Page 52 of All of You

Now at her house, many hours later, she’s on the couch in her living room. Waiting for me.

“Sorry. I meant to get here earlier but Eddie and I ended up talking for a while.” I shed my jacket. “I’m not going to waste any time. He meant well coming to see you, and since he wasn’t able to tell you anything, it left you hanging. Let’s talk now.”

“Yes. Please.”

I sit beside her and recount everything about Dot’s latest warning and the dastardly deeds of my father, ending with my conversation with Eddie. I also explained how I intended to tell her after speaking with Eddie but also wanted to delay it. It was only one more problem for us to face.

“Oliver, I can’t imagine what you’re feeling. Forget about Dot lording this over you—that’s bad enough—but your father…” She frowns and takes my hand, likely thinking about all the times during our childhood when I lamented how I could never please my father no matter how hard I tried.

“It’s slowly sinking in. Sometimes I’m more hurt and disappointed than anything else and then…angry, you know. I did everything to please him and why? He wasn’t a good man. Certainly not someone you’d aspire to be like. And Eddie…his animosity toward our father—it all makes sense now. Our dad was so hard on him. Horrible to him, even…” I can’t bring myself to say any more.

“I’m so sorry you have to deal with this on top of everything else.” Her cool fingers glide along my jaw soothingly before she slumps back into the couch cushion. “What is it with us and timing? We can’t seem to catch a break.”

“What do you mean?”

“All these years, one thing or another kept us apart. I finally thought our luck was changing the night of the storm…the gym.” Her eyes dim to match her rueful smile. “But ever since we stepped back into the real world, it feels like we’ve been hit with one thing after the other.” She bites her bottom lip. “And it’s like there’s no end in sight.”

Wren is an optimist and for her to say this, there has to be more. She stares off into the distance, worry blanketing her gaze.

“Something else is wrong.” The back of my knuckles caress her cheek and she quivers. “Tell me.”

She fidgets with her hands, fingers lacing and unlacing in her lap. “I don’t want to add to what you’re already dealing with.”

“Wren, we’re in this together. What’s going on?”

“Lara Crandall came to the library today.”

“Okay.” I scratch my head, unsure as to where this is going. She’s Jed Crandall’s wife and that’s all I come up with. Dot isn’t close to her, or anyone really, so that isn’t helpful. Again, I’m not making the connection or understanding why Wren looks like her dog died.

“The Crandalls are family sponsors.” She stares off into space, eyes never meeting mine. “They were assigned to Jack.”

A sinking sensation settles in my gut at her use of past tense. “Were?”

“I don’t know if there’s going to be a program.”

I scoot closer until my thigh nudges her feet encased in the blanket, and as much as I want to reach out and touch her, hold her, I don’t. I get the feeling she needs some space.

“What do you mean? Did you hear from the city council?”

“No, but Lara said she heard things weren’t looking good for the program.”

“From who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is that what she said?”

“Not exactly.”

“Okay, what did she say?” I squeeze her ankle through the blanket and try to infuse some calm into her. “Word for word.”

“She mentioned that the program was on shaky ground. It may not be approved by the city council and it had something to do with misconduct…” Now she looks at me, eyes glassy with unshed tears. “Something to do with me.”

“You?”

“Or maybe she meant us. I don’t know, but she never did bring you up.” Her hands cover her face and she groans into her palms before sliding them onto her lap.

“Do you think this is Dot?”

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