Scott was relocating. That meant that he was moving on, starting over without Casey. Faith watched her sister closely for emotion. She wanted to be ready when Casey fell apart, but Casey didn’t. Her face was blank, empty.
“What did you say to him?” She wanted to tell Casey to snap out of it, get back on that phone, and scream at Scott not to do it. What about Isabella? Would she have to fly back and forth from state to state to see her parents? Or was he going to just leave them behind? She knew him well enough that she couldn’t imagine he’d do that. What was he thinking?
“WhatcouldI say, Faith?”
They sat in silence, side by side as Faith tried to digest this information. She thought way back to those years she’d known Scott, trying to find some rational reason why he’d go so far away from his wife and child. People did it all the time—she knew that—butScottwouldn’t do it. At least the Scott she knew wouldn’t do it. …Unless he was running.
She remembered what it felt like to see him after he and Casey were married. She didn’t want to have to watch his affection for someone else, let alone her own sister. She didn’t want to bump into him in public, have to smile as if nothing bothered her, knowing that her life had been altered. What if he felt the same way about Casey? What if he worried she’d find someone who didn’t mind her sporadic work schedule, and the fact that she was never still? What if she started to fall for this new person and he’d have to run into them in public? What if Scott loved Casey too much to endure that?
“You need to tell him to stay. Tell him you don’t want him to go.”
“It’s clear what he wants. I’m not going to grovel. I can stand on my own two feet.”
Casey was trying to act as if she was okay with everything. She was too proud to admit defeat, and she wasn’t used to not getting what she wanted, so she pretended like thiswaswhat she wanted. But Faith was determined to get through to her.
“What if he wants you back so badly that he can’t stand the idea of seeing you if he can’t be with you, Casey? Did you tell him how you felt?”
“He didn’t give me a chance.”
“Let me call him.” She hadn’t really spoken to Scott in any significant way since that party so many years ago. She had never thought the idea of calling him would come so easily for her. But it had been long enough. Scott had been her best friend; she’d told him everything at one point in her life. She wanted to find out his side of things.
“What?”
“I want to call Scott. I want to find out what he actually thinks about all this.”
Confusion was clear on Casey’s face as she looked at Faith.
Her whole life, Faith had thought everything came easily for Casey, that she never had to struggle, yet she, too, had insecurities—Faith was finding that out more and more. Even Casey didn’t feel confident enough in her own relationship to tell Scott how she felt. It seemed so silly. Was she worried he wouldn’t feel the same about her?
Faith knew what her sister needed and she might be able to fix it all if her hunch was right.
“Let me call him. Mom’s getting Isabella’s breakfast. You can help her.”
“I don’t know…”
“Casey. I want to do this as much for me as for you. I’d like to talk to him. I promise not to plead with him or tell him what you think. But I want to hear what he thinks. And he might tell me, Casey.”
Still slightly hesitant, Casey reached for her phone on the floor, typed in her passcode, and handed it to Faith. “Come get me when you’re done,” she said, and then stood up and left the room.
Faith’s fingers felt light with anticipation as she tapped the phone icon and typed in Scott’s name. His number came up. Seeing his name and number, gave her pause. As she stared at his name on the screen, she realized how long it had truly been. This was a big move for her, and she knew it, but just like Nan had said, it was important to take a chance. She needed to finally be supportive of her sister and her brother-in-law. She hit “call” and put the phone to her ear. Her heart pounded as the phone pulsed its ringing signal.
“Casey,” he answered on the first ring. Had he been hoping she’d call back?
“It’s,” she cleared her throat. “It’s Faith, actually.”
She heard rustling on the other end of the line, as if he were sitting up. “Faith? Is everything okay?”
“Yes and no.”
SEVENTEEN
It was as if the weight of the world had been taken off Faith’s shoulders. She was talking to Scott and she was fine. She was really fine. And she realized that she’d missed having him as her friend. That was what they were best at and what they would always be. She explained that Casey and Isabella were both okay, but the bad news was that she’d heard he was moving away, and she wouldn’t get to have all her favorite people together at once anymore. She told him how seeing Nan this week had put it all into perspective, and she felt awful for not spending more time with her family. Now, he was moving away just as she was hoping to have him back. She waited to hear what he had to say.
“I don’t want to go,” he said. “It’s just easier if I do.”
“I know what you mean. Casey’s a difficult person to love, but it doesn’t make me love her any less. I’m sure you feel the same way.”
He didn’t respond. She waited an excruciatingly long time, but nothing came.
