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“And you’re going?” Margo asks.
I nod.
Margo looks deep into my eyes. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah,” I say. The truth is I don’t know. There’s anger already building in my chest and it’s tainted by sadness.
“Do you want me to come with you? I’m sure I can call my mom, and she’d get me excused from my afternoon classes.”
I don’t know how upset I’m going to get, and I don’t want Margo to see that side of me. She doesn’t like it. She needs to think everything is okay. “You don’t need to.” I know I need to lighten my mood, otherwise she won’t let me go so easily. “Can I still come to the movie night after?”
“You better,” she says, eyes sparkling. “We won’t start without you.”
I pat her hand. “I’ll see you then.”
It isn’t long before I get a text from Laura, and I get ready to leave.
“Goodbye,” I say.
Margo kisses my cheek. “I’ll see you soon.” She avoids the word “goodbye” again.
Laura is waiting for me at the front of the school. I slide into the passenger seat and set my messenger bag down by my feet.
“Hello,” she says. She always smiles a little too much. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and she’s in her typical jogging outfit. “How was your day?”
“Okay, I guess.” I don’t really want to talk for the next twenty minutes, but I know I don’t have a choice. “Olive is going over to Margo’s after school.”
“Really? What are they going to do?” she asks.
“Hang out. Watch a movie.”
Laura covers her mouth. “Olive made a friend?”
I laugh. “She made two. Annie will be there too.”
“That’s amazing.”
I agree. I’m happy that Olive is getting along with them. From what I can tell, Annie and Olive really hit it off at lunch. They both need a friend, so it’s perfect. I’ll worry less about Olive and Margo will worry less about Annie. It’s a win-win situation.
On the drive to the nursing home, we talk about the baby. Laura isn’t showing yet even though she’s already four months along, so sometimes I forget that the baby is coming. Every time she brings it up, I’m surprised. I have to remind myself that soon there’s going to be a little person living in that tiny house with all of us.
“Do you want me to go in with you?” she asks when we get to the parking lot.
I shake my head. “I’ll be fine.”
That usually is enough to get Laura to back down, but this time she unbuckles. “I think I should.”
“It’s fine. Really. I can go by myself.”
“Well, I don’t mind. I need to use the bathroom anyway.” She gets out of the car, and I don’t bother arguing. I don’t think I can convince her to go back.
As soon as we walk into the nursing home, I check in while Laura runs off to find a bathroom. I start my usual trek down the hallway to Grandma’s room. The door is ajar and inside are two nurses who are sitting with her. She’s sitting on her bed with her arms crossed and a sour expression on her face. I knock before pushing the door open and stepping inside. “Hello.”
All three look in my direction. One of the nurses turns back to Grandma and says, “Look who came to visit you.”
I walk closer. “Hey, Grandma.”
She peeks up at me and her face eases up. “I want to go home.”
