would she sleep?” he asked. “Is there room for her?”
“We’ll convert the garage,” Lisa said. “It’s wired for electricity. We’ll put a heater
in and a bed, some furniture, a lamp. A crib, of course. It’ll be nice and cozy for
both of them.”
The garage had been his place, his and Sarah’s. And now that Lisa had passed her evaluation,
there was nothing to keep him from getting Sarah back. She needed him as much as he
needed her. He’d make her forgive him.
“How about if I move into the garage?” he asked. “Miranda could have my room.”
Lisa shook her head. “That’s sweet, Jon, but it wouldn’t work. No one can know that
she’s family, or we’ll all get in trouble. Besides, in a year you’ll pass your evaluation
and move into the Sexton dorm. Carrie will get transferred, and Gabe will move into
your room. Miranda and her baby can have the nursery then.”
“Have you talked to Miranda?” Jon asked.
Lisa shook her head. “I’ll go there on Sunday and talk to all of them,” she said.
“Laura’s going to be the hardest one to convince. She’s so possessive of Miranda.
But I’ll talk her into it. It’s what’s best for Miranda and the baby. Laura will see
that.”
Good news, weird news, Jon thought. My sister the grub.
But Lisa was right. In a year, he’d either be in the Sexton dorm or thrown out of
Sexton. And in a year Alex might have his truck. Or he and Miranda might decide to
move to that place Matt had told them about. Or the moon might crash into the earth
and they’d all be dead anyway.
“Congratulations,” he said to Lisa. “Now go tell Gabe the good news.”
Wednesday, June 10
Jon walked over to the table where Luke and Sarah were sitting. “Lisa passed her evaluation,”
he said to Luke, pretending not to notice that Sarah was there. “She even got a promotion.”
“That must be a relief,” Luke said. “I know you’ve been worrying about it.”
Jon nodded. “She’s feeling a lot better about things,” he said. “I am, too.”
Sarah kept still.
“That’s it,” Jon said. “Just thought you’d want to know.”
But as he walked back to Tyler’s table, he could sense Sarah looking at him.
Things are about to get better, he told himself. He’d learned from his lessons. He’d
be the man Sarah wanted him to be and then she would have to forgive him.
Friday, June 12
Luke lived almost a mile away, but there was no bus that went through the neighborhoods,
so Jon walked there. He’d been to Luke’s a few times but never without an invitation.
He didn’t think Luke would mind, though.
He didn’t mind, but he was surprised. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Is something
the matter?”
“I wanted to talk to you,” Jon said. “I figured this was the best place.”
“Come on in,” Luke said. “We’ll go to my room.”
Jon thought about the offer Lisa had had for a bigger house. Luke’s felt like a mansion.
His brother lived in the Sexton dorm, so it was just Luke, his parents, and five domestics.
Jon wondered how many of them were professors of philosophy.
“Okay,” Luke said. “What’s up?”
“Could you close the door?” Jon asked. “I need to talk to you in private.”
Luke shrugged, but he closed the door, then sat down on a chair that faced Jon’s.
Jon took a deep breath. “I can’t stop thinking about the grubber school,” he said.
“How we burned it down. Now that my stepmother’s passed her evaluation, well, I could
go to the authorities, tell them what happened. But I decided to talk to you first.”
Luke got up and opened the door. “Marie!” he called. “Could you get my father for
me? Ask him to come to my room.”
“Yes, Mr. Luke,” Marie said.
“What did you do that for?” Jon asked.
“Wait,” Luke said. “We’ll talk it over with my father.”
Jon felt a sharp longing for a father of his own to talk things over with.
“We’ll convert the garage,” Lisa said. “It’s wired for electricity. We’ll put a heater
in and a bed, some furniture, a lamp. A crib, of course. It’ll be nice and cozy for
both of them.”
The garage had been his place, his and Sarah’s. And now that Lisa had passed her evaluation,
there was nothing to keep him from getting Sarah back. She needed him as much as he
needed her. He’d make her forgive him.
“How about if I move into the garage?” he asked. “Miranda could have my room.”
Lisa shook her head. “That’s sweet, Jon, but it wouldn’t work. No one can know that
she’s family, or we’ll all get in trouble. Besides, in a year you’ll pass your evaluation
and move into the Sexton dorm. Carrie will get transferred, and Gabe will move into
your room. Miranda and her baby can have the nursery then.”
“Have you talked to Miranda?” Jon asked.
Lisa shook her head. “I’ll go there on Sunday and talk to all of them,” she said.
“Laura’s going to be the hardest one to convince. She’s so possessive of Miranda.
But I’ll talk her into it. It’s what’s best for Miranda and the baby. Laura will see
that.”
Good news, weird news, Jon thought. My sister the grub.
But Lisa was right. In a year, he’d either be in the Sexton dorm or thrown out of
Sexton. And in a year Alex might have his truck. Or he and Miranda might decide to
move to that place Matt had told them about. Or the moon might crash into the earth
and they’d all be dead anyway.
“Congratulations,” he said to Lisa. “Now go tell Gabe the good news.”
Wednesday, June 10
Jon walked over to the table where Luke and Sarah were sitting. “Lisa passed her evaluation,”
he said to Luke, pretending not to notice that Sarah was there. “She even got a promotion.”
“That must be a relief,” Luke said. “I know you’ve been worrying about it.”
Jon nodded. “She’s feeling a lot better about things,” he said. “I am, too.”
Sarah kept still.
“That’s it,” Jon said. “Just thought you’d want to know.”
But as he walked back to Tyler’s table, he could sense Sarah looking at him.
Things are about to get better, he told himself. He’d learned from his lessons. He’d
be the man Sarah wanted him to be and then she would have to forgive him.
Friday, June 12
Luke lived almost a mile away, but there was no bus that went through the neighborhoods,
so Jon walked there. He’d been to Luke’s a few times but never without an invitation.
He didn’t think Luke would mind, though.
He didn’t mind, but he was surprised. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Is something
the matter?”
“I wanted to talk to you,” Jon said. “I figured this was the best place.”
“Come on in,” Luke said. “We’ll go to my room.”
Jon thought about the offer Lisa had had for a bigger house. Luke’s felt like a mansion.
His brother lived in the Sexton dorm, so it was just Luke, his parents, and five domestics.
Jon wondered how many of them were professors of philosophy.
“Okay,” Luke said. “What’s up?”
“Could you close the door?” Jon asked. “I need to talk to you in private.”
Luke shrugged, but he closed the door, then sat down on a chair that faced Jon’s.
Jon took a deep breath. “I can’t stop thinking about the grubber school,” he said.
“How we burned it down. Now that my stepmother’s passed her evaluation, well, I could
go to the authorities, tell them what happened. But I decided to talk to you first.”
Luke got up and opened the door. “Marie!” he called. “Could you get my father for
me? Ask him to come to my room.”
“Yes, Mr. Luke,” Marie said.
“What did you do that for?” Jon asked.
“Wait,” Luke said. “We’ll talk it over with my father.”
Jon felt a sharp longing for a father of his own to talk things over with.
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