“Jimi’s not coming until later.”
Both he and Abby turn their heads to gape at me. “Why?” he asks.
“She’s helping Jenna with her UNC application and she doesn’t want to be a bad friend and ditch her.”
Abby’s dark-blonde eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. “Is she uncomfortable with me being here?”
“What? No, of course not. She’s just become the go-to girl for all her friends who are rushing to get their college applications submitted. It’s… unfortunate, but she seems to think we’re leaving for the beach house tomorrow. Did you tell her that, honey?”
Chris grabs the salt and pepper off the counter behind us and sets them down in front of Abby. She follows his lead and begins sprinkling the seasoning all over the chicken.
“I may have mentioned that we would be going to the beach house tomorrow, but that was only if… if we had nothing going on. Abby is here now. We’re staying here as long as we need to.”
Abby holds up her hands and Chris points her to the sink where she can wash the chicken juices and seasoning off her fingers. “You don’t have to stay here on my account. Caleb and I have really enjoyed meeting you all, but we don’t want to ruin your plans.”
“You’re not ruining our plans,” Chris insists. “You are the plans. The reason we were going tomorrow night instead of tonight is because we decided last weekend that we would wait one more week to see if you would show up.”
“Aw, that’s why, Dad? You lied. You told me it was ’cause of the storm.”
Ryder never forgets anything we tell him.
“I didn’t lie,” Chris says with a grin. “There was a storm… in Florida.”
Abby smiles as she dries her hands on a kitchen towel, but her smile is barely hiding her disappointment. “Well, maybe Caleb and I should get going so you all can pack and get ready to go to the beach.”
“No, you don’t have to go,” I reply hastily. “In fact, why don’t you stay the night and you can go with us to the beach house for a few days?”
Chris narrows his eyes at me then turns back to Abby. “We don’t want you to feel pressured or obligated to stay. But, of course, you are welcome to stay as long as you want.”
“You should come with us to the beach house!” Ryder’s eyes are wide with excitement. “The beach is right there and last year there was a shark in the water and everyone was taking pictures of it with their phones and this one lady screamed and everyone thought she was bit, but she wasn’t.”
“I… I don’t know. I mean, I don’t want to impose.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re not imposing,” I insist.
“But I don’t think I’d feel comfortable without Caleb.”
“He can come,” I reply.
“Yeah!” Ryder agrees.
“Why are you so happy?” Junior says, walking into the kitchen with his nose buried in a text conversation.
“Abby and Caleb are coming with us to the beach house!” Ryder replies.
“Settle down, Ry. Nothing is decided yet,” Chris says, taking the remote away from him so he can turn off the TV.
Ryder crosses his arms and glares at Chris, but Chris glares right back at him. After a moment, Ryder smiles. “Thanks for turning the TV off, Dad. It was rotting my brain.”
Chris shakes his head. “Go upstairs and take a shower. Now.”
“You guys are coming to the beach house? Sweet!” Junior says, taking a seat on the stool next to Caleb at the breakfast bar. “Maybe you can give me a driving lesson in your car?”
Caleb chuckles. “You got a permit?”
Junior waves off the question. “A mere technicality.”
Abby stands across the breakfast bar from Caleb, their eyes locked, and I can feel them silently communicating, gauging the other’s reaction. He nods slightly and she nods back.
“Well, I guess as long as I have my meds and my parents know where I am, it should be okay for a few days,” Abby begins, turning away from Caleb to face Chris and me. “I mean, neither of us have been
Both he and Abby turn their heads to gape at me. “Why?” he asks.
“She’s helping Jenna with her UNC application and she doesn’t want to be a bad friend and ditch her.”
Abby’s dark-blonde eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. “Is she uncomfortable with me being here?”
“What? No, of course not. She’s just become the go-to girl for all her friends who are rushing to get their college applications submitted. It’s… unfortunate, but she seems to think we’re leaving for the beach house tomorrow. Did you tell her that, honey?”
Chris grabs the salt and pepper off the counter behind us and sets them down in front of Abby. She follows his lead and begins sprinkling the seasoning all over the chicken.
“I may have mentioned that we would be going to the beach house tomorrow, but that was only if… if we had nothing going on. Abby is here now. We’re staying here as long as we need to.”
Abby holds up her hands and Chris points her to the sink where she can wash the chicken juices and seasoning off her fingers. “You don’t have to stay here on my account. Caleb and I have really enjoyed meeting you all, but we don’t want to ruin your plans.”
“You’re not ruining our plans,” Chris insists. “You are the plans. The reason we were going tomorrow night instead of tonight is because we decided last weekend that we would wait one more week to see if you would show up.”
“Aw, that’s why, Dad? You lied. You told me it was ’cause of the storm.”
Ryder never forgets anything we tell him.
“I didn’t lie,” Chris says with a grin. “There was a storm… in Florida.”
Abby smiles as she dries her hands on a kitchen towel, but her smile is barely hiding her disappointment. “Well, maybe Caleb and I should get going so you all can pack and get ready to go to the beach.”
“No, you don’t have to go,” I reply hastily. “In fact, why don’t you stay the night and you can go with us to the beach house for a few days?”
Chris narrows his eyes at me then turns back to Abby. “We don’t want you to feel pressured or obligated to stay. But, of course, you are welcome to stay as long as you want.”
“You should come with us to the beach house!” Ryder’s eyes are wide with excitement. “The beach is right there and last year there was a shark in the water and everyone was taking pictures of it with their phones and this one lady screamed and everyone thought she was bit, but she wasn’t.”
“I… I don’t know. I mean, I don’t want to impose.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re not imposing,” I insist.
“But I don’t think I’d feel comfortable without Caleb.”
“He can come,” I reply.
“Yeah!” Ryder agrees.
“Why are you so happy?” Junior says, walking into the kitchen with his nose buried in a text conversation.
“Abby and Caleb are coming with us to the beach house!” Ryder replies.
“Settle down, Ry. Nothing is decided yet,” Chris says, taking the remote away from him so he can turn off the TV.
Ryder crosses his arms and glares at Chris, but Chris glares right back at him. After a moment, Ryder smiles. “Thanks for turning the TV off, Dad. It was rotting my brain.”
Chris shakes his head. “Go upstairs and take a shower. Now.”
“You guys are coming to the beach house? Sweet!” Junior says, taking a seat on the stool next to Caleb at the breakfast bar. “Maybe you can give me a driving lesson in your car?”
Caleb chuckles. “You got a permit?”
Junior waves off the question. “A mere technicality.”
Abby stands across the breakfast bar from Caleb, their eyes locked, and I can feel them silently communicating, gauging the other’s reaction. He nods slightly and she nods back.
“Well, I guess as long as I have my meds and my parents know where I am, it should be okay for a few days,” Abby begins, turning away from Caleb to face Chris and me. “I mean, neither of us have been
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