Chapter Thirty

Mom said, "Jodi called this morning. She wanted me to make sure you called back."

I blinked. "Honest?"

"I wouldn't lie."

I plunked down at the table. I felt a little breathless and wondered what was up.

Chapter Thirty

I saw Christie a few days later.

I was in Walgreens browsing through the magazine rack. I'd picked out a Sports Illustrated to thumb through. I'd also picked up a couple of other items—cologne, a three-pack of sports socks, a pen, and a packet of stationery. I'd thrown everything into a plastic basket with handles that customers carry around when they don't buy a cartload of things. The basket sat at my feet.

Christie strolled up to me and said, "Hi. How are things going?"

"Oh...hi. Fine...just fine."

"Jodi have her baby?"

Dropping the magazine into my basket, I said, "Last week. A boy. Matt. They went back to Wisconsin."

Christie eyed the basket at my feet. "Stationery? Since when did you start writing letters?"

"Today. I'm going to start today, I'm writing Jodi."

"Are the two of you...?"

"What?"

"Well...?"

"Getting married," I said.

"Well...I guess that's what I wanted to know."

I looked down, nudged the basket with my toe, and cleared my throat. "We're just friends." I figured I might as well tell her. "The baby isn't mine."

Christie went owl-eyed on me. "You're kidding?"

"Not at all."

While my feet shuffled about, I recited a very short version of the story: Jodi had a redheaded boyfriend before I met her. The baby has red hair. End of story.

Christie said, "So she didn't really know who the father was until—"

"She thought she knew."

"—the baby was born?"

"That's right."

"Unbelievable." Christie tucked her long dark hair behind her ears. "That must've shaken everybody up."

"Down to our toes."

"Somebody said you took her to the hospital in Iowa City the day of graduation. That's why you weren't there."

"That's right."

"You didn't know then?"

I reached down and picked up the basket by its handles. "Uh-uh." Why is that so hard to believe?

"How could she do that to you? I mean, when I talked to her she seemed like such a nice person. How could she lie to you like that?"

"She didn't lie—she is a nice person. She got caught up in some unusual circumstances. We got caught up..." I tugged at the collar on my T-shirt.

Christie said, "Sorry. I'm asking too many questions."

"The whole experience has left me...kind of confused. Kind of numb."

"I'll bet." Then, "What are you going to do this summer?"

"I don't know. Depends." I shifted the basket from my right hand to my left. I didn't want to blow Christie off. I didn't know when I'd ever talk to her again, but this conversation was starting to kill me.

"Look, Michael, I wanted to tell you Oz called and made a special effort to let me know you didn't tell him anything about us. About you and me. He called a while back."

"That was nice of him. And nice of you to tell me."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you."

I shrugged. "You still seeing Norman Bixby?"

"We're going to Northwestern together. What's Oz doing these days?"

"Playing the field. Different girl every week. He made the Shriners all-star football team. So did I. And he's going to walk on at Iowa."

"Congratulations. To both of you."

"Thanks. I'll tell him you said so."

"Oz got over his shyness in a hurry, didn't he?"

"And now I think he's headed in the wrong direction."

"Some girl out there will tame him. Wait and see. How's your mom?"

"Great. She's got a boyfriend."

Christie's head tilted. "No kidding. How do you feel about that? I mean it's hard for me to picture your mom with anyone else."

For no reason, I rearranged the items in my basket, setting the magazine and the stationery under the others. "I know. But I think its people that make people happy. Not cars or houses or money. I want my mom to be happy.

"He's a nice guy?"

"Yeah, he's all right." He'll never replace my dad.

"You think they're serious?"

"My mom doesn't wear her wedding ring anymore. They stay out late a lot. Even weekday nights. I might have to set a curfew for her. I haven't caught them making out, though."

"Ground her," Christie said, and we laughed. It was good to laugh with Christie again.

What I really wanted to tell her was I was sorry what we'd had together hadn't lasted. It was special. But I didn't. Maybe she knew it in her heart, just like I did.

"See you around," she said.

"Yeah. See you around."

When I got home, Mom sat at the kitchen table writing on a pad of yellow legal paper, the cordless phone on the table.

She'd sold the house and was now looking for a condo. On the yellow pad she was making a list of household items she wanted to take with her and those that would go up for sale.    

She'd been working on the list for days.

"Michael," she said, "you're going to have to make a list, too, things of yours you might like me to keep for you."

"All right."

Mom handed me the cordless and a ripped-off corner of yellow paper with a number scrawled on it. "Jodi called this morning. She wanted me to make sure you called back."

I blinked. "Honest?"

"I wouldn't lie."

I plunked down at the table. I felt a little breathless and wondered what was up.

 Mom gathered her pen and legal pad and left the room.

Holding my breath, I punched in the numbers.

Lois answered. "Hi, Michael." She sounded glad to hear my voice and asked how I was getting along. I told her I was okay. She said Jodi would be just a minute, Matt was crying. My cheeks puffed. I blew out a big breath of air. "Things going okay?"

"Pretty good," Lois said.

Then, "Michael?" Jodi's voice.

"Hey..." I was speechless a moment, tongue paralyzed. "Um...my mom said you'd called. Is everything all right?"

"Yes."

"Matt's okay?"

"He's fine. Gaining weight like crazy."

"Mom said...you wanted me to call back. I got my DNA results in the mail, if that's what you wanted to know. Have you heard from Luke?"

"Not yet. Probably any day now."

"Good."

"He's agreed to get tested, but he's like, 'I'm not coming back there, no matter what.'"

"What an asshole."

"I knew all along he wouldn't..."

I pulled my chair closer to the table and planted my elbows on it. I didn't know what else to say. I didn't see how a guy could turn his back on his own kid. Like not even want to see him. Or be part of his life.

"Michael...this is..." Jodi was struggling for words, too.

"What?"

"This is so difficult... I mean, you're not mad at me, are you?"

"For what?"

"I was so afraid you'd be mad at me..."

"Why?"

"For blowing you off the last time we talked."

"I'm not. Look, Jodi—" I switched the phone to my other ear.

"Michael, I do want you to come to Wisconsin this summer and stay as long as you can...if you'd still like to."

Giant pause. My heart flip-flopped. Then stopped for a beat or two. "You're not kidding?"

"Pop says he could use your help—he's way behind repairing docks. The snow and ice tear them up. He wants to build two new cabins."

"I swear, I don't have to play this football game."

"Play it, Michael. Be here when you can...but only if you really want to."

I heard Matt crying in the background.

"I want to give us a chance, too, Michael. Everything's so uncertain, but I want us to have a real chance. Matt does, too."

I shifted in the chair and smiled. "You asked him?"

"When I got home, I'm like, 'Matt, what do you think of that guy, Michael?' And he goes, 'I'd like to know him better.'"

"He said that? He actually said that?"

"That's what he said. Honest. 'I'd like to know him better.'"

I felt choked.

"I have to go, Michael. Matt's still crying."

"I'll write you a long letter tonight." Another ear switch. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"All right. Good-bye."

"I love you, Jodi."

Not even a pause. "I love you, too, Michael."

After Jodi hung up, I was almost afraid to breathe. Afraid to break the spell. I punched the phone's OFF button and set the phone on the table. I leaned back in my chair and threw my head back, clenched my fists, and squeezed my eyes shut.

I felt tingly all over. I felt suspended between laughing and crying. What do you think about that, Dad? Better than being invited to a million all-star football games, right? Right! Are you proud of me?

Coming Monday—Epilogue: A peek into life for Jodi, Michael, and Matt at Ghost Bay. (Final Thoughts about the story on Wednesday)