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He frowns but goes silent in the backseat.
I shift my weight, the broken-down leather not doing my back any favors.
“Thanks for the ride.” I might have been a bit abrasive toward her. I mean, she did offer to give us a ride.
“No problem,” she says just as Connor’s phone rings.
“It’s Mom!” His face lights up. “Hey, Mom. We’re almost there.”
In the next second, his expression shifts, and the downtrodden look tells me all I need to know.
3
Melody
“Ican’t believe she took an earlier flight,” Connor grumbles. “She knew I was coming.”
“I’m sorry, buddy.” Dr. Banks turns in his seat, his face soft. It’s a little surprising to see the shift in his demeanor. “I’m sure she had an important reason to take it.”
It is clear that he doesn’t actually believe that but is doing his best not to show his son.
My phone pings in the cupholder, and I pick it up.
Dorian:Can you pick me up now? My knees hurt.
My heart squeezes.
They were bothering him this morning too.
I have no money for doctors or medication right now, but he has another doctor’s appointment in a few weeks. I’ll just have to give him some more massages and manage his pain until then. Hopefully, they can come up with something new, and not ridiculously expensive, to help him.
“I’m sorry you went to all this trouble for us.” Dr. Banks gives me a concerned look. “You can just take us back to Bert’s if that’s ok.”
“I will, I promise, I just need to make a pit stop before we head back. My brother’s school is on the way, and I need to pick him up.”
“I thought you said that you had forty-five minutes.” He narrows his eyes at me.
“I thought I did, but he’s not feeling well.” I don’t want to get into detail. Why would I? It’s not like Hard-ass Banks cares. “I’m sorry. I promise to be quick.”
He nods, still looking at me. “Okay, let’s go pick up your brother.”
“Thanks.” Relief floods me as I head toward the school.
Connor appears lost, looking out the window.
His face looks so sad. Something tells me he must not see his mom all that much.
We make the drive to the public middle school in about ten minutes, and I pull up next to the curb. “I’ll be right back.”
“You have to go in and pick him up? At a public school?” Dr. Banks gives me another suspicious look.
I fight the urge to snap. He doesn’t know, so it’s not his fault. “Yes.I do.”
Connor’s uniform shows he goes to private school, but not all of us can afford that, can we?Isure as hell can’t.
And I’m not even sure it makes a difference in the end.
My tennis shoes squeak as I trot up to the front doors, swinging them open and stepping into the front lobby of the school.
