Page 120 of Call It Love

The floor creaked behind me. I didn’t need to look up to know it was Jordan. His footsteps were lighter now, more confident than the dragging shuffle he used to do.

The fridge and cabinet doors opened and shut. The microwave hummed, and a few minutes later, he sat downacross from me with a tall stack of leftover pancakes drowning in butter and syrup.

I stared at the plate, wondering where he put all of that food away on his lean frame. “Didn’t you just eat cereal?”

“Yep. That was like a pre-game snack. Energy to get ready. Now that I’m awake, I need the real deal.”

I smiled and shook my head. This kid. Anna always tried to make extra, so there were leftovers, like she was trying to make up for the times Jordan went without. It worked. Between the fresh air from working outside and the meals Anna stuffed him with, Jordan was filling out, leaner and tanner, as well. I suspected the girls were noticing as well, given how much time he spent on his new phone.

He looked around between bites. “Where’s Anna?”

“She left earlier.”

He paused his chewing, studying me like I held a missing clue. “She doesn’t usually leave this early. You two have a fight?”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Which is it?”

“It’s complicated.”

He rolled his eyes. “Grown-ups are weird.”

“Yeah? More than teenagers?” I reached over and tousled his hair before he could duck.

He took another bite, chewing like he was considering the question. After washing it down with milk, he said, “You know, you don’t always gotta be so careful with her.”

That got my attention. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you treat her like she’s glass. Like if you say the wrong thing, she’s gonna break.” He took another drink. “I get it. You both did that with me.”

My chest tightened. “And that was wrong?”

“No,” he answered quickly. “I mean, that was good. Itmade me feel safe.” He set his fork down. “But after a while, when everyone treats you like you’ll break, you think maybe you really will. Like, we can’t handle it.”

I recoiled slightly, stunned by his admission and the simplicity of what he was saying.

“Sometimes, you just need something…I dunno…more. Someone who fights for you. Like you guys did for me after…well, you know.”

“We should have done that sooner,” I said quietly.

He looked at me with alarmed eyes. “No! That’s not what I meant. I’m not saying this right.” He drew a deep breath. “I just mean, I don’t think you’ve said or done anything wrong. But maybe you didn’t say everythingrighteither. Sometimes when you try so hard not to mess up, you do anyway.” He shrugged and went back to eating like he hadn’t just hit the nail on the head.

I stared at him. He might be on to something. “You’re pretty smart, you know that?”

He shoveled in his last bite. “Yeah. Well, don’t expect the same in math class,” he deadpanned, making me laugh.

The back screen door creaked. Jack bolted in, running right to me as a greeting, then running to his bowl to see if I might have dropped a treat in there for him to find. His tail wagged harder when he discovered one.

Anna followed behind him more slowly. Her hair was wind-tousled, and her eyes were tired. But her shoulders appeared a little less tense than when she’d left.

“You’re spoiling him, you know.”

I didn’t give Jack a second glance, just held her eyes. “I don’t want you to leave.” The words came out before I couldsecond-guess them. Before I could weigh them like I had everything else I’d said to her lately. This wasn’t calculated. It was just true. “But I also want to support you and any opportunities that find you.”

Anna looked at me for a long moment. Then she stepped closer and hugged me. My arms automatically went around her, holding her tight. This woman wasn’t glass. And while I’d break before I hurt her, I knew she could handle the truth. My truth. She wasn’t looking for shelter; she wanted a home. A place she belonged, something even her parents had failed to give her. But I wouldn’t.

“I needed you to say that.” Her voice was steady, but there was something raw just underneath it. “I didn’t even realize how much.”

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