Page 103 of Summer Breakdown
“Ew, gross. What’s the password?”
“You’re ridiculous,” Jasmine repeats.
“You like me so bad,” Frankie replies. “It’s embarrassing for you.”
“I do like you so bad,” Jasmine responds, and she smiles at the way she knows Frankie’s jaw has dropped a little.
“Don’t be mean,” she groans. “You know I blush easy.” Jasmine wants to say a hundred things, maybe more. Too many to sort through. They press up against her ribs, crowd her throat, so she can’t find where she’d even begin. She presses her face into her palm. Jasmines pathetic. She’s hopeless. She’s so stupidly in love she can hardly stand it.
“Can I take them to the shopping centre over in Taunton?” Frankie asks.
“Sure.”
“Yay,” Frankie replies. “Okay, I’ll text you updates.”
“I trust you,” Jasmine says. It’s no longer scary how true that is. She never thought she’d have anyone to leave her children with. Jasmine doesn’t like to be without them, but she knows Lani will light up when Frankie picks them up. Marcel might smirk a little, but he’d be pleased too.
“I know, but I know you wanna be here too, and I bet Lani made Marc match shorts.”
Jasmine laughs. It’s lame that she misses them so much.
“I bet she did.”
“Mm-hmm. Okay, text you when I’ve gotthem!”
“Bye, my girl.”
Frankie pulls up outside Mike’s at exactly three fifty-five, and she’s not due to get them until four, but they’re already outside, waiting with their bags. If she kicked him in the shin, would he call the police? It might be worth it. He’s not here, though. The front door is open, so she supposes he hasn’t abandoned them, but she hates him all the same.
“Frankie!” Lani says, and she walks towards her. It’s a quick walk, but it’s not a run—either because Frankie keeps telling her to slow down, or because she’s been walking too much today.
“Hey, monster girl,” she says, picking her up. Lani rests against her more than usual, her body sagging against Frankie the moment she can. “Hey, Marc.”
“Hi,” he replies, with a small smile. “Where’s Ma?”
“Stuck in traffic.”
“Oh. Thanks for picking us up.”
“Of course! I love hanging out with you guys,” she replies. “I should let your dad know I’ve got you.”
“I’ll go,” Marcel replies. “Do you need help putting Lani’s wheelchair in the boot?”
Frankie smiles. He’s so sweet. “I’ve got it, bud.” It doesn’t take long to make sure Lani is strapped in, and then she waves to Mike at the door. He closes it without responding, but at least he knows she has gotten the kids, and that Marcel isn’t just running away from him because he’s the worst. Marcel sighs as he gets in the passenger seat.
“How was your night?” Frankie asks.
“It was fine, thank you,” Lani replies. Fine? Lani never thinks something is fine. She has an eight-page thesis on the colour pink.
Frankie frowns, looking at Marcel. He doesn’t say anything either.
“Are we going home?” Lani asks.
There’s a surface-level panic coursing through her body. Marcel seems down. Lani might be tired. They’re not in matching clothes. Frankie wants to call Jasmine—she’d know what to do. Lani’s face would light up with just the idea of talking to her. But Frankie knows she’d be worried, and that there’s nothing Jasmine can do right now. Jasmine is miles away, and besides Frankie trying to find her on a gridlocked motorway, she’s the parent right now.
“Well, I thought we could go to the shopping centre in Taunton, but—“
Lani gasps, and Marcel spins to look at her. They’re talking to each other without talking to each other. Frankie didn’t know how frustrating it was when she and Ezra did it. Now, she kind of feels bad for her parents.
