to sit because I could sense an uneasiness in the air between us. I wanted to stand my ground and look firm.

“Are your parents around?”

I shook my head. “My mom died when I was little, and I don’t know who my father is.”

“No other family?”

“Not any that’s close. It’s just us.”

He sucked in a breath. “How often does your grandma forget things?”

“This is the first time something like this has ever happened.” I thought if I said it enough, it would be believable.

“She doesn’t forget who people are or where she’s going?”

“Never.” It wasn’t true. She’d been forgetting things every single day. Sometimes she’d get upset when I corrected her, so on most days I went along with her broken memories, playing whatever part I needed to in order to keep her happy.

“It might be a good idea for her to see a doctor just to make sure this isn’t something that’s become a larger problem.”

“Yeah, we can do that,” I said, trying to finish our conversation and get him out of there.

“Danny,” Grandma said, poking her head back outside.

“What is it?” I asked.

“When will your mom be home from work?” she asked.

My heart sank as the officer looked between us with his eyebrow raised.

“It’ll be awhile,” I said, head hanging low, knowing I wasn’t going to be able to talk my way out of this. I just told the officer my mom died. It was blatantly obvious that Grandma was forgetting.

Most days she knew my mom was gone, but she was forgetting more and more often. Every time I told her the truth, I saw her relive my mom’s death. Sometimes it was easier to pretend that Mom was just out...

The next day CPS knocked on our door.

CHAPTER EIGHT

MARGO

I have a notebook I take everywhere with me. I love journaling and creating spreadsheets each month full of lists I can check off. It’s exhilarating to mark off each task until everything has been accomplished. Journaling makes me feel like I’m in control of my life. It gives me a sense of order. Unfortunately, my current notebook is almost full. I need a new one, but I haven’t had the time to buy one.

I want to write down my list of things to do before I die. I know what to write next to my parents’ names. Mama quit her job a while ago. She’s spent the last few years doting over me to the point she doesn’t know who she was before I got sick. And Papa started working himself to the bone when Mama quit her job. He’s a good person, but by the time he comes home every day, he’s exhausted. I’m going to help Mama go back to work, something she can focus on other than me. She loved being a labor and delivery nurse. She just needs someone to give her the push to go back. With Papa, I’m going to do the opposite. I want to help him relax. He needs to work less.

Annie is harder. I didn’t know what to do for her at first, but after last night I had an epiphany. I need to help Annie fall in love. Right now she likes Daniel, and I won’t rest until she’s moved on with someone else.

I pause as soon as I walk into my physics class, then groan. On the whiteboard are our new assigned seats. I wish Mrs. Wilkson would let us pick our partners, but she insists on choosing them herself. If I had it my way, I’d partner with Cameryn, but it seems like she’s already paired up with Tyler. To be fair, we’d probably talk too much.

“I’ve paired you up with Daniel,” Mrs. Wilkson says.

---