I’m not sure if this is what my mom meant to happen when she put me in charge of Frankie’s well-being, but taking care of her has started to become fun.
Replanting the tree in the pot doesn’t take long but taking his advice I don’t get to bring her into the bedroom since she’ll be soaking overnight. I click out the lights after I’m done and say, “Good night.”
5
Chloe
I’ve never felt in between. The first day of classes can be overwhelming or a breeze. Fortunately, being prepared made me feel confident starting this year. That’s why when I see Patty’s Diner sign two blocks down, I make a detour.
My confidence remains out on the sidewalk when I enter the diner. I can turn around and walk back out. No harm. No foul. Saving face before this gets out of hand. Yes, that’s what I should do.
But that bell ringing overhead draws attention again when I open the door to leave. “Chloe?”
I close my eyes, reprimanding myself for getting into this sticky situation in the first place. It could be worse. It could have been Joshua who caught me trying to sneak out.
Turning around, ready to greet Patty, I still on the spot when I see her son standing next to her. He’s grinning . . . smirking really, giving me the cocky one that seems to be his specialty. With a slight lift of his hand, he says, “Hi.”
I tuck the hair that’s fallen from my ponytail behind my ears and then straighten the straps of my backpack. “Hi. I was just in the area and thought I’d try the special.” With an extended hand, I add, “It comes highly recommended.”
Patty looks pleased and comes around to greet me. “I’m glad you came by. Joshua was just about to take a dinner break. Maybe the two of you can eat together . . . in that booth . . . in the back corner.”
“Oh, um.” I glance back at the brown eyes tracking my every move. “I wouldn’t want to intrude. He might have other plans—”
“I’ll get the food,” he says while Patty waves her hand at me like a tattooed fairy.
Following Patty to the booth, I mumble, “Right.”
She stands, waiting for me to slide in, so I take my backpack off and dump it on the bench. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you came by again. We were just talking about you.”
“Oh, yeah?”
Leaning against the other side of the booth, she looks around conspiratorially, and then says, “Josh mentioned your passion for plants.”
I tweak my neck when I restrain the surprise from jerking me back. Rubbing the back of it, I ask, “He did?”
“Said you have a bonsai tree like his.”
I smile. “Yes. My mom gave it to me as a housewarming gift. It’s supposed to help me find balance between school and life.” It’s pretty adorable that’s what he thinks of when he thinks of me. Not that I’m a Newport Fox or about to graduate from Yale with honors. To Joshua, I’m Frankie’s mom.
“I gave Josh his bonsai when he was thirteen. I hoped he could find inner peace and calm through some turbulent times.”
“I’m sorry to hear he had struggles.”
She laughs. “Don’t we all? But some things happen for a reason. We just have to look for the rainbow after the storm.” She glances up when the door opens. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Water is good. Thank you.”
Patting my shoulder when she passes, I can’t help but feel her kindness every time I see her.
My phone rings, and I’m quick to grab it from the front pocket of my bag, and answer, “Hi, Dad.”
“Chloe. I wanted to call to see how the first day went.”
“Fine. It’s going to be a tough semester, but nothing I can’t handle.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Make sure to keep ahead of the syllabus so if questions arise, you have time to get answers.”
“I will.” I lower my head, wondering when he’ll trust me to take care of my own life. “Are you still working?”
“I had dinner brought in, and I’m catching up on some research. Education never ends in our profession.” He still refuses to discuss a different medical path than the one he’s taken, and his expectation for perfection weighs heavy on me.
“Glad to hear you’re taking time to eat.” Making sure Joshua won’t show up with me on the phone, I add, “I’m about to eat and then head home, so I should—”
“That’s good.” He pauses before his tone turns serious, not that he has a carefree tone in his arsenal. “We haven’t always gotten along . . .”
We’ve struggled through the divorce because he felt like I was siding with my mom. I wasn’t. Being there for her isn’t siding with her, but he’s never understood that. There were conflicts over my high school courses and the fast track he wanted me to take. He won. I graduated in three years and went to Yale just as he wanted, much to the dismay of my mom.
“I want you to know how proud I am of you, Chloe.”
Adjusting the phone in my hand, I close my eyes and angle toward the wall for privacy. “I know, Dad, but it means a lot to hear it.”
He clears his throat, the gruffness returning. “Good talk.”
The lump in my throat is swallowed down, and I reply, “Yeah, good talk.”
“Good luck this year. Make me proud.”
“I will. I love—”
The line goes dead.
Him never telling me he loves me used to bother me, but he always said words are worthless. It’s actions that matter.
“Miss me?” Joshua sets a plate and bowl of soup in front of me before sliding in across from me. “Guess our paths aren’t so different, after all.”
Dropping my phone back in my bag, I say, “Especially when they intersect at the same place.” I’m not sure when the glasses of water arrived, but I feel a little embarrassed at the thought of Patty overhearing my dysfunctional call with my dad. I take a sip of water to cool my self-consciousness. But seeing Joshua staring at me with a lopsided grin doesn’t help. “What?”
“You.”
I tilt my head and raise an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”
“You couldn’t resist, could you?” He has the biggest, dumbest, hottest smirk on his face right now.
“You’re right. Busted me. I love grilled cheese sandwiches.” I take a big bite to stuff my mouth enough to justify not talking more.
Chuckling, he picks up one of the diagonally cut halves and takes a huge bite. He’s a big guy with an appetite to match, judging by the two sandwiches on his plate. “You know what I’m talking about, Chloe. So you can hide behind the specials or just fess up and admit you stopped by to see me.”
“Pfft. I didn’t even know you were working. Anyway, I let my growling stomach lead the way.”
“Okay,” he says, dunking a corner of a sandwich in the soup. He holds it up. “It’s best when eaten together. I’m surprised a girl like you would even eat a grilled cheese, so dunking it might be too much for you.”
My shoulders drop, and I give him a pointed glare. “I may be from Newport, but I can get messy like the best of them.”