Page 22 of Sure, Pal

9

Four Years Later

Evan

Glioblastoma. Gli-o-blast-o-ma: Brain cancer. I’d never heard the word before, but it was about to become my life.

My older sister, Bea, called me a week before my college graduation. “Evan,” she said, “You need to come home.”

“What? Why?” I laughed.

“It’s…” She sighed loudly into the phone. “Dad’s sick.”

“Like, the flu?” I tried to joke, but it fell flat. Bea’s shaking voice told me that this was fucking serious.

“Evan! You’re so insensitive! Dad has brain cancer! You need to come home!”

What? It felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. I’d just talked to my dad a couple of weeks ago. We talked about graduation and the semi-pro soccer team that I’d signed with. He cracked a few dirty jokes and laughed at my most recent hangover story. No. My dad was fine. “Are you serious, Bea?” I finally breathed out.

“Do I ever joke, Evan?” Bea was crying now.

“Nope.” I sank onto my bed and dropped my phone. “Fuck,” I whispered.

???

When I walked through the front door of my parents’ house, it didn’t feel like home. The big gray sectional still sat in the living room, with the same light blue throw pillows. The white curtains with blue diamonds still hung in the windows, and the gray oriental rug still covered the hardwood floor. Everything looked the same, but tension and fear hung in the air that had never been there before.

“Oh! Evan!” My mom hurried down the stairs and flung her arms around my neck. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

“Hey, mom.” I wrapped my arms around her, noticing that she felt thinner than usual.

“Where’s dad?” I asked.

She rolled her eyes. “He’s out back. He’s mowing the lawn.”

I laughed and shook my head. “What?”

“I know. I keep telling him to rest, and he says, ‘Tanya, I’ll rest when I’m dead!’” My mom’s voice cracked on the last word.

I pretended not to hear it and headed for the sliding glass door in the kitchen. I looked out the window, and sure enough, my dad was out there mowing the lawn. He looked fine.

This wasn’t fucking real.

My mom wandered into the kitchen and stood beside me. “Oh, Evan, Aunt Jen is staying in your old room for the next couple of weeks. I would have you stay with Bea and Jack, but they’ve got Sophia, and they only have the two bedrooms. We can set up an air mattress for you in Charlie’s room, though.”

I smiled and shook my head. “I’m sure Charlie would love that.” I shoved my hands in the front pockets of my jeans, my eyes never leaving my dad. “I’ll see if I can crash with Rob or find something to rent.” I hadn’t seen Rob much since I’d left for college, but we still kept in touch, and I knew he lived close by.

“You don’t have to do that, sweetheart!” My mom’s eyes were glued to my dad, too.

“I don’t mind,” I said, and then, “Should I go help him?”

“He won’t let you. His pride might be what kills him in the end.” She wiped a tear that trailed down her cheek. “Oh, one of dad’s old college friends is coming to dinner tonight, so I better get started on the ribs.”

Was everyone in my dad’s life dropping in to say good-bye?

I nodded at my mom and headed up the stairs to find my little sister. Charlie sat on the end of her bed, staring at the wall with a blank look on her face.

“Hey.” I stood in her doorway and waved.

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