But what if this trip makes it all fall apart and you suddenly don’t have a bigger purpose anymore?
I tell the voices to shut up and I get back to work cleaning my whole plate.
Like agood boy.
I am absolutely asking Laney to call me agood boyin bed tonight.
Zero. Question.
And that’s what I’m fantasizing about when I realize something’s wrong.
There’s a commotion up near the head table.
“Whazzat?” Uncle Owen says.
“Someone fell,” Aunt Brenda says.
“Out of their chair?”
“Oh, god, call 9-1-1!” Chandler’s mom shrieks.
“Clear the room! I’m a doctor!” Lucky booms.
“You’re a nurse, stud,” Decker yells.
“Better than you,” Lucky hollers.
Laney’s out of her seat, bolting to the next table, where—oh, fuck.
It’s her father.
Her father’s on the floor.
Has to be.
No one else is missing from the table. Her mother’s on her feet, sobbing and pointing.
And Lucky is diving into action.
I rise.
Everyone’s rising.
Laney’s hugging her mom, looking terrified, and I can’t—I can’t—
“EpiPen!” Lucky hollers. “Anyone have an EpiPen?”
“Me!” Chandler bellows. “Emma.Emma. Where’s my EpiPen?”
“You don’t have an EpiPen,” my sister cries.
“I got mine!” Jack yells.
EpiPen.
EpiPen.
Fuck.
