Page 37 of Every Broken Promise
“Oh my God, Tyler, you scared me,” she hissed at me.
It wasn’t with anger because she was already smiling at me and pushing her window open so I could come in.
That was the thing I loved about having a best friend. They never turned you away, no matter what—it was one of the many things I loved about Astrid.
I had been in her room plenty of times, but there was something different—illicit—even being here in the dark.
When I left my house, all I could think of was being away from there because I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. My mind was plagued with questions with no answers. It felt wrong to end elementary school this way without my mother at my side, especially since she had been there when I started. What if the same thing happened now that we were starting middle school? I couldn’t imagine my life without Astrid, but the same could be said about my mother.
Tomorrow wasn’t promised.
“Sorry, I couldn’t sleep and just wanted to come here,” I confessed.
“What’s wrong?” She instantly took a step forward, her brows scrunching in confusion.
“Nothing, just started thinking about my mom,” I told her.
She nodded, understanding where I was coming from.
“Come on,” she said as she patted the bed for me to jump in.
I could feel my cheeks flame as the answer rose to my lips. It was something I had never told anyone.
“I don’t like sleeping on the right side of the bed.”
Astrid didn’t make fun of me. She just slid to the other side, no questions asked.
“Take off your shoes,” she told me as I put my knee on the bed.
Once I was lying down, I turned to face her.
“My mom used to lay on the right side when she would put me to sleep.”
“Ah, Tyler,” she whispered as she extended her hand and began to play with my hair.
I grimaced because I wasn’t a fan of people touching my head.
“Sorry,” she added. “I don’t know what to say sometimes. I can’t imagine what not having a mom feels like, but I know it must be incredibly painful.”
“It sucks,” I admitted, and her expression softened. Those big eyes seemed to sparkle. “But being with you helps.”
She beamed at me, and something inside of me settled.
This time, I reached out to her and began playing with her hair. Her hair was soft. It glided through my fingers. Astrid closed her eyes and leaned into me, and I liked that I could give her something when it felt like this friendship was all about me and what I was taking.
“I know it’s not the same, but my mom will cheer extra hard for you too. She loves you.”
I bit my lip in acknowledgment even though she couldn’t see me since her eyes were closed.
“You’re the best, Astrid,” I let her know.
“Don’t you forget it,” she murmured, starting to fall asleep.
It took a couple of minutes for her breathing to even out, and I knew she had knocked out on me. Even in the dark, Astrid was like sunshine. No matter what was happening around us, she always managed to make the days or situations brighter.
No one was more thankful than I was that her parents didn’t end up moving. Her dad ended up getting a job twenty minutes away from town while her mom worked as a cleaning lady. She mostly cleaned up the local businesses after hours.
I remember hearing my dad talking to Ezekiel. He was thinking of offering Mrs. Hart a job as a receptionist. He knew how much they meant to me—to us. He wanted them to stay as much as I did.
