Page 88 of Entirely Yours
“The first dance is about to go on stage. Hurry, dear, but drive safe.”
“I will. Is she—shit. Is she mad?” I don’t have to clarify who I’m talking about.
Mom hesitates, which is all the answer I need. “She’ll come around,” she finally tells me.
I’m so pissed at myself. This show means so much to Thea—a foray into something absolutely terrifying that she has done completely on her own. “Five minutes,” I repeat before hanging up.
Glancing in the mirror, I redo my bun and roll some deodorant on. It takes me four minutes to make it to the park, but it’s so crowded, it takes an additional three to find a parking spot and sprint to the gazebo stage area. I am dripping in sweat, but I make it. Chloe’s group is the last one to go so I haven’t even missed her dance.
Thea is up near the front, and I can immediately tell something is wrong. She’s working her way through the crowd, ducking to try to get a look under the folding chairs that have been set up.
Pushing through the people around me, I navigate the crowd toward her. She’s growing more frantic by the second, obviouslylooking for something. When I’m a few feet away, I call her name.
Thea’s eyes hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. Tears that had previously been held back, carve a quick path down her cheeks.
“I’m so sor?—”
She holds up a hand to stop me. “Later,” she rushes out, voice breaking. “I can’t find Chloe.”
An hour earlier
Julien fucking Bardot is making it really hard for me to assume positive intent. When the breaker tripped and he sent Gabe, I about lost it all over again.
Nothing wrong with Gabe, obviously he was able to help me, but all I can focus on is why Jules didn’t come over himself. No matter which way I try to see the situation, all I can read it as is avoidance. Which takes me down a really fun little spiral of anxious thoughts.
Dad is driving us over to the park, but I can feel his sideways glances every thirty seconds.
“What?” I finally spit out.
“Nothin’,” he responds. “You just seem a little stressed, is all.”
I wonder if it was the way my shoulders havebecome closely acquainted with my ears or the way I’ve been rubbing figure eight patterns repeatedly across my stomach ever since I sat down.
Or maybe it’s both.
“I’m fine.” Glancing back at Chloe, I see that she’s fully engrossed in theNational Geographic Kidsmagazine that Cole gave her. I lower my voice so only Dad can hear. “Jules is being weird.”
Dad takes his hand off the steering wheel to wave me off. “Thea, you’re lookin’ for trouble where there is none.”
I consider that for a moment, pursing my lips. “Hmm, but what if thereistrouble?”
He scoffs. “Trust me, that man looks at you like some prize heifer.”
I roll my eyes at his Southern-isms. “I really don’t appreciate that comparison right now.”
“D’you know how much prize heifers go for? That was a compliment. Talk to the boy, Thea Shirley Rose. Quit gettin’ your panties in a twist for no reason.”
I slump in my chair. He’s not wrong, but he’s also not the picture of healthy communication either.
“This is hard without a mom,” I confess. We talk about my mom every once in a while, and truly Dad did such an amazing job raising me, but sometimes I miss this thing I never actually had.
Dad’s hand finds mine, giving it a little squeeze. “I know, honey. I wish more than anything that your mom was here to see how amazing you’ve become. To see that little one back there.” He nods toward the back seat. “I’m not dim enough to think I could ever replace having her here.”
“I don’t need you to replace her. You are a great dad and a phenomenal Pop. It’s just hard when I don’t have someone who has been through this before.”
He hums in understanding. “I reckon Elaine would be morethan happy to talk to you about anything goin’ on, if you wanted.”
“Maybe after the show,” I concede. “Maybe I’ll talk to both her and Jules after the show.”
