“I was going to run on the track,” I protested.
They both looked at me.
“I just needed a little space.”
Luke shook his head. “And that would be all right. But this is avoidance.”
“I’m trying not to be a burden on you guys, ok?”
“Emmy,” Luke sighed, “we’ve been over this. You’re not a burden.”
“That’s not true,” I answered. “I was a mess. And now I’mgoing to show you both that I’m ok on my own. I can take care of Charlie, and myself, and we’ll be fine. Tara, you had a baby while you were in high school and you graduated anyway. You have a good marriage, you went to school to become a nurse. Luke, you run a quadrillion dollar business, or whatever it is. I’m going to show you that I’m capable, too.”
Luke rubbed his eyes. “Emmy—”
“How do you think I did it?” Tara interrupted him. “I did it because I had Diego, his parents, my mom, even his grandmother helping me. I couldn’t have done it alone. What’s your problem, Em? Really. I’m not buying this crock you’re selling.”
I looked at my clenched hands in my lap. “I’m really embarrassed about how I acted, falling to pieces. I don’t want to be that person to either of you.”
“What person is that?” Luke picked up my fist from my lap and held it in his hand.
“That person…” The words wouldn’t come out.
“Emmy, neither of us are going anywhere. Ok?” I had never heard Tara’s voice so gentle. “You aren’t going to make us take off because you need us. Trying some reverse psychology shit to make us go isn’t going to work either.”
I stared at Luke’s hand, gripping mine.
“Anything you want to say?” Tara asked.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. I cleared my throat. “I’m kind of having a hard time.”
They both nodded. Then I heard Charlie’s cry from upstairs, and ran up to comfort him out of another nightmare.
∞
Luke ended up spending the night. I got Charlie back to sleep, and a few hours later came crawling back into my own bedroom, where I found Luke sleeping diagonally across the short bed. I fit myself into the space next to him and he curled around me in his sleep. When I heard Charlie stirring the next morning, I hopped out of bed and ran down into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Luke followed me.
“Good morning,” I told him. He pulled me into his arms and buried his face against my hair, holding me tightly. “This is a nice way to say good morning, too,” I said softly, and he pulled me even tighter.
Charlie came padding into the kitchen, his usual morning grouch on.
“Emmy, I’m hungry.” He didn’t seem to notice that Luke was there, and had me locked in a hug. “Can you make eggs? Or French toast?”
Luke picked his head up. “I’m the French toast man around here,” he said, his voice scratchy. “Your aunt can do the grilled cheese, but I’ll handle breakfasts.” So Charlie watched and listened to Luke’s instructions, and I cut up the last of the delicious fruit that Annie had brought.
“You don’t want the frying pan too hot,” Luke was explaining. “You can flick some water in to test it out.”
“I want to try that,” Charlie said, and they spent the next several minutes watching water droplets boil and evaporate.
“Wow, it’s two of the states of matter right in the pan,” I remarked casually. “By adding heat, you add energy, which makes the water turn from a liquid to a gas.” Charlie ignoredthis fascinating tidbit. Luke smiled at me. “I’d also like to remind everyone that only people over the age of twelve may use the stove alone, so this scientific experiment can’t be repeated without an adult present.”
We sat down at the table to eat and I noticed Luke eying me. “Stop watching me eat,” I told him. I held up a bite and ostentatiously put it in my mouth.
“What?” Charlie asked. “Why are you watching her?”
“I worry about your aunt,” Luke explained.
Charlie chewed for a while. “Is it because you love her?”
