Page 48 of The Weight of Your Wishes

Her face goes ashen, fingers gripping the wine glass so hard that I fear it might break.

“He’s moving in with me,” Grant says, breaking the silence.

I can’t help the cheesy grin that lights up my face. He peers over at me, as if he needs to double check that I still want to do this, his eyes lingering on my curved lips.

“But what about school?” she asks, void of any emotion.

“I looked into it already. I’ll transfer to the one nearest him; it’s not far. I saved up enough money to pay back those fines and fix my car.”

“I guess you guys have it all figured out then. I still don’t… I don’t know how I feel about this.” She gets up from the table, taking her plate to the sink. “There’s no one I care about more than the both of you though, so I’ll support it however I can. It’s gonna take some getting used to. That’s for sure.”

Grant reaches across the table and places his hand over mine, stroking his thumb across the skin. I finally allow myself to relax, letting my shoulders drop, and lean back against the chair with a sigh of relief.

Grant and I eat our own helping of spaghetti together in silence while Mom cleans the kitchen. By the end of the meal, I feel like it’d be worth it to try to be vulnerable with her again. I think we’re finally ready to grow from the past. Maybe she’ll start viewing me as an adult now.

When we’re all finished eating, she gives me a long hug. At first, I have the urge to pull away, but I try to relax into it. It feels odd wrapping my arms around her slender frame, and I can’t remember the last time I did. “Love you, son,” she says.

“Love you, too, Mom.” The words feel foreign on my tongue, but maybe after a while, they won’t anymore.

She gives Grant a hug, too, whispering something private in his ear. I decide to give them some privacy and head into my room. After a few minutes, he comes in, shutting the door behind him. “My bed is much smaller than yours,” I say.

He shrugs and takes off the too-small clothes I loaned him before sliding into bed with me. I cling to him immediately, one leg hooked around his, my foot stroking the soft, hairy skin. “It went better than I expected,” he says, his voice low and gravelly.

“It went pretty much how I expected it to. I didn’t think she’d be angry with us or anything like that. I mean, what’s to be angry about?”

“I should listen to your instincts more often.”

I nuzzle close to him, inhaling his spicy cologne mixed with rain. “I’m so happy you’re finally letting me love you,” I whisper.

“Don’t ever stop, baby boy.”

EPILOGUE

SIX MONTHS LATER

HENDRIX

Driving down this highway with miles of vivid green and amber sawgrass on either side of me has become one of my favorite things about living here. I always have my windows rolled down, the wind billowing in as I follow the long, lonely road. There are barely ever any cars on it, and it makes me feel free. I turn up the song on the radio—“The Taste of Ink” by The Used.

I’m nearly finished with another year of college, and I still have no idea what I want to do with this business degree. Well, that’s a lie. I know whatIwant to do, but Grant would never be okay with it. All I want to do is continue to work at the bar with him and lighten the load. I can handle the managerial things that he does; I’d be happy to, but he’s so obsessed with me doing something bigger and better. He still thinks I deserve more than this small town has to offer.

That man is as stubborn as a bull, but so am I. He’ll come around to the idea. I just need to ease him into it.

I take the exit toward our town, stopping by the store to fill up on gas and chat with Patty, but when I walk in, I see one of her employees instead.Weird.I could’ve sworn she was working tonight. Either way, she’s probably at the bar anyway, which is where I’m headed. Grant spends most of his life there, so when I’m not at school, I do, too.

I park behind his truck; it’s basically my spot now. No one ever parks in it. I notice Jack’s truck on the other side of the road as I approach the bar. It is a Friday night, so I guess that’s why it’s so busy. When I swing open the door, I’m greeted by the old antique store that’s been splashed with beer smell that I’ve grown to love. It’s Grant’s baby, so in turn, it’s starting to feel more like mine, too. Every single booth is filled with familiar faces, and Sky waves at me from behind the bar. I want to go straight back to Grant’s office so I can give my Daddy a kiss and sit in his lap. It’s been a long day without him, but I channel some patience and have a seat at the bar.

Sky’s already sliding a bottle of beer to me with a mischievous look on their face. My brows furrow, but I upend the bottle, taking a long gulp. “Is it just me or is everything weird tonight?” I ask over the noisy din of bar patrons.

Sky shrugs nonchalantly. “Probably just you, weirdo.”

I bring the bottle to my lips again, loving the way the ice-cold liquid slides down my throat. The song on the jukebox changes; goosebumps break out on my arms as soon as I hear it—“Say Hello 2 Heaven” by Temple of the Dog. I'd recognize the first millisecond of this song with how many times I’ve heard it and how much it means to me. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, it still drags a visceral reaction from me. I let my eyes fall shut, relaxing into the melody, but something’s off. It seems like the whole bar has gone silent, and all I can hear is the music.

My eyes pop open, and I spin around on the barstool, nearly falling off at what I see. Grant is on the dirty floor, down on one knee. His big brown eyes are glistening in the flickering lights. I gape at him and notice my mom standing a few feet behind him.

Holy shit.

I slide off the chair, moving to stand in front of him. “Um… what’s going on, guys?”

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