The kind you trust with a life. Even my daughter’s.
“He broke his back for me.”
“Mm-hmm. And a leg.”
She takes a long, deep breath as we settle into the quiet.
“I’m going to miss you when you leave me for med school.”
When she doesn’t respond, I glance over at her. Her neck tightens as she swallows. “I’m staying. Here in Northview.”
I blink rapidly, waiting for her to expand. When she doesn’t, I pry as much as I will. “That’s new.”
The white of her teeth glows as constellations sparkle with brilliant focus all around us. “I…have a new plan. Something I wanted to talk about with you and Mom.”
I shrug. “Of course. Want to call her?—”
Her eyes greet the sky again. “In a minute.”
There’s a long silence where we settle in until she breaks it with, “I want to help here. If I left to go to Hopkins or somewhere else, I’d be abandoning everyone around Northview. It’s not what I want anymore.”
I try to hold back my excitement. “And that’s what you want?”
A genuine smile shines back at me, the sparkles of the night lighting up her face. “Yes.”
“I bet Apollo was excited.” But I say it because I’m doing internal cartwheels myself. Kins will lose her mind and throw a party.
“I haven’t…told him that part yet.”
My eyebrows lift. “Oh? Why not?”
“Waiting for the right moment.”
I nod slow. “How’s the POT going? Are they giving you any trouble?”
“Dad?”
“Yeah, my Padawan? You need me?”
“No. We made the right moves.”
I reach for her hand and squeeze. “Perfect.”
“And you and Mom will be at the next board meeting?”
I meet her eyes. Ones that look like a mirror of mine. “Of course. It may take all of us, but we’ll tear down the system.”
“And rebuild it the way it should be.”
“I’m home!”I call out loudly so Apollo doesn’t get up.
He’s made it to the sofa while I was at class, his crutches leaning against the side. Gaming controller shoved in his hands. Sans shirt. Sweatpants low. Crushed bags of chips and cookies surround him.
“My tulip! Wait. I’m in a boss fight! Just a second!”
I chuckle. After the hospital, he’s been slacking, andhe deserves it. I don’t think he would have made it if Valen and my brother Bo hadn’t shown up as soon as Apollo hit the roof. They were able to call the paramedics immediately.
Walking into this scene, tossing my keys into the bowl next to the door, kicking my shoes off in the closet? It feels…like more evidence I made the right decision to stay in Northview. There’s no way I could abandon this place. I’d be thinking about everyone here. I’d be leaving everything I love. My friends… Stallion Sundays at the Griffins. Monthly planetarium visits with Dad. Friday nights with Mom.
