These two had misunderstood the assignment. I meant a boy that they honestly disliked, not someone they both had a secret crush on. Hopefully it would work anyway. I held the ball out and pointed to the middle. “Well, pretend the ball is Deacon’s face. And he just ate your entire bag of Doritos.”
I handed the ball to Anna and stepped out of the way. Her brow furrowed, determined. She dribbled the ball in a well-worn spot which was mostly smooth packed dirt, got her stance right, and tossed the ball up. When it came down, she hit it with an intensity that reminded me of Sophie. The ball zoomed across the grass court Clem had made for her and hit the top of the net, almost going over. It dropped back to the ground.
Anna groaned. “I’m never gonna get it.”
“Yes, you will.” I could tell her how many times I’d had to throw a lasso before I finally got it, but I thought it would discourage her. It was well into the hundreds. And she was already discouraged enough. “You’re so close. This time, toss the ball a little higher and hit it a little sooner. Don’t forget it’s Deacon’s head.” I didn’t want her to lose the intensity.
Determination stole across her face. She tossed the next one up and gave it a hard wallop. It skimmed across the top of the net and dropped to the grass on the other side.
Brooklyn screamed, “Yasss Queen!” and tackled Anna. They fell back onto the grass, laughing, and I grinned, pride swelling in my chest. But I couldn’t help but feel a little sick at that moment. How many of Anna’s successes had I missed by living across the country? And how many more would I miss when I went back? I loved this girl as much as I loved Clem.Her enthusiasm and love for life were infectious. The thought of leaving her was wrecking me.
My phone rang.
Christy. A sick pang took up residence in my gut. I hoped with everything in me that today would be my lucky day and Christy would be uncharacteristically understanding.
“You guys keep working on it. I have to take this.” I doubted they heard me over their celebrating. I strode across the lawn and answered the phone. This wasn’t a conversation I wanted Anna to hear. “Hey. How has your day been?”
“Hey,” Christy’s voice was overly happy—a telltale sign she was anxious. The phrase “we need to talk” usually had that effect on people. “It’s been good. Been working on my thesis like always. My brain is fried. I only need five more pages and I’ll be done, but I feel like I’m already repeating myself.”
Christy and I had met in the U of W Masters in Education program. I graduated in December and she was defending her thesis in a couple of weeks. Normally, I would offer to edit for her. I’d spent hours brainstorming and proofreading. But I didn’t know if she’d want me anywhere near her or her paper after today.
Brooklyn and Anna screamed and ran around the yard, pumping their fists in the air. One of them must’ve gotten another serve over. I gave them a thumbs up and turned around, looking out over Firefly Fields, giving Christy my full attention.
“We need to talk?” Christy’s voice shook.
I sat on the edge of a wooden planter box and pulled newly sprouted weeds from the dirt, trying to calm my nerves. “I just…I think I overestimated how hard this situation was going to be?—”
“Did you kiss her?”
Wow. Straight outta the gate. “No, I didn’t.”But almost.Ipressed my forehead into my hand, rubbing one temple with my thumb, the other with my index finger.
“I hear a ‘but’ in your voice.”
“But. Things are more complicated than I realized.”
“What does that mean?” I could hear her struggling between being understanding and losing her crap. She never had patience with my tendency to beat around the bush. So I stopped beating.
“It means…I feel like there’s a tug of war and I’m the rope. Sophie wanted me to be here for Anna?—”
“That was a really selfish thing she did, forcing you into that agreement with Lemon.” She sounded like she’d spit acid out of her mouth.
There was nothing that got my back up faster than someone questioning Sophie’s character. Double that now that she’d passed away. “Sophie wasn’t perfect, but she loved her family fiercely. And Clem was family to her.” I threw out my hand. “Regardless of how you feel about it or if you understand why Sophie did it, I need to be here for Anna this summer. And honestly, Clem too. She’s got some stuff going on and she needs a friend.” I barreled on before she could react to that. “She was Sophie’s best friend, and you know what Sophie made me promise on her deathbed.” Christy had been standing right next to me when Sophie said it and, to be honest, I kind of resented Christy for it. I’d wanted that moment with my sister, alone. But Christy wanted to be there for all of it since she was “going to be family now.”
“Make sure Lemon’s okay,” she recalled bitterly.
“Yes. And I am doing a halfway job of both things because I’m spending every evening on the phone with you?—”
“You promised?—”
“And the rest of my time with a knot in my stomach, waiting for you to get mad that I’m not texting enough orgiving you enough attention.” I hated putting that on her. I knew her worry was real. But… “I can’t do it anymore.”
There, I said it.
“Youpromisedyou wouldn’t dump me.” Her voice broke.
I tugged at the back of my hair. “I know. I’m…I’m really sorry.” I was. I hadn’t planned any of this. “I just…It’s too much pressure. I’m not living like this all summer. I can’t do it, and I’m sorry if you hate me, but this little girl needs me and my attention right now. She’s got to be my top priority.”
“Uncle Si, watch!” Anna yelled as she nailed one over the net.
