Page 75 of Better Than Gelato
“It’s good to be home. Your mom’s taking good care of me. And of course running the shop. I don’t think she’s slept more than a few hours in the last few days.”
“I wish I was there! What can I do to help?”
“Oh, we’ll get things squared away. You just worry about taking care of that girl of yours. She sounds like a real hooligan.”
“She’s not so bad,” I say.
It takes thirty more minutes for my dad to convince me he’s going to be okay. Listening to his description of the hospital food and the mean nurse who took care of him has me laughing so hard I’m afraid I’ll wake Isa. I hang up the phone feeling better about everything. My dad is okay. Everything’s going to be alright.
And then Brianna calls early the next morning.
“Hey Juls, have you talked to Mom and Dad?” Brianna’s the oldest, and even when she asks you a question, it feels like she’s bossing you around.
“Yes. I’m so relieved!”
“Did Mom talk to you about Dad’s recovery plan?”
“She said four months before he can go back to work.”
“At least. Brad’s taking a month leave to come down and help Mom run the shop. I know you can’t come home right now, so we’ll take care of everything until you get back. Were you planning on heading back to school in the fall, or could you stay in town a little longer? I just think they’ll really need the help. Mom can’t care for Dad and the shop at the same time.”
“What about Kayla?” I ask, speaking past the horrible tightness that has seized my throat. “Maybe she could help out for a while.”
“She’s…not very reliable these days.” I’m not surprised, but the words still hit like a punch to the gut.
“How about selling the business?” I say. “I know it means a lot to Dad, but maybe it’s time.”
“They can’t,” Brianna says. “They tried a few years ago but the offer was so low they couldn’t accept it. They need something for retirement. It’s up to us to keep it afloat. I would go down myself if the twins weren’t such a handful right now.”
“Sure.”
“Nothing’s set in stone, but maybe plan on sticking around for a while after you get home, okay? You could head back to school in the spring. Or catch a summer term or something.”
“Of course. Yeah. Whatever the family needs.”
“You’re the best, Juls. We’re lucky to have you in our family.”
“Thanks, yeah, you too, Bree.”
I hang up the phone and pull my knees up to my chest. I stare at my half-painted toes. Getting the school to hold my scholarship this year was a miracle. There’s no way they’ll hold it until next spring. And there’s no way I can afford tuition. If I don’t go back to school this fall, I won’t be going back.
ChapterEighteen
Iwatch the rolling hills glide by my window, green and glowing in the early morning light, as I try to forget my conversation with Brianna. Spring is making a tentative entrance, and we’re heading to Cinque Terre for a day of hiking. It’s barely past dawn and the train is quiet. Jake sits next to me, holding my hand. Paolo and Valentina are snuggling in the seat in front of us. Carmen is reading a book, and Diego has fallen asleep next to her.
“You doing okay?” Jake asks. He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. “Are you still feeling anxious about your dad?”
I nod vaguely. I haven’t told him that I’m not going back to school in the fall. That I’ll be spending the rest of my life in my hometown. Seeing the same twenty people pick up and drop off their dry cleaning. Going to the grocery store and the movies and bumping into all the other kids from high school who never managed to get out of that place.
“What do you think about Greece?” he asks, breaking my depressing train of thought.
“If you’re talking about Greece the country, I love it,” I say. “If you’re talking about Grease the musical, not a fan.”
“Greece the country. I found some crazy cheap tickets from Milan to Athens. What do you think about going for a week before we head back home?”
My mouth drops open. A week in Greece. With Jake.
“A MILLION times yes!”
