Page 14 of Find Me in the Rain
Jack is bouncing up and down on his toes, begging me to hit the button so we can go get his ice cream. I hit it as he says, “Yeah, yeah. Okay, I will be. Bye, Angie. We have to go. Important things to do.”
The doors glide open, and we step inside, turning to see a smiling Angie. We wave to her and then head down to our car, surrounded by the thick silence of sorrow.
Part of me can’t believe it’s only been a year since her stroke. But at the same time, it feels like it’s been longer since she held me, maybe even forever.
The doctors said they don’t know when she’ll recover. That she should have months ago and they don’t understand it. Just a phenomenon, I guess.
Her brain activity is normal and steady, but she just won’t wake up. They say some parts of her brain might be damaged from the stroke. We lost her for a little bit, and she had to be resuscitated.
We won’t know what the damage really is until she comes back to us. And we don’t even know when that will be or if it will ever come. It’s frustrating, and I … ugh, I want my mom back.
We drive to the little ice cream shop on the corner of our street, parking in the near-empty lot. I hastily get Jack out of his seat. He’s practically vibrating from excitement.
The second his feet touch the ground, he’s off, racing for the door. Again, I wish I could have an ounce of his energy. Right before he gets there, the door opens, and a familiar guy walks out.
Ugh.
Cam’s head tilts with that stupid side smile. Two other guys are with him, but I don’t think I recognize them from Fireflies.
I frantically look around, trying to see if Alec is with them. But unless he’s still inside, in the restroom or something, he’s not here.
Jack steps around them and heads inside, running straight to the counter. I can see him the whole time, and there’s no one else inside besides Rebecca, the owner, who I used to go to school with and trust. So, he’s safe.
Cam speaks first, that deep voice cutting through the tension. “Hey. How are you?”
I rock back and forth on my heels. “Good. Just out for some ice cream.”
He looks inside to Jack, and it hits me.Does he know he’s Alec’s? Does he know anything about our past?
Better to leave that stone unturned.
“Your brother is adorable. He looks a lot like you,” Cam says with eyes of adoration.
I feel all the relief in the world, and a nervous chuckle leaves me.If only he really knew.I guess Alec has kept us a dirty little secret.
“Yeah, thanks. I should get in there before he orders the whole store.”
He laughs a real laugh. “Hey, how do you know Kostelecky, by the way?”
My heart drops at the mention of his last name, a name I used to doodle in notebooks for hours. “Alec? W-we knew each other as kids.” Nope, Cam isn’t getting anything more than that. I end the conversation with, “Anyway, good seeing you.”
He opens his mouth, but I leave no room for commentary and step around them, going inside and meeting up with Jack at the counter.
Rebecca is handing him samples left and right. At this rate, we won’t even need to order anything. I glance back outside, but no one’s there. The black Audi is pulling out of the lot, taking some of my anxiety with them.
4
Islam my door shut and take off for Harnet Hall. I have two minutes to get my butt in my seat, or I’m going to be late. Most professors don’t care if you’re late, but Mrs. Randall locks the classroom door at 10:01 a.m., if you’re lucky. Most times, it’s locked by 10 a.m., when class begins.
My alarm was supposed to wake me up at eight thirty, so I could get Jack ready and get him to school. Then get me to school. But that did not go as planned.
I woke up at nine and had a missed call from my boss to stop in today when I have a chance. Which put a bad taste in my mouth as she has never made such a weird request. I skipped makeup, my hair went into a high ponytail, and I threw a hoodie over the bralette I had fallen asleep in along with some leggings. I even let Jack wear his Superman costume to school this morning—that was how behind we were.
He ended up being about forty minutes late to school. Mom of the Year award goes to me.
Then, with my nerves eating me alive, I drove to work. My boss told me that they were closing, that business hasn’t been good, and they can’t afford to stay afloat any longer.
I’m glad I didn’t put that conversation off, but dear god if that didn’t add a world’s weight of anxiety onto my chest.
