Say Yes (Second Generation 1)

“In time,” Mrs. Evans says, pulling me to her side. “Now, let’s get some food in everyone and head to bed.”

“You’re still sleeping over, right?” Emily says, pulling me away from her mom.

“Of course.” We walk arms linked together and it makes the distance between Dean and I a little more bearable. A year. I can wait a little longer. Or at least I can try.

****

I head home the following day after spending the night at Emily’s and eating breakfast this morning. Having changed back into my regular clothes, I don’t look as hot of a mess as I feel. My mind is still on Dean as it always is, but now for a completely different reason.

As soon as I step inside the doorway, I wave at James and he drives away. My mother’s there waiting for me with her brow raised, staring at me like she’s trying to figure out what I did or didn’t do. "So how was prom?"

Nervously, I duck my head and drop my bag on the floor next to the sofa. "I didn't go."

"What? Where were you?" A look of suspicion and concern crosses her face as she wonders what boy I spent the night with.

"It’s not like that…” I answer her unspoken question. “I was at the hospital. Dean, Emily's brother was shot in the line of duty," I say as I swallow back the tears ready to rip from me. Just talking about it does something to my heart that’s hard to explain. It’s like someone’s squeezing it with their fists.

"Oh honey.” She throws her arms around me, hugging me tight and I can’t help shedding my heartache. “Is he going to make it?"

I pull out of the hug and wipe my tears. "Yes. He just woke up and we got to see him before going back to Emily's for the night."

She’s staring at me with big curious eyes. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"What?" How can she tell? I hope she isn’t going to get mad and make trouble for him. He’s been nothing but a gentleman and until last night, utterly indifferent toward me.

"Come on. I know that look. He's more than Emily's brother."

"We're not a thing. He's too old for me as Emily reminded me last night.”

"I thought her brothers were kind of young,” she says, probably thinking of James and Benji who are younger than Dean.

"Dean just turned twenty-five."

"Oh. So he's a bit older than you." I can’t read her. It’s as if it’s just a statement of fact and nothing more.

"Yes."

"Does he know who you are?" I don’t know where her mind is going on this one, but I explain our relationship or lack thereof.

"Yes. He does, but it's not like I've seen him more than twice since the first time we met a year ago."

"So he's not interested?" Is my mom actually offended for me? I thought she should be furious that I had a crush on a real man and not a boy my age.

"I don't know. I'm too young for him, though."

She sighs and leads me to the sofa, tugging me down as she sits with her body on an angle facing me. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry sweetie, but I have some bad news to bring on you again."

"What is it?" I feel the answer in my soul because there is no other bad news for us. There never is. We don’t have additional family members that we’re close to.

She takes a long pause before blurting out the news. "We have to move again."

"What?" I jump up into a standing position, staring at her in pure outrage.

"They offered your father a much better job back in Chicago, but we don't have more than two weeks to go back." That’s bullshit. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m betting we don’t have the money to pay the rent here and we’re getting kicked out. He’s probably going back to work with his cousin who works on cars. I can’t do this again. Did they even think of me and my future?

"What about my graduation?" I ask, wondering if they expect me to miss it. That’s not going to happen even if I have to stay in a shelter.

"We'll be able to stay until that day, but we leave that night. I'm sorry. I know I can't make you come with us, but I don't know what else to do. I was hoping maybe you could stay with Emily. However that doesn't look to be a good option since you have unrequited feelings for her brother."

"This is awful." I storm out of the room and into my bedroom down the hall, closing the door and pressing my back against it as I let the tears fall. I hate my life being uprooted again. Dean floods my mind. I won’t be able to leave him even if we don’t become more than what we already are. I can’t let that chance pass me up. I fall onto my bed and close my eyes just as my phone rings.