Page 5 of Perfect Enough

“No issues at all.”

“How was the T-ball game?” Dad asked, looking at Greg, but I was sure he was asking Bryson.

“Fantastic!” Bryson gushed.

Rose huffed. “If you call a bunch of toddlers running around screaming, having no clue what they’re supposed to dofantastic. I would think as a former best pitcher in the MLB you would want less chaos.”

“That was the best part,” Bryson declared with a laugh.

Dad and Mom both laughed as Rose attempted to look perturbed, but I could see her hidden smile.

“I tried calling you, Josh, but it was going straight to voicemail,” Rose said.

“Shit, I forgot.”

“Josh!”

Four voices all called out my name at the same time.

“Little ears,” Mom said with a shake of her head.

“Right! I keep forgetting.”

Rose stared at me. “So, Josh? Your phone?”

“Sh—right. I’m using the phone the department gave me as my personal phone now. I haven’t canceled the other one yet, just turned it off.”

“Okay, I’ll be sure to call that one from now on,” Rose stated as she inhaled the sauce in the pan.

“About that. I need to send everyone a group text. They changed the number, so I have a new one.”

Dad groaned. “I just finally memorized yourothernumber.”

My mother smirked. “Is it that hard to learn seven numbers, Ty?”

He shrugged. “No, but it’s a heck of a lot easier to just find his name and hit send.”

Laughter filled the room.

I pulled out the new phone, remembering that someone had texted me yesterday almost the second I’d turned it on. We’d gotten call after call—at least it felt like it—and I’d forgotten all about checking the message. “Speaking of, I guess I need to get everyone’s numbers off my old phone since I don’t know them.”

“What if something happened and you didn’t have your phone, and one of you needed to call someone? If you don’t know any numbers by heart, you’re out of luck,” Mom said, as she poured the sauce over the finished pasta.

Seeing the text, I opened it—and froze.

Unknown: I miss you so much, Dad. I wish you hadn’t left.

“What’s wrong, Josh?” Bryson asked.

When I glanced up, everyone was staring at me. I shook my head. “Nothing. It’s just that I got a text on this new phone, and it’s…it’s kind of sad.”

“What does it say?” Rose asked.

It didn’t feel right reading it out loud, but I’d already opened my mouth, so it was too late now. I read the text, and my mother and Rose both wore the same expression.

Rose placed a hand over her heart. “That’s so sad. I’ve heard of people doing that. Texting old numbers or calling old voicemails while grieving. I wonder if she knows the number has been given to someone else?”

Looking back at the text, I could only shrug. My heart hurt for the person who’d sent it. It was only two sentences, but you could feel the sadness in those words.

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