“You should get some sleep,” she insisted.
“Not until you tell me the truth. How are you really?” I asked gently, hoping to coax the honest answer from her. I couldn’t just end it now.
“Not so good. I can’t believe he’s gone.”
“I can’t either,” I said softly. “He was a good man. I’ll never forget how he took us under his wing…” I trailed off, thinking back to those difficult times.
After my father died of the overdose, Mom enrolled me in music classes taught by Frank to divert my attention away from my loss and keep my passion for music alive. Jamming with Dad was something I’d done before the addiction had taken hold of him, so I’d fought the lessons initially. At first, it hurt to play, knowing I’d never get to jam with my dad again, but writing songs and creating music was something I learned I enjoyed.
It helped me feel connected to him—at least that part of him.
At first, it’d been primarily a distraction, but like most artists…it became a way for me to express myself. With Frank’s encouragement, Calum and I flourished as creative partners. We learned how to play and how to compose songs together.
Our friendship was forged in music and strengthened by mutual understanding of one another. When Evan joined the ranks, he added a splash of light-hearted fun we didn’t realize we lacked. The three of us knew how to play off one another’s personalities and each other’s strengths.
“He took so many people under his wing,” Connor laughed, though her laughter was laced with sadness. “I’m glad he got to hear track three.”
“You played it for him?” I asked, a smile finding its way to my lips.
“Just on the piano,” Connor explained.
“What did he think about it?”
“He said he loved it,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. “I got a chance to play it for him after our last lunch together.”
“That’s great.” I tried not to yawn again, but I was weary to my bones. It’d been hours since I’d slept, and after performing all night, then dealing with the latest Jacobs family dilemma, I was wiped. The yawn escaped, and the second it did, she withdrew.
“You need to get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? Goodnight, Dare,” Connor said.
“Goodnight, beautiful.”
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Connor
I pushedmy blankets the rest of the way off and stood up. The alarm clock on my bedside table read nearly ten in the morning, which was a late sleep-in for me. Usually, I awoke around six, giving myself enough time to get in a quick run and a shower before my day started.
Of course, the past two days hadn’t been usual. I spent yesterday accompanying my parents to the funeral home to make arrangements for the service on Friday. I’d texted Dare the minute we booked it, so he could inform Tai and make arrangements to get out here.
Calum had arrived late the night before, and after promising to take me out for lunch, he disappeared into his room for the night. I didn’t know if he was awake yet, or if he was still sleeping. All I knew is that I couldn’t sleep any longer.
Each time I closed my eyes, I saw Gramps. Be it a memory turned into a dream, or a figment of my imagination…he’d seemed so real, telling me everything would be okay. Hearing it made me feel that maybe everything would be.
For a while, I’d tried lying in bed. I checked my text messages and replied to the series of texts Lara had sent checking in to see if I was okay.
I texted back, just letting her know I was as okay as could be expected, given the circumstances. I told her Calum was home, and I might be slow in responding but I’d touch base when I could.
Lara: We’re thinking of you. Let me know if you need me to come out and rescue you. School’s boring without you.Lara texted back.
School. I couldn’t even think about school. I had assignments I needed to complete, and I was missing a week’s worth of classes. I emailed the program director and my professors to let them know why I was absent. Turns out the dean had known Gramps, and he ended up personally reaching out by email to give condolences and tell me to take as much time as I needed.
I dressed in a pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt before heading downstairs, where I found Calum and Mom sitting at the kitchen table.
“Good morning, sweetie,” Mom said, smiling when I walked in. I smiled back, happy to see her smile wasn’t completely lost, despite losing Gramps.
I suspected she’d known a lot more about how he was doing health-wise than anyone else, but she was still devastated. Mom had been close to both of her parents. She’d already lost her mom, my nan, years ago. Now she had only us…and Dad.
Calum’s return was the silver lining here—Mom was glad he’d finally come home. The relief shone in her irises, and her smile, every single time she glanced at him.
