Page 87 of Don’t Be A Stranger

The little blue house I grew up in comes into view and I’m now practically bouncing in my seat. This is the most lively I’ve been in the last week.

Papi and Dad both laugh.

“Do you need help, Dad?” My hand rests on the door handle as I’m preparing to bolt because I see Lily sitting on the steps of the porch. The same ones we spent years gossiping and crying on.

Lily’s dark brown curls are pulled back in a braid and her usual Mary-Janes are replaced with sneakers. Her skin is tanner than the last time I saw her. And I know with her being half black, that’s not a hard thing to do, but it makes me happy that she hasn’t strictly been cooped up in her room. And that she hasn’t avoided the outside world entirely.

“No, Lovie.” Dad smiles. “Go ahead.”

I stumble out of the car and Lily stands, a smile on her own face. We’re both laughing before we’re even within arm’s reach, but when our bodies finally do collide, it’s with a thud. We both groan into each other from the harsh contact but we don’t dare to pull away.

I don’t talk about how fragile she feels. Or how raw her hands look from her constantly picking at the skin around her nails. I don’t tell her that I should’ve been here sooner. Nothing about school or River or swimming escapes my lips because Lily is right here in front of me.

I knew I missed her. I knew I needed her, but I wasn’t aware that it was this much.

“I missed you.” I squeeze tighter than I need to.

“I missed you too.”

***

“Lily, sweetheart, are you okay?” Papi calls out from the front porch, a pitcher of lemonade in his hands.

I gasp from my spot on the grass. “Why does she get offered a refill?”

“Because you’ve had about five. I can’t keep up with you.”

I look at my glass of lemonade—or at least what was once a full glass of lemonade. Lily’s nearly full glass rests right next to mine.

“I’m okay, Santi.” Lily smiles.

“Alright, let me know if you girls need anything.”

“Thanks, Papi,” I call out.

He heads back inside, leaving Lily and me alone once again. We fall back into our resting positions on the grass, under the sprinklers, looking up at the clouds.

Lily points up at the sky. “That one is definitely a dragon.”

“I see a duck,” I argue.

Lily has always been afraid of the water so growing up, we compromised to cool off by sitting under the sprinklers.

I can’t help but reach to my left but all I feel is the damp grass instead of River’s hand.

He’s tried calling and texting. I’m guessing because Bethany told him about Dad. I know that it’s unfair of me not to respond back but he’s the one that said we needed space. And if he cares so much, then he can call my dad himself.

Instead of trying to worry about the empty spot, I look to the place Lily takes up on my right. She wipes tiny water droplets from her glasses and I’d argue for her to take them off, but then she wouldn’t see any shapes in the clouds at all.

“Have you been keeping busy?” I ask.

Lily snorts. “Yeah, Mr. Darcy and I have been rewatching Diary of a Space Cadet and my trip with Mimi to the farmer’s market was enthralling.”

I give her a fist bump despite the mild sarcasm in her voice. I don’t care that she’s only been hanging out with her grandparents and her fat cat. I’m just happy she’s not retreating again.

“See?” I smile. “That’s productive.”

“No it’s not.” She laughs and I remember how much I miss hearing that sound. Not just in person but in general. “I should be hanging out with people.”