He didn’t answer at first, but stood there taking her in. Emma tried to read his expression.
“Come here,” he said, finally.
Slowly, Emma walked around the car. It wasn’t until she was right in front of him that she understood. Jake let one of his crutches fall to the ground with a clatter, and while balancing on the other he held his free arm out. Emma didn’t hesitate. She pressed herself against him, wrapping both arms around his neck.
“God, I wanted to see you,” he whispered in her hair. “Finally.”
Emma couldn’t speak. The lump in her throat was too big.
“What perfect timing!” Jane said. But Emma wasn’t so sure. She turned her gaze toward her mother, fresh worry blooming in her chest.
“Jake,” Amelia said. Emma turned, noting the cool tone in her mother’s voice. But there was genuine warmth in her expression, much to her relief. “You look good.”
Jake laughed. “What’s left of me.”
As they made small talk in the driveway, Emma couldn’t keep her eyes off of her uncle. He looked like he’d lost weight. Gone was the flush of color in his cheeks, the deep rumble in his laugh. She hated the change.
“Baby, you must be tired,” Olivia said, suddenly. She and Jane both extended their arms at the same time, then caught themselves.
“All this mothering,” Jake joked. “I’m fine, but I am sore. I should probably head inside.”
“Yes, we should go,” Amelia agreed.
Hugs were exchanged and everyone agreed it was time to get going, though Emma could tell it was awkward.
Jake caught her eye as the women said their goodbyes.“Hey,” he said, as she went to hug him one last time. “About the accident…”
Emma stepped back, about to interrupt, but the look in his eyes stopped her.
“Look around,” he told her, in a firm whisper. Emma glanced over her shoulder at her family, then back to Jake.
“This,” he said, nodding his chin at the group of women behind them. “This is what it’s all about now.”
“But Uncle Jake,” she began.
“No, Em. Everyone is okay. That’s all that matters.” He leaned in close, his eyes watery with emotion. “Do you understand?”
Emma bit her lip. “I think so.”
On the way home, Emma said, “I want Dad to talk to Uncle Jake.” She was tired of it. Every time she brought up his name, her parents got this worried look. Or made excuses to avoid him. First, they wanted her to recover. Then, they claimed he needed time to heal. But now he was in a rehabilitation facility, and Emma knew for a fact that other family members had visited him, if not her own parents. He was her uncle and they’d been through something awful together.
Her mother flicked her hair behind her ear and focused on the road. “I know you do,” she said. “But your father is upset with Uncle Jake right now. And he’s been worried that seeing your uncle might upset you.”
“Well, now I have!” Emma barked.
Her mother shot her a look of surprise. “I didn’t realize you felt so strongly. Let me talk to your father.”
Emma slumped down in the seat. Jake was many things, but most of all he was loyal. Her family had to realize it wasn’t his fault. After all, Olivia had trusted both of them to take Luci out in the boat. Emma was the one who’d helped her put on the tiny littlelife jacket. It was Emma’s lap she’d been sitting on as they headed out into the center of the lake. And after seeing Luci today, she knew that every time Uncle Jake looked at Luci’s broken arm, he, too, probably felt the same wave of remorse. Remorse in the form of a pink cast.
By the time the party rolled around, Emma had almost decided against going. Her dad had come home from work all hopeful looking, and asked her, once again, to play Ping-Pong. It had been years since they’d last played, and yet there he was asking, just like he had the other night when Alicia came over. The same night he’d acted all weird and nostalgic, as if she and Alicia would want to stay up watching Disney movies in their matching pink sleeping bags, like they used to. She felt bad for him; almost bad enough to stay home. But then she thought of Sully.
So she’d made up a story for her parents about meeting camp counselors at the Club—which wasn’t exactly a lie. After all, she was hanging out with people from camp. What worried her far more than her parents finding out was what Amanda would say. She’d invited them. The problem was that Alicia’s brother, Chet, wasn’t with them.
Emma had begged Alicia, who in turn had begged Chet. According to Alicia, he wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea, but hanging around with high school kids wasn’t at the top of his list, and besides, he had plans to meet up with some friends at an outdoor concert. “He said he’ll stop by after the show,” Alicia reported back to Emma.
“After the show? When, like two o’clock in the morning?”
Alicia shrugged. “What do you want me to do? He said he’ll try.”
