“I know, I know.”
Tean took Jem’s head in his hands.He inspected his eyes, thumbing back Jem’s eyelids.Then he moved his hands to Jem’s wrist and checked his pulse.
“Idothink it was an Ambien because my head is like—you know those ghosts onMario Kart?”
Tean shushed him.His fingers were tight against the pulse point in Jem’s wrist.His hair looked like he’d been running his hands through it.His eyebrows were, to put it in a word, insane.
“Am I going to live?”Jem asked.
“It’s not funny,” Tean said.“What did you take earlier today?”
Jem opened his mouth, ready to explain how he hadn’t taken anything.
“Jem, please,” Tean said.
“One zannie.”He even held up a finger to show how good he’d been.It felt like less of a moral victory, though, when he held up another finger and added, “One addie.”
“You shouldn’t mix medications like that.”
“I know.”
“You shouldn’t be taking other people’s medications at all.”
“I know.”
“What if something happened to you?”
“I know.I know.I’m sorry.”In spite of Jem’s best efforts, a lopsided smile broke out.“Are we apologizing or are we fighting again?”
Tean let out a long breath before he said, “Apologizing.”
“Jem!”Milo shouted.“Can I have a hot dog?”
Tean insisted on helping—in spite of Jem’s best efforts to get him to relax and let Jem handle it.Fortunately, the damage was minimal, and Jem just threw away the hot dog buns that had no ketchup, no mustard, and alotof relish.He prepped fresh buns—mustard for Milo, ketchup for Maeve, the works for himself, and for Tean, an extra dry bun with a sprinkling of despair.He served up the dogs.Maeve took one bite and decided to show everyone what she’d learned at baton school.It mostly involved jumping and swinging her arms.Milo—good man—just pounded his hot dog and then started doing, quote,karate.
“Is baton school a real thing?”Tean asked.
Jem shrugged.“Are mountain goats?”
“Yes.”Tean blinked.“Why?”
“Just checking.”
Tean was still watching Maeve.He had a little stubble—because he hardly grew any facial hair—and Jem was surprised to note that some of it was coming in silver.Only a little, but it was there.And he wondered how much longer before it started showing up in Tean’s hair.And at that point, what the hell was Jem going to do with himself?Tean as a silver fox was going to wreck him.
“I don’t want you to hate your mom,” Tean said quietly.
“I know.”
Tean’s laugh sounded like it might break into lots of tiny pieces.“Do you?”
“Yes, obviously.And I know I shouldn’t have said that about you and your parents.That was way out of line, and it was shitty, and it’s not even true.”
“I think it might be true.I don’t know.I’m so angry, Jem.With them.All the time.”He let out a wet laugh and removed his glasses to wipe his eyes.“I’m such a mess.IknowI’m a mess.And I’m sorry that I’m making your life so difficult right now.”
“You’re not making my life difficult.Youaremy life.”
Tean wiped his eyes again.He kept wiping, the seconds trickling past.
