“Okay. I’m sorry.” Leo sounded subdued. “I guess I’m guilty of being a shitty friend once again. Story of our lives, huh? I’ll try to do better.” He craned his neck, cracking it, and I could almost feel his tension. “Maybe I can come up some time. Not sure when, because we head into camp in a few weeks, but maybe when we play in Philly. Worst case, I’ll come see you at Christmas, I guess.”
I gazed at him steadier. “Leo, if you want to see Nate again, I suggest you come before Christmas. I don’t ... I’m not sure how many good days he has left. Right now, he’s pretty comfortable most of the time, as long as he stays in bed or on the couch. But he’s sleeping a lot more. And his doctor told me that if he gets sick, things could go downhill fast.”
Leo’s mouth tightened into a straight line. “All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
“He’s there now, at his parents’ house. You know, if you’re going to be here for a few days.” I took a deep breath. “If you let me know when you’re coming over, I could make sure I’m out. It might be easier for both of you if I’m not there.”
He nodded. “Weird, though, to think that the three of us—the Trio—are never going to be together again. Guess I never thought of that.”
“Everything changes.” It had been my mantra the last few years.
“Yeah.” He scrubbed his face once more with one hand. “Well, I sent Sarah up to pay for the buns, so I better go find her before she leaves my sorry ass here.” He paused. “We really are just friends, Quinn. She’s completely committed to her career, but she’s come down to hang with me a few times, and I spent a weekend with her in Georgetown. You’d like her friends.”
“Maybe.” I wasn’t ready to commit to that. “Speaking of friends, have you talked to Gia recently?”
“We text a few times a week, and I asked her to come over today for the picnic. I don’t know whether or not she will, but at least she’s invited. She told me she’s been interviewing and trying to find a place to live for next year.”
“I wish ...” I stopped, because there wasn’t any use in wishing. Not at this point. “I hope you get to see her. She told me she was going to try to see Nate and me next week, if she works out this apartment she’s hoping to get.”
“How about Zelda and Tucker? Have you seen them?”
I shook my head. “Zelda’s spending some time in Lancaster with her family. She’ll probably visit us when she gets ready to move to the city next month. I don’t know about Tuck. I’m sure he’ll try to come by and see Nate as soon as he can. They really got to be close, rooming together the last four years.” I tilted my head. “Why did you ask about Zelda and Tucker together?”
“I thought they were a couple.” Leo lifted one shoulder. “Seemed that way at the ... uh, the last time I saw them.”
“Hmm.” I didn’t have the emotional or mental energy to put much consideration into what might or might not be going on between my former roommate and Nate’s. “I thought they might be hooking up at one point when we were still in school, but strangely enough, Zelda’s pretty close-mouthed when it comes to stuff like this. I mean, things that really matter. She’ll give you the details on every guy she’s ever slept with, because none of them mean anything. But the one that might be real is the one she won’t talk about. I asked her about Tuck lots of times, and so did Gia. She’d never say anything other than that they had a complicated history.”
“Don’t we all.” Leo grunted. “Listen, I need to go, and you do, too. I’ll—I’ll call you or text you, and we’ll work out a time for me to see Nate. I promise, Mia. And you need to promise me that if you need anything, you’ll let me know. If you want someone to listen or whatever ... I can do that.” He reached forward, touching my arm with just the tips of his fingers. “I can be your friend, Mia.”
I couldn’t say anything else, and as though he sensed that, Leo only offered me a tight smile before he walked away. I hunkered over the cart, waiting until the inevitable pain eased enough that I could move.
And then I proceeded up and down the aisles, tossing the items on Mark’s list into the basket before I paid for them and left the store.
I drove back to the Wellmans’ house in silence, alone.
