Page 79 of August Lane
Emma:
He [redacted]
Jojo:
I can’t answer that. Legally.
Emma:
I’m sorry. Yes, I understand. Does anyone know what happened?
Jojo:
Everyone knew. I went to the hospital bleeding. Forty weeks later, I had August.
Emma:
That must have been a hard decision.
Jojo:
There was no decision. I was a wild child living in a godly house with a godly mother. She never gave me a choice.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
2009
August sat on the floor of the theater dressing room, chin resting on her hands, her eyes fixed on the lopsided Hostess cupcake wilting under the heat of a single birthday candle. Luke sat across from her, waiting for her to blow it out. Half their lunch period was gone, but August didn’t care. If the day ended at this particular moment, she’d be fine. It’d be perfect.
Luke finally broke the spell by asking, “Are you going to make a wish?”
“You haven’t sung to me yet.”
Luke looped his arms around his knees. “That’s for tomorrow, the actual day of your birth. This is birthday eve.”
