The next day, I’m surprised with a visit from Melody. She brings me coconut cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies. She tells me about school and the things she’s been up to, and it’s nice to just listen to her voice, let her distract me.
“You know you’re always welcome at our table,” she tells me before she leaves. I don’t know if it’ll even be possible to go back to Riverside, if I’ll be able to handle it, but it’s kind of her to offer. “You’re always welcome there. You and Elise both were.”
“But you and Elise—” I think of what Christian said, how Elise had embellished aspects of her story. I remember what she told me the day we went off campus for lunch in that sub’s car, about how Melody had confronted her about our friendship. I’m about to ask Mel but I decide not to. I have to let go of the past.
• • •
Later that day, when Mom has gone back to work, Dad sticks around for lunch. “Let’s do it,” he tells me.
“Do what?” I ask warily.
“Um, I kind of can’t on account of being shot,” I say with a weak laugh.
“No, not this.” He laughs too. “I mean you and me. Let’s do it, okay?”
I shrug with my right shoulder. We’ve been here before. “Okay,” I say, indulging him. “Let’s do it.”
“I mean it,” he insists. “This—this was a wake-up call, Remy. I almost lost you.” He begins to cry. “I want to start over. I don’t want to fail you.”
“Dad . . .”
“I’ll get an apartment and then we can move out right away.”
“Okay,” I say, my smile a little warmer this time. I’m not sure I have faith in anything he says anymore, but I can’t help but hope anyway.