“They’re confused, though,” I said with a grin. “Because you listen to K-pop.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “They don’t get it.”
“Of course not,” I said. “Adults never understand teenagers. I remember that. But even though I’m an adult, I still know you’re not Goth. Do you know how?”
She shook her head. “How?”
“Because Goths dance like this…” I said, dropping my shoulders and then stomping around like a ghoul while I made sad faces.
“No one dances like that!” Ava said with a laugh.
“And do you know how Goths who listen to K-pop dance?” I asked, still stretching my face down in a frown, even though it was hard not to laugh.
“No!” she said, covering her face with her hands.
“Like this!” I answered, then started to jump around, still slouching my shoulders and frowning at the ground while I leaped.
Ava broke out in hysterical laughter, and for one glorious minute, I forgot about everything else. I forgot about the fact that my life might well be over and that this could actually be my last day ever with Franklin and Rory. All of that disappeared, and I got to just be goofy and normal.
It was like a dream.
“You’re weird,” Ava said. “You’re as weird as they are.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “They are pretty weird, aren’t they?”
“Yeah,” she said. “But I like them.”
“I do, too,” I agreed, then held up my fist for her to bump. “Weirdos unite, am I right?”
She laughed, then bumped my fist. “Whatever.”
Ava slipped her headphones over her ears, then turned and wandered back to the house. Shaking my head, I slipped the safety gear back on and returned to work.
Maybe I’ll leave a couple nice memories behind in Seattle after all,I thought.
It was at least a nice fantasy, no matter what was in store for me next.
RORY
From the window behind the kitchen sink, Frankie and I watched as Asher jumped around in front of Ava, making her laugh her head off.
“She hasn’t laughed like that since she moved here,” he said. “Not even at my best jokes!”
I patted his back. “Just be glad she’s moving through her grief. It’s a good sign, Frankie.”
He nodded, but for one brief second, a cloud came across his face. It was a memory of his sister, I knew, something distant and bittersweet. When he turned back outside, his eyes falling back on Ava in her laughter, his smile returned.
“It is a good sign,” he said.
With my arm on his shoulder, we watched Ava and Asher, laughing and getting to know each other. Out of nowhere, a sense of contentment and warmth rolled through my body. After the last year had upset so much in our life together, it finally felt like the pieces were falling back into place and that we were finding our new normal.
“He’s a great guy, isn’t he?” Frankie said. “He’s had a hard time, but he’s pulled through it.”
“Just needs to love himself,” I agreed. “Same as everyone else.”
Ava came back inside, a little more chatty than usual. She had a sleepover at her new friend’s house that evening, so Frankie and I busied ourselves asking a million unnecessary questions, like the nervous new guardians we were. Once we had her loaded up with enough supplies to last a week, Colleen came to drive her by the girl’s house in time for pizza, and Frankie and I prepared for an evening alone.
"It looks like Asher is packing up,” Frankie said, glancing out the back window. “I’m going to run out and see how the work went.”
