I needed to find a chair. And some air. Somehow, I managed to escape to a nice bench outside the hospital. Rusty had found the same one.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hi.” Rusty stared straight ahead at a pine tree.
“Nice tree.”
“Yeah.”
“Mind if I stare at it too?”
She laughed a little. “No.”
So we stared for a few minutes. It was peaceful, watching the breeze play games with the pine needles. I got up and picked up a bunch and sniffed them. I brought a few back to the bench.
“I always like to braid these, but my hand’s not working so well.” I handed a cluster to Rusty. She braided one and handed it back to me.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Riley, I’m really confused. I prayed to find my mom, and God answered my prayer. I thought everything would be perfect if that one thing was right in my life, but now everything seems more messed up than before.”
I didn’t know what to say. “I —”
“She was here the whole time. She didn’t even change her name; she just went by her middle name. It would have been easy for my dad to find her. Why didn’t he look for her?”
“I —”
“Couldn’t he have tried a little harder? And why didn’t my mom ever come to see me? It’s been so many years. You’d think that maybe on my birthday or Christmas . . . something!”
That’s when the sobs came. I stopped trying to say something and just put my good hand on her back. I looked around and noticed that my mom was talking to Diane as they stood in the distance, watching us.
Rusty’s phone rang, which made us both jump. She pulled the phone out of her pocket, looked at the screen, and then, without a word, handed it to me.
I pressed the answer button. “Hey, TJ.”
“Riley, is that you?”
“Yep. How’s it going?”
“It’s going great. Are you ever coming home?”
“Don’t know. I may have another photo shoot to do for running shoes.”
“Running? Yuck! But that reminds me of a crazy softball play that happened the other day. We had this girl in a pickle between third and home, and you know how my dad is always saying that the perfect rundown takes no throws, but the third baseman gets all panicked and actually throws home . . .”
I turned it on speaker and held it up for Rusty to hear.
“. . . but at least she makes a good throw, but then the catcher misses it — can you believe it? Luckily, I was covering, and no way am I gonna let this punky little girl score, so I scoop up the ball and dive toward her.”
TJ stopped talking for a moment, but it was only to catch her breath.
“So, just as I dive in her direction, she heads back to third, but it’s too late, cause I tag her, and then her shoe flies off and I somehow end up holding it in my glove along with the ball.”
“Wow,” I said.
“Yep, and guess what kind of shoe it was?”
“I —”
“You guessed it. A Riley Mae Crazy Daisy. And even though I was way excited about getting the girl out and everything, I was immediately sad because it made me miss my best friend. How come you never call or text me?”
“I’m sorry, TJ. My phone’s, uh . . . gone.”
“Well, that stinks. The email was cool though. Did you find Rusty’s mom?”
“That’s kind of complicated.” Rusty shook her head like she didn’t want me to say anything. Then she got up and went over to join my mom and Diane.
I needed to change the subject.
“How’s church? Is Sean piling up the donuts for me?”
“Oh, I haven’t been to church at all since you left. I have tournaments every weekend. I did see Sean, though. He was out riding his bike with this new kid named Morgan. He said they’ve been going to youth group together on Sunday mornings instead of helping in kids’ church. Oh — and this is so funny — Sean’s voice is all squeaky, and I noticed a few hairs growing on his upper lip.”
“You’re joking.”
“Ha! Maybe. But you better come home and see for yourself. School starts pretty soon, you know. Which means your birthday is coming too. Breanne says you should have a boy-girl party when you turn thirteen.”
“Boys? I don’t know any boys that I actually talk to, except Sean.”
“Well, I know a few cute ones we could invite.”
I couldn’t believe I was talking about this. I didn’t even know where I would be on my birthday. But I went on anyway.
“Is that new kid Morgan cute? I guess we could invite him.”
“Um . . . well, yes, Morgan is very cute, but —”
“Not that my mom would ever let me have a boy-girl party.”
“Well, with Morgan —”
“But it would be nice to see Sean. I guess I miss him. Don’t tell anyone I told you that. Do you think he misses me?”
“Well, actually —”
“I’m glad at least he has Morgan to hang out with at church.”
“Oh dear.”
“What? Do you have to go?”
“No, it’s just that —”
“What?”
“I’m not sure how to tell you this.”
“You’ve never had trouble telling me anything before. We’re best friends. Spill it.”
“Uhhh —”
“Go on.”
“Riley?”
“What?”
“Morgan’s a girl.”