The Other Side of Tomorrow

“Oh, God,” I squeak, when I realize Jasper is shirtless and dripping with sweat.nbsp;

Sweet baby Jesus, why is he so hot? It’s not fair.

The three step onto the porch and I quickly take a seat. Jasper pulls out the chair beside me and his grandpa takes the one across from me.

“You must be Willa,” he greets me, holding out his hand. I shake it, and his grip is firm. “Jasper has been telling me all about you. I’m Leo.”

“Oh,” his wife pipes in. “How rude of me, I never gave you my name. I’m Mary Beth.”

“Thank you, guys, for welcoming me into your home.”

“Any friend of Jasper’s is a friend of ours.”

I pile some of the sides on the plate with my sandwich. Mary Beth had pulled homemade macaroni salad from the refrigerator as well as some sort of casserole that I wasn’t entirely sure what it was made of, but it looked delicious.

“Did you get done with the cupcakes?” Jasper asks.

I shake my head. “We have a lot more to go.”

“She’s been a great help,” Mary Beth tells him, and I smile at her praise. “I’m definitely much farther along than I would’ve been on my own.”

“What have you been doing?” I ask him.

I’m surprised by how comfortable I feel with him, with his family too. Normally I’m uncomfortable around people I don’t know, it’s a fallacy of being shy, but something about these people makes me feel warm and at home.

“Are you in college with Jasper?” Leo asks me.

I shake my head. “No, I’ve been homeschooled, I graduated high school in December. I … uh … I’m planning to take the next year off before going to college. I’ve had a lot of health issues, and I kind of just want a break to live for a little while and figure out who I am before I start school.”

Willa, you have got to tell Mom and Dad what you’ve decided. They might’ve figured it out on their own already, but they still deserve to hear it from you.

I resolve to sit them down tomorrow and tell them. I know they’ll understand, I’m not worried about that, but I still can’t help feeling like maybe I’ve failed them in some way.

Leo nods. “I think you’re making a smart decision.”

“Really?” I blurt.

He nods, chewing his food and swallows. “Yes, I think it’s better to understand your heart before you make such a big decision. You should know what you truly want to do. It’s not fair for anyone to be stuck in a job that makes them miserable because of a decision they made when they were young.”

We finish eating and, afterward, Jasper says we have to leave.

“But there are

more cupcakes to frost,” I protest, and he chuckles.

“Grandma can handle it, can’t you?” He looks at her over my shoulder.

“I’ll be fine. You two go on, but promise you’ll come back, Willa.”

I glance at Jasper. “Only if he wants me to.”

He stares at me for a moment, actually, it’s probably less than a second, but that look makes me shiver. “I want you to.” His voice is husky, and I swear it turns my stomach to jelly.

“I’ll be back then.”nbsp;

I exchange hugs with Mary Beth and Leo and then we’re back in the Jeep and on our way home.nbsp;

“I wish we could hang out longer,” Jasper says, turning into my neighborhood, “but I coach the boy’s eighth-grade swim team.”