response was immediate. He relaxed like a soldier who no longer had to stand at attention because the immediate threat had passed.
“Things are better now?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Good.” Acting on impulse, I gave him a quick hug before heading off to grab my backpack.
…
Grant
I could breathe again. My dad had been taken to the hospital last night when he’d had a severe allergic reaction to some new food at a party. If my mom had been near him she would have told him he couldn’t eat whatever it was, but she’d been across the room socializing and didn’t realize what happened until after his eyes and throat started swelling shut. The EpiPen he’d had in his car had been out of date. An ambulance had been called. He’d been given steroids and was recovering in the hospital but my mother had sent me off to school because my pacing was making her nervous.
The text from my mom said he was awake and apologizing for not being more careful. Maybe my mom’s hands-on approach wasn’t such a bad idea. My dad was kind of like the absent-minded-professor type. He’d often become absorbed in his projects and forget to eat. My mom always made sure he was okay. Lately they’d been spending more time apart, which neither of them seemed to mind. Would this set them back on a path to being closer or happier? I hated that it took something like this, but I hoped it would help.
What Zoe had done, just being there for me without asking for anything was nice. I didn’t have many people in my life like that who weren’t family. And we’d had fun at that weird Art of Tea place. Maybe she was the type of girl I needed. Maybe I should ask her out, see if she wanted to try dating again.
I grabbed my backpack and jogged after her. She’d already gone into her classroom. I checked the time. We had a few minutes so I waved at her from the doorway. She joined me in the hall. “Is everything all right?”
“It is. I just wanted to say thanks for being supportive.”
“That’s what friends are for.” She smacked me on the shoulder. “You better get to class.”
Friends. Oh, hell. I had been friend-zoned. I headed to my next class. I needed a plan. A plan to move me from the friend-zone category I seemed to be stuck in—for the first time ever. Not that I hadn’t friend-zoned girls, but having it turned around sucked. I bet she was still interested.
“Everything all right?” Aiden asked when I sat behind him in class.
I nodded. “My dad’s awake and talking.”
“Good.” He smacked me on the shoulder in the exact manner Zoe had. That settled it.
“I think it’s time for me to get Zoe back.”
Aiden’s eyebrows came together like he was confused. “For what?”
“Not like that. I mean I want to date her.”
“Oh.” He nodded. “That makes more sense. Think she’s still interested?”
I glared at him. “Why wouldn’t she be?”
He shrugged. “Seems like you two work as friends, like Delia and me. That’s all I’m saying.”
After class, I received another text telling me my dad was being released from the hospital. The rest of the school day flew by. Any problems paled in comparison to the worrying I’d done about my dad.
That night he slept through dinner, while my mother and I shared Chinese carry-out. Dark circles stood out under her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She sipped her wine and stared off into space. “Actually that’s a lie. I’m angry at your father for eating something he didn’t recognize. He should know better than that. I’m angry at myself for not paying more attention to him.”
I had no idea how to respond to that. “He made a mistake.”
She set her wine glass down. “I’ve always taken care of your father. That was my role. Lately, I’ve backed off because he seemed to resent it.”
“Dad told me that you guided him into asking you out.” I chuckled. “He thought you wanted help with your homework.”
She smiled, the first genuine smile
“Things are better now?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Good.” Acting on impulse, I gave him a quick hug before heading off to grab my backpack.
…
Grant
I could breathe again. My dad had been taken to the hospital last night when he’d had a severe allergic reaction to some new food at a party. If my mom had been near him she would have told him he couldn’t eat whatever it was, but she’d been across the room socializing and didn’t realize what happened until after his eyes and throat started swelling shut. The EpiPen he’d had in his car had been out of date. An ambulance had been called. He’d been given steroids and was recovering in the hospital but my mother had sent me off to school because my pacing was making her nervous.
The text from my mom said he was awake and apologizing for not being more careful. Maybe my mom’s hands-on approach wasn’t such a bad idea. My dad was kind of like the absent-minded-professor type. He’d often become absorbed in his projects and forget to eat. My mom always made sure he was okay. Lately they’d been spending more time apart, which neither of them seemed to mind. Would this set them back on a path to being closer or happier? I hated that it took something like this, but I hoped it would help.
What Zoe had done, just being there for me without asking for anything was nice. I didn’t have many people in my life like that who weren’t family. And we’d had fun at that weird Art of Tea place. Maybe she was the type of girl I needed. Maybe I should ask her out, see if she wanted to try dating again.
I grabbed my backpack and jogged after her. She’d already gone into her classroom. I checked the time. We had a few minutes so I waved at her from the doorway. She joined me in the hall. “Is everything all right?”
“It is. I just wanted to say thanks for being supportive.”
“That’s what friends are for.” She smacked me on the shoulder. “You better get to class.”
Friends. Oh, hell. I had been friend-zoned. I headed to my next class. I needed a plan. A plan to move me from the friend-zone category I seemed to be stuck in—for the first time ever. Not that I hadn’t friend-zoned girls, but having it turned around sucked. I bet she was still interested.
“Everything all right?” Aiden asked when I sat behind him in class.
I nodded. “My dad’s awake and talking.”
“Good.” He smacked me on the shoulder in the exact manner Zoe had. That settled it.
“I think it’s time for me to get Zoe back.”
Aiden’s eyebrows came together like he was confused. “For what?”
“Not like that. I mean I want to date her.”
“Oh.” He nodded. “That makes more sense. Think she’s still interested?”
I glared at him. “Why wouldn’t she be?”
He shrugged. “Seems like you two work as friends, like Delia and me. That’s all I’m saying.”
After class, I received another text telling me my dad was being released from the hospital. The rest of the school day flew by. Any problems paled in comparison to the worrying I’d done about my dad.
That night he slept through dinner, while my mother and I shared Chinese carry-out. Dark circles stood out under her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She sipped her wine and stared off into space. “Actually that’s a lie. I’m angry at your father for eating something he didn’t recognize. He should know better than that. I’m angry at myself for not paying more attention to him.”
I had no idea how to respond to that. “He made a mistake.”
She set her wine glass down. “I’ve always taken care of your father. That was my role. Lately, I’ve backed off because he seemed to resent it.”
“Dad told me that you guided him into asking you out.” I chuckled. “He thought you wanted help with your homework.”
She smiled, the first genuine smile
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