Did emotional homework. Still hate it.
Miguel
Proud of you. Tell your boss I said she has good ideas.
I glance toward the squat beige counseling building in the distance. The thought of actually telling Dr. Kaur about this makes my stomach flip, but in a different way than it used to. Not dread. More like… handing in an assignment you didn’t think you could finish.
Caleb
I’ll tell her.
She’ll probably make it a worksheet.
Miguel
Sexy.
Rolling my eyes at my screen I keep walking with my brain still scared. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop. But instead of just shoes, there’s a list in my pocket. There’s Miguel in a hoodie, going to therapy so he can keep loving me without burning out. There’s a therapist who doesn’t think we’re doomed. A mom who will show up with food and prayers and inappropriate jokes in Spanish whenever we need her.
And there’s me.
Scared. Shaky. Still here.
It’s not much, but it’s a helluva lot more than I had before and I’ll fucking take it.
TWENTY-EIGHT
CALEB
The bus smells like sweat, cheap body spray, and questionable fast food. In other words, peak college basketball ambiance. We’re somewhere on I-5 headed north, the sky a flat winter gray outside the smeared windows. Half the team are asleep, hoodies over their faces. The other half are yelling at each other over some game on one of their phones.
I try to care. I really do.
My leg bounces so hard my kneecap feels like it might just launch.
Oregon.
Not even that far from home. Close enough that when the schedule came out, my dad sent a simple text: We’ll see you there. That prompted Miguel to take the time off and hitch a ride with them.
My phone buzzes in my hand.
Miguel
Almost at the arena. Traffic sucks balls. Mamá is threatening to fight an Audi.
Caleb
Surely you don’t mean my angel of a stepmother who prays over me whenever she drags me to mass.
Miguel
The very one. She says, “If this pendejo cuts me off one more time, I will lay holy hands on him.”
Focus up. We’ll be in the stands.
My stomach flips and I swallow what feels like an entire desert.
Caleb
