“Grandma Lois,” Junie said politely, “would you like to go to McDonald’s with us?”
“I love McDonald’s,” Lois said.
They decided to listen to Disney songs again, and everyone but Gus sang along. He seemed mildly mollified by that.
Cary’s step was noticeably lighter when he walked back toward the car. Shiloh got up and let Junie out of her seat so that Cary could climb in more easily.
“All good?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said, sounding relieved. “Thanks.”
He got into the car.
Junie climbed in after him. She covered her face. “I forgot your name,” she said.
“It’s Cary.”
She dropped her hands. “Cary, would you like some McDonald’s?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I really would.”
Even Gus cheered up once they were in the McDonald’s drive-through.
The kids got Happy Meals. Cary got a Big Mac and an orange drink.
“What’s anorangedrink?” Junie asked.
“It’s the best drink,” he said.
“Well, I will have to try it sometime.”
They listened to Disney songs on the way home, and everyone sang. Even Cary. It had been a million years since Shiloh had heard him sing—but she’d heard him sing a million times. She tried not to catch his eyes in the mirror.
“Don’t sing with your mouth full,” Cary told Junie.
Gus liked “Go the Distance” best, and no one minded if they listened to it three times in a row. Everyone in the car just seemed relieved, generally speaking.
When they got to Cary’s house, Lois had to use the bathroom, so they didn’t spend much time on goodbyes.
“I’m going to invite you over for fried chicken,” Lois told Junie.
“Okay,” Junie said, “thank you.”
Shiloh didn’t get out of the car to help. Cary seemed to have it under control.
He looked back at her when he got to the porch.
She waved.
“It feels good to help people,” Junie said primly.
Shiloh nodded.
Twenty-Three
before
Shiloh was home alone watching aNewlywed Gamererun when Cary came to her front door. (It was the end of her junior year, and her mom had decided that they couldn’t afford cable. Shiloh watchedso manygame shows.)
