Good choice.
Goldie was bouncing with excitement to see Tully playing his first professional game, and once again, despite trying so hard, I ended up in a seat next to Camden. Goldie was on theother side of me, and Jackson was on the other side of Camden. Our parents surrounded us, and nobody seemed to notice that Camden and I were doing our best to avoid each other at all costs.
Midway through the game, Noah, who was sitting in the row right in front of us, got a call and looked past Dylan and the girl Dylan had brought, and he got his dad’s attention. He looked panicked.
“She’s having the baby,” he said, holding up his phone.
“What?” Everett said.
“Margo’s having the baby.”
“It’s way too soon,” Everett said.
Noah nodded. “I have to get out of here.” He looked around like he was stuck.
I didn’t know Margo very well, even though she was at the Whitmans’ almost every time I was. They were five years older than me, and ever since high school, Margo and Noah were always in their own little orbit. They’d beenrelationship goals, so I was shocked when they’d broken up. Noah had been sad ever since, but Goldie said he and Margo were still close. Both of us agreed that we didn’t understand a relationship like that. How could you still be that close and not be together? We thought they’d for sure get back together once the baby came.
Goldie reached forward and put her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll come with you to the hospital. I’m sure she’s okay.”
“Yeah, I hope so. She was crying really hard.” He shook his head. “You don’t need to leave the game. Stay. I don’t want you to miss this. Tully needs to know we were here for him. I’m sure Dad’s right. Everything will be okay. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Everett told us he’d keep us posted, and he and Noah worked their way out of the seats. We stayed and cheered our asses off.About three-quarters into the game, a vendor delivered me a drink.
I frowned and said, “What is this?” even though I could see it was canned wine.
“From that guy over there,” the man said.
I looked at the row across from us, and it was the guy who’d complimented me earlier.
I lifted the can and said thank you. He winked, and he was getting up to come over when Camden stood up and looked right at the guy. I couldn’t see his face because his back was to me, but whatever he did, the guy sat back down in his seat and didn’t look at me for the rest of the game.
“Are you kidding me right now?” I hissed. “What did you do?”
“Jackson, deal with your sister,” he said. “That punk over there is hitting on her, and she’s ready to throw herself at the guy.”
“I am not,” I was saying as Jackson turned and told the guy to keep his eyes to himself. “You are such an idiot,” I told Camden under my breath. “Some things never change. Even at twenty-five, you are the most emotionally stunted man I have ever met.”
He pretended not to hear me.
Tully won. It would have been way more fun if I could’ve gotten out of my head about Camden and just enjoyed the game.
We’d just sat down in a booth at a nearby restaurant when Camden got a call from Everett. I had studiously avoided looking at him, but I could tell when his shoulders dropped, and then I heard his voice.
“Oh my God,” he said, sounding shaken.
I looked over then to see the color drain from his face.
“What’s happened?” Goldie asked.
I reached over and squeezed her hand.
“The baby’s fine,” Camden said, “but something’s wrong with Margo. She’s on a ventilator.”
Over the next few days, we were in and out of the hospital, and when we weren’t there, I was over at the Whitmans’ house cooking for everyone, trying to keep Goldie’s mind off of things, and just trying to be helpful wherever I could.
Margo died three mornings later, and Noah was left to raise a baby boy on his own.
It shook all of us to the core. Margo was beautiful and vibrant, and it was impossible to imagine that she was just gone.
