“She’ll be okay,” Riley said.
“I know.” Brent swallowed, dabbing at his eyes again. “I’mthe one who’s not gonna be okay. I know exactly how parents feel now. What the hell do I do with my life if not look after her?”
“You get the chance to live it,” Riley said, brushing his thumb over the back of Brent’s hand. “I know you never resented being left with her, but you didn’t choose it, either. It’s something that happened to you, and you’ve never had a chance to heal. This… this is your chance.”
“But what do Ido?” Brent asked, his lip trembling. He suddenly looked twenty-two all over again, having just been dropped in the deep end and desperate for guidance.
Riley wasn’t sure how much help he’d been then, and he wasn’t sure how much help he’d be now, but he was going to try anyway.
“You follow your heart. It knows the way,” Riley said.
Sometimes, he hated that he sounded likeZen Quotations for Dummies, but a lot of the stuff that people dismissed as trite or stupid or obvious was really important. If they gave it the chance to resonate, if they justlistenedsometimes, they’d be happier.
Brent was usually pretty smart about taking advice. Riley rarely got frustrated with him. Only when it came to working himself to the bone for other people’s benefit.
If Brent could get it into his head that looking after himself was important, Riley would be happy.
Brent sniffed. “I don’t think I’m in a frame of mind to appreciate that advice right now. I just… need a minute.”
“I know,” Riley said. “And I don’t care if we sit here all day. I have nowhere else to be.”
“Thanks.” Brent looked down at his lap. “I’ll be okay. Everything just seems to be happening at once right now.”
“So now wouldn’t be a good time to tell you that you have to come to lunch with my family tomorrow?”
Despite the tears still welling up in his eyes, Brent laughed. “Owen already invited me, actually.”
“That’s nice, but Owen’s married. So you have to come as my date instead.”
Riley’s stomach bottomed out at saying the worddate, since they’d both been carefully avoiding putting any kind of labels on what they were doing, but it seemed like the bare minimum.
“Date?” Brent asked. Obviously, Riley’s word choice hadn’t gone unnoticed.
He wanted to sayyes, date, be firm about it, ask Brent for what he really wanted, but he couldn’t do it.
“Would you prefer guest?” Riley asked.
He didn’t want to push Brent away. Brent was having a hard time right now, he didn’t need Riley making demands of him. He needed a chance to figure out whathewanted.
Even if what he wanted turned out not to be Riley.
“I… don’t know.” Brent kept staring down into his lap. “I have no idea.”
“That’s okay,” Riley rushed to assure him. “Will you come anyway? As my friend?”
“Well, your mom will kill me if I don’t, so…”
Riley smiled at that. She would have gone over to Brent’s house and dragged him by the ear if he hadn’t showed up. When she made her mind up about something, that was final.
Riley was still hoping to grow up to be like her.
“Good. I could use the company.”
“Your entire family will be there,” Brent pointed out.
“Yeah, but they all havetheirfamilies with them. I’m always alone.”
Riley wondered the moment he said it if maybe he’d said too much. He didn’t really want Brent to worry about how profoundly lonely he was.
