Page 66 of Wanted You More

When Wolfe brought it up on our call, I went to our high school’s website to find the flyer listing what all would be there. “There’s a robotics club that’s relatively new. They build robots and fight them or something. It sounds up his alley. There’s bound to be other nerds he could bond with.”

“Austen,” my father scolds, fighting a smile at my teasing tone.

“Nerds are basically the new cool,” I try telling him nonchalantly. “I mean it in an endearing way.”

Something tells me he doesn’t buy that, but he doesn’t say so. “I’m free Thursday, so we can pick you up. Think about where you want to go to eat.”

“Okay.” I look at the time on my phone. “I need to go before I’m late. But, Dad?”

He waits for me to say what I need to.

I shift on my feet. “It might help Wolfe if he saw you trying to get out more. Have a life. If he sees you have one, he might finally be inclined to have some fun too.”

Dad’s lips press together, but he gives me a singular head dip of acknowledgment to let me know he hears me.

I wave him off, backing away. “I’ll see you Thursday night. Tell Wolfe I said hi when you get home.”

He looks slightly pale when he murmurs, “I will.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Wolfe plays withhis chicken tenders at the table, making me nudge his foot with mine. “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy to see me. Are you already used to being the only kid?”

My little brother doesn’t appear to be amused by that. “Dad has been acting weird the last couple of days. I heard him on the phone with Aunt Mae.”

Of course, Dad consulted Aunt Mae.

Considering we haven’t seen the woman in years, I don’t know why he confides in her so much. “You need to stop eavesdropping on his calls because you’re never going to hear anything that you want to,” I chide. Curiosity still piques my interest. “What were they talking about anyway?”

He drops the chicken and leans back, looking at where Dad had disappeared to the bathroom before turning to me. “He said that you told him he should date.”

I rear back. “What? I never said—” I stop myself, realizing how he must have taken the whole “get a life” pep talk. “I didn’t tell him to start dating, I told him to start living his life again that way you would.”

Wolfe looks offended. “I live!”

The fact he’s serious is sad. “No, you don’t. No offense, little brother, but you’re boring as hell. You spend more time focused on Dad than you do yourself. You need friends. A social life. Dad does too.”

“But…dating?” His shoulders drop. “Do you honestly think that’s a good idea for him? He can barely go to work without something triggering his memories of Mom.”

He used to go to therapy a lot in the past, but he’s phased out of it over the years. Long before I stopped going. Maybe that was part of the reason I decided not to keep wasting my time. It made a difference for him, but not me.

My eyes go toward the hallway where the restroom sign is hanging. “It’s been ten years. Don’t you think he needs to at least try?”

This time, I’m met with silence.

I get it. The thought of Dad seeing anybody doesn’t make me feel great, but who am I to tell him he can never move on? I’ll always love Mom. Miss her. But that shouldn’t mean Dad is lonely for the rest of his life.

The only thing I can say to him is, “If he does decide to move on, it doesn’t mean he stopped loving Mom. He never will.”

Wolfe stares at his food.

I touch his arm, waiting for him to lift his gaze. “I want both of you to do things that make you happy. Video games might make you happy now, but what about when you’re older and you’re isolated because you shut yourself off from the world. Do you want that? For you? For Dad?”

His jaw tics. “You’re not being fair.”

“How?”

All he does is shake his head.

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