“He just needs time. He’s grieving.”
We were all grieving. “How much time?” Tears spilled down my cheeks.
My brother stopped what he was doing, walked to me, and gave me a hug. “Maybe you want to go spend the night at your girlfriend’s house. Get away from here for a while.”
I dragged my sleeve across my face, wiping the tears away. “It hurts to even think about anything else. How can I laugh and be happy ever again?”
“How about I go get us some shakes from Reilly’s? You love those things.”
I shrugged, not really wanting one but knowing he was trying to help. “I guess.”
“Want to go with me?”
I shook my head. “I’ll wait here.” I didn’t want to see anyone I knew. I was already tired of the endless expressions of sympathy.
When Derek was gone, Sully drove up. He walked into the shop twirling his keys and glanced around.
“Where is everybody?”
Sully had worked in my dad’s shop throughout high school. Now he was twenty-two and had a real job working as a mechanic for one of the car dealers in town.
He wore a blue shirt with a white oval patch over his chest with his name embroidered on it. The first time I saw it, I thought itwas the coolest thing ever. I knew he had several of them, and I used to daydream about stealing one and wearing it to bed.
Since I turned fourteen, I’d crushed hard on Sully.
He barely knew I existed.
“Dad went to the bar. Remy got pissed and left. Derek went to Reilly’s to get me a shake.”
“You doin’ okay?” he asked, his head tilting, his eyes focused on mine.
“I wish everyone would stop asking me that.”
“People are asking because it’s obvious you’re not fine, Six. And that’s understandable.”
When I didn’t reply, he took a step closer.
“C’mere.”
I didn’t need him to say it twice; I went into his arms and let out the wail I’d been holding in.
His strong hands stroked my back.
“I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you’ll get through this, honey. You’ll make it to the other side of this. You’ve still got your whole life ahead of you. And somehow your mother will be with you through it all, because you’ll carry her memory in your heart. Always.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“How did you do it?” I asked, remembering he’d lost his mother at twelve years old.
“Survive losing my mom?” He shrugged. “Just tried to make it to the end of each day until they became a string of days, then weeks, then months and years. The pain fades, but you’ll always feel like a piece of you is missing. I guess Derek and Remy helped. It was the year we all started racing in the juniors. I’m lucky your father paid my entrance fees and gave me his old equipment. My own father didn’t have a dime to spare in thosedays. Still doesn’t. Hell, your mother fed me half the nights that first year.”
I stayed in his arms; it was my safe place.
“Hey,” he whispered.
“Yeah?” I replied without moving.
