Page 66 of I Hope This Finds You Well

“Yeah... technically, she did.” The corners of her smile waver. “Our parents weren’t in the picture, so to Grandma’s house we went. But Cliff was the one who kept watch.” She keeps her voice light, but her words are heavy; they linger in the air between us. “Wasn’t all bad, though. Cliff liked to pretend we were Luke and Leia. I’m pretty sure he still believes he carries the force.”

Grace and I both turn in unison to look at Cliff. He’s finished setting up the ramp contraption and is now picking up Lisa’s frosty green ball and placing it at the top for her. Essentially, his grandma isn’t bowling so much as simply letting go of a ball so it can fly down a slope.

Grace continues: “She’s almost made a full recovery. Only eighteen months since her surgery.”

I’m not sure what she’s talking about, but I say, “That’s great.”

“Yeah...” There’s an uncertain edge to her voice. “Hey, I don’t suppose he’s mentioned anything about moving back to Vancouver to you?”

My eyes flash toward her. “What?”

Her brows rise. “That’s a no then?”

I shake my head, but my insides shatter with the sound of the crashing pins. “Sorry, I just—I didn’t know. I thought Cliff said he grew up here?”

“Ah.” She inhales deeply before pressing her lips thin. “He’s not an open book, is he? I assumed he would have at least mentioned his last job—the life he had before he moved back to Calgary—at some point.”

I suddenly feel embarrassed. I barely know him, not like his family and friends here. “Oh yeah, he sort of has... I just didn’t realize it was in Vancouver.” My voice tightens against my will. “What was his job?”

“So this is a huge shocker, but he used to help people—usually housing displaced or, with a less-than-stellar track record, find employment.”

My jaw goes slack. “No! That’s, like, perfect for him!”

“Right?” She smacks me on the thigh, like we’re old friends. I stare at her waxy blue nails, still pressing into my pants, as she continues. “Yeah, he got that job straight out of college, left for Vancouver and never looked back.” Her gaze shifts toward Cliff, who is whispering in his grandma’s ear. “But when he heard about Grandma’s surgery, we couldn’t stop him. He flew back to help even though we all yelled about it.” We both stare at Cliff, who’s setting up the next ball for his grandma. The electronic screens above them are playing an absurd animation of bowling pins wearing cowboy hats breaking each other out of a jail cell. “He’s had no luck finding anything like that here. We figured he’d go back, now that she’s better, but of course he’s still here helping.” She chuckles, but it’s hollow.

By the lanes, Lisa releases the ball and it glides straight in between the remaining pins. Cliff makes a show of wildly clapping his hands while his grandma hobbles over to swat him.

My chest caves in as the thought intrudes. He’s not meant to be at Supershops Incorporated. He’s not meant to stay here.

Grace nudges me. “Hey, don’t worry, he’s notthattragic. Sounds like Supershops is way better than his insurance HR gig last year. He complains so much less.” Then her eyes run over my face quizzically. “Cliff mentioned you’re becoming friends too, so things are good. He seems happier.”

Hope bubbles in my chest. He said that to his sister? That has to mean something. But just as quickly the bubble deflates. I didn’t even know about Vancouver, about his better life.

“Make sure you at least hit some pins.” Cliff’s granny’s voice comes out of nowhere, followed by an elbow nudging my side.

“Sure thing.” I smile at her and stand up.

I make my way to the floor arrows and try my best to look calm. Beside me, a ball flies back up the return machine and crashes into the row, making me jolt.

I pick up a ball that feels too big and too heavy. I toss it onto the lane in what I’m sure is abysmal form, but I do manage to get one pin down. Cliff steps toward me, a black-and-white marbled ball in hand. “Try mine, it’s lucky,” he says.

I put my hand to my chest. “Cliff, I’m honored you’d share your ball with me.”

His lips tease out a smirk. “Thisisa great honor, thank you for recognizing that.”

Our hands graze during the handover, sending a rush through my abdomen.

On my second turn, three more pins fall. Not as terrible as can be.

When I get back to the seats, Cliff is rallying the group together. “Right, what’s everyone eating for intermission?” They all shout out their orders, and once he’s taken them, he turns to me. “Jolene? This place boasts a lovely à la carte menu of the finest haute dogs. Would you like tapas to start? They’ve got nachos and cheese sauce.”

“It’s okay, I can get a snack myself.” The last thing I need right now is for Cliff to buy me dinner—even bowling alley caliber—in front of his family.

Grace leans in and puts a hand on my shoulder. “You know you can’t stop Cliff from buying shit.”

She’s right, of course. I do at least know that about him. I resign myself to my fate and say, “A hot dog sounds lovely.” As he heads over to the food counter, I turn to Grace and say, “That’s really kind of him to always treat people.”

She nods and smiles, a bit wistful as she watches her brother’s back. The rainbow disco lights dance across her face. “He’s always been like that. Even when we were kids, he’d save me his cookies from the government lunch program. Can you imagine that? I like to tell him he’s being a bitchy martyr, for balance.”