"That's cool. I don't think I could be at sea for too long, though."
"They won the lottery just after my father sold his company when I was in seventh grade. I thought we were flying to see Gran and celebrate, but it turns out they wanted to travel for a bit. A couple of weeks turned into months, and I think I’ve seen them three times since."
And now I'm dead inside. I didn’t know she carries that much weight around with her.
“I’d always thought they were sick or something. Bobby never talked about them.”
She gives a shaky smile before she says, “It was easier to not talk about them.”
I stop loading the van and reach out my arms, pulling her to me. She's a few inches shorter than I am and her head fits just under my chin. I don't know why, but this feels like the most right thing in my life, like my soul is reaching out to hers and we're connecting.
"I'm so sorry, Ava. I had no idea."
"Most people don't. I struggled through injuries after that, and my Gran was the best, always helping me through therapies and driving me to my appointments. Going to CU helped because I was close enough to drive to get there, and I got a full-ride scholarship, which helped since my grandparents were on a fixed income."
Yes, I've been through a lot in my life, but I've always had the support of my family behind me. At least before they passed away.
"I'm so sorry, Ava. No one should have to go through that."
She nods and takes a step back, as if she's just now realized that she's been this close to me. Her cheeks go bright red and she turns to focus on the food.
We have a quiet car ride home, but the silence gives me a lot of time to think about our conversation. Ava has been through a lot, not only with guys she's dated, but with the people who were supposed to have her back through life.
And it makes me want to protect her even more.
19
AVA
Idon't know if I took some truth serum at one point or not, but I can't believe I divulged all that to Charlie.
I should probably be embarrassed, but I'm surprisingly not. It felt good to have him understand where I come from, especially since I haven't shared any of it with Marsha either.
The Sunny Girls, aka my old college roommates, all know about my past, and while they've tried to get me to connect with guys and date, they've also understood the feeling of abandonment that plagues me from my parents and ex-boyfriend.
We get the girls to come help unload the van and they're so wired for it being late at night. It looks like they already ate by ordering DoorDash, so at least I don't have to worry about doing dishes tonight.
"We should probably get to bed, everyone. That alarm clock is going to go off early tomorrow morning."
After rounding them up and telling them to turn off their phones and lights, I feel like I'm their adopted mother.
Marsha is snoring in the room when I get back, and from the looks of the medicine on the nightstand next to her, she did have a migraine.
I take a while to wind down, but at least an hour goes by before I have to get up and head outside or just to get a drink of water. There's a lot going through my mind. If I can't quiet those thoughts, it's going to be hard to function tomorrow.
I see movement through the glass into the backyard and I walk over to see Charlie sitting in one of the pool chairs, staring up at the sky.
"What are you doing?” I ask after opening the door a smidge.
"Just relaxing. Taking it all in."
I debate whether I should go out there, especially since we hugged in the Costco parking lot. I don't think I've ever felt that warm and protected, but taking a chance on being next to this guy again is like playing with fire.
"Do you want company?" I finally ask. I'm wearing a t-shirt and a pair of flowy shorts, but the air is cool.
"I'd love it," he says.
I grab the closest thing to a blanket I can find, a thin throw that was on the couch, and walk out. I sit down in the chair next to him, wrapping myself up in the blanket as much as I can.