“Nope.”
It’s my turn to study her for a block.
I don’t ask if she believes in me.
I don’t have to.
Somehow, I know she does.
She does, and she gets it.
She knows I need to do this on my own.
“It’s delicious chocolate, Tavi,” she says softly as we reach the walkway to Patrice’s house. “And I’m fucking proud of you.”
Chapter 26
Dylan
Since Tavi posted the sixth or seventh video of me talking her through fixing plumbing problems, my phone won’t stop ringing.
And it’s no longer my friends and family.
It’s potential clients.
I have this sink that hasn’t drained right in a few weeks. Could you swing by this evening? My daughter will be stopping by for a visit, and she needs to know how to unclog her own pipes.
My faucets are leaking. Also, is Tavi Lightly riding along with you?
Do you know anything about why my showerhead doesn’t have any pressure? I just rented this new apartment, and it’s so big and lonely.
There’s this weird odor coming from my dishwasher. I think it’s the ghost of what you did in high school coming back to haunt me, you asshole.
Yeah, that last one’s fun.
I don’t return that message, but it does make my chest hurt.
“Ignore it,” Teague says as I catch up to him on my way to the snowshoe baseball field just barely in time. We play for the Tickled Pink Gold Stars, with games on Wednesday nights through half the summer, and we used to be good before we let the Lightlys onto our team. Tonight’s our last game.
We’re playing Deer Drop.
I’m sincerely hoping the Lightlys are sitting this one out.
“Ignore what?”
“Whatever’s making you look like you ate rotten sauerkraut with a curdled-milk chaser.”
He doesn’t look at me when he says it, but Phoebe does. “Bridget saw the trolls popping up on your TikTok,” she explains.
“Trolls happen.”
Now I get the full-on grumpy-dad look aimed my way. “Trolls and the people who want to tell the world about your glory days aren’t the same.”
And now I’m cringing. “Glory days?”
I get a rare grin, and I wonder just how much glory-daying he did himself before he left his family behind all those years ago.
Before I can ask, Lola Minelli waves at me. “Dylan! Dylan, look, I’m on your team! Isn’t that the best!”
